GB2065341A - Electronic equipment with voice output - Google Patents

Abstract

The equipment, e.g. a calculator, selectively outputs data in any one of a plurality of different voices. The available voices stored may include a male voice, a female voice, and a child's voice. Positive, negative numbers and time values may be voiced. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An electronic equipment which outputs data in synthetic voice BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention This invention relates to an electronic equipment which outputs data in synthetic voice, and more particularly to an electronic equipment which is provided with memory for storing digital signals expressing voice which has a plural number of kinds of sound qualities and which is designed to generate the stored digital signal in the form of voice having a plural number of kinds of sound qualities selectively corresponding to the switch data, key data, or other data.

Description of the Prior Art In a conventional electronic equipment which outputs synthetic voice, for example, electronic voice desk calculator, external communication of data was performed by a single kind of voice, for example, by male voice. It had a drawback that with only such a single kind of male voice the voice was hard to hear when there was much voice in external environment. On the other hand, a voice synthesizing unit which generates female voice was developed recently and electronic voice desk calculator which performed external communication with female voice appeared. However, the cases where hearing female voice over a long period of time annoying were generated among the users of electronic voice desk calculator and it was problematic that in calm environment many users preferred male voice to female voice.

In one aspect the invention provides an electronic equipment capable of performing external communication using voice having a sound quality most easily heard in spite of the noise in external environment by removing said defects in conventional equipment and by making it possible to select arbitrarily various voices having different sound qualities such as male high voice, male low voice, boy's voice, female high voice, and female low voice as required.

In another aspect the invention provides an electronic equipment in which voices having different sound qualities are selected automatically corresponding to the kind of data to be announced as, for example, male voice is used when announcing positive numerical data and famale voice is used when announcing negative numerical data, so that the kind of data announced can be discriminated clearly.

In another aspect the invention provides an electronic voice desk calculator in which the registration data such as "1 23 + 456 = " in normal calculation is announced with male voice and the data of answer such as "579', obtained as a result of arithmetic operation is announced with female voice so that the registration data and the data about the result of arithmetic operation can be clearly discriminated.

In a further aspect the invention provides an electronic voice desk calculator in which male voice is used for normal arithmetic operation data and female voice is used for the result of arithmetic operation that has overflown and for overflown state to announce distinctly the difference between normal arithmetic operation state and overflown state.

In a still further aspect the invention provides an electronic voice desk calculator in which normal numerical value data in a calculator having time measuring function, for example 123 + 456 = 579, is announced with male voice and time data, for example, 3.

o'clock minutes and 45 seconds, May 25th, is announced with female voice.

In another aspect, the present invention provides an electronic voice desk calculator in which a large numerical value data is divided every 3 digits and voices of different qualities are used for announcement, for example a 9 digit numerical value data 123, 456, 789, the numerical value 123 of most significant 3 digits is announced in female voice, the next 3 3 digit value 456 is announced in male voice, and the most insignificant 3-digit value 789 is announced with child's voice, or announcement or numerical values preceding a certain number of digits, for example, the numerical value 12345 which precedes 4 digits is announced in female voice and the numerical value which follows, for example 6789 is announced with child's voice, or announcement or numerical values preceding a certain number of digits, for example, the numerical easily and in which the digit can be specified at will.

In a further aspect, the invention provides an electronic voice desk calculator in which numerical value data and arithmetic operation data are announced clearly distinctively such as the important numerical value datas 123., 456., and 579 are announced with female voice and the arithmetic operation data such as + and = are announced with male voice.

Other objects of this invention will be clear from the following description of example given by referring to the drawings.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, the signle figure of which is a block diagram illustrating schematically the circuit configuration of an electronic voice desk calculator in accordance with the invention.

This invention will now be described more in detail referring to the drawings.

Fig. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the invented electronic voice desk calculator. In the configuration shown in the drawing, KB is the keyboard section for inputting datas necessary for calculation such as numerical datas and arithmetic datas on which are arranged, beside the group of ordinary keys such as ~ ##, fl, S 3 and 1, the voice quality selector switches SW1, SW2, SW3 and SW4 to select the voice quality of male voice, boy's voice, female voice, etc., item count switch SW IC to designate whether or not to count the number of items, etc.CC is the control circuit which supplies key scan signal to the keyboard section KB, and performs sequential control by deciding the kinds of operated keys by the key scan signal or detecting the state of each key and switch. A is a read only memory (ROM) which stores micro instruction datas for performing sequential control and which generates different micro instruction datas corresponding to the control signal coming from the control circuit CC, in other words, process- ing datas needed in calculation such as datas about registered number and arithmetic operation or control datas for invented voice quality control are stored. C is the ROM decoder used to decode the code signal representing the data from the read only memory A.CPU is the arithmetic section which performs arithme- tic operation according to the decoded data from the ROM decoder C, which is provided with a group of random access memories (RAM) which memorize and hold numerical datas once, adders for executing arithmetic operation, decoders for displaying registration datas and the datas about the results of arithmetic operations, memory group for storing time measuring datas such as year, month, day, hour, minute, counters which count these time measuring datas every moment, and control circuits which perform other controls. D is the displayer used to display registration data and data about results of arithmetic operation. R1, R2, R3 and R4 are voice read only memories (ROM) which store voice digital data respectively.ROM R1 stores male voice data expressing coded word group consisting of zero, one, two, three, four, - -, plus, minus, multiply, divide, overflow, item count, etc., ROM R2 stores coded boy's voice data expressing the same word group as R1, ROM R3 stores coded female voice data expressing the same word group as R1, and ROM R4 stores coded girl's voice data expressing the same word group as R1.CR is the voice control section consisting of address counters etc. for making access to voice ROM's R1, R2, R3 and R4, and to pick up of the voice data expressing each word such zero, one, two, three, --, etc. mentioned above, CR decodes, corresponding to the decode data from ROM decoder C, the voice data expressing which word should be generated and, according to the result of the decision, accesses the voice ROM's R1 through R4 respectively, to have these ROM's output the same voice digital data respectively.For example in the case where the voice "one" is to be generated, CR has the voice ROM R1 output male voice digital data, has the voice ROM R2 output boy's voice digital data, has the voice ROM R3 output female voice digital data, and has the voice ROM R4 output girl's voice digital data, then has the gates G1 through G4 select which voice digital data of each digital data output at the same time should be passed through and through which voice should external communication be made. Fl, F2, F3 and F4 are flip flops which are set and reset respectively by the decoded data from ROM decoder C, and the output of each of these flip flops F1 through F4 is connected to the gates G1 through G4 to control these gates respectively.In other words, the gates G1 through G4 are all closed when the flip flops F1 through F4 are all reset and the voice digital datas from the voice ROM's R1 through R4 are all cut off. And, when only the flip flop F1 is set, only the gate G1 is opened, and only the male voice digital data from the voice ROM R1 is passed through the gate group and supplied to the OR gate G5. Similarly when only the flip flop F2 is set, only the gate G2 is opened and only the boy's voice digital data from the voice ROM R2 is supplied to the OR gate G5, when only the flip flop F3 is set, only the gate 3 is opened and only female voice digital data from the voice ROM R3 is supplied to the gate G5, and when only the flip flop F4 is set, only the gate G4 is opened and the girl's voice digital data from the voice ROM R4 is supplied to the OR gate G5.The voice digital datas that have passed through the OR gate G5 are all supplied to the digital-analog converter DA to be converted into voice analog datas and, by way of the low-pass filter LP F and amplifier AMP supplied to the loudspeaker to generate the voice of each voice quality and at the same time, as the end signal E, applied from the OR gate G5 to the voice control section CR to notify CR that the voice digital data of each word has been ended and to have CR stop reading from voice ROM.

In the electronic voice desk calculator according to this invention, it is possible, caused by the said configuration, to perform external announcement by using, properly a plural number of kinds of voices, each having a plural number of kind of voice qualities.

Next, for the operator of the electronic desk calculator to select arbitrarily desired voice and have the invented electronic voice desk calculator perform external announcement, he should first turn ON the switch SW1 on the keyboard KB. The control circuit CC detects the On state of the switch SW1 and informs ROM A with this matter. ROM A issues an instruction to set the flip flop F1, the ROM decoder decodes the instruction and sets the flip flop F. When the flip flop F1 is set, the gate G1 is opened and only the male voice digital data from the voice ROM R1 is passed through the gate G1 and male voice is spoken from the loudspeaker SP.

Similarly, when the switch SW2 on the keyboard KB is turned ON, the flip flop F2 is set, the boy's voice digital data is selected from the voice ROM R2, and, when the switch SW3 is turned ON, the femal voice digital data is selected from the voice ROM R3, and further, when the switch SW4 is turned ON, the girl's voice digital data is selected from the voice ROM R4.

In this way, the operator of the electronic desk calculator is enabled to select desired voice at will by, for example, turning ON the switch SW3 if the desires female voice.

Next, in order to announce positive numerical data by male voice and negative numerical data by female voice, first various kinds of arithmetic processings are performed in the arithmetic section CPU and when the result obtained is a positive numerical value, the CPU informs the control circuit CC that the result of the arithmetic operation is "positive". The control CC directs ROM A to output instruction to set the flip flop F1, an instruction to set the flip flop. F1 is output from ROM A, the flip flop F1 is set, and the positive numerical data is announced by the male voice from the voice ROM R1.

On the other hand, when the result of the arithmetic operation is a negative numerical data, an instruction to set the flip flop F3 is output and demale voice is generated.

The decision whether the result of the arithmetic operation is positive or negative, is made by normal arithmetic processing of electronic computer and can be realized by well known technique. Moreover, the discrimination between the registration data and the data about the result of arithmetic operation is also a well known technique. The arithmetic section CPU discriminates between registration data and the data about the result of arithmetic operation, sets the flip flop F1 when speaking out the registration data, sets the flip flop F3 when speaking out the result of arithmetic operation. As a result the registration data is communicated by male voice and the result of arithmetic operation is communicated by female voice and each can be spoken out clearly differently.

Next, the discrimination between the number of item counts and other numerical datas can be made easily, and speaking out distinctively normal data about arithmetic operation and the result of arithmetic operation which has overflown, or overflow state can be realized by well known technique similar to the ones described above. Further, it is also possible to distinguish normal numerical datas, time datas, and large numerical datas by the digit positions, and to distinguish between numerical data and the function key datas such as + (plus) and - (minus). As is clear from the description given so far, according to this invention the operator of the electronic desk calculator is enabled to select by himself a voice having the most understandable voice quality arbitrarily and establish announcement by voice, and to have the electronic desk calculator cast by using distinctively different kind of voices for example, the male voice and female voice and by distinguishing between an important data and not so important data and to increase drastically the functions of electronic voice desk calculator compared with the conventional ones.

Claims (11)

1. An electronic equipment comprising: a memory which stores as digital signals of a a plural number of kinds expressing a plural number of kinds of voices having sound qualities different from each other; a lead out means which is connected to said memory and which selects and leads out said plural number of kinds of digital signals from said memory; and an output means which is connected to said lead out means and which outputs as synthetic voice said plural number of kinds of digital signals which were led out from said memory.

2. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 1, in which said lead out means has a selecting means.

3. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 2, in which said selecting means selects one of said plural number of kinds of digital signals stored in said memory corresponding to positive numerical data and negative numerical data.

4. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 2, in which said selecting means operates corresponding to registration data and data about the result of arithmetic operation.

5. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 2, in which said selecting means has a means of selecting one of said plural number of kinds of digital signals from said memory corresponding to item count data and normal arithmetic operation data.

6. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 2, in which said selecting means has a selecting circuit which operates corresponding to arithmetic operation data and overflown numerical data.

7. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 2, in which said selecting means has a selecting circuit which operates corresponding to numerical data and time data.

8. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 2, in which said selecting means has a selecting circuit which operates corresponding to digit places of numerical data.

9. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 2, in which said selecting means has a selecting circuit which operates depending on the kind of data.

10. An electronic equipment as set forth in Claim 1, in which said output means is provided with a loudspeaker.

11. An electronic equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.