JP2000330994A - Pronouncing electronic dictionary - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a text pronouncing means reproduce a natural intonation by automatically detecting and selecting symbols which affect pronunciation when they are added at the end of a sentence by choices by words and a batch choice of connecting words. SOLUTION: A symbol which is added at the ending of a sentence and affects the intonation of the pronunciation of a sentence is stored and when some of dictionary data retrieved by a data retrieving means 2 are specified and pronounced, symbols, which are stored and affect pronunciation, added at the end of the sentence are detected and selected in such a case by choices by words and a batch choice of words and sent to a text pronouncing means 6.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic dictionary having a pronunciation function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional pronunciation electronic dictionary is equipped with a text pronunciation means using a text-to-speech synthesis technique for generating pronunciation data from a text character string in accordance with a basic rule of a language. It had a function of pronouncing words by inputting it into text pronunciation means. In particular, medium-sized pronunciation electronic dictionaries that do not include the entire book version of dictionary data have already been commercialized.

[0003] The above-mentioned text pronunciation means, in addition to the operation of generating pronunciation data from a character string of a word in accordance with the basic rules of the language, a? , And! When a symbol such as is attached, it is also possible to change the intonation so that it sounds natural, such as by raising the end of the pronunciation of the sentence. In particular, in a pronunciation electronic dictionary in which data of an existing book version of a dictionary is recorded in its entirety, since the example sentences are abundantly recorded, it is important to control such intonations so that they can be heard naturally.

[0004] However, it is difficult to pronounce at once because the data described as a sentence in a commentary, a translated word, etc., as well as an example sentence, are mixed in Japanese and English. Become. However, when English words continue, it is designed so that the following words can be selected at once and pronounced all at once.

[0005]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, what is the data described as a sentence in the commentary, translation, etc.? Ya! There is also a sentence accompanied by such symbols as these, which cannot be selected by word-by-word selection or by continuous word selection, and the intonation of the sentence could not be controlled to sound natural.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to select words in units or collective selection of continuation words. If there are symbols at the end of the sentence that affect pronunciation, they are automatically selected, and the text is selected. The purpose is to make the sounding means reproduce natural intonation.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a dictionary data storage unit in which dictionary data including at least a headword and a translation word is stored in advance, and an optional dictionary data storage unit. Data search means for searching data, display means for visually displaying the dictionary data searched by the data search means, data designating means for designating a part of the dictionary data, and A text pronunciation means for reproducing pronunciation, a symbol detection means for detecting, following the word data, symbol data having an effect on pronunciation and attaching to the word data when selecting data to be sent to the text pronunciation means from the dictionary data; And a symbol data storage means for storing symbol data having an effect on the symbol data.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In a pronunciation electronic dictionary constructed as described above, symbols which affect the intonation of the pronunciation of a sentence when attached to the end of a sentence or the like are stored, and the dictionary data retrieved by the data retrieval means is stored. If you want to pronounce a part of a sentence, if there is a sign that affects the pronunciation memorized at the end of the sentence in the word unit selection or batch selection of subsequent words, it detects them and also changes the sign. And select it and send it to the text pronunciation means.

With the above-described operation, the intonation control is applied to the text sounding means, and natural sounding can be reproduced.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the present invention. The external input unit 1 sends character data and various control instructions to the data search unit 2. Necessary data is retrieved from the dictionary data storage unit 3 via the data retrieval unit 2 based on an instruction from the external input unit 1, and the display unit 4 displays the dictionary data. Here, the dictionary data storage means 3
Contains, for example, dictionary entry data, phonetic symbol data, translated word data, and the like.

Further, a cursor display for designating one word of the dictionary data and an instruction for moving the cursor are sent from the external input means 1 to the data designating means 5. The character string at the position where the cursor is displayed is designated by the data designating means 5, and the succeeding character string is simultaneously confirmed by the symbol detecting means 8. The symbol data storage means 9 stores symbols that affect the intonation of pronunciation.

The symbol detecting means 8 compares the character string following the character string designated by the data designating means 5 with the symbols stored in the symbol data storage means 9 to determine if a symbol affecting the intonation of pronunciation is present. It is confirmed whether or not the character string is identical to the symbol in the symbol data storage means 9 and the character string designated by the data designating means 5 and the symbol following it are designated. After that, the character string of the specified word including the symbols that affect the pronunciation by sending the pronunciation instruction from the external input means 1 is sent to the text pronunciation means 6. The text pronunciation means 6 generates pronunciation data from the sent character string of the word in accordance with the English rules, and controls pronunciation so that the sentence specified by the symbol following the word or the intonation of the word can be heard naturally. To the sounding means 7 for sounding.

When a word to be pronounced is designated by the data designating means 5, a symbol,
When a numeral or the like is present, it is possible to store the information in the symbol data storage means so that the information is also specified. FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a pronunciation electronic dictionary according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a keyboard diagram of the pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The external input means 1 shown in FIG. 1 comprises a character data input key 31 and a control instruction key 32 shown in FIG. The data designating means 5 shown in FIG. 1 shifts to a state in which a pronunciation word is designated by the pronunciation key 33 in FIG. 3, and a cursor key 34 is used to move a cursor to designate a word to be pronounced.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a display example corresponding to the operation of the operation flowchart of the pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the embodiment of the present invention. The operation of the embodiment according to the present invention will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. 4 and the display example of FIG.

A spelling of a word is input by a character input + search instruction 40, and a search execution instruction is issued. The display example at this time is indicated by reference numeral 50 in FIG.
Shown in Upon receiving the search execution instruction, a search operation 41 is performed. The dictionary data searched in the search operation 41 is displayed on the display 42. A display example at this time is shown at 51 in FIG. Thereafter, by performing a word designation instruction operation 43, 5 in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, a cursor (in this case, using an underline) is displayed at a word that can be pronounced in the display. At this point, symbol detection 44 is performed for the word with the cursor. Further, by extending the cursor by the word designation instruction operation 43, a plurality of consecutive words can be designated collectively as shown by 53 in FIG.
At this time, the symbol "?" Follows "pencil" at the same time that "pencil" at the end of the sentence is specified, and this symbol is stored in the symbol data storage means 9 in FIG. The symbol detection 44 operates, and the cursor for specifying a word is extended to “?”. When the pronunciation instruction 45 is performed in a state where the words 53 following in FIG. 5 are collectively specified, “Is this app” of the group of words specified collectively
en or a pencil? ”Pronunciation data generation 48
Is performed in accordance with the language rules of the text pronunciation means 6 in FIG. 1 to generate pronunciation data.

At this time, since the symbol "?" Is added at the end of the sentence, the intonation is controlled by the text sounding means 6 in FIG. The sound data generated by the sound data generator 48 is sent to the sound generator 7 in FIG.

[0018]

As described above, the present invention provides a dictionary data storage means for storing dictionary data composed of a headword and a translation word in advance, and a data search means for searching for arbitrary data from the dictionary data storage means. Display means for visually displaying the dictionary data searched by the data search means, data designating means for designating a part of the dictionary data,
Text pronunciation means for reproducing pronunciation from the specified dictionary data, and when selecting data to be sent to the text pronunciation means from the dictionary data, detects symbol data following the word data and affecting the pronunciation and attaches to the word data. And the symbol data storage means for storing the symbol data that affects the pronunciation, so that the symbols attached to the end of the sentence that affect the intonation of the pronunciation of the sentence are stored. When a part of the dictionary data searched by the data search means is specified and pronounced, if the word-wise selection or the continuation word selection is marked with a symbol that affects the pronunciation stored at the end of the sentence , They are detected and selected, including symbols, and sent to the text pronunciation means.

By the above operation, the intonation control is applied to the text sounding means, and natural sounding can be reproduced. As described above, according to the present invention, when there is a sign that affects the pronunciation at the end of a sentence in the selection of a word or in the collective selection of a continued word, the text is automatically selected by the text pronunciation means. Intonation can be played.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a pronunciation electronic dictionary according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a keyboard diagram of the pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an operation flowchart of the pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a display example corresponding to the operation of the operation flowchart of the pronunciation electronic dictionary according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

Reference Signs List 1 external input means 2 search means 3 dictionary data storage means 4 display means 5 data designation means 6 text sounding means 7 sounding means 8 symbol detection means 9 symbol data storage means 31 character data input keys 32 control instruction keys 33 sounding keys 34 cursor keys 40 character input + search instruction 41 search operation 42 display 43 word designation instruction operation 44 symbol detection 45 pronunciation instruction 46 pronunciation data generation 47 sound data transmission 48 pronunciation 50 character input + search instruction display example 51 dictionary data display display example 52 words Example of display of designation instruction operation 53 Example of display when multiple consecutive words are collectively designated 54 Example of display when multiple consecutive words are designated and pronounced

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A dictionary data storage unit in which dictionary data composed of at least a headword and a translation word is stored in advance, a data search unit for searching any data from the dictionary data storage unit, and a search performed by the data search unit Display means for visually displaying dictionary data; data designating means for designating a part of the dictionary data; text pronunciation means for reproducing pronunciation from the designated dictionary data; and text pronunciation from the dictionary data When selecting data to be sent to the means, there is provided a symbol detecting means for detecting symbol data following the word data and affecting the pronunciation and attaching the word data to the symbol data, and a symbol data storage means for storing the symbol data affecting the pronunciation. An electronic dictionary for pronunciation.