JP2002006877A - Method and device for reproducing sound, sound transmission system, and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sound reproducing device or the like which smoothly transmits sounds with a small data capacity or reproduces sounds by inputting data of a small data quantity. SOLUTION: When a transfer center S transmits a packet by radio, a reception part 7 of a sound reproducing terminal R receives this packet and stores sound code data included in the packet and picture data in the storage area of an I/O controller 4 and that of an I/O controller 3 respectively. A sound processing part 2 picks sound data, which corresponds to three parameters included in sound code data stored in the I/O controller 4, from a database DB stored in a memory chip 8 and supplies it to a sound output part 6. The sound output part 6 reproduces sounds represented by sound data supplied to the part 6 itself. Picture data stored in the I/O controller 4 is supplied to a picture output part 5 by a central processing part 1, and the picture output part 5 displays a picture represented by picture data supplied to the part 5 itself.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an audio reproducing apparatus,
The present invention relates to an audio transmission system and an audio reproduction method, and more particularly, to an audio reproduction device, an audio transmission system, and an audio reproduction method for efficiently transmitting and reproducing information representing audio.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In mobile telephone communication using a portable telephone or a PHS (Personal Handy Phone System), data representing voice and image is transmitted in a form included in a packet which is a unit of data set. . When transmitting audio in the form of a packet, an audio signal representing the audio is converted to MP3 (MPEG
1 audio layer 3) Compressed and transmitted in such a format.

[0003]

However, the data capacity of one packet is usually about 1 kilobyte, and even if a voice signal is compressed, a data volume of about 1 kilobyte is enough to enable a smooth telephone conversation using mobile telephone communication. However, it is not sufficient for the transmission of voices, and it is difficult to transmit voices smoothly.

[0004] Of the data included in a packet, data representing an image usually occupies about 0.8 kilobytes per packet, and data other than data representing voice or image is also contained in the packet 1. 0 per piece.
It is usually less than one kilobyte. Therefore, the data capacity that can be used for transmitting an audio signal is usually limited to about 0.1 kilobytes per packet, and it has been more difficult to transmit audio smoothly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an audio reproducing apparatus, an audio transmitting system, and an audio reproducing method for smoothly transmitting audio with a small data capacity. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sound reproducing apparatus, a sound transmission system, and a sound reproducing method for reproducing sound by inputting data having a small data amount.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a sound reproducing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention associates sound data representing sound with a set of parameters for specifying the sound data. An audio data storage memory for storing the parameter set from outside; an input unit for receiving the set of parameters from outside; and searching the audio data associated with the set of parameters input by the input unit from the audio data storage memory. And a sound reproducing means for reproducing a sound represented by the sound data retrieved by the searching means.

According to such an audio reproducing apparatus, since the audio to be reproduced is represented as a set of parameters for specifying the audio data, the amount of information representing the audio to be reproduced is reduced. Also, even with a communication method with a small data capacity, transmission of information representing a sound to be reproduced is smoothly performed.

The set of parameters includes, for example, a parameter indicating a classification of the intonation of the voice represented by the voice data associated with the set, a parameter indicating the word represented by the voice, and a classification of a speaker of the voice. And a parameter indicating
Should just be included.

[0009] The input means may input the set of parameters by receiving a packet including the parameters, which is wirelessly transmitted from the outside.

[0010] The packet may include image data representing an image. In this case, the audio reproducing device includes an image reproducing unit that reproduces an image represented by the image data included in the packet input by the input unit. You may have.

[0011] Also, a voice transmission system according to a second aspect of the present invention is a transmission means for transmitting a set of parameters representing voice, and corresponding to a set of parameters for specifying voice data. An audio data storage memory to be attached and stored; input means for receiving the set of parameters transmitted by the transmission means; and the audio data associated with the set of parameters input by the input means. It is characterized by comprising search means for searching from a storage memory, and reproduction means for reproducing the sound represented by the audio data searched for by the search means.

According to such an audio transmission system, since the audio to be reproduced is represented as a set of parameters for specifying the audio data, the amount of information representing the audio to be reproduced is reduced. Also, even with a communication method with a small data capacity, transmission of information representing a sound to be reproduced is smoothly performed.

[0013] In a sound reproducing method according to a third aspect of the present invention, sound data representing sound is stored in association with a set of parameters for specifying the sound data, and the set of parameters is received from outside. The audio data associated with the input parameter set is searched for from the stored audio data, and the audio represented by the searched audio data is reproduced.

According to such an audio reproducing method, since the audio to be reproduced is represented as a set of parameters for specifying the audio data, the amount of information representing the audio to be reproduced is reduced. Also, even with a communication method with a small data capacity, transmission of information representing a sound to be reproduced is smoothly performed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable recording medium comprising: a computer having a device for reproducing a sound represented by audio data; A voice data storage memory that stores the parameter data in association with the set; an input unit that receives the parameter set from outside; and the voice data storage that stores the voice data associated with the parameter set input by the input unit. It is characterized in that a program for causing the retrieval means to be searched from the memory and the audio reproduction means for reproducing the sound represented by the audio data retrieved by the retrieval means to be recorded is recorded.

When a computer that executes a program recorded on such a recording medium reproduces sound,
Since the audio to be reproduced may be specified as a set of parameters for specifying audio data, the amount of information representing the audio to be reproduced is reduced. In addition, when transmitting information representing a sound to be reproduced in order to cause the computer to reproduce the sound, the information representing the sound to be reproduced is transmitted smoothly even with a communication method having a small data capacity. .

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An audio reproducing apparatus, an audio transmission system and an audio reproducing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below using a data transfer system as an example.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a data transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the data transfer system includes a transfer center S and an audio reproduction terminal R.

The transfer center S is composed of a computer and a wireless transmitter connected to each other. The transfer center S wirelessly transmits transfer data representing images and sounds.

The transfer data is composed of, for example, a signal having a waveform shown in FIG. That is,
The transfer data is configured in units of a packet which is a set of data. Each packet sequentially transmitted is prefixed with SOF (start of file) which is data of a predetermined format, Are arranged in accordance with rules described later, and audio code data, which is data representing the encoded data, is arranged, and then image data representing an image is arranged. The end of each packet is delimited by EOF (end of file) which is data of a predetermined format.

The voice code data includes a voice as a parameter indicating a word represented by the voice (hereinafter, referred to as a “word parameter”), a parameter indicating the intonation of the voice (hereinafter, referred to as an “inflection parameter”), and Indicating the classification of the speaker (hereinafter referred to as "speaker parameter")
Are associated with each other.

The intonation parameter is, for example, (X
1) The inflection of the speech continues to the next word while being flat, (X
2) The inflection of speech continues and continues to the next word, (X
3) The intonation of the voice continues to the next word while descending, (X
4) The voice is arranged at the break of the sentence and the utterance is stopped by this voice. (X5) The voice is arranged at the break of the sentence, and the utterance is stopped by this voice while leaving the lingering sound. , Or any of the five types of inflection.

The intonation parameter indicates, for example, that the speaker is one of (Z1) an adult male, (Z2) an adult female, (Z3) a male, and (Z4) a female.

Therefore, for example, if the word parameter, the intonation parameter, and the speaker parameter included in the speech code data and forming a pair represent the word “I”, the above (X1) and the above (Z1), The set of three parameters indicates, as a whole, a voice in which an adult man utters the word “I” in such a way that the inflection of the voice continues to the next word while the voice is flat.

As shown in FIG. 1, the audio reproducing terminal R includes a central processing unit 1, an audio processing unit 2, an I / O (Input / Outpu
t) It is composed of controllers 3 and 4, an image output unit 5, an audio output unit 6, a receiving unit 7, and a memory chip 8.

The central processing unit 1 comprises a CPU (central processing unit), a ROM (read only memory), a RAM (random access memory) and the like. The central processing unit 1 previously stores a program representing a process described later,
The processing described later is executed according to this program.

The audio processing unit 2 comprises a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) and the like. The audio processing unit 2
As will be described later, code data representing a sentence is obtained from the I / O controller 4, voice data representing a voice for reading out the text represented by the code data is created, and the voice data is output to the voice output unit 6 via the I / O controller 4. And supply.

The I / O controller 3 is connected to the central processing unit 1 via a data bus and an address bus.
Further, it is connected to the I / O controller 4, the image output unit 5, and the receiving unit 7. The I / O controller 4 is connected to the audio processing unit 2 via a data bus and an address bus, and the I / O controller 3 and the audio output unit 6
Is also connected.

Each of the I / O controllers 3 and 4 has a storage area to which an address is assigned. The I / O controllers 3 and 4 store the transfer data supplied from the receiving unit 7 in this storage area. I do.

When the central processing unit 1 supplies an address via the address bus and instructs data reading, the I / O controller 3 reads data from the storage area to which the address supplied by the central processing unit 1 is assigned. And read
The data is supplied to the central processing unit 1 via the data bus.

When the audio processing unit 2 supplies an address via an address bus and instructs data reading, the I / O controller 4 reads data from the storage area to which the address supplied by the central processing unit 1 is assigned. And read
The data is supplied to the audio processing unit 2 via the data bus.

When the central processing unit 1 supplies an address to the I / O controller 3 via the address bus, supplies data to the I / O controller 3 via the data bus, and instructs writing of data, / O controller 3
Writes the data supplied from the central processing unit 1 to the storage area to which the address supplied by the central processing unit 1 is assigned.

When the audio processing unit 2 supplies an address to the I / O controller 4 via the address bus, supplies data to the I / O controller 4 via the data bus, and instructs writing of data, / O controller 4
Writes the data supplied from the audio processing unit 2 to the storage area to which the address supplied by the audio processing unit 2 is assigned.

The addresses are also assigned to the image output unit 5 and the audio output unit 6. And the central processing unit 1
Supplies the address of the image output unit 5 to the I / O controller 3 via the address bus, and supplies the I / O controller 3 via the data bus.
When data is supplied to the controller 3 and an instruction to write data is issued, the I / O controller 3 outputs the data supplied from the central processing unit 1 to the image output unit 5. Thus, the central processing unit 1 supplies data to the image output unit 5 via the I / O controller 3.

On the other hand, the audio processing unit 2 supplies the address of the audio output unit 6 to the I / O controller 4 via the address bus, supplies the data to the I / O controller 4 via the data bus, and writes the data. The I / O controller 4 outputs the data supplied from the audio processing unit 2 to the audio output unit 6. Thus, the audio processing unit 2 supplies data to the audio output unit 6 via the I / O controller 4.

The image output section 5 is composed of a liquid crystal display or the like, and the central processing section 1 has an I / O controller 3
Display the image represented by the data supplied via the. The audio output unit 6 includes a speaker, an earphone, and the like.
The audio processing unit 2 reproduces the audio represented by the data supplied via the I / O controller 4.

The receiving section 7 includes an antenna, a radio receiver, and the like, and is connected to the I / O controller 3. The receiving unit 7 receives the transfer data transmitted by the transfer center S, demodulates image data and audio code data included in the transfer data, writes the demodulated image data in a storage area of the I / O controller 3, and demodulates the data. The written voice code data is written to the storage area of the I / O controller 4.

The memory chip 8 is composed of a ROM or the like, and is connected to the audio processing unit 2. The memory chip 8 stores a database DB that stores voice data that is data representing voice, reads out voice data stored by itself in accordance with an instruction from the voice processing unit 2, and supplies the voice data to the voice processing unit 2.

Database D stored in memory chip 8
In B, the voice data corresponds to the above-mentioned intonation parameter indicating the intonation of the voice represented by the voice data, the above-described word parameter indicating the word represented by the voice, and the above-described speaker parameter indicating the speaker of the voice. It is stored in the attached form in advance.

More specifically, as schematically shown in FIG. 3, for example, the audio data includes (a) the above (X1) to (X5)
(B) “I”, “weather”, “today”, “thought”, “ha”, “wo”, “ni”, “no”, “is”, “masu”, and any of the five inflection parameters X01 to X05 indicating Types of parameters Y01 to Y11 representing the word
And (c) one of the four types of parameters Z01 to Z04 representing the speakers (Z1) to (Z4) described above and stored in the database.

Therefore, for example, the voice data indicating that an adult male utters the word "is" as a delimiter of a sentence and stops uttering at this word is the above-mentioned (X4)
The database DB is associated with three parameters: an inflection parameter X04 indicating the inflection of the word, a word parameter Y09 indicating the word "is", and a speaker parameter Z01 indicating the speaker of (Z1). Is stored in (Inflection parameter X04, word parameter Y09
The voice data associated with the speaker parameter Z01 is schematically shown as a hatched section α in FIG. )

Next, the operation of the data transfer system will be described. When the transfer center S wirelessly transmits a packet including audio code data and image data, the receiving unit of the audio reproduction terminal R receives the packet. Then, the audio code data included in the received packet is stored in the storage area of the I / O controller 4, and the image data included in the received packet is stored in the storage area of the I / O controller 3.

The voice processing unit 2 supplies the address of the storage area in which the voice code data is stored to the I / O controller 4, and instructs the I / O controller 4 to read the voice code data. The I / O controller 4 reads out the voice code data in response to this instruction, and supplies it to the voice processing unit 2. The voice processing unit 2 uses the intonation parameters, word parameters, and speaker parameters included in the voice code data supplied to the voice processing unit 2 as keys, and associates these three parameters from the database DB stored in the memory chip 8. Search audio data.

When voice data that matches the search conditions is found as a result of the search, the voice data is read out.
The data is supplied to the audio output unit 6 via the I / O controller 4. The audio output unit 6 reproduces the audio represented by the audio data supplied to itself.

On the other hand, the central processing unit 1 stores the address of the storage area where the image data is stored in the I / O controller 3.
To instruct the I / O controller 3 to read image data. The I / O controller 3 reads out the image data in response to the instruction and supplies the image data to the central processing unit 1.
The central processing unit 1 converts the image data supplied thereto into an I / O
It is supplied to the image output unit 5 via the O controller 3.
The image output unit 5 displays an image represented by the image data supplied thereto.

The configuration of the data transfer system is not limited to the above. For example, R provided in the central processing unit 1
A storage device such as an OM may perform the function of the memory chip 8. The order in which the data is arranged in the packet is arbitrary, and the image data may precede the audio data, and the two need not be adjacent to each other. Further, image data, SOF, and EOF are not essential. Also, the voice code data need not necessarily be transmitted in a form included in the packet.

Also, the type of word represented by the word parameter,
The type of intonation represented by the intonation parameter and the type of speaker represented by the speaker parameter are both arbitrary. Also, the speech code data does not necessarily need to be composed of a set of word parameters, intonation parameters, and speaker parameters, but may be composed of a set of parameters representing the characteristics of speech from any viewpoint. Therefore, the speech code data may be composed of, for example, a set of a parameter indicating a phoneme unit and a parameter indicating a prosodic feature.

The method by which the transfer center S transmits a packet to the audio reproduction terminal R does not necessarily need to be wireless transmission, and the transmission center S transmits the packet to the audio reproduction terminal R via a wired communication line. You may make it. In this case, the transfer center S does not need to include a wireless transmitter, and the audio reproducing terminal R does not need to include a wireless receiver.

The receiving section 7 may have an input device for inputting data from outside. The input device may be composed of, for example, a keyboard, a scanner and a character recognition device, and a recording medium drive device that reads data recorded on a recording medium such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk. Then, the receiving unit 7 may store the voice code data included in the data input by the input device in the storage area of the I / O controller 4.

The transfer center S performs a voice input device for inputting a signal representing a voice, and performs voice recognition on the signal input by the voice input device, thereby obtaining a voice including a parameter representing a feature of the voice represented by the signal. Code data may be created.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the audio reproducing apparatus and the audio transmission system according to the present invention can be realized by using a general computer system without using a dedicated system. For example, at least one device that reproduces the sound represented by the audio data is provided, of a pair of computers connected to each other via a wired or wireless communication line, the one that includes a device that reproduces the sound represented by the audio data, To install the program from a medium (CD-ROM, magnetic tape, etc.) storing the program for executing the operation of the above-described audio reproduction terminal R, and to execute the operation of the above-described transfer center S on the other computer By installing the program from the medium storing the program, a data transfer system that executes the above-described processing can be configured.

Further, for example, a bulletin board (BB) of a communication line
The program may be posted on S) and distributed via a communication line. Alternatively, the carrier wave is modulated by a signal representing the program, the obtained modulated wave is transmitted, and the modulated wave is received. The device may demodulate the modulated wave to restore the program. Then, by starting this program and executing it in the same manner as other application programs under the control of the OS, the above-described processing can be executed.

When the OS shares part of the processing,
Alternatively, when the OS constitutes a part of one component of the present invention, a program excluding the part may be stored in the recording medium. Also in this case, in the present invention, it is assumed that the recording medium stores a program for executing each function or step executed by the computer.

[0054]

As described above, according to the present invention, an audio reproducing apparatus, an audio transmitting system, and an audio reproducing method for smoothly transmitting audio with a small data capacity are realized. Further, according to the present invention, an audio reproducing apparatus, an audio transmitting system, and an audio reproducing method for reproducing data by inputting data having a small data amount are realized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a data transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating a waveform of a packet transmitted by a transfer center.

FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a data structure of data stored in a memory chip of the data transfer system in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 S transfer center R audio reproduction terminal 1 central processing unit 2 audio processing unit 3, 4 I / O controller 5 image output unit 6 audio output unit 7 reception unit 8 memory chip DB database

Claims (7)

[Claims] An audio data storage memory for storing audio data representing audio in association with a set of parameters for specifying the audio data; input means for receiving the set of parameters from outside; Searching means for searching the audio data associated with the input set of parameters from the audio data storage memory; and sound reproducing means for reproducing a sound represented by the audio data searched by the searching means. An audio playback device comprising: 2. The parameter set includes a parameter indicating a classification of the intonation of the voice represented by the voice data associated with the set, a parameter indicating a word represented by the voice,
The voice reproducing device according to claim 1, further comprising: a parameter indicating a classification of a speaker of the voice. 3. The audio reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the input unit inputs the set of parameters by receiving a packet including the parameters wirelessly transmitted from the outside. apparatus. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the packet includes image data representing an image, and further comprises image reproducing means for reproducing an image represented by the image data contained in the packet input by the input means. Item 4. The audio reproduction device according to item 3. 5. A transmitting means for transmitting a set of parameters representing voice, a voice data storage memory for storing voice data representing voice in association with a parameter set for specifying the voice data, An input unit that receives the transmitted set of parameters; a search unit that searches the audio data storage memory for the audio data associated with the set of parameters input by the input unit; And a reproducing means for reproducing a sound represented by the searched sound data. 6. A voice data representing a voice is stored in association with a set of parameters for specifying the voice data, the parameter set is received from outside, and the voice data associated with the input parameter set is stored. An audio reproducing method, wherein audio data is retrieved from the stored audio data, and the audio represented by the retrieved audio data is reproduced. 7. A computer provided with a device for reproducing a sound represented by sound data, a sound data storage memory for storing the sound data in association with a set of parameters for specifying the sound data, Input means for receiving the set of parameters; search means for searching the voice data storage memory for the voice data associated with the set of parameters input by the input means; and voice searched for by the search means An audio reproducing means for reproducing the audio represented by the data, and a computer-readable recording medium storing a program for causing the audio to function.