JP3271466B2 - Reading device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for synthesizing and outputting text displayed on a display by an application, and more particularly to a reading apparatus compatible with a multi-window system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the development of computer systems in recent years, it has become impossible to think of information processing equipment without a display such as a word processor, an electronic bulletin board / e-mail system, an electronic book, an electronic manual, and online help.

[0003] In order to further understand the output information of the information processing equipment, it is recommended that the output information be multimedia. A conventional technique for synthesizing and outputting a character string (hereinafter, referred to as text) displayed on a display while an application (application software) is performing processing is a character string for display display and audio output in an application. Was designed to have separate The application displays a “string / symbol string” on the screen.
The text data to be displayed is stored in the memory in, for example, an ASCII code, and the voice output data is separately stored in the memory in a shift JIS code or the like. For example, in the technology described in JP-A-5-274075,
Excerpted from the “composition” of the “summary”, “—the character string portion to be output as audio is extracted in units of lines by the audio output target portion extraction unit 6....
-In parallel with this, the display output target portion is extracted from the selected help file by the display output target portion extraction unit 3, and. That is, in this technique, two character strings for a display target and a sound output target are set in a character string in a help file, and when the help file is activated, the sound output target portion extraction unit extracts the character strings. A character string for audio output of the help file is extracted. The extracted character string is passed to a voice output conversion system and is output in voice.

Further, in recent years, multi-processing is becoming a standard operation mode of information processing equipment. That is, a multi-window system in which a plurality of variable windows are opened on one physical screen (display) and an application is assigned to each of the windows and executed is becoming common. On the other hand, the technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-257639 discloses a technique for performing voice synthesis output in a single task.

[0005]

As described above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.
The technique described in Japanese Patent No. 274075 has a drawback that the application to be created is complicated because the output data has a double structure, and that the cost is increased and the number of man-hours is increased. Naturally, the audio output module cannot be easily reused. For example, in a window system having multiple windows, a plurality of applications operate simultaneously and different data are displayed for each window. The internal data format of these display data is unique for each application. Therefore, even if the online help of a certain application has a voice output function, it cannot be used for another application.

The technique described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-257639 is a technique suitable for a single task, and is unsuitable for the recent technique of running with the multitask described above.

Further, the problem of inconsistency in operability (operating rules) due to the rapid spread of personal computers (commonly called personal computers) has become a problem again due to the rapid increase of novice users unfamiliar with operation. .

That is, in a conventional application having a function of synthesizing text displayed on a display, an operation for starting voice output is as follows: (1) Start up a text reader and display the text reader itself on a screen. (2) Here, the text to be read is selected, and the selected text is displayed on the screen. (3) Next, a specific "command" set for reading out
Is executed. It was necessary to perform a series of operations.

[0009] As described above, the operation on the text to be output as voice must be performed each time, and the operating rules of the application provided as described above are not always unified. For this reason, different operation procedures are forced for each application, and the audio output becomes troublesome for the user. For example, in the case of a system that synthesizes and outputs online help that shows how to use the device, the help content is displayed in text on the screen,
In this state, the operation of pressing any button or key is performed, and the reading of the displayed help text starts for the first time. However, if you are a novice user, you do not know the operation of "pressing a key to display help contents"
Even if you know "press a key", you may not know which key it is. Thus, there is a problem that the help reading function added to deepen the understanding of the contents is not used at all.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an audio output function that can be used easily by a novice user by simplifying the operation by standardizing the operation protocol. It is an object of the present invention to provide means for easily giving an output function to an application.

[0011]

The above-mentioned object is achieved by the present invention having the following construction. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes registration means for registering an application for performing speech synthesis output in a registration area 2;
Reference numeral 3 denotes a status monitoring unit that monitors the status of the application started in the multi-window system, and 4 denotes a status monitoring unit 3
A determination unit for determining an application to be subjected to voice synthesis output in response to status information from the control unit; a request control unit for requesting the application to prepare for voice output in response to a determination result of the determination unit; Shared area 7
An application 8 has a function of copying text data into voice data, and voice conversion output means for converting text data into voice data, voice-synthesizing and outputting the voice data.

Further, the determination unit according to the present invention determines that an application in the active window is to be output as audio. Claim 3
The registration means of the present invention described in (1) is configured to register an application in a registration area using an execution file name.

[0014] The determining unit according to the present invention assigns priorities of audio output to the activated applications in advance, and outputs registered applications as audio based on the priorities. Is determined as follows.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the user activates the registration means, selects an application to be subjected to audio output from the applications activated in the multi-window, and registers the application in the shared area. The status monitoring unit 3 constantly monitors the system status such as the execution order of the running applications in the window system, and supplies the status information to the determination unit. The determination unit 4 compares the running application supplied from the state monitoring unit 3 with the application registered in the registration area, selects an application that satisfies the audio output condition, and notifies the request control unit 5 of the selected application. The request control unit 5 outputs a request to the application to copy the contents of the text being displayed in the window to the shared area 7. The application that has received the copy request executes the copy function to copy the text content of the window display to the shared area 7. The voice conversion output means 8 reads the text data written in the common area 7, converts the text data into voice data, synthesizes the voice, and outputs the synthesized voice.

[0016]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a multi-window running state.
0 is a system table, 101 is a multi-window screen. In the multi-window screen 101 on the left side of the figure,
Applications A to D are allocated to windows 1 to 4 and activated, respectively, and FIG. 7A shows that application A running in window 1 is in an active state.
The table on the right side of FIG.
1, the system table 100 indicates that an application is activated for each window, and that the window 1 is open at the top of the system table 100. The right column in the system table 100 indicates that the applications D and B include a copy function to the clipboard, but cannot be involved from the system side.

FIG. 2B shows that the active application has changed, and the window 2 (application B) at the bottom in FIG. 2A is switched to active. Accordingly, the state in the system table 100 also changes, and the window 2 is opened at the top of the system table 100. Since the application B in the window 2 includes a function of copying to the clipboard, if registered as a reading target as described later, a sentence in the window screen is read out.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes an execution file name registration unit including input indicators such as a keyboard and a mouse, 20 denotes a registration table, 30 denotes a system status monitoring unit, 40 denotes a reading-out determination unit, 50 denotes a clip request issuing unit, and 60 denotes a copying unit. , 61 is a text, 71 is a clipboard, 81 is an audio output target extraction unit, 82 is a text buffer, 83 is an audio data conversion unit, 84 is an audio buffer, 91 is an audio output control unit, 9
Reference numeral 2 denotes an audio output device, 200 denotes a window system, and the same reference numerals denote the same items.

The individual functions in this configuration will be described below. The execution file name registration unit 10 includes a keyboard,
A cursor operation tool such as a mouse or a trackball,
It has a function of instructing and registering an application (hereinafter, abbreviated as a reading application) for which the text 61 displayed in the window is to be output also by voice. That is, the user opens the menu screen on the window screen, and calls “drive: file” on the screen. Then, a list of files registered in the designated drive is displayed. By selecting and clicking the “executable file” of the reading application from the list, the “executing file name” of the reading application is registered in the registration table 20. be registered.
At this time, the user can register a plurality of reading applications.

The system status monitor 30 monitors the system status at regular time intervals, and manages the status of the application running in the multi-window by using the system table 100. That is, when a plurality of windows are opened and the application is activated, the level of each window is reflected in the system table 100. FIG. 2 described above shows this state. FIG. 2-A shows that window 1 (application A) is active, and FIG. 2-B shows that the active window is switched by the user's operation. (Application B) is active.
The system state monitoring unit 30 notifies the system information (executable file name of the application in the active state) to the speech determination unit 40.

When notified of the execution file name of the application in the active state from the system state monitoring unit 30, the reading determination unit 40 reads the "execution file name" of the reading application registered in the registration table 20. Then, the “executable file name” of the application running in the active window is compared with the “executable file name” of the reading application. Registration table 20
Is checked, and if a matching “execution file” is registered, the clip request issuing unit 50 is notified.

When the clip request issuing unit 50 receives the notification from the read-aloud determination unit 40, the clip request issuing unit 50 saves the information (text, image, etc.) currently written on the clipboard 71 to a work area (not shown). Issue a request signal to execute copying to the clipboard.

As shown in the operation flow chart of the application shown in FIG. 4, the issued request signal is transmitted from the clip request issuing unit 50 to the interrupt receiving unit 65 (FIG. 4).
And the validity of the interrupt type is determined.
Then, when the interrupt is a copy request to the clipboard from the clip request issuing unit 50, this interrupt signal is ignored unless the application includes a copy function to the clipboard. On the other hand, when the application includes a copy function to the clipboard, the copy unit 60 is activated and the content of the text 61 displayed in the window in the active state (“Notice Is copied to the clipboard 71.

When the clip request issuing unit 50 issues the request signal, in order to determine whether or not the copying has been normally performed, the contents of the text read from the contents of the clipboard 71 and the information saved in the work area described above are determined. Perform collation. This procedure has two main meanings.
That is, one is that the system information of the system state monitoring unit 30 is notified to the reading-out determination unit 40 at regular intervals, so that the same system information is repeatedly notified before the sound output of the previous copy text is completed. The case is taken into account. The other two cases are when the interrupt signal is aborted because the clipboard copying function is not provided to the application.

Therefore, if the collation does not match and the copied one is "text", it is determined that it is a new text (the active window has been switched or the display page has been switched in the same window), and the subsequent voice The output target extraction unit 81 is activated, and if they match, it is determined that the text data is in the middle of audio output, and the text content saved in the work area is restored to the clipboard.

The audio output target extraction unit 81 started from the clip request issuing unit 50 reads the contents of the text 61 (“Notice Read the sentence being displayed.”) From the clipboard 71, writes it in the text buffer 82,
The voice converter 83 is activated.

The voice converter 83 reads out the contents of the text 61 from the text buffer 82, converts the text 61 into voice data, stores it in the voice buffer 84, and stores it in the voice output controller 91.
Start

The audio output control section 91 reads out audio data from the audio buffer 84 and outputs audio using the audio output device 92. In the embodiment of the present invention described in detail above,
The registered reading application is read aloud when it is positioned in the active window. However, in the invention according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, priorities are given to all activated applications in advance, and the reading determination unit 40
Causes the registered read-out applications to be read out in the order of priority described above.

Further, in the above embodiment, the method of registering the reading application is performed by the execution file name of each application. However, a "command relating to a specific processing event" may be used. That is, a plurality of types of sub-processing functions exist in one application. Therefore,
In the above embodiment, since the execution file name of the application is specified, the text on the display screen is read out in all the processes of the application. In general, an application is composed of a plurality of modules, and roles are assigned to each module. Therefore, the displayed text is read out only when a specific “module” is running.

For example, when the execution file name of the reading application is “XHELP”, a plurality of processing files “HELPA, HELP”
B,. . . When "HELPA" is executed, "XHELP HELPA" is input as a command line, and this command is registered in the registration table 20.

[0032]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the operation procedure for outputting the display text by voice is simplified, and even if the user is not accustomed to operating a personal computer or the like,
It has a special effect that it can be easily handled.

Also, from the viewpoint of the software provider, there is a great effect that it is easy to create an application with a reading-out function.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a multi-window running state.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of an operation flow of an application.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Registration means 2 Registration area 3 Status monitoring part 4 Judgment part 5 Request control part 6 Application 7 Shared area 8 Voice conversion output means 6A Active window 10 Executable file name registration part 20 Registration table 30 System state monitoring part 40 Reading-out judgment part 50 Clip Request issuing unit 60 Copy unit 61 Text 65 Interrupt reception unit 71 Clipboard 81 Audio output target extraction unit 82 Text buffer 83 Audio data conversion unit 84 Audio buffer 91 Audio output control unit 92 Audio output device 100 System table 101 Multi-window screen 200 Window system

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Etsuko Sato 1015 Uedanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Limited (72) Inventor Akinobu Kato 28-28 Miyamae-cho, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka Inside Shizuki Iron Information Center Co., Ltd. (56) reference Patent flat 6-59845 (JP, a) JP flat 6-110642 (JP, a) JP flat 7-129356 (JP, a) (58 ) investigated the field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G06F 3/16 G10L 19/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A reading device having a window of at least one or more applications, a registration unit for registering an application for which a display sentence is to be output as an audio at the time of execution, and the registered application of an active window capable of outputting an audio. Determining means for determining whether the state is a proper state, and converting the sentence content displayed on the window of the application determined to be capable of outputting sound to the data for voice output and outputting the data as voice. A reading device comprising an output unit. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the registering means includes a plurality of modules.
Register a specific module of the application to be configured
And the voice conversion output means is registered in the registration means.
Performing the audio output for the specific module
The reading device according to claim 1, wherein: 3. At least one or more applications
In a reading device having a window with a window, an application for which a display sentence is output as a sound when executed
Registration to register the priority of the audio output along with the
Means and a window of the application registered in the registration means
C) Convert the sentence content displayed in
Voice conversion output means for outputting as voice in priority order
A reading device characterized by having.