JPH02170197A - Speech applied system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To handle long speech data at a time by providing a computer with a speech memory area where speech data is stored. CONSTITUTION:A main storage 2 is provided with a speech area 22. The speech area 22 functions as the speech memory area for storing speech data and speech data from a speech board 4 and an auxiliary storage 3 are stored. Thus, neither a memory for storing speech data nor an MPU for controlling the memory is required on the speech board 4 and the speech applied system is composed of a circuit for conversion between an analog speech and digital speech data and a speech LSI 42. The speech applied system is therefore reduced in price and long speech data can be handled at a time.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an audio application system using a computer, particularly a personal computer (hereinafter abbreviated as a personal computer), and particularly relates to an audio application system that uses an existing system to incorporate audio processing. This invention relates to a particularly suitable speech application system.

[Conventional technology]

In recent years, messages such as instructions to devices and responses from devices, as well as the creation and editing of correspondence9 documents.

2. Description of the Related Art Systems that input and output information such as text data, numerical data, etc., such as translations, etc., to and from devices that execute various processes, ie, voice application systems, are becoming popular.

Some systems of this type are constructed as dedicated systems, while others are constructed by adding functions to a personal computer.

Conventionally, in order to configure such a voice application system using a personal computer, hardware that adds functions has been used.
There is an audio board that performs recording/P+live. This audio board is the PIO-90 manufactured by ■・0 Teita Equipment Co., Ltd.
61 Audio input board instruction manual - (1987) No. 4-2
There is something written on the page. This device is equipped with an audio memory server that stores audio data, and an audio processing LSI that controls compression/expansion of audio data and accesses the memory.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, since this conventional audio board is equipped with an audio memory and sends and receives audio data to and from the computer via this memory, the maximum 1 hour of recording or playback per time is limited by the capacity of the audio memory. It had been.

In addition, since the audio processing LSI accesses the audio memory, the microprocessor MPU in the PC itself cannot access the audio memory during recording and playback processing, so long audio data such as long sentences cannot be processed continuously. There was a problem that recording could not be played back.

On the other hand, it is conceivable to increase the capacity of the voice memory.

However, since the length of sentences used in applications varies depending on the content, it is difficult to determine the optimal capacity of the audio memory. For this reason,
Conventional audio boards have a large audio memory capacity with some margin. In addition, the object of the present invention is to provide an audio application system that can handle extremely long audio data and that can be constructed at low cost. It is about providing.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an audio application system configured by adding an audio board to a computer, and provides the computer with an audio memory area for storing audio data and controlling the transfer of audio data. A transfer control means is provided to control the audio output and the audio (3) added to the computer.
The system is characterized by being configured by providing an A/D converter for converting signals from analog to digital, a D/A converter for converting digital to analog, and an audio processing LSI for compressing and expanding digital audio signals. .

The present invention provides an audio processing LSI in the audio memory area.
It is preferable to set an area for storing audio data to be transferred between the storage device and another storage device, and an area for storing audio data to be transferred to and from another storage device.

Additionally, two areas are set in the audio memory area, and these areas are used to store audio data to be transferred to and from the audio processing LSI, and to store audio data to be transferred to and from other storage devices. 6.
It is even more preferable if it is configured as follows.

Although the voice application system of the present invention is preferably applied to an existing system that includes a personal computer, it can also be applied to an existing system that includes a computer other than a personal computer.

[Effect]

According to the present invention, by providing an audio memory area for storing audio data in the computer 0, the audio board is not equipped with an audio memory, so that the price of the audio board can be reduced by the amount of memory.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the audio memory area is an area for storing audio data to be transferred to and from the audio processing LSI;
A function for setting an area for storing audio data to be transferred to/from another storage device can be added. This makes it possible to use large-capacity auxiliary storage and handle large amounts of data.

In addition, the present invention sets two areas in the audio memory area, and divides these areas into an area for storing audio data to be transferred between the audio processing LSIs and another storage location. A function can be added to alternately use the area for storing audio data to be transferred between the two. Thereby, data transfer between the auxiliary memory and the main memory and data transfer between the main memory and the audio board can be processed in parallel.

Therefore, even when recording and playing back long sentences, the transfer of audio data between the audio processing LSI and main memory is interrupted.
It can be done without.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

First, with reference to FIG. 1, the hardware configuration of an embodiment of the audio application system of the present invention will be described.

In FIG. 1, this embodiment consists of the main part of a personal computer P that constitutes an existing system, and an audio board 4 added to realize an audio application system.

Pan controller P 4J, microprocessor (hereinafter abbreviated as MPU) 1 that performs sequence control of the entire system
The main components are a main memory 2 and an auxiliary memory 3 that store sequence control procedures and work data including audio data.

The audio board 4 also includes a microphone amplifier 40 that amplifies audio signals input from a microphone (hereinafter referred to as microphone) 5, and an A/D that converts the analog audio signal amplified by the amplifier 40 into a digital audio signal. converter 4
1, an audio processing LSI 42 that compresses and expands a digital audio signal, a D/A converter 43 that converts the digital audio signal into an analog audio signal, and a speaker amplifier 44 that increases the converted analog audio signal 111f. It is configured to include a speaker 6 which is driven by this and outputs audio.

An example of the recording/playback processing system of the audio application system composed of the hardware components configured as described above is shown in Figure 2.

This system includes an audio board 4 having an audio processing LSI 42i as an input/output interface. Via this audio board 4, external audio is input into the system as a digital audio signal, while a digital audio signal output from the system is outputted to the outside as an analog audio signal.

This audio board 4 is connected to the main memory 2 and exchanges data. Also, via this main memory 2,
Auxiliary memory 51 is also connected. Furthermore, this audio board 4 is also connected to the MPU 1 and sends and receives control signals.

The MPU 1 functions not only as a control means for the entire system but also as a transfer control means for controlling the transfer of audio data.

The main memory 2 is provided with an audio area 22.

This audio area 22c functions as an audio memory area for storing audio data, and stores audio data from the audio board 4 and from the auxiliary storage.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the voice application system of this embodiment will be explained.

First, the recording process will be explained.

When an analog audio signal from a microphone 5 or the like is input, this audio signal is converted into digital audio data and compressed at a certain sampling period by the audio board 4.

After this, the LSI 42 sends an audio data transfer request to the MPUI. In response to this, IVIPUl announced that the audio board 4
Data is transferred from the main memory 2I.

In addition, after one recording is completed, MPU1
As a result, audio data is transferred from the main memory 2 to the auxiliary memory 3.

Next, the reproduction process will be explained.

The playback process is a reverse operation of the recording process described above, and is performed using the auxiliary memory 6. Main memory 2. This data is transferred to the audio board 4, converted to analog audio, and output as audio from the speaker 6.

According to this embodiment, the audio board 4 includes a memory for storing audio data and a memory for controlling this. V] An audio application system can be configured by the audio LSI 42 and a circuit that converts analog audio and Digimol audio data without requiring a PU. Therefore, the cost of the voice application system can be reduced. Moreover, since the computer's main memory is used as memory, the maximum time that can be recorded or played back at a time is not determined by the capacity of the audio memory being used, as is the case with conventional systems. .

Next, with reference to FIG. 6, an embodiment will be described in which parallel processing of audio data transfer between the audio processing LSI 42 and the main memory 2 and between the main memory 2 and the auxiliary memory 6 is performed.

This embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the embodiment described above. However, in this embodiment, the allocation of areas within the main memory 2 is different. FIG. 3 shows the areas of the main memory 2.

As shown in FIG. 3, the main memory 2 includes a system area 20 where system programs and data are stored, an application area 21 where applications 10grams and pigs are stored, and an audio area where audio data is stored. 22 is provided. In this embodiment, the audio area 22 has two systems, A and B. That is, an audio area A220 and an audio area B221 are provided.

As shown in FIG. 4, the main memory 2 has the audio area 22 connected to the audio LSI 42 and the auxiliary memory 6, respectively, and is used for storing and transferring audio data.

In this case, the audio area A 220 is allocated for transfer with the auxiliary memory 6, and the audio area B 221 is allocated to the audio LSI.
42 is allocated for transfer. However, this is a convenient assignment, and the two assignments can be exchanged as appropriate.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to the above figures and FIG. 5. Note that FIG. 5 shows an aspect of parallel processing.

First, the recording process will be explained.

First, the IVI PU 1 transfers audio data from the audio processing LSI 42 to the audio area A 2201 of the main memory 2.

Next, when the audio area A220 is full, JIPUl
switches the audio data transfer destination from audio area A 220 to audio area B 2211, and switches the audio data transfer destination from audio area A 220 to audio area B 2211.
1, the audio data is transferred (@5 Figure b). On the other hand, the MPUI transfers audio data from the audio area A 220 to the auxiliary memory 6 (see Fig. 5a).
).

From now on, the MPU 1 switches the audio area every time the audio area on the side that transfers audio data to and from the audio processing LSI 42 becomes full. Then, the voice button in the voice area that has become full is transferred to the auxiliary memory 6.

Next, the playback process can be performed in reverse to the recording process described above. That is, auxiliary memory 6
．． Main memory 2. Audio board 4. Furthermore, the sound P signal is transferred in the order of speaker B.

At this time, in the audio area 22 of the main memory 2, two systems, audio area A 220 and audio area B 221, are alternately switched and used under the control of the MPU 1.

In this embodiment, the audio area A 220 and the audio area B 221 are used while being switched alternately, but they may be used without switching.

As described above, according to this embodiment, similarly to the above embodiments, the audio board 4 includes a memory for storing audio data,
No need for MPU'2 to control this, microphone, speaker amplifier, A/Di converter, D/A converter, audio processing LS
A voice application system can be configured by I. Moreover, since the main memory of the personal computer is used as memory, the maximum time that can be recorded or played back at a time is not determined by the capacity of the audio memory being used, as in conventional systems.

In addition, according to this embodiment, even if the main memory cannot secure an audio area with sufficient storage capacity, the large-capacity auxiliary memory can be used in parallel, so long text data etc. Recording and playback can be performed continuously without interruption.

The above embodiments are examples in which the audio application system of the present invention is applied to recording and reproducing audio, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to various other applications. For example, the voice application system of the present invention can be applied to a system with voice operation guidance, a system with voice reading, and the like.

A specific example of these is a word processor.

Examples include editing equipment, CAD, educational support systems, automatic hand vending machines, and various glaze robots.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the scale of additional hardware for realizing an audio application system using a personal computer, thereby reducing the cost of the audio application system.

Further, according to the present invention, since an audio memory whose capacity is limited is not used, long audio data can be handled at once.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of an embodiment of the audio application system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the recording and playback processing system of the audio application system of the above embodiment, and FIG. An explanatory diagram showing the internal state of the main memory using another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the parallel processing system in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. It is an explanatory view showing an aspect.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An audio application system configured by adding an audio board to a computer, wherein the computer includes an audio memory area for storing audio data and a transfer control means for controlling the transfer of audio data. An audio board attached to the computer is provided with an A/D converter for converting audio signals from analog to digital, a D/A converter for converting digital to analog, and an audio processing LSI for compressing and expanding digital audio signals. A voice application system comprising: 2. The audio memory area according to claim 1, wherein an area for storing audio data to be transferred to/from the audio processing LSI and an area for storing audio data to be transferred to/from another storage device are set. Speech application system. 3. Set two areas in the audio memory area, and use these areas as an area to store audio data to be transferred to and from the audio processing LSI, and an area to store audio data to be transferred to and from other storage devices. 2. The audio application system according to claim 1, wherein the audio application system is configured to be used by switching alternately between the two regions.