JPH03214984A - Teletext receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To take synchronization between pattern display and sound output in a timing when a page is received by providing a page feed time storage section and an utterance speed calculation section and controlling the utterance speed of a voice synthesis section so that sound for one page is uttered within the page feed time. CONSTITUTION:A page feed time storage section 7 stores lapse of time after the reception of a just preceding page. Since the interval of the transmission of pages is nearly constant usually for each program, the time stored in the page feed time storage section 7 is used as a predicted value of the time till a succeeding page is received. An utterance speed calculation section 9 calculates the quantity of voice by one page resulting from the voice conversion before a sound synthesis section 8 makes voice output. The above calculation section 9 divides the quantity of voice by one page by a time stored in the page feed time storage section 7 to calculate the utterance speed. Then the voice synthesis section 8 is controlled so as to synthesize the voice in the calculated utterance speed. Thus, the utterance of the synthesized voice is terminated for a time receiving a succeeding page.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Shogobunsara The present invention relates to a teletext receiving device capable of outputting audio.

BACKGROUND ART Television teletext broadcasting (hereinafter abbreviated as r-telecasting) has been put into practical use, in which codes or pixel data are superimposed and transmitted during the vertical blanking period of a television video signal. Conventional teletext receiving devices have built-in generators for text, graphics, and musical tones, decode received codes or pixel data, and output the decoded data from a television screen or speaker.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-148290 discloses a teletext receiving apparatus that converts received character data into audio and outputs it.

Considering the use of teletext broadcasting regardless of location or form of use, simply displaying text information on the screen is not sufficient. For effective use of text information, it is necessary to be able to hear text information in the form of audio. However, conventional teletext receivers that have been put into practical use do not have such a function.

Information broadcast by teletext is usually sent in one page at intervals of about 10 to 30 seconds. This page turn interval is usually set to the time expected to be required for a viewer to silently read one page's worth of character information. However, when reading silently and when reading aloud, the speed is generally different.6 When the received text information is displayed on the screen at the same time as it is received and read aloud with synthesized voice, if the utterance time for one page is longer than the page turn interval,
The screen display and voice cannot be synchronized. The above-mentioned problems may occur when converting received text information into speech. However, these problems have not been solved in the prior art.

1- Kazutoyo The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances,
In particular, this invention has been made with the aim of solving the above problems and realizing a teletext receiving device capable of outputting audio.

Ao 111 precepts. In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an audio system comprising a teletext receiving section that receives a teletext signal, and a speech synthesis section that converts the text information received by the teletext receiving section into speech and outputs it. The teletext receiving device is capable of outputting text, and includes a page feed time leap storage unit that measures and stores the time from receiving one page of information to receiving the next page of information, and the speech synthesis unit. a speech speed calculation section that calculates a speech speed such that the speech time of one page's worth of audio outputted by the section is within the page turn time stored in the page turn time storage section; The voice synthesis unit performs voice output processing according to the calculated speech rate, and the voice output capable teletext receiving device further includes a speech rate limit that stores at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit of the speech rate. a storage unit, and when the speech rate calculated by the speech rate calculation unit exceeds the lower limit of the upper limit of the speech rate stored in the speech rate limit storage unit, the voice is synthesized at a speed that does not exceed the lower limit. The feature is that the section performs audio output processing. Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on the embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to code transmission (hybrid) type teletext broadcasting implemented in Japan. In the figure, 1 is a teletext receiving unit, and 2 is a pattern memory. part, 3 is the TV screen part, 4 is the character generation part, 5
is a musical sound generation section, No. 6 is a speaker, 7 is a page feed time storage section, 8 is a speech synthesis section, 9 is a speech rate calculation section, and the teletext receiving section 1 receives and detects television radio waves, and transmits teletext data. Extract. The pattern memory section 2 temporarily stores pixel data in teletext data and character patterns generated by a character generator, and outputs them to the television screen section 3. The character generator 4 receives the character code during teletext broadcasting,
A character symbol corresponding to the code is generated and sent to the pattern memory section 2. The music f generating section 5 receives the musical tone code in the teletext data, generates a musical tone corresponding to the code, and outputs it from the speaker 6. The above portions are the same as those of a conventional teletext receiving device, and detailed explanation will be omitted.

Teletext programs usually consist of multiple pages.

Suppose now that the teletext receiving unit 1 has received a certain page.

The page forwarding time storage section 7 stores the elapsed time since the previous page was received. Since the interval at which pages are transmitted is usually approximately constant for each program, the time stored in the page forwarding time storage section 7 can be treated as a predicted value of the time until the next page is received.

On the other hand, the text information received by the teletext receiving section 1 is sent to the speech synthesis section 8 and converted into speech. At this time, processes such as format conversion and language analysis necessary for voice conversion are performed as appropriate depending on the format of the text information. These processes are well known as general text-to-speech synthesis techniques, so detailed explanations will be omitted.

The speech rate calculation section 9 calculates the amount of speech for one page as a result of speech conversion before the speech synthesis section 8 outputs the speech.

The amount of sound is expressed by, for example, mora. The speech rate calculation unit 9 divides the amount of audio for one page by the time stored in the page feed time storage unit 7 to calculate the speech rate. The speech rate is expressed in units such as mora/second.

The speech rate calculation unit 9 controls the speech synthesis unit 8 to synthesize speech at the calculated speech rate. As a result, the synthesized voice finishes speaking at the time when the next page is received. In other words, it is possible to synchronize the screen display and audio output at the timing when a page is received.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment in which the present invention is applied to code transmission (hybrid) type teletext broadcasting implemented in Japan, in which a teletext receiving section, a pattern memory section,
The character generator, musical tone generator, etc. are the same as those of the conventional teletext receiver, and detailed explanations will be omitted.

The page feed time storage section 7 is the same as that in the previous embodiment, so its explanation will be omitted. The speech rate limit storage unit 10 stores the limit value of the speech rate that can be heard naturally. After calculating the speech rate using the same method as in the embodiment described above, the speech rate calculation unit 9 compares the calculation result with the limits (upper limit, lower limit) of the speech rate stored in the speech rate limit storage unit 10. As a result of the comparison, if the speech rate exceeds the limit, the speech rate is reset to a value near the limit. The speech synthesis unit is controlled to synthesize speech using the new speech rate obtained in this way. This makes it possible to suppress the output of synthesized speech with an extremely slow or fast speech rate, and to prevent deterioration in naturalness.

As is clear from the above explanation, according to the invention of claim 1, by controlling the speech speed of the speech synthesis section so that the speech for one page is uttered within the page turn time, It becomes possible to synchronize the screen display and audio output at the timing of receiving a page, thereby making it possible to always present the same information through the screen display and audio output, helping the viewer's understanding.

According to the invention of claim 2, the speech rate determined by calculation is compared with the limit speech rate that humans can naturally hear, and by suppressing the speech rate within this limit, the speech rate is extremely slow or fast. It is possible to suppress the output of synthetic speech at a speaking rate and prevent a decrease in naturalness.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 and 2 are configuration diagrams for explaining embodiments of the present invention, respectively. 1... Teletext receiving section, 2... Pattern memory section,
3...TV screen section, 4...Character generation section, 5...
Musical sound generation section, 6... Speaker, 7... Page feed time storage section, 8... Speech synthesis section, 9... Speech rate calculation section. 10...Speech rate limit storage unit. Figure 1?

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A character broadcasting device capable of outputting voice, comprising a teletext receiving unit that receives a teletext signal, and a speech synthesis unit that converts the text information received by the teletext receiving unit into voice and outputs the voice. A broadcast receiving device that receives one page of information and then reads the next one.
A page forwarding time storage unit that measures and stores the time until receiving information for a page; and a page in which the page forwarding time storage unit stores the utterance time of one page worth of audio outputted by the speech synthesis unit. A teletext receiving device comprising a speech rate calculation unit that calculates a speech rate that is within a sending time, and wherein the speech synthesis unit performs audio output processing based on the speech rate calculated by the speech rate calculation unit. . 2. The teletext receiving device capable of outputting audio according to claim 1, further comprising a speech speed limit storage section that stores at least one of an upper limit and a lower limit of the speech speed, and the speech speed calculated by the speech speed calculation section is 1. A teletext receiving device characterized in that when an upper limit or a lower limit of a speaking speed stored in a speaking speed limit storage section is exceeded, a voice synthesizing section performs voice output processing at a speed that does not exceed the upper limit or lower limit of a speaking speed.