JPH0444098A - Audio response unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need to control the arrangement of additional information on the side of a host computer together with a voice data number by registering the arrangement of plural voice data numbers as one message number, and specifying the registered message number and outputting a voice message. CONSTITUTION:A voice data input/output control part 3A stores a storage part 4A with plural voice data, which constitute one voice message, among respective voice data according to the voice data number and also stores the storage part 4A with the arrangement of the voice data numbers as the message number. Then when the voice message is outputted, the voice data numbers are read out by specifying the message number and the voice data are outputted from the storage part 4A according to the respective voice data numbers to a voice synthesis and analysis part 5 and restored to the voice message, which is outputted. Consequently, the message information need not be controlled on the side of a host computer 10 which controls the device and the numbers is only specified to voice the message.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a voice response device that registers voice as digital data, restores the digital data to voice, and outputs a predetermined voice message.

[Prior Art] FIG. 5 shows the configuration of a conventional voice response device.
In the figure, (1) is a voice response device, (2) is an external interface unit for connecting the voice response device (1) with an external device, and (3C) is a device control unit that controls the operation of the voice response device (1). (4C) is a data memory for storing voice data, etc., and (5) is a voice synthesis/analysis device that converts human voice input into the voice response device (1) into digital data, and synthesizes digital data into voice. section, (6) is a voice human power section for manually inputting voice to the voice response device (1), (
7) is a voice output unit for outputting voice from the voice response device (1), and (10) is a host computer that controls the voice response device (1).

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the data memory (4C). In the figure, (4b) is an audio data management area that stores information such as the address and data size of the audio data in the memory; ) is an audio data area in which audio converted to digital data is stored as data.

Next, the operation of the conventional device will be explained according to the above configuration.

First, the audio data registration process will be explained.

The device control section (3C) of the voice response device (1), which has received the command for registration processing from the host computer (10) via the external interface section (2), starts the registration processing of voice data.

Speech is inputted from the outside by a human voice input unit (6), and the voice is converted into digital data by a voice synthesis/analysis unit (5).

This digital data is stored as audio data in the data memory (
4C) is stored in the audio data area (4C). The device control unit (3C) stores audio data until conditions such as time specified by a command from the host computer (10) are satisfied, or until a command to terminate or interrupt processing is received from the post computer (IO). Execute.

The device control unit (3C) creates management information such as an address and data size for managing the audio data stored in the audio data area (4C) in the audio data management area (4b), and specifies it from the host computer (10). The audio data is registered with the audio data number specified, and the process ends.

Second, the audio data output processing will be explained.

The device control section (3C) of the voice response device (1), which has received the command for output processing from the host computer (10) via the external interface section (2), starts output processing of voice data. Reads data corresponding to the audio data number specified by the host computer (10) from the audio data area (4C) based on management information stored in the audio data management area (4b) in the data memory (4C), Pass it to the speech synthesis/analysis department (5).

The voice synthesis/analysis unit (5) restores the received voice data to voice, and the voice output unit (7) outputs the voice data to the voice response device (1).
Output to the outside of.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional voice response device is configured as described above, when outputting voice data, the device control section reads voice data from the data memory only in units of voice data numbers specified by the host computer. If this is not possible, and an attempt is made to configure and output one voice message by arranging multiple audio data numbers, the host computer must specify the sequence of multiple audio data numbers to the device control unit. As a result, it is necessary for the post computer to manage the arrangement information of voice data numbers for each voice message, which increases the software load.

Furthermore, in addition to the audio data that makes up a voice message, when adding additional information such as the silent output time between each voice data to each voice data to compose and output a single voice message, the host computer It is necessary to specify the additional information along with the voice data number to the device control unit, and therefore the post computer side needs to manage the sequence of the additional information together with the voice data number constituting one voice message as data.

This first invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to register a sequence of a plurality of voice data numbers as one message number in the device, and also to register the registered message number. An object of the present invention is to provide a voice response device that can output a plurality of voice data sequences as a voice message by specifying the following.

In addition, this second invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to input a plurality of sets of data, each consisting of a voice data number and its additional information, into a device as a single message number. The object of the present invention is to obtain a voice response device that can be registered and output a plurality of pieces of voice data and each additional information as a voice message by specifying a registered message number. .

[Means to solve the problem]

The voice response device according to the first invention includes a voice synthesis/analysis unit that digitally converts voice to generate voice data and restores the generated voice data to voice, and At the same time as registering in the storage section according to the voice data number, a sequence of voice data numbers indicating a plurality of voice data constituting one message among the registered voice data is indicated by the message number and stored in the storage section, and at the time of outputting the message. A voice data input/output control section is provided for outputting a plurality of voice data constituting a message from a storage section to the voice synthesis/analysis section in response to message number designation.

The voice response device according to the second invention also includes a voice synthesis/analysis unit that digitally converts voice to generate voice data and restores the generated voice data to voice, and each of the generated voice data. and additional information accompanying each voice data are registered in the storage unit according to each data number, and a data number indicating a plurality of voice data constituting one message and additional information accompanying the registered voice data and additional information. an audio data input/output unit that stores the sequence of messages in the storage unit indicative of the message number, and outputs the audio data and additional information constituting the message from the storage unit to the audio synthesis/analysis unit by specifying the message number when outputting the message; It was established.

[Effect]

The voice data input/output control unit according to the first invention stores a plurality of voice data constituting one voice message among each voice data in a storage unit according to the voice data number, and also stores a plurality of voice data constituting one voice message in a storage unit, and arranges a plurality of voice data numbers. is stored in the storage unit under the message number, and when outputting a voice message,
The voice data numbers are read out by specifying the corresponding message number, and the voice data is sequentially outputted from the storage section to the voice synthesis/analysis section according to each voice data number to be restored and output as a voice message.

Furthermore, the audio data input/output control unit according to the second aspect of the present invention inputs additional information such as the audio data number of a plurality of audio data constituting one audio message and the silent output time after outputting the audio data, in each audio data. A set of multiple sequences is stored in the storage unit based on the message number, and when outputting a voice message, the voice data number and additional information are read out by specifying the corresponding message number, and the voice data is sequentially output from the storage unit according to each voice data number. The data is output to the speech synthesis/analysis section, and depending on the additional information, it is output as a voice message without any silent time.

(Embodiment) An embodiment of the first invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of the voice response device in this embodiment. In the drawing, the same reference numerals as in Fig. 5 are , the same or equivalent parts are shown, and detailed explanations thereof are omitted.In the figure, (3A
) is a device control unit in this embodiment, and (4A) is a data memory. As shown in Fig. 2, this data memory (4A) has an audio data management area (4b) and an audio data area (4c) allocated to the conventional data memory (4C) (Fig. 6), as well as the host computer ( A message information area (
4a + ) has been newly allocated.

Next, the operation of this embodiment of the first invention will be described in the following order: voice data registration process, message registration process, voice data output process, and message output process.

The voice response device (2) received from the voice data registration processing post computer (1O) via the external interface (2), which is a command for registration processing.
The device control unit (3A) of step 1) starts audio data registration processing. Human input the audio from the outside through the audio input section (6),
The voice is converted into digital data by the voice synthesis/analysis section (5).

This digital data is stored as audio data in the audio data area (4c) of the data memory (4A).

The device control unit (3A) waits until conditions such as time specified by a command from the host computer (10) are satisfied, or
The voice data is stored until a command to terminate or interrupt the process is received from the host computer (10).

The device control device (3A) creates management information such as an address and data size for managing the audio data stored in the audio data area (4C) in the audio data management area (4b), and sends it to the host computer (1 (1) ) is registered with the specified audio data number, and the process ends.

Message registration process The device control unit (38) of the voice response device (1) receives a message registration process command from the host computer (10) via the external interface unit (2) and starts the message registration process. .

The sequence of multiple audio data numbers specified by the host computer (10) is stored in the message information area (4a) in the data memory (48), and the process is completed by registering the specified message number. .

Audio data output processing The device control unit (38) of the voice response device (1) receives a command for audio data output processing from the host computer (10) via the external interface unit (2), and processes the audio data. Start.

The data of the audio data number specified by the host computer (10) is read out from the audio data area (4c) based on the management information stored in the audio data management area (4b) in the data memory (4A), and the audio Synthesis/Analysis Department (5)
give it to

The speech synthesis/analysis section (5) restores the received speech data to speech, and outputs the speech from the speech output section (7) to the outside of the speech response device (1).

Message Output Processing The device control unit (3A) of the voice response device (1) receives a command for message output processing from the host calculation m (lo) via the external interface unit (2) and starts message output processing.

The message information corresponding to the message number specified by the host computer (lO) is read from the message information area (4a) in the data memory (48), and as the message information, the arrangement of the plurality of registered voice data numbers is read out. Based on this, the audio data output process is executed in the order in which the data of each audio data number is registered.

Next, an embodiment of the second invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of the voice response device in this embodiment. In the figure, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same or corresponding parts, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. In the figure, (3B) is a device control unit in this embodiment, and (4B) is a data memory in this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 4, this data memory (4B) is used for the host computer (1O
) is allocated a message information area (4a2) in which the voice data number constituting the message registered in the voice response device (1) and the sequence of its additional information are stored as data.

The operation of this embodiment of the second invention will be described below in the order of voice data registration processing, message registration processing, voice data output processing, and message output processing.

Voice data registration process A voice response device (receiving a registration process command from a host computer (10) via an external interface (2)
The device control unit (3B) of 4) starts the audio data registration process. Human-powered the audio from the outside from the audio human-powered section (6),
The voice is converted into digital data by the voice synthesis/analysis section (5).

This digital data is stored as audio data in the audio data area (4c) of the data memory (4B).

The device control unit (3B) continues until the time and other conditions specified by the command from the host computer (1O) are satisfied, or
The voice data is stored until a command to terminate or interrupt the process is received from the host computer (IO).

The device control unit (3B) creates management information such as an address and data size for managing the audio data stored in the audio data area (4c) in the audio data management area (4b), and sends the information from the host computer (10) to the audio data management area (4b). The specified audio data number is registered and the process ends.

Message registration process The device control unit (3B) of the voice response device (1) receives the message registration IA command from the host calculation m (10) via the external interface unit (2) and starts the message registration process. .

A sequence of multiple sets of audio data numbers specified by the post computer (10) and additional information such as silent output time after audio data output is stored in the message information management area (4a2) in the data memory (4B). Memorize and use the specified
registration number and finish the process.

Audio data output processing The device control unit (3B) of the voice response device (1) receives a command for audio data output processing from the host computer (IO) via the external interface unit (2), and performs audio data output processing. Start.

The data of the audio data number specified by the host computer (lO) is read out from the audio data area (4c) based on the management information stored in the audio data management area (4b) in the data memory (4B), and the audio Synthesis/Analysis Department (5)
give it to

The speech synthesis/analysis section (5) restores the received speech data to speech, and outputs the speech from the speech output section (7) to the outside of the speech response device (1).

Message Output Processing The device control unit (3B) of the voice response device (1) receives a command for message output processing from the host computer (1O) via the external interface unit (2) and starts message output processing.

The message information corresponding to the message number specified by the host computer (10) is read from the message information area (4a 2 ) in the data memory (4B), and the registered voice data number and its additional information are read as the message information. According to the arrangement, the data of each audio data number is outputted in the order in which it is registered.

In the output processing of each piece of audio data, depending on the designation of the additional information, it is possible to perform silent output for a specified period of time after outputting the audio data, or to repeatedly output the audio data.

[Effect of the invention J As described above, according to the first invention, a sequence of a plurality of voice data numbers can be obtained, and according to the second invention, a sequence of a plurality of sets of voice data numbers and their additional information can be generated. Since the device is equipped with a message information area so that the device can manage a single piece of message information, there is no need to manage message information on the host computer side that controls the device. This has the effect of providing an efficient interface for controlling this device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a voice response device according to an embodiment of the first invention, FIG. 2 is an internal structure diagram of a data memory of the voice response device according to an embodiment of the first invention, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a voice response device according to an embodiment of the second invention, FIG. 4 is an internal structure diagram of a data memory of the voice response device according to an embodiment of the second invention, and FIG. 5 is a conventional FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of a conventional voice response device, and FIG. 6 is an internal structure diagram of a data memory of the conventional voice response device. (1) is a voice response device, (2) is an external interface section, (3A), (3B) is a device control section, (4A)
(4B) is a data memory, (4a) is a message information area, (4b) is a voice data management area, (4c) is a voice data area, (5) is a voice synthesis/analysis section, (6) is a voice input section, (7) is an audio output unit, and (10) is a host computer. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. Written amendment (voluntary) Japanese Patent Application No. 2-152981 2, Name of the invention Voice response device 3, Person making the amendment Relationship with the case Patent applicant Address: 2-3 Maruno Potter-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Name (601) Mitsubishi Electric Co., Ltd. Representative Moriya Shiki 4, Agent address: 4th floor 6, Nakayama Building, 1-9-13 Nihonbashi Honmachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Contents of amendment (1) Specification page 3, line 1O 'Data memory (4C)
Correct the description "of data memory (4C)" to "of data memory (4C)." (2) The statement "while taking a pause during a silent period" on page 9, lines 19 to 20 of the specification has been amended to "while performing processing such as taking a pause during a silent period."that's all

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Speech synthesis/speech synthesis that digitally converts audio to generate audio data and restores the generated audio data to audio.
The analysis section registers each of the generated voice data in the storage section according to each voice data number, and also registers the sequence of voice data numbers indicating a plurality of voice data constituting one message in the registered voice data by message number. and an audio data input/output control unit that outputs a plurality of pieces of audio data constituting the message from the storage unit to the voice synthesis/analysis unit by specifying a message number when outputting the message. A voice response device featuring: (2) Speech synthesis/speech synthesis that converts audio digitally to generate audio data, and restores the generated audio data to audio.
The analysis section registers each of the generated audio data and additional information accompanying each audio data in the storage section according to each data number, and also registers 1 in the registered audio data and additional information.
A sequence of data numbers indicating a plurality of pieces of voice data constituting a message and accompanying additional information is indicated by a message number and stored in the storage unit, and the voice data constituting the message is retrieved from the storage unit by specifying the message number when outputting the message. and a voice data input/output unit that outputs additional information to a voice synthesis/analysis unit.