Patent ID: 7016840
Filing Date: 2006-03-21
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
1. A speech synthesis apparatus for synthesizing a speech consisting of a plurality of speech segments each including at least one phoneme, comprising: a database for storing data related to said speech segments; speech segment disassembling means for disassembling each of said speech segments into a plurality of pitch waveforms each having a phase characteristic; phase characteristic generating means for generating a uniformed phase characteristic from said phase characteristics of said pitch waveforms by averaging said phase characteristics of said pitch waveforms obtained by said speech segment disassembling means; phase characteristic transforming means for transforming said phase characteristics of said pitch waveforms into said uniformed phase characteristic generated by said phase characteristic generating means; pitch waveform classifying means for classifying said pitch waveforms into a plurality of groups each consisting of a plurality of said pitch waveforms substantially identical in shape; pitch waveform registering means for registering said pitch waveforms in said database by extracting one pitch waveform from among said pitch waveforms in each of said groups; and synthesizing means for synthesizing said speech with said pitch waveforms registered in said database.