Patent ID: 7403897

Claim:
A voice output device for outputting linguistic information, said linguistic information including a plurality of linguistic elements such as characters and phrases by voice, the voice output device comprising: an output information acquisition unit that acquires said linguistic information and attribute information, the attribute information including an attribute added to each of said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information; a tactile pattern storage unit that stores a predetermined tactile pattern corresponding to each of attributes added to said linguistic elements; a tactile pattern acquisition unit that acquires said tactile pattern corresponding to an attribute added to said plurality of linguistic elements from said tactile pattern storage unit; a voice output unit that reads aloud said plurality of linguistic elements included in said linguistic information; a tactile pattern output unit that outputs, in parallel with reading aloud each of said linguistic elements, said tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to said linguistic element of interest to allow a user of the voice output device to sense the tactile pattern by the sense of touch; and a voice output speed change unit that changes a reading speed of said voice output unit based on an instruction of said user; and in parallel with reading aloud consecutive linguistic elements to which a same attribute is added, said tactile pattern output unit further outputs said tactile pattern corresponding to the attribute added to the consecutive linguistic elements at a regular speed for a number of times, the number of times being inversely proportional to said reading speed, the regular speed being independent of said reading speed.