Patent ID: 6970819

Claim:
A rule-based speech synthesis device which synthesizes arbitrary speech by selecting and concatenating previously stored speech synthesis units and controlling prosodic information, comprising a phoneme duration time setting means which estimates and controls the closing interval length of a phoneme having a closing interval, independently of the vowel length and consonant length, wherein said phoneme duration time setting means comprises: a phoneme type judgement means that judges the type of a phoneme with respect to the input phoneme symbol sequence, a vowel length determining means comprising a vowel length estimation means and a vowel length learning means, a consonant length determining means comprising a consonant length estimation means and a consonant length learning means, and a closing length determining means comprising a closing length estimation means and a closing length learning means, and wherein said phoneme type judgement means operates said vowel length estimation means or consonant length estimation means depending on whether the phoneme in question is a vowel or a consonant, and if it is judged to be a consonant, it judges whether or not it anteriorly has a closing interval and if it anteriorly has a closing interval then it operates a closing length estimation means.