Norio Higuchi

Title: Norio Higuchi: Innovator in Speech Synthesis Technology

Introduction

Norio Higuchi is a notable inventor based in Saitama, Japan. He has made significant contributions to the field of speech synthesis technology, holding a total of 3 patents. His work focuses on synthesizing realistic mouth shapes and pitch frequencies to enhance speech output.

Latest Patents

Higuchi's latest patents include a method for synthesizing a moving picture of a person's face with mouth-shape variations based on input characters. This innovative approach involves developing phonemes from the input characters and utilizing speech synthesis techniques to output corresponding vocal sound features. The method determines mouth-shape features for each phoneme, including the degree of mouth opening and lip roundness, to create a moving picture that matches the speech output. Another significant patent is a pitch frequency generation system within a speech synthesis system. This system accepts text, accent, and phrase codes, converting them into speech parameters and generating a contour of pitch frequency based on accent and phrase components.

Career Highlights

Throughout his career, Norio Higuchi has worked with prominent companies such as Kokusai Denshin Denwa Co., Ltd. and Kokusai Denshin Denwa Kabushiki Kaisha. His experience in these organizations has contributed to his expertise in speech synthesis technology.

Collaborations

Higuchi has collaborated with notable coworkers, including Seiichi Yamamoto and Toru Shimizu. Their combined efforts have further advanced the field of speech synthesis.

Conclusion

Norio Higuchi's innovative work in speech synthesis technology has led to the development of advanced methods for creating realistic speech outputs. His contributions continue to influence the field and enhance communication technologies.