Sony Corporation

Hideki Kishi

Masashi Takeda

Makoto Akabane

Tomoaki Nitta

Erika Kobayashi

Rika Horinaka

The present invention relates to a voice output apparatus capable of, in response to a particular stimulus, stopping outputting a voice and outputting a reaction. The voice output apparatus is capable of outputting a voice in a natural manner. A rule-based synthesizerproduces a synthesized voice and outputs it. For example, when a synthesized voice 'Where is an exit' was produced and outputting of the synthesized voice data has proceeded until 'Where is an e' has been output, if a user taps a robot, then a reaction generatordetermines, by referring to a reaction database, that a reaction voice &#x201c;Ouch!&#x201d; should be output in response to being tapped. The reaction generatorthen controls an output controllerso as to stop outputting the synthesized voice &#x201c;Where is an exit?&#x201d; and output the reaction voice &#x201c;Ouch!&#x201d;. Thereafter, the reaction generatorcontrols the read pointer of a buffercontrolled by the read controllersuch that the outputting of the synthesized voice is resumed from the point at which the outputting was stopped. Thus, the synthesized voice &#x201c;Where is an e, Ouch!, xit?&#x201d; is output.

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Tokyo, Japan

Hideki Kishi