The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 22, 2007
Filed:
Mar. 22, 2002
Erika Kobayashi, Tokyo, JP;
Makoto Akabane, Tokyo, JP;
Tomoaki Nitta, Tokyo, JP;
Hideki Kishi, Tokyo, JP;
Rika Horinaka, Tochigi, JP;
Masashi Takeda, Tokyo, JP;
Erika Kobayashi, Tokyo, JP;
Makoto Akabane, Tokyo, JP;
Tomoaki Nitta, Tokyo, JP;
Hideki Kishi, Tokyo, JP;
Rika Horinaka, Tochigi, JP;
Masashi Takeda, Tokyo, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
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 “Ouch!” should be output in response to being tapped. The reaction generatorthen controls an output controllerso as to stop outputting the synthesized voice “Where is an exit?” and output the reaction voice “Ouch!”. 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 “Where is an e, Ouch!, xit?” is output.