Intonation generation method, speech synthesis apparatus using the method and voice server

摘要

In generation of an intonation pattern of a speech synthesis, a speech synthesis system is capable of providing a highly natural speech and capable of reproducing speech characteristics of a speaker flexibly and accurately by effectively utilizing FO patterns of actual speech accumulated in a database. An intonation generation method generates an intonation of synthesized speech for text by estimating, based on language information of the text and based on the estimated outline of the intonation, and then selects an optimum intonation pattern from a database which stores intonation patterns of actual speech. Speech characteristics recorded in advance are reflected in an estimation of an outline of the intonation pattern and selection of a waveform element of a speech.