Abstract
ATR's CHATR is a corpus-based text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis system that selects concatenation units from a natural speech database. The system's approach enables us to create a voice output communication aid (VOCA) using the voices of individuals who are anticipating the loss of phonatory functions. The advantage of CHATR is that individuals can use their own voice for communication even after vocal loss. This paper reports on a case study of the development of a VOCA using recordings of Japanese read speech (i.e., oral reading) from an individual with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition to using the individual's speech, we designed a speech database that could reproduce the characteristics of natural utterances in both general and specific situations. We created three speech corpora in Japanese to synthesize ordinary daily speech (i.e., in a normal speaking style): (1) a phonetically balanced sentence set, to assure that the system was able to synthesize all speech sounds; (2) readings of manuscripts, written by the same individual, for synthesizing talks regularly given as a source of natural intonation, articulation and voice quality; and (3) words and short phrases, to provide daily vocabulary entries for reproducing natural utterances in predictable situations. By combining one or more corpora, we were able to create four kinds of source database for CHATR synthesis. Using each source database, we synthesized speech from six test sentences. We selected the source database to use by observing selected units of synthesized speech and by performing perceptual experiments where we presented the speech to 20 Japanese native speakers. Analyzing the results of both observations and evaluations, we selected a source database compiled from all corpora. Incorporating CHATR, the selected source database, and an input acceleration function, we developed a VOCA for the individual to use in his daily life. We also created emotional speech source databases designed for loading separately to the VOCA in addition to the compiled speech database.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abe, M., Sagisaka, Y., Umeda, T., and Kuwabara, H. (1990). ATR Technical Report TR-I-0166, Speech Database User's Manual. ATR Interpreting Telephony Research Lab. (in Japanese)
Beukelman, D.R., Yorkston, K.M., Poblete, M., and Naranjo, C. (1984). Frequency of word usage in communication samples produced by adult communication aid users. Journal of Speech & Hearing Disorders, 49:360-367.
Black A. and Campbell, N. (1995). Optimising selection of units from speech databases for concatenative synthesis. Proceedings of Eurospeech 95, Madrid, Spain, pp. 581-584.
Black A. and Hunt. A. (1996). Generating F0 contours from ToBI labels using linear regression. Proceedings of ICSLP96, Philadelphia, PA, vol. 3, pp. 1385-1388.
Cambridge Adaptive Communication (2002). Cambridge Homepage. Retrieved May 20, 2003 from http://www.possum.co.uk/ Cambridge/Index.htm
Campbell,W.N. (1996). Autolabelling Japanese TOBI. Proceedings of ICSLP96, Philadelphia, PA, vol. 4, pp. 2399-2402.
Campbell, W.N. and Black, A. (1997). Prosody and the selection of source units for concatenative synthesis. In J. van Santen, R. Sproat, J. Olive, and J. Hirshberg, (Eds.), Progress in Speech Synthesis. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag, pp. 279-292.
Chen, J. and Campbell, N. (1999). Objective distance measures for assessing concatenative speech synthesis, Proceedings of Eurospeech99, Budapest, Hungary, pp. 611-614.
Conroy, D., Vitale, T., and Klatt, D.H. (1986). DECtalk DTC03 Text-to-Speech System Owner's Manual, EK-DTC03-OM-001, Nashua, NH: Educational Services of Digital Equipment Corporation.
Hallahan, W.I. (1996). DECtalk Software: Text-to-Speech Technology and Implementation, Retrieved May 20, 2003 from http://research.compaq.com/wrl/DECarchives/DTJ/DTJK01/ Hitachi Keiyo Engineering and Systems Ltd. (n.d). Hitachi Keiii Sisutemuzu, “Den no Shin” [Hitachi Keiyo Engineering and Systems Ltd. “Den no Shin”]. Retrieved May 20, 2003, from http://www.hke.co.jp/products/dennosin/denindex.htm (in Japanese)
Iida, A., Higuchi, F., Campbell, N., and Yasumura, M (2003). A corpus-based speech synthesis system with emotion, Speech Communication, 40:161-187.
KTH Department of Speech, Music and Hearing (2003).WaveSurfer. Retrieved May 20, 2003 from http://www.speech.kth.se/ wavesurfer/
Marumoto, T. and Ding, W. (1998). ATR Technical Report TR-IT-0276 Improving Prosody of CHATR Output Speech Based on Partial PSOLA and a MOS Decision Tree, ATR Interpreting Telephony Research Lab. (In Japanese). Motor Neurone Disease Association (n.d.) What is MND? Retrieved May 20, 2003 from http://www.mndassociation.org/fullsite/ what/index.htm
Namco Co., Ltd. (n.d.).Welfare. RetrievedMay 20, 2003 from http:// www.namco.co.jp/welfare/disabled/index.html (in Japanese).
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (2001). NINDS Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Information Page; NINDS Motor Neuron Diseases Information Page. Retrieved May 20, 2003 from http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health and medical/disorders/md.htm; http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health and medical/disorders/motor neuron diseases.htm Ricoh Co., Ltd. (n.d.). News Release. Retrieved March 10, 2003 from http://www.ricoh.co.jp/release/soft/yuben/ (in Japanese).
Sall, J. and Lehman, A. (1996). JMP Start Statistics. SAS Institute, Belmont, CA: Duxbury Press.
Toyoura, Y. (1996). Inochi no Komyunikeishon [Communication between lives]. Touhou Shuppan, Osaka, Japan (in Japanese). University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Aphasia Group (n.d.). Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication with People with Aphasia. Retrieved May 20, 2003 from http://www.unl.edu/ aphasia/AAC.html
Vandelheiden, G.C. and Kelso, D.P. (1987). Comparative analysis of fixed-vocabulary communication acceleration techniques. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 3:196-206.
Venditti, J.J. (1995). Japanese ToBI Labelling Guidelines, Technical Report, Ohio State University, Cleveland, OH.
Yamaguchi, S. (2000). Pasokon wo Tsukaikonasou [Let's Use PC]. Japan Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis Assosiation, Fukuoka branch Newsletter, No. 6 (in Japanese).
Yorkston, K.M., Dowden, P. A., Honsinger, M.J., Marriner, N., and Smith, K. (1988). A comparison of standard and user vocabulary lists. Augmentative and Alternative Communication, 4:189-210.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Iida, A., Campbell, N. Speech Database Design for a Concatenative Text-to-Speech Synthesis System for Individuals with Communication Disorders. International Journal of Speech Technology 6, 379–392 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025761017833
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025761017833