Yoshiaki Oikawa

Speech synthesis apparatus for rapid speed reading

In a speech synthesizing apparatus, importance degree information indicative of a degree of importance with respect to each text portion of input original text data is added to this text portion. Then, the original text data with such importance degree information is input. When a rapid reading process, or a head searching process is carried out for the original text input, speech synthesis is carried out by controlling several stages which text portion should be skipped, or at which speed, the text portions should be synthesized, in response to a speed instruction and importance degree information which are being input into the speech synthesizing apparatus.