On Line Speech Synthesis through I/O Ineterface Unit

Abstract

This paper describes the on-line use of the computer, especially the application to speech synthesis. On line use of the computer with other kinds of equipments is a new trend in computer application, by which computer extends its ability to all the possible information processing fields. To the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer can be attached several kinds of equipments such as magnetic tape, disk, drum, console etc. as standard equipments. The interface between CPU and these equipments are usually designed specifically to meet the requirement of each case. The same interface can not be connected to several different equipments. Therefore, when a new equipment is to be connected to the computer, we must design a new interface for it. Considering these situations, it seems an essential problem to design a universal type interface which is independent from the specific structures of equipments to be connected and through which we can connect a variety of equipments to the computer. The PART I of this paper presents the universal I/O interface unit (peripheral adaptor) designed so as to connect any kinds of data processing equipments to NEAC-2200 series computers. In the PART II of this paper the speech synthesizer which is connected in on-line mode to the computer through this peripheral adaptor is described. The synthesizer uses the zero-crossing wave as the wave element with which speech sound is constructed.