Trends of ASR and TTS applications in Japan

Abstract

This paper describes recent trends of ASR and TTS telecomunications applications in Japan. ASR applications focus on public services such as voice-activated information retrieval, operator assistance, and voice dialing. Major TTS applications include information service by voice and E-mail reading. The usage of ASR and TTS functions is expected to dramatically increase in the near future with the penetration of handy and mobile telephone terminals; hot topics are text broadcasting and digital communication.