Communication apparatus mounted with speech speed conversion device

• US 10,127,924 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2017
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tokuda, Toshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US15/496,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20170345444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 3482201, 379 46, 379 811, 379349, 379 8802, 381106, 455566, 704208, 704210, 704211, 704219, 704226, 704260, 704500, 704209, 704272, 709206, 709246, 370468
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/0135 Voice conversion or morphing
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2025/783 based on threshold decision
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0364 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/038 using band spreading techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/043 by changing speed
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/057 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/90 Pitch determination of speech signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form

Abstract

In a communication apparatus, an encoder compresses telephone call voice which is transmitted from another communication apparatus. A voice accumulator preserves the telephone call voice, which is compressed by the encoder, as a message. A decoder expands the telephone call voice which is preserved in the voice accumulator. A signal memory temporarily maintains the telephone call voice which is expanded by the decoder. A speech speed convertor performs speech speed conversion on the telephone call voice, which is read from the signal memory, and outputs resulting voice from a speaker. A memory monitor temporarily stops to expand the telephone call voice in the decoder in a case where the memory monitor determines that an idle capacity of the signal memory approaches a predetermined lower limit value.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus mounted with a speech speed conversion device, comprising:

an encoder that compresses telephone call voice data which is transmitted from another communication apparatus;

a message preserver that preserves the telephone call voice data, which is compressed by the encoder, as a message;

a decoder that expands the telephone call voice data which is preserved by the message preserver;

a speech speed convertor that includes a voice data buffer which temporarily maintains the telephone call voice data expanded by the decoder, and that performs speech speed conversion on the telephone call voice data which is read from the voice data buffer, and outputs resulting voice from a speaker; and

a monitor that temporarily stops to expand reading of the telephone call voice data by the decoder in a case where the monitor determines that an idle capacity of the voice data buffer becomes less than a predetermined lower limit value,

wherein the speech speed convertor continues to perform speech speed conversion on the telephone call voice data that is already read by the decoder and stored in the voice data buffer, and outputs the resulting voice from the speaker while the monitor temporarily stops reading of the telephone call voice data by the decoder.

2. The communication apparatus of claim 1,

wherein, in a case where the monitor determines that the idle capacity of the voice data buffer becomes more than a predetermined upper limit value, the monitor restarts expanding of the telephone call voice data by the decoder.

3. The communication apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the predetermined lower limit value is approximately 20% of a maximum capacity of the voice data buffer.

4. The communication apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a button that instructs to start performing the speech speed conversion,

wherein, in a case where the button instructs to start to perform performing the speech speed conversion, the speech speed convertor performs the speech speed conversion on the telephone call voice data, wherein the telephone call voice data is included in a signal transmitted from another telephone the other communication apparatus.

5. The communication apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

an indicator that indicates a situation of the telephone communication apparatus, wherein, in a case where it is instructed the button instructs to start to perform performing the speech speed conversion by the button, the indicator turns on a light.