System And Method For Dynamic Modification Of Speech Intelligibility Scoring

• US 20070192098A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Zumsteg, Philip, Shields, D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,098,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/240
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/69 for evaluating synthetic or decoded voice signals

Abstract

A system and method to detect and measure remediated speech intelligibility by evaluating received test audio transmitted across and received in a space or region of interest. Remediation of the test audio may include altering the rate, pitch, amplitude and frequency bands energy during presentation of the speech signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining if a selected test score should be established based on current remediation parameters, and responsive thereto, establishing the test score;

responding to the test score, sensing the ambient sound in a region for a predetermined time interval;

analyzing the sensed ambient sound;

overlaying the ambient sound with a plurality of test audio signals having predetermined characteristics sensing the overlaid ambient sound; and

determining if speech intelligibility in the region has been degraded beyond an acceptable standard.

2. A method as in claim 1 where the determining includes analyzing the ambient sound pressure level.

3. A method as in claim 1 where the determining includes analyzing the ambient frequency domain characteristics.

4. A method as in claim 1 which includes overlaying the ambient sound with modulated noise.

5. A method as in claim 4 which includes amplitude modulating the noise.

6. A method as in claim 5 which includes providing amplitude modulated noise for a predetermined time interval.

7. A method as in claim 5 which includes providing amplitude modulated noise of a predetermined periodicity.

8. A method as in claim 7 which providing amplitude modulated noise for a predetermined time interval.

9. A method as in claim 7 where the amplitude modulation exceeds fifty percent of signal amplitude.

10. A method as in claim 7 where the amplitude modulation exceeds ninety percent of signal amplitude.

11. A method as in claim 7 where the determining includes analyzing the maximum attainable sound pressure level.

12. A method as in claim 10 where the determining includes analyzing trailing edge characteristics of received audio test signals to measure decay time in the region.

13. A method as in claim 7 where the overlaid test signals are emitted with a predetermined maximum attainable sound pressure level.

14. A method as in claim 7 where the overlaid test signals are emitted with at least a predetermined minimum frequency bandwidth.

24. A method as in claim 1 where establishing the test score includes generating a revised test signal in accordance with current remediation parameters and using that signal in establishing the test score.

25. A method as in claim 1 where establishing the test score includes modifying one or more of the parameters involved in determining the test score in accordance with current remediation parameters.

15. A method for remediation comprising:

determining if remediation is feasible using a dynamically modifiable selected test score, and responsive thereto determining optimum remediation for a region;

determining if current and optimum remediation differ, and if so, carrying out at least a determined optimum amplitude remediation.

16. A method as in claim 15 which includes carrying out optimum frequency bands energy remediation.

17. A method as in claim 15 which includes carrying out optimum pace remediation.

18. A method as in claim 15 which includes carrying out optimum pitch remediation.

19. A method as in claim 15 which includes carrying out optimum amplitude of the speech message remediation.

20. A method as in claim 15 which includes varying the rate of a speech message.

21. A method as in claim 15 which includes varying the pitch of a speech message.

22. A method as in claim 15 which includes varying the frequency bands energy of a speech message.

23. A method as in claim 15 which includes varying the amplitude of a speech message.