Ratio of Speech to Non-Speech Audio such as for Elderly or Hearing-Impaired Listeners
First Claim
1. A method for enhancing speech portions of an audio program having speech and non-speech components, comprisingreceiving the audio program having speech and non-speech components, the audio program having a high quality such that when reproduced in isolation the program does not have audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable,receiving a copy of speech components of the audio program, the copy having a low quality such that when reproduced in isolation the copy has audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, andcombining the low-quality copy of speech components and the high-quality audio program in such proportions that the ratio of speech to non-speech components in the resulting audio program is increased and the audible artifacts of the low-quality copy of speech components are masked by the high-quality audio program.
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Abstract
The invention relates to audio signal processing and speech enhancement. In accordance with one aspect, the invention combines a high-quality audio program that is a mix of speech and non-speech audio with a lower-quality copy of the speech components contained in the audio program for the purpose of generating a high-quality audio program with an increased ratio of speech to non-speech audio such as may benefit the elderly, hearing impaired or other listeners. Aspects of the invention are particularly useful for television and home theater sound, although they may be applicable to other audio and sound applications. The invention relates to methods, apparatus for performing such methods, and to software stored on a computer-readable medium for causing a computer to perform such methods.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for enhancing speech portions of an audio program having speech and non-speech components, comprising
receiving the audio program having speech and non-speech components, the audio program having a high quality such that when reproduced in isolation the program does not have audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, receiving a copy of speech components of the audio program, the copy having a low quality such that when reproduced in isolation the copy has audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, and combining the low-quality copy of speech components and the high-quality audio program in such proportions that the ratio of speech to non-speech components in the resulting audio program is increased and the audible artifacts of the low-quality copy of speech components are masked by the high-quality audio program.
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2. A method for enhancing speech portions of an audio program having speech and non-speech components with a copy of speech components of the audio program, the copy having a low quality such that when reproduced in isolation the copy has audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, comprising
combining the low-quality copy of the speech components and the audio program in such proportions that the ratio of speech to non-speech components in the resulting audio program is increased and the audible artifacts of the low-quality copy of speech components are masked by the audio program.
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4-5. -5. (canceled)
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16-25. -25. (canceled)
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26. A method for assembling audio information for use in enhancing speech portions of an audio program having speech and non-speech components, comprising
obtaining an audio program having speech and non-speech components, encoding the audio program with a high quality such that when decoded and reproduced in isolation the program does not have audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, obtaining a copy of speech components of the audio program, encoding the copy with a low quality such that when reproduced in isolation the copy has audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, and transmitting or storing the encoded audio program and the encoded copy of speech components of the audio program.
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28. A method for assembling audio information for use in enhancing speech portions of an audio program having speech and non-speech components, comprising
obtaining an audio program having speech and non-speech components, encoding the audio program with a high quality such that when decoded and reproduced in isolation the program does not have audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, deriving a prediction of the auditory masking threshold of the encoded audio program, obtaining a copy of speech components of the audio program, encoding the copy with a low quality such that when reproduced in isolation the copy has audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, deriving a measure of the coding noise of the encoded copy, and transmitting or storing the encoded audio program, the prediction of its auditory masking threshold, the encoded copy of speech components of the audio program and the measure of its coding noise.
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30. A method for assembling audio information for use in enhancing speech portions of an audio program having speech and non-speech components, comprising
obtaining an audio program having speech and non-speech components, encoding the audio program with a high quality such that when decoded and reproduced in isolation the program does not have audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, deriving a prediction of the auditory masking threshold of the encoded audio program, obtaining a copy of speech components of the audio program, encoding the copy with a low quality such that when reproduced in isolation the copy has audible artifacts that listeners would deem objectionable, deriving a measure of the coding noise of the encoded copy, deriving a parameter based on a function of the prediction of the auditory masking threshold and the measure of the coding noise, and transmitting or storing the encoded audio program, the encoded copy of speech components of the audio program and the parameter.
Specification