NOISE DETECTION DEVICE, NOISE DETECTION METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20140180682A1
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Honma, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Yuki, Chinen, Toru, Shi, Runyu
• Application Number:
  US14/104,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180682A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/207
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0216 characterised by the method used for estimating noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0224 Processing in the time domain
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0232 Processing in the frequency domain

Abstract

There is provided a noise detection device including an amplitude feature quantity calculator, a frequency feature quantity calculator, a feature variation calculator, an interval specification unit, a feature quantity set generation unit, and a noise determination unit.

Claims

1. A noise detection device comprising:

an amplitude feature quantity calculator that calculates an amplitude feature quantity in a waveform of a predetermined frame of an input signal of a voice;

a frequency feature quantity calculator that calculates a frequency feature quantity in the waveform of the predetermined frame;

a feature variation calculator that calculates, based on one feature quantity among the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities held in a holding unit that holds the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities of a plurality of frames, a feature variation that is a variation in the feature quantity between two temporarily adjacent frames;

an interval specification unit that compares the feature variation with a previously set threshold value to specify an interval of temporarily continuous frames in which the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities held in the holding unit are to be subjected to weighted averaging;

a feature quantity set generation unit that generates, as a feature quantity set, a set of respective weighted average values of the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities corresponding to each of the frames of the specified interval; and

a noise determination unit that determines whether a latest frame of the input signal is a frame including non-stationary noise that is sudden noise based on the feature quantity set.

2. The noise detection device according to claim 1,

wherein the amplitude feature quantity calculator or the frequency feature quantity calculator calculates at least two types of amplitude feature quantities among a plurality of types of amplitude feature quantities or a plurality of types of frequency feature quantities, and

wherein a feature quantity selection unit that selects an amplitude feature quantity to be calculated by the amplitude feature quantity calculator among the plurality of types of amplitude feature quantities, or a frequency feature quantity to be calculated by the frequency feature quantity calculator among the plurality of types of frequency feature quantities, based on a zero crossing rate of the input signal of the predetermined frame, an average value of a plurality of sample values of the input signal of the predetermined frame, or an RMS value of the plurality of sample values of the input signal of the predetermined frame, is further provided.

3. The noise detection device according to claim 2,

wherein the feature quantity selection unit determines whether the input signal of the predetermined frame is closer to a vowel or a consonant based on the zero crossing rate of the input signal of the predetermined frame, and selects, in accordance with the determination result, the amplitude feature quantity to be calculated by the amplitude feature quantity calculator and the frequency feature quantity to be calculated by the frequency feature quantity calculator among the plurality of types of frequency feature quantities.

4. The noise detection device according to claim 1,

wherein the amplitude feature quantity calculator calculates, as the amplitude feature quantity, at least one of a peak value of a plurality of sample values of the predetermined frame, an average value of the plurality of sample values of the predetermined frame, and an RMS value of the plurality of sample values of the predetermined frame, and

wherein the frequency feature quantity calculator calculates, as the frequency feature quantity, at least one of a zero crossing rate of the input signal of the predetermined frame, a ratio of a sound pressure of a specific frequency component to sound pressures of all of frequency components in the input signal of the predetermined frame, a ratio of the sound pressure of the specific frequency component to a sound pressure of a frequency component differing from the specific frequency component in the input signal of the predetermined frame, and one or more specific values among frequency spectra obtained by a Fourier transform of the input signal of the predetermined frame.

5. The noise detection device according to claim 1,

wherein the noise determination unit calculates a ratio of a weighted average value of the amplitude feature quantities included in the feature quantity set and a previously set first value, and a ratio of a weighted average value of the frequency feature quantities and a previously set second value, calculates a noise likelihood based on the calculated ratios, and compares the noise likelihood with a previously set threshold value to determine whether the latest frame of the input signal is a frame including the non-stationary noise.

6. The noise detection device according to claim 1,

wherein the noise determination unit calculates a noise likelihood, representing certainty of a determination that a present frame is a non-stationary noise frame, from a feature vector corresponding to the feature quantity set based on a previously learned identification model in a feature vector space using some or all of the weighted average values of the amplitude feature quantities and the weighted average values of the frequency feature quantities included in the feature quantity set, and compares the noise likelihood with a previously set threshold value to determine whether the latest frame of the input signal is a frame including the non-stationary noise.

7. The noise detection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a frequency feature corrector that corrects a frequency feature of a signal input device that supplies the input signal.

8. The noise detection device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a stationary noise removing unit that removes, from the input signal, stationary noise that is noise differing from the non-stationary noise.

9. A noise detection method comprising:

calculating, by an amplitude feature quantity calculator, an amplitude feature quantity in a waveform of a predetermined frame of an input signal of a voice;

calculating, by a frequency feature quantity calculator, a frequency feature quantity in the waveform of the predetermined frame;

calculating, by a feature variation calculator, based on one feature quantity among the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities held in a holding unit that holds the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities of a plurality of frames, a feature variation that is a variation in the feature quantity between two temporarily adjacent frames;

comparing, by an interval specification unit, the feature variation with a previously set threshold value to specify an interval of temporarily continuous frames in which the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities held in the holding unit are to be subjected to weighted averaging;

generating, by a feature quantity set generation unit, as a feature quantity set, a set of respective weighted average values of the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities corresponding to each of the frames of the specified interval; and

determining, by a noise determination unit, whether a latest frame of the input signal is a frame including non-stationary noise that is sudden noise based on the feature quantity set.

10. A program causing a computer to function as a noise detection device comprising:

an amplitude feature quantity calculator that calculates an amplitude feature quantity in a waveform of a predetermined frame of an input signal of a voice;

a frequency feature quantity calculator that calculates a frequency feature quantity in the waveform of the predetermined frame;

a feature variation calculator that calculates, based on one feature quantity among the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities held in a holding unit that holds the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities of a plurality of frames, a feature variation that is a variation in the feature quantity between two temporarily adjacent frames;

an interval specification unit that compares the feature variation with a previously set threshold value to specify an interval of temporarily continuous frames in which the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities held in the holding unit are to be subjected to weighted averaging;

a feature quantity set generation unit that generates, as a feature quantity set, a set of respective weighted average values of the amplitude feature quantities and the frequency feature quantities corresponding to each of the frames of the specified interval; and

a noise determination unit that determines whether a latest frame of the input signal is a frame including non-stationary noise that is sudden noise based on the feature quantity set.