SPEECH PATTERN RECOGNITION SYSTEM

• US 3,663,758 A
• Filed: 03/24/1970
• Issued: 05/16/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Virgil Erbert
• Original Assignee: Virgil Erbert
• Inventors: Erbert, Virgil
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leaheey, Jon Bradford
• Application Number:
  US05/022,155
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 179/1SA,1SB,1VS 324/96,80 350/153,159 250/225,232
• US Class Current: 704/231
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/24 Speech recognition using non-acoustical features

Abstract

A speech pattern recognition system includes sets of radiation modulation members that transmit radiation of two different types and two radiation responsive members each for receiving one of the radiation types. A shutter is supported adjacent each set on a reed having a resonant frequency matched to the frequency of a particular segment of a spoken syllable or word. In the use of the system, the vibrational amplitudes of the shutters control the amount of each type of radiation that is received by the radiation responsive members. When the difference between the outputs of the radiation responsive members is at a maximum, the system produces an output indicative of the correct enunciation of the word or syllable.

Claims

1. A speech pattern recognition system comprising:

means for directing two distinct types of radiation along a predetermined course;

a shutter mounted for movement along a path extending between a point wherein the shutter is positioned out of the course and a point wherein the shutter blocks at least a portion of the course;

means for at least momentarily positioning the shutter at a point on the path corresponding to the amplitude of a particular frequency segment of a spoken syllable and thereby blocking at least a portion of at least one radiation type, and means positioned on the course beyond the shutter and responsive to the intensity of both radiation types for producing an amplitude indicative output when the difference between the intensity of one radiation type and the intensity of the other radiation type exceeds a predetermined level.

2. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 1 wherein the positioning means comprises means for vibrating the shutter along the path at the frequency of and at an amplitude corresponding to that of the particular frequency segment.

3. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 1 wherein the positioning means includes a shutter supporting reed having a resonant frequency equal to the frequency of the particular frequency segment.

4. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 1 wherein the positioning means vibrates the shutter to a position on the path wherein it blocks all of the radiation of one type whenever the amplitude of the particular frequency segment is equal to a predetermined magnitude.

5. A speech pattern recognition system comprising:

means for directing two types of radiation along a plurality of paths each corresponding to a particular frequency segment in a spoken syllable;

a plurality of shutters each mounted for movement into and out of one of the paths;

means for moving each shutter into its respective path a distance corresponding to the amplitude of its respective frequency segment and thereby at least partially blocking at least one radiation type, and means for receiving radiation of both types directed along all of the paths and for producing an output when the differential between the intensity of the received radiation of one type and the intensity of the received radiation of the other type exceeds a predetermined magnitude.

6. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 5 wherein the shutter moving means comprises a plurality of shutter vibrating members each for moving one of the shutters and each having a resonant frequency equal to the frequency of a particular one of the frequency segments.

7. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 6 wherein the shutter moving means further includes a single electromagnet for actuating all of the shutter vibrating members.

8. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 5 wherein the radiation directing means comprises:

a belt including strips comprising different types of radiation modulation members, and a plurality of cylindrical lenses each individual to one of the shutters.

9. A speech pattern recognition system comprising:

a plurality of sets of radiation modulation members each corresponding to a portion of the audible frequency range and each including two types of modulation members;

means for simultaneously directing radiation through all of the sets of modulation members;

means for receiving radiation directed through all of the sets of modulation members and for producing an output indicative of the difference between the intensity of the radiation that has been modulated by the modulation members of one type and the intensity of the radiation that has been modulated by the modulation members of the other type;

a plurality of shutters each for selectively preventing at least part of the radiation that has been modulated by at least one modulation member of one of the sets from reaching the radiation receiving means, and means for vibrating each shutter at a frequency of and at an amplitude corresponding to the frequency and amplitude of its corresponding portion of the audible frequency range.

10. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 9 further including a cylindrical lens mounted between the sets of radiation modulation members and the shutters for focusing the radiation directed through the modulation members.

11. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 9 wherein the plurality of sets of radiation of modulation members is mounted on a belt, wherein the belt is mounted for movement relative to the radiation directing means, and further including at least one additional plurality of sets of radiation modulation members mounted on the belt.

12. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 9 wherein each of the sets of radiation modulation members has a dimension in the direction of vibration of the shutters corresponding to the amplitude of its respective portion of the audible frequency range in a particular syllable.

13. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 9 further including means for controlling the period of time that radiation is directed through the sets of modulation members as a function of the duration of a speech segment corresponding to the plurality of sets of modulation members.

14. A speech pattern recognition system comprising:

at least two radiation modulation members, one for transmitting radiation of one type and the other for transmitting radiation of another type;

a shutter mounted for movement along a path extending between a first point wherein the shutter passes radiation transmitted by both of the modulation members and a second point wherein the shutter blocks radiation transmitted by at least one of the members;

means for at least momentarily positioning the shutter at a point on the path corresponding to the amplitude of a particular frequency segment of a spoken syllable, and means responsive to the differential magnitude of radiation received from the modulation members for producing an amplitude indicative output.

15. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 14 wherein the radiation modulation members have a dimension in the direction of the path of movement of the shutter that corresponds to the amplitude of the particular frequency segment of the spoken syllable.

16. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 14 wherein the radiation modulation members comprise a portion of a set of radiation modulation members comprising four members, two for transmitting radiation of one type and two for transmitting radiation of another type.

17. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 16 wherein the modulation members are alternately arranged, wherein the shutter normally blocks two of the modulation members and wherein the shutter positioning means vibrates the shutter about its normal position.

18. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 14 wherein the radiation modulation members comprise polarizing filters, one for polarizing radiation in one direction and the other for polarizing radiation in the other direction.

19. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 14 wherein the radiation modulation members comprise color filters, one for transmitting radiation of one color and the other for transmitting radiation of a different color.

20. A speech pattern rEcognition system comprising:

a plurality of groups of radiation modulation members, each of said groups being individual to a particular utterance of speech and each radiation modulation member within each group corresponding to a particular frequency segment of its particular utterance;

a source of radiation;

belt means for supporting the groups of radiation modulation members and for positioning a selected group in the path of radiation from the source;

means for receiving radiation passing from the source of radiation through all of the radiation modulation members of the selected group and for producing an output indicative of the intensity of the radiation received;

a plurality of shutters each individual to one of the radiation modulation members of the selected group, each of said shutters for selectively preventing radiation directed through its respective radiation modulation member from reaching the radiation receiving means; and

means for vibrating each shutter at a frequency corresponding to the frequency segment represented by its corresponding radiation modulation member and at an amplitude corresponding to the amplitude of the same frequency segment of a spoken utterance.

21. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 20 wherein each radiation modulation member has a dimension corresponding to the amplitude of its particular frequency segment of its particular utterance and wherein the shutter vibrating means vibrates each shutter in the direction of said dimension of its corresponding radiation modulation member.

22. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 21 further including a second radiation modulation member supported on the belt means adjacent each radiation modulation member thereon, wherein the radiation modulation members and the second radiation modulation members pass distinct types of radiation to the radiation receiving means, and wherein the radiation receiving means produces an output indicative of the difference between the intensity of the received radiation of one type and the intensity of the received radiation of the other type.

23. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 22 wherein the shutter vibrating means vibrates each shutter to block radiation from its respective radiation modulation member and to pass radiation from the associated second radiation modulation member in response to an amplitude of its particular frequency segment of a spoken utterance which is equal to the amplitude of its corresponding modulation member.

24. A speech pattern recognition system comprising:

a plurality of groups of radiation modulation members each including a plurality of series of modulation members all corresponding to a particular frequency segment;

each of said modulation members having a height corresponding to the amplitude of the respective frequency segment of a particular utterance and having a width corresponding to the duration of the particular utterance;

means for directing radiation through all of the modulation members of a particular group;

means for receiving radiation directed through the modulation members and for producing an output indicative of the intensity of the radiation received;

a mask positioned between the modulation members and the radiation receiving means for permitting radiation directed through a selected modulation member of each series to pass to the radiation receiving means;

a plurality of shutters each for controlling the passage of radiation directed through the selected modulation members to the radiation receiving means; and

means for vibrating each shutter at a frequency corresponding to the frequency segment represented by its corresponding series of modulation members and at an amplitude corresponding to the amplitude of the same frequency segment of a spoken utterance.

25. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 24 wherein the radiation directing means is furthEr characterized by a source of radiation and belt means for supporting the groups of radiation modulation members and for positioning a particular group in alignment with the source of radiation.

26. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 25 wherein the shutter vibrating means comprises a plurality of reeds each supporting one of the shutters and each having a natural frequency corresponding to the frequency segment represented by the series of modulation members corresponding to its shutter.

27. The speech pattern recognition system according to claim 26 further including a second radiation modulation member associated with each radiation modulation member, wherein the radiation modulation members and the second radiation modulation member pass different types of radiation to the radiation receiving means, wherein the radiation receiving means produces an output whenever the differential between the intensity of the radiation received from the radiation modulation members and the intensity of the radiation received from the second radiation modulation members exceeds a predetermined level, and wherein the shutters function to control such differential intensity in accordance with the amplitudes of the various frequency segments comprising the spoken utterance.