Speech analyzer

• US 4,039,754 A
• Filed: 04/09/1975
• Issued: 08/02/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Lokerson, Donald C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kemeny, E. S.
• Application Number:
  US05/566,494
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 179/1 SA, 179/1 SD, 179/1 SP
• US Class Current: 704/230
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility

Abstract

A speech signal is analyzed by applying the signal to formant filters which derive first, second and third signals respectively representing the frequency of the speech waveform in the first, second and third formants. A first pulse train having approximately a pulse rate representing the average frequency of the first formant is derived; second and third pulse trains having pulse rates respectively representing zero crossings of the second and third formants are derived. The first formant pulse train is derived by establishing N signal level bands, where N is an integer at least equal to two. Adjacent ones of the signal bands have common boundaries, each of which is a predetermined percentage of the peak level of a complete cycle of the speech waveform. A first level of the first pulse train is derived while the first formant signal has an amplitude lying in even numbered ones of the bands; a second level is derived while the first formant signal has an amplitude lying in odd number ones of the band. The pulse trains representing the first and third formant signals are normalized relative to the second formant pulse train. Normalization is attained in each instance by counting the number of pulses in the first and third pulse trains over the interval required for the pulses in the second train to reach a predetermined number. The resulting normalized pulse trains are supplied to a memory to identify a phoneme in the speech signal or are transmitted as narrow band width signals.

Claims

1. Apparatus for quantizing a speech waveform and/or a waveform that is a replica of an audio signal, such as a telephone ring, a knock or a siren, comprising means for establishing N signal level bands, where N is an interger more than two, adjacent ones of said bands having common boundaries, each of said boundaries being a predetermined percentage of the peak level of a complete cycle of the waveform, means responsive to the established bands for deriving a bilevel signal having a first level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in even numbered ones of said bands and a second level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in odd numbered ones of said bands.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for establishing the N signal level bands includes means for normalizing the peak amplitude of a phoneme of the speech waveform and a plurality of amplitude comparators, one of said comparators being provided for each boundary, each of said comparators being responsive to the normalized waveform and a predetermined amplitude level to derive an output signal having a first level in response to the normalized waveform having an amplitude less than the predetermined percentage for the boundary associated with the comparator.

3. Apparatus for analyzing a speech waveform and/or a waveform that is a replica of an audio signal, such as a telephone ring, a knock or a siren, comprising formant filter means responsive to the waveform for deriving first, second and third signals respectively representing the frequency content of the speech waveform in first, second and third formants, and means responsive to the first, second and third signals for separately normalizing the first and third signals relative to the second signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 further including means responsive to the normalized first and third signals for deriving an indication of a phoneme in the speech waveform.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the indication deriving means includes a memory having first and second inputs responsive to the normalized first and third signals, respectively.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the memory comprises a digital table look-up.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 further including a voiced/unvoiced detector responsive to the speech waveform and means for controlling the memory in response to voiced and unvoiced indications derived from the voiced/unvoiced detector.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the indicator means includes a display having first and second orthogonal axes, means for respectively controlling the display along said first and second axes in response to the normalized first and third signals.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the means for deriving the first signal includes means for quantizing an analog signal indicative of the first formant into a first pulse train, said means for quantizing including means for establishing N signal level bands, where N is an integer at least equal to two, adjacent ones of said bands having common boundaries, each of said boundaries being a predetermined precentage of the peak level of a complete cycle of a speech waveform, means responsive to the established bands for deriving a bilevel signal having a first level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in even numbered ones of said bands and a second level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in odd numbered ones of said bands.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 further including means for respectively quantizing analog signals indicative of the second and third formants into second and third pulse trains, and said means for normalizing includes means for counting the number of pulses in the first and third pulse trains over the interval required for the pulses in the second pulse train to reach a predetermined number.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the means for quantizing the analog signals indicative of the second and third formants includes a zero crossing detector responsive to the analog signals indicative of the second and third formants.

12. The apparatus of claim 4 further including means for respectively quantizing analog signals indicative of the first, second and third formants into first, second and third pulse trains, and said means for normalizing includes means for counting the number of pulses in the first, second and third pulse trains over the interval required for the pulses in the second pulse train to reach a predetermined number.

13. The apparatus of claim 4 further including means for periodically supplying the normalized signals to the means for indicating.

14. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the means for deriving the first signal includes means for quantizing an analog signal indicative of the first formant into a first pulse train, said means for quantizing including:

means for establishing N signal level bands, where N is an integer at least equal to two, adjacent ones of said bands having common boundaries, each of said boundaries being a predetermined percentage of the peak level of a complete cycle of a speech waveform, means responsive to the established bands for deriving a bilevel signal having a first level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in even numbered ones of said bands and a second level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in odd numbered ones of said bands.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further including means for respectively quantizing analog signals indicative of the second and third formants into second and third pulse trains, and said means for normalizing includes means for counting the number of pulses in the first and third pulse trains over the interval required for the pulses in the second pulse train to reach a predetermined number.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the means for quantizing the analog signals indicative of the second and third formants includes a zero crossing detector responsive to the analog signals indicative of the second and third formants.

17. The apparatus of claim 3 further including means for respectively quantizing analog signals indicative of the first, second and third formants into first, second and third pulse trains, and said means for normalizing includes means for counting the number of pulses in the first, second and third pulse trains over the interval required for the pulses in the second pulse train to reach a predetermined number.

18. Apparatus for analyzing a speech waveform and/or a waveform that is a replica of an audio signal, such as a telephone ring, a knock or a siren, comprising formant filter means responsive to the waveform for deriving a pair of signals respectively representing the frequency content of the speech waveform in a pair of formants, and means responsive to the pair of signals for comparing the signals representing the speech in the pair of formants.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the means for deriving the pair of signals includes means for quantizing the waveform into first and second pulse trains having pulse rates indicative of the frequency contents in the formants, and means for counting the number of pulses in the first pulse train over the interval required for the pulses in the second train to reach a predetermined number.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the means for quantizing the waveform into the first pulse train includes means for establishing N signal level bands, where N is an integer at least equal to two, adjacent ones of said bands having common boundaries, each of said boundaries being a predetermined percentage of the peak level of a complete cycle of the waveform, means responsive to the established bands for deriving a bilevel signal having a first level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in even numbered ones of said bands and a second level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in odd numbered ones of said bands.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the means for deriving one of the signals includes means for quantizing the waveform into a first pulse train, said quantizing means including means for establishing N signal level bands, where N is an integer at least equal to two, adjacent ones of said bands having common boundaries, each of said boundaries being a predetermined percentage of the peak level of a complete cycle of the waveform, means responsive to the established bands for deriving a bilevel signal having a first level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in even numbered ones of said bands and a second level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in odd numbered ones of said bands.

22. Apparatus for analyzing a speech waveform and/or a waveform that is a replica of an audio signal, such as a telephone ring, a knock or a siren comprising means responsive to the waveform for deriving first and second pulse trains respectively indicative of the frequency of the waveform in first and second formants, and means for counting the number of pulses in the first pulse train over the interval required for the pulses in the second train to reach a predetermined number.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the means for deriving one of the pulse trains includes means for establishing N signal level bands, where N is an integer at least equal to two, adjacent ones of said bands having common boundaries, each of said boundaries being a predetermined percentage of the peak level of a complete cycle of the waveform, means responsive to the established bands for deriving a bilevel signal having a first level while the speech signal has an amplitude lying in even numbered ones of said bands and a second level while the speech signal has an ampitude lying in odd numbered ones of said bands.

24. Apparatus for analyzing a speech waveform and/or a waveform that is a replica of an audio signal, such as a telephone ring, a knock or s siren, comprising formant filter means responsive to the waveform for deriving first, second and third signals respectively representing the frequency content of the speech waveform in first, second and third formants, means responsive to the first, second and third signals for normalizing the first signal relative to the second signal, and means responsive to the normalized first signal and a function of the third signal for deriving an indication of a phoneme in a speech waveform.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the indication deriving means includes a memory having first and second inputs responsive to the normalized first signal and the function of the third signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein the memory comprises a digital table look-up.

27. The apparatus of claim 25 further including a voiced/unvoiced detector responsive to the speech waveform and means for controlling the memory in response to voiced and unvoiced indications derived from the voiced/unvoiced detector.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the indicator means includes a display having first and second orthogonal axes, means for respectively controlling the display along said first and second axes in response to the normalized first and third signals.