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Speech processing method and apparatus

  • US 4,515,158 A
  • Filed: 12/11/1981
  • Issued: 05/07/1985
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1980
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A signal processing system for converting a speech signal into a data signal for controlling a means for stimulating of a hearing prosthesis for an individual patient, the prosthesis being of the type including an implanted electrode array adapted to stimulate the auditory nerve fibers of a patient by the application of electrical currents to selected electrodes in the array, said processing system comprisingmeans for receiving a speech signal and for generating an electrical input signal having a plurality of components corresponding to a plurality of formant components of the received speech signal,first means for generating from said input signal electrical signals representative of at least one of the amplitude and frequency of the fundamental voicing component FO of said speech signal,second means for generating from said input signal electrical signals representative of at least one of the amplitudes or frequencies of a plurality of formants of said speech signal,programmable means for producing instruction signals for controlling the application of sets of electrical signals selected from said signals generated by said first and second means to selected groups of electrodes in said array with selectable delays between the stimulation of each electrode in each of said groups, said programmable means includingmeans for storing data representative of a predetermined relationship between each group of electrodes and a selected range of at least one formant frequency based on psychophysical testing of the patient and data defining a predetermined relationship between another formant frequency and the delay between stimulation of electrodes in each group,said programmable means further including means for producing instruction signals for determining the level of stimulation of each selected group of electrodes as a function of the amplitude of said formants of said speech signal, andstorage means for generating and storing stimulus signals corresponding to said instructions and for releasing said signals, separated in time by said selectable delays, to said means for stimulating the selected electrodes.

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