Speech decoder capable of reproducing well background noise

• US 5,677,985 A
• Filed: 12/07/1994
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ozawa, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dorvil, Richemond
• Application Number:
  US08/350,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 395/2.29, 395/2.32, 395/2.35, 395/2.42, 395/2.39, 395/2.34
• US Class Current: 704/220
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/012 Comfort noise or silence coding

Abstract

When background noise is superposed on speech, a speech decoder can well represent the background noise through signal processing only in the speech decoder even at low bit rates. In the speech decoder, a decoding circuit receives a signal from a speech coder, a speech detecting circuit detects non-speech and speech intervals, and a excitation signal calculating circuit calculates a excitation signal using a sound source signal, a pitch period, and an average amplitude. A signal reproducing circuit drives a filter composed of a spectrum parameter to reproduce a sound signal. A searching circuit stores a set of random number code vectors of a predetermined bit number as a code book, and searches the code book for a best random number code vector which is selected. A second signal reproducing circuit reproduces a sound signal (noise) using the selected random number code vector.

Claims

1. A speech decoder comprising:

decoding means for decoding a binary coded input signal into a spectral parameter, an average amplitude, a pitch period and a sound source signal;

speech detecting means for detecting a non-speech interval and a speech interval using at least one among the spectral parameter, the average amplitude and the pitch period;

excitation signal generating means for generating an excitation signal using the sound source signal, the average amplitude, and the pitch period;

first signal reproducing means for reproducing a sound signal using the excitation signal from the excitation signal generating means and the spectral parameter from said decoding means;

memorizing means for memorizing a random number code book storing random number code vectors which can be used in reproducing sound signals;

searching means for searching the random number code book and selecting a random number code vector which can be used to reproduce a sound signal that is closest to the output signal reproduced in the non-speech interval by said first signal reproducing means;

second signal reproducing means for reproducing a sound signal using the spectral parameter from said decoding means and the random number code vector which has been searched by said searching means; and

switching means for outputting the sound signal from said first signal reproducing means in the speech interval and outputting the sound signal from said second signal reproducing means in the non-speech interval.

2. A speech decoder according to claim 1, wherein said searching means calculates a gain which is used by the second signal reproducing means for adjusting an average amplitude of the sound signal which is reproduced from the selected random number code vector such that the average amplitude of the sound signals of the first and second signal reproducing means becomes nearly equal in the non-speech interval.

3. A speech decoder according to claim 2, wherein said excitation signal generating means comprises suppressing means for suppressing the average amplitude in the non-speech interval.

4. A speech decoder according to claim 2, wherein said searching means comprises updating means for updating the random number code book at a predetermined interval of time.

5. A speech decoder according to claim 1, wherein said excitation signal generating means comprises suppressing means for suppressing the average amplitude in the non-speech interval.

6. A speech decoder comprising:

decoding means for decoding a binary coded input signal into a spectral parameter, an average amplitude, a pitch period and a sound source signal;

speech detecting means for detecting a non-speech interval and a speech interval using at least one among the spectral parameter, the average amplitude and the pitch period;

excitation signal generating means for generating a excitation signal using the sound source signal, the average amplitude, and the pitch period;

memorizing means for memorizing a random number code book storing random number code vectors which can be used in reproducing sound signals;

searching means for searching the random number code book for a random number code vector which can be used in reproducing a sound signal that is closest to the excitation signal in the non-speech interval;

switching means for outputting the excitation signal from said excitation signal generating means in the speech interval and outputting the random number code vector which has been searched in the non-speech interval by said searching means; and

signal reproducing means for reproducing a sound signal using the spectral parameter from said decoding means and the output from the switching means.

7. A speech decoder according to claim 6, wherein said searching means calculates a gain which is used by the signal reproducing means for adjusting an average amplitude of the sound signal which is reproduced from the selected random number code vector such the excitation signal and the random number code vector selected by the searching means becomes nearly equal in the non-speech interval.

8. A speech decoder according to claim 7, wherein said excitation signal generating means comprises suppressing means for suppressing the average amplitude in the non-speech interval.

9. A speech decoder according to claim 7, wherein said searching means comprises means for updating the random number code book at a predetermined interval of time.

10. A speech decoder according to claim 6, wherein said excitation signal generating means comprises suppressing means for suppressing the average amplitude in the non-speech interval.