Method and device for enhancing the recognition of speech among speech-impaired individuals

• US 6,071,123 A
• Filed: 07/30/1998
• Issued: 06/06/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rutgers University, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Rutgers University, Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Miller, Steven Lamont, Tallal, Paula Anne, Schreiner, Christopher E., Merzenich, Mathias, Jenkins, William Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/172,061
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 434/112, 434/116, 434/118, 434/156, 434/169, 434/185, 434/307 R, 434/308, 434/309, 434/365, 704/1, 704/3, 704/200, 704/208, 704/209, 704/219, 704/233, 704/235, 704/239, 704/246, 704/253, 704/254, 704/258, 704/260, 704/261, 704/265, 704/271, 704/275, 704/276, 704/277, 706/927, 381/58, 381/111, 381/123, 381/51, 381/52, 379/52, 379/93.26
• US Class Current: 434/116
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/04 Speaking with audible presentation of the material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0364 for improving intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 31/00 Arrangements for the associated working of recording or reproducing apparatus with related apparatus with cameras or projectors G03B31/00 ; recording/reproducing of music for electrophonic musical instruments G10H1/0033; automatic arrangements for answering calls or for recording messages for absent subscribers H04M1/64; telephonic communication systems adapted for combination with dictation recording and playback systems H04M11/10; connection of TV recorder with other related apparatus, e.g. TV camera or receiver, in which the TV signal is significantly involved H04N, e.g. H04N23/00, H04N5/765; combination of radio or TV with other apparatus, e.g. with vehicles H05K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility

Abstract

A method and a system is disclosed that provide means to enable individuals with speech, language and reading based communication disabilities, due to a temporal processing problem, to improve their temporal processing abilities as well as their communication abilities. The method and system include provisions to elongate portions of phonemes that have brief and/or rapidly changing acoustic spectra, such as occur in the stop consonants b and d in the phonemes /ba/ and /da/, as well as reduce the duration of the steady state portion of the syllable. In addition, some emphasis is added to the rapidly changing segments of these phonemes. Additionally, the disclosure includes method for and computer software to modify fluent speech to make the modified speech better recognizable by communicatively impaired individuals. Finally, the disclosure includes method for and computer software to train temporal processing abilities, specifically speed and precision of temporal integration, sequencing and serial memory.

Claims

1. A computerized system for structuring recorded audio information to enable language-impaired individuals to better understand audio sounds, the system comprising:

a computer having input means for receiving information including;

a processor means for manipulating the received information;

storage means for storing unprocessed received information and manipulated information; and

output means responsive to the processor means for presenting the manipulated information in a form understandable to a language-impaired user

first program means for modifying recorded audio information which are digitally recorded audio sounds having a frequency range associated therewith to lengthen portions of selected phonemes without modifying the frequency range;

second program means responsive to received information and said processor means for storing the modified digitally recorded audio sounds; and

,

third program means responsive to received information and to said processor to direct said stored, modified digitally recorded audio sounds to said output means.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first program means further includes means for amplifying said portions of selected phonemes.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said third program means further includes means for simplifying the output signal by integrating said output sounds within a fixed number of band-pass frequency channels.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the third program means includes means to convert said stored, modified digitally recorded verbal sounds to aural signals.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the output means includes speaker means for generating an aural signal.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the output means further includes a video display tube and further wherein the third program means includes display means for generating characters representing the aural signals as the video displays on the video display tube coincident with the generation of aural signals, said video displays remaining on said video display tube for a preselected time.

7. A system of claim 5 the video displays related to temporally modified aural signals are subject to parallel selective temporal emphasis.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said output means generating an output signal comprising an output sound from said audio sound, and wherein said third program means further includes means for simplifying said output signal by integrating said output sounds within a fixed number of band-pass frequency channels.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the third program means includes means to convert said stored, modified digitally recorded audio sounds to aural signals.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the output means includes speaker means for outputting said aural signal.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the output means further includes a video display tube and further wherein the third program means includes display means for generating characters representing the aural signals for display on the video display tube coincident with the generation of aural signals, said characters remaining on said video display tube for a preselected time.

12. A method of increasing the ability of a human being to process aurally received audio sounds, the method comprising:

a) recording verbal sounds in a computerized system;

b) modifying the recording of certain short duration phonetic elements of said verbal sounds by computer program means without changing the fundamental frequencies of those elements and producing the digital signals from said verbal sounds;

c) converting said modified digital signals to an analog signal; and

,

d) generating aural signals of the converted analog signal.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the modifying step includes the step of emphasizing selectively the short-duration phonetic elements.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the modifying step includes the step of recognizing consonant sounds for elongation by identifying the rapid and phoneme-specific changes of their frequencies and intensities.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the aurally received audio sounds are a plurality of spoken words in textual order, and wherein the modifying step includes the steps of elongating portions of selected phonetic elements.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the modifying step includes a shortening of vowel sounds associated with the elongated portions of selected phonetic elements and shortening some silent intervals so that the elapsed time for generating the aural signals is substantially the same as the elapsed time to record said verbal sounds.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the modifying step includes the step of emphasizing selectively the short-duration phonetic elements.