Method and device for enhancing the recognition of speech among speech-impaired individuals
First Claim
1. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user over the course of more than one session to discriminate between two sound stimuli, the method comprising:
- providing, by the computer system output to the individual user, a series of presentations of the two sound stimuli separated from each other by an interstimulus interval (ISI);
receiving by the computer input device, as the series of presentations is provided, user inputs wherein each received user input is responsive to at least one presentation in the series and wherein each such received user input provides an indication of the individual user'"'"'s ability to discriminate between the two stimuli; and
decreasing, by the computer system, the ISI between the two sound stimuli in the random presentations as the individual'"'"'s ability to discriminate between the two sound stimuli improves.
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Accused Products
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.
84 Citations
50 Claims
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1. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user over the course of more than one session to discriminate between two sound stimuli, the method comprising:
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providing, by the computer system output to the individual user, a series of presentations of the two sound stimuli separated from each other by an interstimulus interval (ISI); receiving by the computer input device, as the series of presentations is provided, user inputs wherein each received user input is responsive to at least one presentation in the series and wherein each such received user input provides an indication of the individual user'"'"'s ability to discriminate between the two stimuli; and decreasing, by the computer system, the ISI between the two sound stimuli in the random presentations as the individual'"'"'s ability to discriminate between the two sound stimuli improves. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user over the course of more than one training session to recognize a speech sound which includes at least two speech sound portions, the method comprising:
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providing, by the computer system output to the individual user, a series of presentations that include the at least two speech sound portions separated from each other by an interstimulus interval (ISI); receiving by the computer input device, as the series of presentations is provided, a series of user inputs wherein each user input is responsive to at least one presentation in the series and wherein each such received user input provides an indication of the individual user'"'"'s ability to discriminate between the two different speech sound portions; and decreasing, by the computer system, the ISI between the at least two speech sound portions in the presentations as the individual user'"'"'s ability to discriminate between the two speech sound portions improves. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output, and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user over the course of more than one training sessions to recognize a speech sound, the method comprising:
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repeatedly providing, by the computer system output, the speech sound to the individual user; emphasizing, by the computer system, the energy level of one portion of the provided speech sound relative to another portion of the provided speech sound; as the speech sound is repeatedly provided, receiving by the computer input device, a series of user inputs wherein each user input is responsive to at least one occurrence of a provided speech sound and wherein each such user input provides an indication of the individual user'"'"'s ability to identify the provided speech sound; and decreasing, by the computer system, the relative energy level emphasis of the one portion of the provided speech sound as the individual user'"'"'s ability to identify the speech sound improves. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user over the course of more than one training session to recognize a speech sound, the method comprising:
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repeatedly providing, by the computer system output, the speech sound to the individual user; emphasizing, by the computer system, the energy level of one portion of the provided speech sound relative to another portion of the provided speech sound; detecting, by the computer system using the input device, whether the individual user is able to consistently recognize the provided speech sound; and if the individual user is able to consistently recognize the provided speech sound, decreasing, by the computer system, the relative emphasis of the one portion of the provided speech sound and repeating the provided speech sound with the decreased relative emphasis at least until the individual user can consistently recognize the provided speech sound with the decreased emphasis.
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36. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user over the course of more than one training session to recognize a speech sound which includes at least two speech sound portions, the method comprising:
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repeatedly providing, by the computer system output, the speech sound to the individual user; prolonging, by the computer system, at least one of the speech sound portions of the repeatedly provided speech sound; receiving by the computer input device, as the speech sound is repeatedly provided, a series of user inputs wherein each user input is responsive to at least one occurrence of the speech sound and wherein each such received user input provides an indication of the individual user'"'"'s ability to identify the provided speech sound and decreasing, by the computer system, the length of the prolonged speech sound portion of the repeatedly provided speech sound as the individual user'"'"'s ability to identify the speech sound improves. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user over the course of more than one training session to recognize a speech sound which includes at least two portions, the method comprising:
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repeatedly providing, by the computer system output, the speech sound to the individual user; prolonging, by the computer system, at least one portion of the repeatedly provided speech sound; detecting by the computer system using the input device, whether the individual user is able to consistently identify the provided speech sound; and if the individual user is able to consistently identify the provided speech sound, decreasing, by the computer system, the length of the prolonged portion of the provided speech sound and repeating the provided speech sound with the shortened length of the prolonged portion of the provided speech sound at least until the individual user can consistently identify the provided speech sound with the shortened length.
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45. In an interactive computer system including a processor, an input device, an output and a sound generator, a method for training an individual user to recognize a speech sound, the method comprising:
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repeatedly providing, by the computer system output, the speech sound to the individual user; differentially emphasizing, by the computer system, the energy level of a portion of the provided speech sound relative to another portion of the provided speech sound; and receiving by the computer input device, as the speech sound is repeatedly provided, a series of user inputs wherein each received user input is responsive to at least one occurrence of the provided speech sound and wherein each such received user input provides an indication of the individual user'"'"'s ability to identify the provided speech sound and repeatedly providing the speech sound to the individual user at least until the individual user learns to identify it. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification