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

• US 6,413,098 B1
• Filed: 09/19/2000
• Issued: 07/02/2002
• 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, Jenkins, William Michael, Merzenich, Michael Mathias, Schreiner, Christoph E., Tallal, Paula Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/665,775
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 434/118, 434/156, 434/169, 434/185, 434/307-R-3, 434/322, 434/323, 434/350, 434/362, 434/365, 704/207-211, 704/238, 704/239, 704/254, 704/265-268, 704/275, 704/276, 369/60.01, 367/198, 381/56-58, 381/111, 381/123, 381/320
• US Class Current: 434/185
• 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 method for training an individual to distinguish stop consonant sounds from vowel sounds, the training using audible presentation of processed speech, the method comprising:

providing prerecorded speech to a computing device for processing;

processing the prerecorded speech to elongate the stop consonant sounds; and

presenting the processed speech to the individual;

wherein as the individual hears the processed speech with elongated stop consonant sounds, the individual'"'"'s recognition of the stop consonant sounds improves.

2. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the individual has language-based learning disabilities.

3. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the individual is dyslexic.

4. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the individual is a stroke victim.

5. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the individual is learning a foreign language.

6. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the stop consonant sounds and the vowel sounds are typically combined as phonemes.

7. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 6 wherein the phonemes are ba or da.

8. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the stop consonant sounds typically have a duration of less then 50 ms.

9. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the vowel sounds typically have a duration greater than 80 ms.

10. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the audible presentation is accomplished by a computer.

11. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the audible presentation is by accomplished by a tape recorder.

12. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the audible presentation is accomplished by a compact disk (CD) player.

13. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the prerecorded speech comprises audible training exercises for language learning impaired individuals.

14. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the prerecorded speech comprises storybooks that have been placed on tape, or on CD.

15. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of providing the prerecorded speech comprises:

converting the prerecorded speech into a digital format that may be processed by the computing device.

16. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of processing the prerecorded speech comprises:

performing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) on the prerecorded speech to obtain spectral values for the speech;

interpolating the spectral values to elongate the stop consonant sounds without elongating the vowel sounds; and

performing an inverse FFT on the interpolated spectral values to obtain a time domain representation of the processed speech.

17. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 16 wherein said step of processing the prerecorded speech further comprises:

before performing said step of performing an inverse FFT, truncating portions of the vowel sounds;

wherein truncation of the vowel sounds prevents the elapsed time of the processed speech to not exceed the elapsed time of the prerecorded speech.

18. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 1 wherein the prerecorded speech has frequency envelopes, said step of processing further comprises:

emphasizing selected at least one of the frequency envelopes within the prerecorded speech.

19. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 18 wherein the selected frequency envelopes correspond to frequency bands containing rapid temporal changes in frequency content.

20. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 19 wherein the selected frequency envelopes correspond to the stop consonant sounds within the prerecorded speech.

21. The method for training an individual as recited in claim 19 wherein the amount of emphasis given to the selected frequency envelopes is approximately 10-20 db.