Electro-larynx

• US 7,212,639 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1999
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
• Inventors: Houston, Kenneth M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin; Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, LUNSEE
• Application Number:
  US09/475,390
• Time in Patent Office: 2,679 Days
• Field of Search: 381/70, 381/151, 381/326, 381/380, 381/396, 623/9, 704/266, 704/258, 704/278, 704/261, 181/126, 181/128, 181/181, 181/726, 697 56- 57, 128/207.14, 843/75
• US Class Current: 381/70
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/20 Epiglottis; Larynxes; Tracheae combined with larynxes or for use therewith tracheae, bronchi per se A61F2/04 ; tracheostomy tubes A61M16/0465
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/206 Speech aids with external actuators, e.g. electrical larynxes

Abstract

An improved electro-larynx includes a linear transducer and/or an improved waveform generator. The improved electro-larynx sets up a sound wave within the pharynx of the user which closely approximates a normal glottal excitation. The linear transducer preserves the harmonic structure of a glottal source wave generated by the waveform generator and translates it into a vibration. The transducer includes an armature assembly, suspension assembly, and coupler disk coupled together to move in concert. The armature assembly vibrates as a function of the desired and input glottal source wave, which in turn causes an immediate and corresponding vibration of the coupler disk. The suspension assembly constrains armature movement to one dimension and provides additional compliance. The coupler disk includes a substantially flat surface suitable for engaging the surface of a user'"'"'s throat and vibrates as a linear function of the input glottal source wave. The improved waveform generator produces a relatively good approximation of an actual glottal source waveform by preferably deriving it from actual voice data and having the effects of the modulation of the vocal tract removed. As a result, the harmonic structure of the glottal source waveform has overtones which drift in frequency, similar to normal glottal excitations. The waveform generator also allows user adjustment of the pitch and amplitude of the glottal source wave and smoothes out any distortions caused by the process of obtaining the glottal data used to generate the glottal source wave. The waveform generator bolsters the frequency response at the high end of the spectrum to compensate for any roll-off, yielding a frequency response spectrum of about 20–5 Khz. The responsiveness of the linear transducer allows the glottal source wave'"'"'s pitch, amplitude, and harmonic structure to be communicated through the coupler disk and realistic glottal source waves to be transduced into the user'"'"'s pharynx, resulting in the production of substantially normal speech.

Claims

1. An electro-larynx comprising:

A. a waveform generator configured to selectively generate an input signal characterized by a frequency spectrum;

B. a linear transducer having a throat engagement portion, said linear transducer configured to receive and transform said input signal into a corresponding output vibration of said throat engagement portion characterized by a frequency spectrum, said output vibration being a substantially linear function of said input signal whereby the frequency spectrum of said vibration matches said frequency spectrum of said input signal; and

C. a power source.

2. An electro-larynx according to claim 1, wherein the linear transducer includes:

a. an armature assembly, which receives said input signal and vibrates as a function thereof;

b. a suspension assembly coupled to said armature assembly; and

c. a coupler disk, as said engagement portion, coupled to said suspension assembly, wherein a vibration in said armature assembly causes a corresponding vibration of said coupler disk.

3. An electro-larynx according to claim 2 wherein the suspension assembly is a flexible planar membrane.

4. An electro-larynx according to claim 2 wherein the suspension assembly is a mechanical spring.

5. An electro-larynx according to claim 2 wherein the armature assembly is substantially disposed within a cylindrical motor assembly that defines an internal void region along a central axis and having an radial magnetic field maintained within said internal void region, and wherein said armature assembly includes:

a. a bobbin coupled to said suspension assembly and disposed within said internal void region and along said central axis; and

b. a wire coil wrapped around said bobbin and within said magnetic field;

whereby when said input signal is applied to said wire coil a corresponding vibration of said bobbin is experienced.

6. An electro-larynx according to claim 2 wherein the armature assembly includes a piezo-electric actuator coupled to said engagement portion, wherein an input signal delivered to said piezo-electric actuator causes a corresponding linear vibration of said engagement portion.

7. An electro-larynx according to claim 2 wherein the armature assembly includes a magneto-resistive element coupled to said engagement portion, wherein an input signal delivered to said magneto-resistive element causes a corresponding linear vibration of said engagement portion.

8. An electro-larynx according to claim 1 wherein the linear transducer has a substantially flat frequency response over a range of about 20 to 2 KHz.

9. An electro-larynx according to claim 1 wherein said input signal generated by said waveform generator has a harmonic structure corresponding to a normal glottal excitation, defined over multiple cycles.

10. An electro-larynx according to claim 1 wherein the waveform generator includes:

a. glottal sample data stored in an electronic memory;

b. a pitch adjuster, configured to add pitch information to said glottal sample data;

c. a multiplier, configured to add amplitude information to said glottal sample data;

d. an equalization filter for generating from said glottal sample data, pitch information, and amplitude information a base digital input signal having a predetermined frequency response; and

e. a digital to analog converter, configured to transform said base digital input signal into said input signal.

11. An electro-larynx according to claim 10 wherein the glottal sample data is obtained by inverse filtering and digitally sampling voice data.

12. A linear transducer, for use in an electro-larynx having a waveform generator that produces an input signal and a power source, said linear transducer comprising:

A. an armature assembly, which receives said input signal characterized by a frequency spectrum and vibrates as a function thereof;

B. a suspension assembly coupled to said armature assembly; and

C. a coupler disk, coupled to said suspension assembly, wherein a vibration in said armature assembly causes a corresponding vibration of said coupler disk characterized by a frequency spectrum according to a linear function of said input signal, whereby the frequency spectrum of said vibration matches said frequency spectrum of said input signal.

13. A linear transducer according to claim 12 wherein the suspension assembly is a flexible planar membrane.

14. A linear transducer according to claim 12 wherein the suspension assembly is a mechanical spring.

15. A linear transducer according to claim 12 wherein the armature assembly is substantially disposed within a cylindrical motor assembly that defines an internal void region along a central axis and having a magnetic field maintained with said internal void region, and wherein said armature assembly includes:

a. a bobbin coupled to said suspension assembly and disposed within said internal void region and along said central axis; and

b. a wire coil wrapped around said bobbin and within said magnetic field;

whereby when said input signal is applied to said wire coil a corresponding vibration of said bobbin is experienced.

16. A linear transducer according to claim 12 wherein the armature assembly includes a piezo-electric actuator coupled to said coupler disk, wherein an input signal delivered to said piezo-electric actuator causes a corresponding linear vibration of said coupler disk.

17. A linear transducer according to claim 12 wherein the armature assembly includes a magneto-resistive element coupled to said coupler disk, wherein an input signal delivered to said magneto-resistive element causes a corresponding linear vibration of said coupler disk.

18. A linear transducer according to claim 12 wherein the linear transducer has a substantially flat frequency response over a range of about 20 to 2 KHz.

19. An electro-larynx comprising:

a waveform generator comprising;

A. glottal sample data stored in an electronic memory, wherein said glottal sample data is defined over multiple cycles;

B. a pitch adjuster, configured to add pitch information to said glottal sample data;

C. a mixer, configured to add amplitude information to said glottal sample data;

D. an equalization filter for generating from said glottal sample data, pitch information, and amplitude information, a base digital input signal having a predetermined frequency response; and

E. a digital to analog converter, configured to transform said base digital input signal into an input signal, characterized by a frequency spectrum;

a linear transducer configured to receive and transform said input signal into a corresponding output vibration of a throat engagement portion characterized by a frequency spectrum, said output vibration being a substantially linear function of said input signal whereby the frequency spectrum of said vibration matches said frequency spectrum of said input signal.

20. A waveform generator according to claim 19 wherein the glottal sample data is obtained by inverse filtering and digitally sampling voice data.

21. A waveform generator according to claim 19 wherein the glottal sample data is derived from a mathematical model which preserves the harmonic qualities of the voice data.

22. An electro-larynx comprising:

A. a waveform generator configured to selectively generate an input signal characterized by a frequency spectrum, wherein said input signal has a harmonic structure corresponding to a normal glottal excitation, defined over multiple cycles;

B. a linear transducer having a throat engagement portion, said transducer configured to receive and transform said input signal into a corresponding output vibration of said throat engagement portion characterized by a frequency spectrum said output vibration being a substantially linear function of said input signal whereby the frequency spectrum of said vibration matches said frequency spectrum of said input signal; and

C. a power source.

23. An electro-larynx according to claim 22 wherein the waveform generator includes:

a. glottal sample data stored in an electronic memory;

b. a pitch adjuster, configured to add pitch information to said glottal sample data;

c. a multiplier, configured to add amplitude information to said glottal sample data;

d. an equalization filter for generating from said glottal sample data, pitch information, and amplitude information a base digital input signal having a predetermined frequency response; and

e. a digital to analog converter, configured to transform said base digital input signal into said input signal.

24. An electro-larynx according to claim 23 wherein the glottal sample data is obtained by inverse filtering and digitally sampling voice data.

25. An electro-larynx according to claim 23 wherein the glottal sample data is derived from a mathematical model which preserves the harmonic qualities of the voice data.