Systems and methods for noise reduction using speech recognition and speech synthesis

• US 9,390,725 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2015
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Clearone Incorporated
• Inventors: Graham, Derek
• Primary Examiner(s): Baker, Charlotte M
• Application Number:
  US14/788,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20160064008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 704/214, 704/220, 704/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/027 Concept to speech synthesisers; Generation of natural phrases from machine-based concepts generation of parameters for speech synthesis out of text G10L13/08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02087 the noise being separate speech, e.g. cocktail party
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0264 characterised by the type of parameter measurement, e.g. correlation techniques, zero crossing techniques or predictive techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/60 for measuring the quality of voice signals

Abstract

The present disclosure describes a system (100) for reducing background noise from a speech audio signal generated by a user. The system (100) includes a user device (102) receiving the speech audio signal, a noise reduction device (118) in communication with a stored data repository (208), where the noise reduction device is configured to convert the speech audio signal to text; generate synthetic speech based on the converted text; optionally determine the user as an actual subscriber based on a comparison between the speech audio signal with the synthetic speech; and selectively transmit the speech audio signal or the synthetic speech based on comparison between the predicted subjective quality of the recorded speech and the synthetic speech.

Claims

1. A system using a user device in communication with a stored data repository, that reduces the background noise from a speech audio signal generated by a user, comprising:

a user device, with a processor and a memory, receiving a speech audio signal; and

a noise reduction device, in communication with a stored data repository, and in communication with said user device, is configured to;

convert said received speech audio signal to text;

generate synthetic speech based on a speech data corpus or speech model data of the user stored in said stored data repository and said converted text;

determine the predicted subjective quality of the received speech audio signal if that signal were to be transmitted to a far end listener;

determine the predicted subjective quality of said synthetic speech; and

transmit, selectively, said speech audio signal or said synthetic speech, whichever has higher predicted quality based on a comparison between the value of objective quality metrics computed for the speech audio signal and the synthetic speech signal.

2. The claim according to claim 1, wherein said stored data repository is on said user device and or a server via a network.

3. The claim according to claim 1, wherein said received speech audio signal is a live speech audio signal.

4. The claim according to claim 1, wherein said user device is configured to pre-process said speech audio signal based on using a predetermined noise reduction algorithm.

5. The claim according to claim 1, wherein said noise reduction device is integrated with said user device.

6. A method to manufacture a system using a user device in communication with a stored data repository, that reduces the background noise from a speech audio signal generated by a user, comprising:

providing a user device, with a processor and a memory, receiving a speech audio signal; and

providing a noise reduction device, in communication with a stored data repository, and in communication with said user device, is configured to;

convert said received speech audio signal to text;

generate synthetic speech based on a speech data corpus or speech model data of the user stored in said stored data repository and said converted text;

determine the predicted subjective quality of the received speech audio signal if that signal were to be transmitted to a far end listener;

determine the predicted subjective quality of said synthetic speech; and

transmit, selectively, said speech audio signal or said synthetic speech, whichever has higher predicted quality based on a comparison between the value of objective quality metrics computed for the speech audio signal and the synthetic speech signal.

7. The claim according to claim 6 wherein said stored data repository is on said user device and or a server via a network.

8. The claim according to claim 6, wherein said received speech audio signal is a live speech audio signal.

9. The claim according to claim 6, wherein said step of receiving said speech audio signal by said user device further comprises pre-processing said speech audio signal based on using a predetermined noise reduction algorithm.

10. The claim according to claim 6, wherein said noise reduction device is integrated with said user device.

11. A method to use a system using a user device in communication with a stored data repository, that reduces the background noise from a speech audio signal generated by a user, comprising:

receiving a speech audio signal with a user device, said user device further comprises a processor and a memory; and

providing a noise reduction device, in communication with a stored data repository, and in communication with said user device, is configured to;

convert said received speech audio signal to text;

generate synthetic speech based on a speech data corpus or speech model data of the user stored in said stored data repository and said converted text;

determine the predicted subjective quality of the received speech audio signal if that signal were to be transmitted to a far end listener;

determine the predicted subjective quality of said synthetic speech; and

transmit, selectively, said speech audio signal or said synthetic speech, whichever has higher predicted quality based on a comparison between the value of objective quality metrics computed for the speech audio signal and the synthetic speech signal.

12. The claim according to claim 11, wherein said stored data repository is on said user device and or a server via a network.

13. The claim according to claim 11, wherein said received speech audio signal is a live speech audio signal.

14. The claim according to claim 11, wherein said step of receiving said speech audio signal further comprises pre-processing said speech audio signal based on using a predetermined noise reduction algorithm.

15. The claim according to claim 11, wherein said noise reduction device is integrated with said user device.

16. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a computing device that tangibly embodies a program of instructions executable by the computing device to perform a method to use a system using a user device in communication with a stored data repository, that reduces the background noise from a speech audio signal generated by a user, comprising:

receiving a speech audio signal with a user device, said user device further comprises a processor and a memory; and

providing a noise reduction device, in communication with a stored data repository, and in communication with said user device, is configured to;

convert said received speech audio signal to text;

generate synthetic speech based on a speech data corpus or speech model data of the user stored in said stored data repository and said converted text;

determine the predicted subjective quality of the received speech audio signal if that signal were to be transmitted to a far end listener;

determine the predicted subjective quality of said synthetic speech; and

transmit, selectively, said speech audio signal or said synthetic speech, whichever has higher predicted quality based on a comparison between the value of objective quality metrics computed for the speech audio signal and the synthetic speech signal.

17. The claim according to claim 16, wherein said stored data repository is on said user device and or a server via a network.

18. The claim according to claim 16, wherein said received speech audio signal is a live speech audio signal.

19. The claim according to claim 16, wherein said step of receiving said speech audio signal further comprises pre-processing said speech audio signal based on using a predetermined noise reduction algorithm.

20. The claim according to claim 16, wherein said noise reduction device is integrated with said user device.