SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING PITCH PULSE PERIOD SIGNAL BOUNDARIES

• US 20140236585A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Subasingha, Subasingha Shaminda, Krishnan, Venkatesh, Rajendran, Vivek, Villette, Stephane Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 9,208,775 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/207
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/02 Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/005 Correction of errors induced by the transmission channel, if related to the coding algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/10 the excitation function being a multipulse excitation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/90 Pitch determination of speech signals

Abstract

A method for determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining a signal. The method also includes determining a first averaged curve based on the signal. The method further includes determining at least one first averaged curve peak position based on the first averaged curve and a threshold. The method additionally includes determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries based on the at least one first averaged curve peak position. The method also includes synthesizing a speech signal.

Claims

1. A method for determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries by an electronic device, comprising:

obtaining a signal;

determining a first averaged curve based on the signal;

determining at least one first averaged curve peak position based on the first averaged curve and a threshold;

determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries based on the at least one first averaged curve peak position; and

synthesizing a speech signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold comprises a second averaged curve based on the first averaged curve.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the second averaged curve by determining a sliding window average of the first averaged signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the at least one averaged curve peak position comprises disqualifying one or more peaks of the first averaged curve that have less than a threshold number of samples beyond the threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the pitch pulse period signal boundaries comprises designating a midpoint between a pair of first averaged curve peak positions as a pitch pulse period signal boundary.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first averaged curve comprises determining a sliding window average of the signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an actual energy profile and a target energy profile based on the pitch pulse period signal boundaries and a temporary synthesized speech signal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the target energy profile comprises interpolating a previous frame end pitch pulse period energy and a current frame end pitch pulse period energy of the temporary synthesized speech signal.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a scaling factor based on the actual energy profile and the target energy profile.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising scaling an excitation signal based on the scaling factor to produce a scaled excitation signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is an excitation signal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal is a temporary synthesized speech signal.

13. An electronic device for determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries, comprising:

pitch pulse period signal boundary determination circuitry that determines a first averaged curve based on a signal, determines at least one first averaged curve peak position based on the first averaged curve and a threshold, and determines pitch pulse period signal boundaries based on the at least one first averaged curve peak position; and

synthesis filter circuitry that synthesizes a speech signal.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the threshold comprises a second averaged curve based on the first averaged curve.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the pitch pulse period signal boundary determination circuitry determines the second averaged curve by determining a sliding window average of the first averaged signal.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein determining the at least one averaged curve peak position comprises disqualifying one or more peaks of the first averaged curve that have less than a threshold number of samples beyond the threshold.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein determining the pitch pulse period signal boundaries comprises designating a midpoint between a pair of first averaged curve peak positions as a pitch pulse period signal boundary.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein determining the first averaged curve comprises determining a sliding window average of the signal.

19. The electronic device of claim 13, further comprising excitation scaling circuitry coupled to the pitch pulse period signal boundary determination circuitry, wherein the excitation scaling circuitry determines an actual energy profile and a target energy profile based on the pitch pulse period signal boundaries and a temporary synthesized speech signal.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein determining the target energy profile comprises interpolating a previous frame end pitch pulse period energy and a current frame end pitch pulse period energy of the temporary synthesized speech signal.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the excitation scaling circuitry determines a scaling factor based on the actual energy profile and the target energy profile.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the excitation scaling circuitry scales an excitation signal based on the scaling factor to produce a scaled excitation signal.

23. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the signal is an excitation signal.

24. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the signal is a temporary synthesized speech signal.

25. A computer-program product for determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries, comprising a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing an electronic device to obtain a signal;

code for causing the electronic device to determine a first averaged curve based on the signal;

code for causing the electronic device to determine at least one first averaged curve peak position based on the first averaged curve and a threshold;

code for causing the electronic device to determine pitch pulse period signal boundaries based on the at least one first averaged curve peak position; and

code for causing the electronic device to synthesize a speech signal.

26. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein the threshold comprises a second averaged curve based on the first averaged curve.

27. The computer-program product of claim 26, further comprising code for causing the electronic device to determine the second averaged curve by determining a sliding window average of the first averaged signal.

28. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein determining the at least one averaged curve peak position comprises disqualifying one or more peaks of the first averaged curve that have less than a threshold number of samples beyond the threshold.

29. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein determining the pitch pulse period signal boundaries comprises designating a midpoint between a pair of first averaged curve peak positions as a pitch pulse period signal boundary.

30. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein determining the first averaged curve comprises determining a sliding window average of the signal.

31. The computer-program product of claim 25, further comprising code for causing the electronic device to determine an actual energy profile and a target energy profile based on the pitch pulse period signal boundaries and a temporary synthesized speech signal.

32. The computer-program product of claim 31, wherein determining the target energy profile comprises interpolating a previous frame end pitch pulse period energy and a current frame end pitch pulse period energy of the temporary synthesized speech signal.

33. The computer-program product of claim 31, further comprising code for causing the electronic device to determine a scaling factor based on the actual energy profile and the target energy profile.

34. The computer-program product of claim 33, further comprising code for causing the electronic device to scale an excitation signal based on the scaling factor to produce a scaled excitation signal.

35. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein the signal is an excitation signal.

36. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein the signal is a temporary synthesized speech signal.

37. An apparatus for determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries, comprising:

means for obtaining a signal;

means for determining a first averaged curve based on the signal;

means for determining at least one first averaged curve peak position based on the first averaged curve and a threshold;

means for determining pitch pulse period signal boundaries based on the at least one first averaged curve peak position; and

means for synthesizing a speech signal.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the threshold comprises a second averaged curve based on the first averaged curve.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, further comprising means for determining the second averaged curve by determining a sliding window average of the first averaged signal.

40. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein determining the at least one averaged curve peak position comprises disqualifying one or more peaks of the first averaged curve that have less than a threshold number of samples beyond the threshold.

41. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein determining the pitch pulse period signal boundaries comprises designating a midpoint between a pair of first averaged curve peak positions as a pitch pulse period signal boundary.

42. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein determining the first averaged curve comprises determining a sliding window average of the signal.

43. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising means for determining an actual energy profile and a target energy profile based on the pitch pulse period signal boundaries and a temporary synthesized speech signal.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein determining the target energy profile comprises interpolating a previous frame end pitch pulse period energy and a current frame end pitch pulse period energy of the temporary synthesized speech signal.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising means for determining a scaling factor based on the actual energy profile and the target energy profile.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprising means for scaling an excitation signal based on the scaling factor to produce a scaled excitation signal.

47. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the signal is an excitation signal.

48. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the signal is a temporary synthesized speech signal.