Antistuttering therapeutic device

Claim 2

In a therapeutic system for assisting a patient to overcome a tendency to stutter, of the type comprising a microphone for monitoring the speech of the patient, a sound producing device adapted to be worn by the patient, and means for delivering a masking signal to the sound-producing device to cause the latter to reduce the patient''s hearing response to his own voice, the improvement which comprises; means coupled to said microphone and to said masking-signal means for effecting variations in the frequency of said masking signal in accordance with variations in the pitch of the patient''s voice.

Claim 3

A therapeutic system as defined in claim 1, which further comprises means for maintaining the application of the masking sound for approximately 200 milliseconds after the voice of the patient ceases, thereby providing masking between normally spaced words while permitting the patient to hear environmental sounds when he is not speaking.

Claim 4

A therapeutic system for assisting a patient to overcome a tendency to stutter, of the type comprising a microphone for monitoring the speech of the patient and a sound-producing device adapted to be worn by the patient, and in which a masking signal is applied to the sound-producing device when the patient speaks to actuate the sound-producing device to at least partially override the hearing response of the patient to his own voice, the improvement which comprises; means coupled to said microphone and to said sound-producing device for developing a pulsed signal wave whose fundamental frequency component varies proportionally with variations in the pitch of the patient''s voice for application as said masking signal to said sound-producing device.

Claim 5

A therapeutic system for assisting a patient to overcome a tendency to stutter, of the type comprising a microphone for monitoring the speech of the patient and a sound-producing device adapted to be worn by the patient, and in which a masking signal is applied to the sound-producing device when the patient speaks to actuate the sound-producing device to at least partially override the hearing response of the patient to his own voice, the improvement which comprises; means coupled to said microphone and to said sound-producing device for developing a pulsed signal wave whose fundamental frequency component varies proportionally with variations in the pitch of the patient''s voice for application as said masking signal to said sound-producing device.

Claim 6

A therapeutic device for providing voice masking to aid in the correction of a patient''s speech deficiency comprising: a microphone for receiving speech sound waves and converting them into input electrical signals, said sound waves essentially comprising a fundamental frequency and harmonics thereof and being subject to frequency variations corresponding to changes in pitch of the patient''s voice; signal generating means coupled to said microphone and responsive to said input electrical signals for developing a control signal; oscillator means for generating an electrical signal having a predetermined audiofrequency of oscillation; circuit meaNs coupled between said signal generating means and said oscillator means and responsive to said control signal for varying said frequency of oscillation proportionally with said pitch changes; output means coupled to said oscillator means for converting said audiofrequency electrical signal into an audio sound wave and adapted for applying said wave to the patient''s ear; and switch means coupled to said signal generating means and responsive to said control signal for enabling said application of said audio sound waves.

Claim 7

A therapeutic device for providing voice masking to aid in the correction of a patient''s speech deficiency comprising: a microphone for receiving speech sound waves and converting them into input electrical signals, said sound waves essentially comprising a fundamental frequency and harmonics thereof and being subject to frequency variations corresponding to changes in pitch of the patient''s voice; signal generating means coupled to said microphone and responsive to said input electrical signals for developing a control signal; oscillator means for generating an electrical signal having a predetermined audiofrequency of oscillation; circuit meaNs coupled between said signal generating means and said oscillator means and responsive to said control signal for varying said frequency of oscillation proportionally with said pitch changes; output means coupled to said oscillator means for converting said audiofrequency electrical signal into an audio sound wave and adapted for applying said wave to the patient''s ear; and switch means coupled to said signal generating means and responsive to said control signal for enabling said application of said audio sound waves.

Claim 8

A therapeutic device as defined in claim 4, in which said signal generating means comprises the series combination of a pulse shaping circuit and a monostable multivibrator coupled to said microphone and responsive to said input electrical signals for producing electrical pulses of a predetermined shape and of a predetermined frequency which varies proportionally with said variations of said fundamental frequency of said speech sound waves.

Claim 9

A therapeutic device as defined in claim 4, in which said oscillator means comprises an astable multivibrator having means for manually setting its nominal frequency of oscillation to thereby provide an audiofrequency signal containing said fundamental frequency and higher-frequency harmonic components thereof for optimum voice masking.

Claim 10

A therapeutic device as defined in claim 6, in which said circuit means comprises a differentiating network responsive to said control signal for developing transient pulses of a frequency corresponding to the fundamental frequency of said speech sound waves and applying said transient pulses to said astable multivibrator to override said frequency setting means and thereby automatically vary the frequency of the audiofrequency signal proportionally with the fundamental frequency variations of the speech sound waves.

Claim 11

A therapeutic device as defined in claim 4, in which said switch means comprises delay means for enabling said application for approximately 200 milliseconds following the cessation of said control signal, thereby providing masking between normally spaced words while permitting the patient to hear environmental sounds when he is not speaking.