Patent US5774849A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US5774849A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for generating frame voicing decisions of an incoming speech signal

Assignee: Mindspeed Technologies LLC
•
Filing: 1996-01-22
•
Granted: 1998-06-30
•
Expires: 2016-01-22
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method is disclosed for generating frame voicing decisions for an incoming speech signal having periods of active voice and non-active voice for a speech encoder in a speech communication system. The method first extracts a predetermined set of parameters from the incoming speech signal for each frame and then makes a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to a set of difference measures extracted from the predetermined set of parameters. The predetermined set of extracted parameters comprises a description of the spectrum of the incoming speech signal based on line spectral frequencies ("LSF"). Additional parameters may include full band energy, low band energy and zero crossing rate. The way to make a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to the set of difference measures is by finding a union of sub-spaces with each sub-space being described by a linear function of at least a pair of parameters from the predetermined set of parameters.

Inventors

  • 👤 Adil Benyassine
  • 👤 Eyal Shlomot

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 10:43
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01L; G01L3/00

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 146 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, a method for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising the steps of: a) extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame; b) making a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, wherein said predetermined set of parameters in said Step a) comprises a a spectral difference between said incoming speech signal and ambient background noise based on LSF.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 146 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, a method for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising the steps of: a) extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame; b) making a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, wherein said predetermined set of parameters in said Step a) comprises a a spectral difference between said incoming speech signal and ambient background noise based on LSF.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 149 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, a method for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising the steps of: a) extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame; b) making a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, wherein said predetermined set of parameters in said Step a) comprises a difference between the zero-crossing rate of said incoming speech signal and the zero-crossing rate of ambient background noise.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 149 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, a method for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising the steps of: a) extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame; b) making a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, wherein said predetermined set of parameters in said Step a) comprises a difference between the zero-crossing rate of said incoming speech signal and the zero-crossing rate of ambient background noise.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 32 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined set of parameters further comprises a description of a spectral difference between said incoming speech signal and ambient background noise based on LSF.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein said predetermined set of parameters further comprises differences in full band energy and low band energy.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 59 words
A method according to claim 4, said Step b) of making the frame voicing decision being based on a selective combination of difference measures of at least 2 of the following parameters: i) LSF; ii) zero-crossing rate; iii) full band energy; iv) low band energy, where at least 1 of the selected parameters is either LSF or zero-crossing rate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 34 words
A method according to claim 5, further comprising a step of: keeping running averages of difference measures of said at least 2 parameters in said selective combination according to a set of predetermined thresholds.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 59 words
A method according to claim 6, wherein said Step b) makes a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said set of difference measures, based on a union of sub-spaces with each sub-space being described by a linear function of at least a pair of difference measures from said set of difference measures.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 147 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, a method for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising the steps of: a) extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame; b) making a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, based on a union of sub-spaces with each sub-space being described by a linear function of at least a pair of parameters from said predetermined set of parameters.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 147 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, a method for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising the steps of: a) extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame; b) making a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, based on a union of sub-spaces with each sub-space being described by a linear function of at least a pair of parameters from said predetermined set of parameters.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 170 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, an apparatus coupled to said speech encoder for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising: a) extraction means for extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame, wherein said predetermined set of parameters comprises a spectral difference between said incoming speech signal and ambient background noise based on LSF; and b) VAD means for making a voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, such that a bit stream for a period of either active voice or non-active voice is generated by said speech encoder.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 170 words
In a speech communication system comprising: (a) a speech encoder for receiving and encoding an incoming speech signal to generate a bit stream for transmission to a speech decoder; (b) a communication channel for transmission; and (c) a speech decoder for receiving the bit stream from the speech encoder to decode the bit stream to generate a reconstructed speech signal, said incoming speech signal comprising periods of active voice and non-active voice, an apparatus coupled to said speech encoder for generating frame voicing decisions, comprising: a) extraction means for extracting a predetermined set of parameters from said incoming speech signal for each frame, wherein said predetermined set of parameters comprises a spectral difference between said incoming speech signal and ambient background noise based on LSF; and b) VAD means for making a voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said predetermined set of parameters, such that a bit stream for a period of either active voice or non-active voice is generated by said speech encoder.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 42 words
An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said predetermined set of parameters further comprises a description of the incoming speech signal based on a difference between the zero-crossing rate of said incoming speech signal and the zero-crossing rate of ambient background noise.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 23 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said predetermined set of parameters further comprises differences in full band energy and low band energy.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 59 words
An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said VAD means makes the frame voicing decision being based on a selective combination of difference measures of at least 2 of the following parameters: i) LSF; ii) zero-crossing rate; iii) full band energy; iv) low band energy, where at least 1 of the selected parameters is either LSF or zero-crossing rate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 39 words
An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising: average means coupled to said extraction means for keeping a plurality of running averages of said at least 2 parameters in said selective combination according to a set of predetermined thresholds.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 57 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said VAD means makes a frame voicing decision of the incoming speech signal for each frame according to said set of difference measures using a union of sub-spaces with each sub-space being described as linear functions of at least a pair of difference measures from said set of difference measures.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4672669A Cited
US5276765A Cited
US4975956A Cited
US5255339A Cited
US5509102A Cited
US5278944A Cited
US5596680A Cited
US5475712A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2001-06-29 2001-12-29 2002-06-30 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2005-06-29 2005-12-29 2006-06-30 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2009-06-29 2009-12-29 2010-06-30 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag