US6006188A
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Speech signal processing for determining psychological or physiological characteristics using a knowledge base
Assignee: Dendrite Inc
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Filing: 1997-03-19
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Granted: 1999-12-21
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Expires: 2017-03-19
Abstract
Abstract A speech-based system for assessing the psychological, physiological, or other characteristics of a test subject is described. The system includes a knowledge base that stores one or more speech models, where each speech model corresponds to a characteristic of a group of reference subjects. Signal processing circuitry, which may be implemented in hardware, software and/or firmware, compares the test speech parameters of a test subject with the speech models. In one embodiment, each speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects. The speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters associated with the voice or speech. The system includes speech parameterization circuitry for generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech. This circuitry includes speech acquisition circuitry, which may be located remotely from the knowledge base. The system further includes output circuitry for outputting at least one indicator of a characteristic in response to the comparison performed by the signal processing circuitry. The characteristic may be time-varying, in which case the output circuitry outputs the characteristic in a time-varying manner. The output circuitry also may output a ranking of each output characteristic. In one embodiment, one or more characteristics may indicate the degree of sincerity of the test subject, where the degree of sincerity may vary with time. The system may also be employed to determine the effectiveness of treatment for a psychological or physiological disorder by comparing psychological or physiological characteristics, respectively, before and after treatment.
Inventors
- 👤 Rostislav Bogdashevsky
- 👤 Vladimir Alexeev
- 👤 Vitaly Yarigin
- 👤 George Baker
- 👤 Harrison Stanton
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:48
CPC Classifications
G; G10; G10L; G10L17/00; G10L17/26
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 76
Claim 1
Independent Claim
60 words
A psychological assessment system comprising: a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one psychological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
60 words
A psychological assessment system comprising: a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one psychological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising: speech parameterization circuitry for generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 3, wherein the speech parameterization circuitry includes speech acquisition circuitry that is remote from the knowledge base.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 1 further comprising: output circuitry for outputting at least one indicator of a psychological characteristic in response to the comparison.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 5, wherein the psychological characteristic is time-varying, and the output circuitry outputs the indicator of the psychological characteristic in a time-varying manner.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 5, wherein the output circuitry further outputs a ranking of each output psychological characteristic.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one psychological characteristic indicates degree of sincerity.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
13 words
The system of claim 8, wherein the degree of sincerity varies with time.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processing circuitry compares psychological characteristics before and after treatment for a psychological disorder, wherein the compared psychological characteristics are generated by the comparison of the at least one speech model with the test speech parameters.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for psychological assessment comprising the steps of: providing a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one psychological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
61 words
A method for psychological assessment comprising the steps of: providing a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one psychological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of: generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of acquiring the test subject's speech remotely from the knowledge base.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of: outputting at least one indicator of a psychological characteristic in response to the comparison.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 15, wherein the psychological characteristic is time-varying, further comprising the step of outputting the indicator of the psychological characteristic in a time-varying manner.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 15, the outputting step further comprising the step of outputting a ranking of each output psychological characteristic.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one psychological characteristic indicates degree of sincerity.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 18, wherein the degree of sincerity varies with time.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of comparing psychological characteristics before and after treatment for a psychological disorder, wherein the compared psychological characteristics are generated by the comparison of the at least one speech model with the test speech parameters.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
61 words
A physiological assessment system comprising: a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
61 words
A physiological assessment system comprising: a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 21, further comprising: speech parameterization circuitry for generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 24, wherein the speech parameterization circuitry includes speech acquisition circuitry that is remote from the knowledge base.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 21 further comprising: output circuitry for outputting at least one indicator of a physiological characteristic in response to the comparison.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 26, wherein the physiological characteristic is time-varying, and the output circuitry outputs the indicator of the physiological characteristic in a time-varying manner.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 26, wherein the output circuitry further outputs a ranking of each output physiological characteristic.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 21, wherein the signal processing circuitry compares physiological characteristics before and after treatment for a physiological disorder, wherein the compared psychological characteristics are generated by the comparison of the at least one speech model with the test speech parameters.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
62 words
A method for physiological assessment comprising the steps of: providing a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects; and comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
62 words
A method for physiological assessment comprising the steps of: providing a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects; and comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 30, wherein the at least one speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 30, wherein the speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of: generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of acquiring the test subject's speech remotely from the knowledge base.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 30 further comprising the step of: outputting at least one indicator of a physiological characteristic in response to the comparison.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 35, wherein the physiological characteristic is time-varying, further comprising the step of outputting the indicator of the physiological characteristic in a time-varying manner.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 35, the outputting step further comprising the step of outputting a ranking of each output physiological characteristic.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of comparing physiological characteristics before and after treatment for a physiological disorder, wherein the compared physiological characteristics are generated by the comparison of the at least one speech model with the test speech parameters.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
71 words
In a system for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, a knowledge base comprising: at least one speech model corresponding to at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters, and a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of a plurality of reference subjects within the at least one speech model.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
71 words
In a system for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, a knowledge base comprising: at least one speech model corresponding to at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters, and a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of a plurality of reference subjects within the at least one speech model.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
23 words
The knowledge base of claim 39, wherein the at least one speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
80 words
In a method for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, a method for creating a knowledge base comprising the steps of: forming at least one speech model corresponding to at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters, and generating a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of a plurality of reference subjects within the at least one speech model.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
80 words
In a method for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, a method for creating a knowledge base comprising the steps of: forming at least one speech model corresponding to at least one characteristic, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters, and generating a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of a plurality of reference subjects within the at least one speech model.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 41, wherein the at least one speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
63 words
A physiological assessment system comprising: a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
63 words
A physiological assessment system comprising: a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
29 words
The system of claim 43, wherein the at least one speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 43, further comprising: speech parameterization circuitry for generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
21 words
The system of claim 45, wherein the speech parameterization circuitry includes speech acquisition circuitry that is remote from the knowledge base.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
24 words
The system of claim 43, further comprising: output circuitry for outputting at least one indicator of a physiological characteristic in response to the comparison.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 47, wherein the physiological characteristic is time-varying, and the output circuitry outputs the indicator of the physiological characteristic in a time-varying manner.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 47, wherein the output circuitry further outputs a ranking of each output physiological characteristic.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system of claim 43, wherein the signal processing circuitry compares physiological characteristics before and after treatment for a physiological disorder, wherein the compared psychological characteristics are generated by the comparison of the at least one speech model with the test speech parameters.
Claim 58
Independent Claim
64 words
A method for physiological assessment comprising the steps of: providing a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 59
Independent Claim
64 words
A method for physiological assessment comprising the steps of: providing a knowledge base including at least one speech model corresponding to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, wherein the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters; and comparing the at least one speech model with test speech parameters of a test subject.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 51, wherein the at least one speech model is represented by a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of the reference subjects.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of: generating the test parameters in response to the test subject's speech.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 53, further comprising the step of acquiring the test subject's speech remotely from the knowledge base.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of: outputting at least one indicator of a physiological characteristic in response to the comparison.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 55, wherein the physiological characteristic is time-varying, further comprising the step of outputting the indicator of the physiological characteristic in a time-varying manner.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 55, the outputting step further comprising the step of outputting a ranking of each output physiological characteristic.
Claim 66
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 51, further comprising the step of comparing physiological characteristics before and after treatment for a physiological disorder, wherein the compared physiological characteristics are generated by the comparison of the at least one speech model with the test speech parameters.
Claim 67
Dependent Claim
65 words
In a system for assessing at least one physiological characteristic of a test subject, a knowledge base comprising: at least one speech model corresponding to each characteristic, wherein the speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects; and a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of a plurality of reference subjects within the at least one speech model.
Claim 68
Dependent Claim
65 words
In a system for assessing at least one physiological characteristic of a test subject, a knowledge base comprising: at least one speech model corresponding to each characteristic, wherein the speech model includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects; and a statistical time-ordered series of frequency representations of the speech of a plurality of reference subjects within the at least one speech model.
Claim 69
Independent Claim
91 words
A system for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, the system comprising: speech parameterization circuitry for generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the test speech parameters with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters.
Claim 70
Independent Claim
91 words
A system for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, the system comprising: speech parameterization circuitry for generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the test speech parameters with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters.
Claim 71
Independent Claim
83 words
A system for assessing at least one physiological characteristic of a test subject, the system comprising: speech parameterization circuitry for generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the test speech parameters of with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects.
Claim 72
Independent Claim
83 words
A system for assessing at least one physiological characteristic of a test subject, the system comprising: speech parameterization circuitry for generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and signal processing circuitry for comparing the test speech parameters of with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects.
Claim 73
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, the method comprising the steps of: generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and comparing the test speech parameters with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters.
Claim 74
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for assessing at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a test subject, the method comprising the steps of: generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and comparing the test speech parameters with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one psychological or physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and the at least one speech model is independent of a priori knowledge of style parameters.
Claim 75
Independent Claim
77 words
A method for assessing at least one physiological characteristic of a test subject, the method comprising the steps of: generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and comparing the test speech parameters with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects.
Claim 76
Independent Claim
77 words
A method for assessing at least one physiological characteristic of a test subject, the method comprising the steps of: generating test speech parameters in response to the test subject's speech; and comparing the test speech parameters with at least one speech model from a knowledge base, wherein the at least one speech model corresponds to at least one physiological characteristic of a plurality of reference subjects, and includes information concerning the vocal tracts of the reference subjects.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
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| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2002-12-20 | 2003-06-21 | 2003-12-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2006-12-20 | 2007-06-21 | 2007-12-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2010-12-20 | 2011-06-21 | 2011-12-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |