Hierarchical speech analysis: a progressive approach to age, gender, and emotion detection

An apparatus comprising:

• at least one memory configured to store program code;
• and
• at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code including:
• receiving coded configured to cause the at least one processor to receive a speech input signal of a speaker;
• preprocessing code configured to cause the at least one processor to preprocess the speech signal to generate a preprocessed speech signal;
• detecting code configured to cause the at least one processor to detect, via a first learning stage that receives the preprocessed speech signal, an initial age and an initial gender of the speaker;
• and
• determining code configured to cause the at least one processor to determine, via a second learning stage that receives the initial age and the initial gender as inputs, a refined age of the speaker, a refined gender of the speaker, and an emotion of the speaker.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein, which method performed by at least one processor, the method comprising:

• receiving a speech input signal of a speaker;
• preprocessing the speech signal to generate a preprocessed speech signal;
• detecting, via a first learning stage that receives the preprocessed speech signal, an initial age and an initial gender of the speaker;
• and
• determining, via a second learning stage that receives the initial age and the initial gender as inputs, a refined age of the speaker, a refined gender of the speaker, and an emotion of the speaker.