Method and apparatus for speech synthesizing

A method of synthesizing signals from information signals previously compressed from original signals by the technique of X period zeroing said original signals by deleting predetermined relatively low-power information bearing portions therefrom and having non-deleted portions, and instruction signals identifying those portions of the compressed information signals where deletion has occurred, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) reproducing said compressed information signals;
• (b) inserting substantially constant amplitude signals between said non-deleted portions of said compressed information signals in accordance with said instruction signals, each said substantially constant amplitude signal having a single value lying between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding deleted portion of the original signal, so that said deleted relatively low-power signal portions are replaced by said signals of substantially constant amplitude;
• and
• (c) converting the signals resulting from step (b) to audible form.

A system for synthesizing audio signals from information signals previously compressed from original signals by the technique of X period zeroing said original signals by deleting predetermined relatively low-power information bearing portions therefrom and having non-deleted portions, and instruction signals identifying those portions of the compressed information signals where deletion has occurred, said system comprising:

• means for reproducing said compressed information signals;
• means for inserting substantially constant amplitude signals between said non-deleted portions of said compressed informaton signals in accordance with said instruction signals, each said substantially constant amplitude signal having a single value lying between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding deleted portion of the original signal, so that said deleted relatively low-power signal portions are replaced by said signals of substantially constant amplitude;
• and
• means for converting the signals output from said inserting means to audible form.

A method of processing information bearing signals to initially reduce the information content thereof without destroying the intelligibility of the information contained therein and to synthesize signals from the processed signals, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) X period zeroing said information bearing signals by deleting preselected relatively low-power portions thereof irrespective of polarity;
• (b) generating instruction signals specifying those portions of said signals deleted in step (a) to be replaced by a substantially constant amplitude signal of predetermined value;
• (c) reproducing the signals resulting from said step (a) of deleting;
• (d) inserting said substantially constant amplitude signals between the non-deleted portions of said reproduced information signals in accordance with said instruction signals, each said substantially constant amplitude signal having a single value lying between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding deleted portion of the original signal, so that said deleted relatively low-power signal portions are replaced by said signals of substantially constant amplitude;
• and
• (e) converting the signals resulting from step (d) to perceivable form.

A system for processing information bearing input signals to initially compress said input signals by reducing the information content thereof without destroying the intelligibility thereof and subsequently synthesizing signals from said compressed signals, said system comprising:

• input means adapted to receive said input signals;
• means coupled to said input means for X period zeroing said input signals, said X period zeroing means including means for deleting preselected relatively low-power portions of said input signals irrespective of polarity;
• means coupled to said deleting means for generating instruction signals specifying those portions of said input signals deleted by said deleting means;
• means for reproducing said information signals;
• means for inserting substantially constant amplitude signals between the non-deleted portions of the signals generated by said reproducing means in accordance with said instruction signals, each said substantially constant amplitude signal having a single value lying between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding deleted portion of the input signals, so that said deleted relatively low-power signal portions are replaced by said signals of substantially constant amplitude;
• and
• means for converting the signals output from said inserting means to perceivable form.

For use with a memory element containing compressed information time domain signals produced by predetermined signal compression techniques and instruction signals specifying the particular compression techniques applied to original information bearing time domain signals to produce corresponding portions of said compressed information time domain signals, said predetermined signal compression techniques including X period zeroing of said original information bearing time domain signals by deleting preselected relatively low-power portions thereof and generating instruction signals specifying those portions of the deleted signals to be replaced by a substantially constant amplitude signal of predetermined value, a controller device for synthesizing said original information bearing time domain signals, said controller device comprising:

• controller storage means having an input adapted to be coupled to said memory element for sequentially receiving ordered ones of said compressed information time domain signals;
• means adapted to be coupled to said controller storage means for generating control signals enabling said ordered ones of said compressed information time domain signals to be coupled to said controller storage means, said control signal generating means including means for receiving corresponding ones of said instruction signals identifying the type of compression technique applied to said ordered ones of said compressed information time domain signals associated with said control signals;
• converter means coupled to said controller storage means for converting said ordered ones of said compressed information time domain signals to synthetic analog signals corresponding to said original information bearing time domain signals;
• and
• means responsive to receipt of an X period zero instruction signal from said memory element for causing said converter means to output a substantially constant amplitude signal having a single value lying between the maximum and minimum values of the corresponding deleted portion of the original information bearing time domain signals as a portion of the synthetic analog signal generated thereby.