US 5,035,242 A · Method and apparatus for sound responsive tactile stimulation of deaf individuals

Abstract

A tactile aid for deaf individuals includes a conveniently wearable array of vibration transducers mounted on a flexible carrier strip so as to be positionally biased toward the individuals's skin. Each transducer includes an enclosed magnetically vibratable cantilevered beam, an angled mounting slot to effect the positional bias mounting on the strip, and contact pads rather than conventional pin connectors to both reduce mass and facilitate electrical connection to contact pads on carrier strips in the form of printed circuit boards. Received acoustic signals are processed in at least first and second formant circuits each sub-divided into plural sub-bands corresponding to the number of transducers. In each formant circuit the corresponding formant frequency and amplitude are measured, averaged over a predetermined number of cycles, and a voltage corresponding to the measured amplitude is provided on a corresponding sub-hand channel to pulse width modulate a pulse train employed to excite the transducers. Spectral resolution can be increased by averaging the amplitude/frequency measurements over fewer cycles. Glottal pulses in the speech signal are monitored to provide a glottal rate signal at a stepped down frequency related to the actual glottal rate. The channel amplitude is modulated by the glottal signal to cause alternation of transducer excitation at the related glottal rate. Additional formants may be detected to derive additional information in the excitation signal.

Claims54

Dependent claims

A tactile aid apparatus for providing tactile stimulation to a deaf individual in response to acoustic signals and particularly acoustic speech signals, said apparatus comprising:

multiple transducers disposed in an array adapted to be placed against the skin of said individual, each transducer including means responsive to electrical excitation signals applied thereto for providing a tactually sensible vibration to the individual's skin;
acoustic receiver means for receiving said acoustic signals and providing corresponding electrical audio signals;
signal conditioning means responsive to said audio signals for providing a conditioned signal suitable for processing by the apparatus;
first and second formant circuits, each including:
formant separation means responsive to said conditioned signal for passing as respective formant signals only frequency components of said conditioned signal corresponding to frequencies typically found in the first and second formants, respectively, of speech signals;
band separation means for sub-dividing the formant circuit into a plurality of pre-determined formant frequency sub-bands, each sub-band having a respective signal channel;
amplitude measuring means for measuring the amplitude of said formant signal and providing an amplitude signal as a predetermined function thereof;
channel selecting means responsive to said formant signal for measuring the frequency thereof and selecting the formant sub-band in which the measured formant frequency resides;
switching means for applying said amplitude signal to the signal channel corresponding to the formant sub-band selected by the channel selecting means;
wherein each of said transducers is disposed in a respective one of said signal channels;
and
excitation means in each of said signal channels for applying to the transducer in that channel an excitation signal as a predetermined function of the amplitude signal in that channel.

9 more elements

Apparatus for processing acoustic signals, particularly acoustic speech signals, comprising:

acoustic receiver means for receiving said acoustic signals and providing corresponding electrical audio signals;
signal conditioning means responsive to said audio signals for providing a conditioned signal suitable for processing by the apparatus;
first and second formant circuits, each formant circuit including:
formant separation means responsive to said conditioned signal for passing as respective formant signals only frequency components of said conditioned signal typically found in the first and second formants, respectively of speech signals;
band separation means for sub-dividing said formant circuit into a plurality of predetermined formant frequency sub-bands, each sub-band having a respective signal channel;
amplitude measuring means for measuring the amplitude of said formant signal and providing an amplitude signal as a predetermined function thereof;
channel selecting means responsive to said formant signal for measuring the frequency thereof and selecting the formant sub-band in which the measured formant frequency resides;
and
switching means for applying said amplitude signal to the signal channel corresponding to the formant sub-band selected by the channel selecting means.

6 more elements

A method for providing tactile stimulation to a deaf individual in response to acoustic signals and particularly acoustic speech signals, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) in response to electrical excitation signals applied to respective transducers disposed in an array and placed against the skin of said individual, providing tactually sensible vibrations to the individual's skin;
(b) receiving said acoustic signals and providing corresponding electrical audio signals;
(c) in response to said audio signal, providing a conditioned signal suitable for processing;
(d) in response to said conditioned signal, passing as first and second formant signals only frequency components of said conditioned signal typically found in the first and second formants, respectively, of speech signals;
(e) sub-dividing each formant signal into a plurality of predetermined formant frequency sub-bands, each sub-band having a respective signal channel;
(f) measuring the amplitude to each formant signal and providing a respective amplitude signal as a predetermined function thereof;
(g) in response to each formant signal, measuring the frequency thereof and selecting the formant sub-band in which the measured formant frequency resides;
(h) applying each amplitude signal to the signal channel corresponding to the selected formant sub-band;
wherein each of said transducers is disposed in a respective one of said signal channels;
and
(i) applying to the transducer in each channel an excitation signal that is a predetermined function of the amplitude signal in that channel.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for sound responsive tactile stimulation of deaf individuals

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for sound responsive tactile stimulation of deaf individuals

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims54