Speech detection apparatus using specularly reflected light

A voice detection apparatus comprising:

• a position detection sensor for receiving a specularly reflected light spot moving as a speaker utters a vocal sound,
• an output coordinates calculation section for calculating a coordinates position of the specularly reflected light spot,
• a feature extraction section for extracting a one or more features relating to the speaker uttering a vocal sound from information of the coordinates position or time characteristic of the coordinates position,
• a standard pattern storage section for previously storing standard patterns of the features obtained from the coordinates position of the specularly reflected light spot or time characteristic of the coordinates position, and
• a comparison section for comparing a signal from said feature extraction section with the standard patterns of said features stored in said standard pattern storage section.

A method for detecting language of a speaker comprising:

• emitting a light toward at least one reflection plate placed on the speaker;
• deflecting the light off the at least one reflection plate while the speaker is speaking;
• receiving the light reflected off the at least one reflection plate onto a position detection section;
• extracting a feature or features from information of a coordinate position or time characteristic of the coordinate position from a feature extraction section;
• storing standard patterns of the features obtained from the coordinate positions of the light reflected onto the position detection section or time characteristics of the coordinate positions in a standard pattern storage section;
• comparing a signal from the feature extraction section with the feature standard patterns stored in the standard pattern storage section;
• and
• determining the language or speech of a speaker according to an evaluation of the compared signal.