Speech-quality assessment method and apparatus that identifies part of a signal not generated by human tract
AssigneePsytechnics Limited
InventorsPhilip Gray, Michael P Hollier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Non-intrusive speech-quality assessment uses vocal-tract models, in particular for testing telecommunications systems and equipment. This process requires reduction of the speech stream under assessment into a set of parameters that are sensitive to the types of distortion to be assessed. Once parameterized, the data is used to generate a set of physiologically-based rules for error identification, using a parametric modeling of the shape of the vocal tract itself, by comparison between derived parameters and the output of models of physiologically realistic forms for the vocal tract, and the application of physical constraints on how these can change over time.
Claims18
A computer implemented method for identifying distortion in a signal carrying speech, said method comprising:
- analyzing a signal, using at least one computer, according to parameters derived from a set of physiologically-based rules using a parametric model of the human vocal tract that involves a plurality of physiologies of the human vocal tract;
- and
- identifying parts of the signal which could not have been generated by the human vocal tract based on said analysis.
Apparatus for assessing the quality of a signal carrying speech, said apparatus comprising:
- means for deriving parameters of a signal from a set of physiologically-based rules using a parametric model of the human vocal tract that involves a plurality of physiologies of the human vocal tract, and
- means for identifying parameters which indicate whether the signal could have been generated by the human vocal tract.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.