Acoustic signals are analyzed by two-dimensional (2-D) processing of the one-dimensional (1-D) speech signal in the time-frequency plane. The short-space 2-D Fourier transform of a frequency-related representation (e.g., spectrogram) of the signal is obtained. The 2-D transformation maps harmonically-related signal components to a concentrated entity in the new 2-D plane (compressed frequency-related representation). The series of operations to produce the compressed frequency-related representation is referred to as the â€œgrating compression transformâ€ (GCT), consistent with sine-wave grating patterns in the frequency-related representation reduced to smeared impulses. The GCT provides for speech pitch estimation. The operations may, for example, determine pitch estimates of voiced speech or provide noise filtering or speaker separation in a multiple speaker acoustic signal.

Claims

34 · 4 independent · depth 4

34 granted claims

›1.independentA method of processing an acoustic signal, comprising:npreparing a frequency-related representation of the acoustic signal over time;computing a two d…+11

›2.↳ 1The method of claim 1 whereinnthe acoustic signal is a speech signal; andthe step of processing determines a pitch of the speech signal.d2+1

›4.↳ 1The method of claim 1 further comprising computing the two dimensional transform:nin a two dimensional window within the frequency-related representat…d2

›5.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing further comprises filtering noise from the two dimensional compressed frequency-related represent…d2

›6.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the step of processing distinguishes plural sources within the acoustic signal by filtering the two dimensional compress…d2

›7.↳ 1The apparatus of claim 1 whereinnthe two dimensional transformer operates on a two dimensional window within the frequency-related representation.d2+1

›9.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein computing the two dimensional transform comprises:nconverting a two dimensional line structure, of the frequency-related…d2+1

›11.↳ 1The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency-related representation of the acoustic signal is produced by a two dimensional transform of the acoustic s…d2+1

›13.independentAn apparatus for processing an acoustic signal, comprising:na first transformer providing a frequency-related representation of the acoustic signal ov…+9

›14.↳ 13The apparatus of claim 13 whereinnthe acoustic signal is a speech signal; andthe processor determines a pitch of the speech signal.d2+1

›16.↳ 13The apparatus of claim 13 whereinnthe processor further comprises a noise filter.d2

›17.↳ 13The apparatus of claim 13 whereinnthe processor distinguishes plural sources within the acoustic signal by filtering the two dimensional compressed fr…d2

›18.↳ 13The apparatus of claim 13 whereinnthe two dimensional transform comprises a spectral analysis, a wavelet transform, an auditory transform or a Wigner …d2

›19.↳ 13The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the two dimensional compressed frequency-related representation is provided by converting a two dimensional line str…d2+1

›21.↳ 13The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the first transformer is one dimensional.d2

›22.↳ 13The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the frequency-related representation of the acoustic signal is produced by a two dimensional transform of the acoust…d2

›23.independentA computer program product comprising:na computer usable medium for processing an acoustic signal;a set of computer program instructions embodied on t…+10

›24.↳ 23The computer program product of claim 23 whereinnthe acoustic signal is a speech signal; andthe processing instructions determine a pitch of the speec…d2+3

›28.↳ 23The computer program product of claim 23 whereinnthe instructions to process comprise instructions to filter noise from the acoustic signal.d2

›29.↳ 23The computer program product of claim 23 whereinnthe instructions to process distinguish plural sources within the acoustic signal by filtering the tw…d2

›30.↳ 23The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the two dimensional transform comprises a spectral analysis, a wavelet transform, an auditory transfo…d2

›31.↳ 23The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the instructions to compute the two dimensional compressed frequency-related representation is provid…d2+1

›33.↳ 23The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the frequency-related representation of the acoustic signal is produced by a two dimensional transfor…d2

›34.independentAn apparatus for processing an acoustic signal comprising:na one dimensional transforming means for providing a frequency-related representation of an…

Classifications

4 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section G — Physics

G10L21/00
G10L11/04

USPC · US Patent Classification

704/207704/228

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Pendency

4.6 y

1,670 days filing → grant

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non-final + final

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2 RCE

Examiner

Angela Armstrong

art unit 2626 · TC 2600

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Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

6 Sep 2002

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 60409095 00	6 Sep 2002
related publication	US 20040054527 A1	18 Mar 2004

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