Formant tracker
US4424415A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 3, 1981 |
| Grant date | Jan 3, 1984 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 3, 2001 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG10L19/00
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A formant tracker for receiving an analog speech signal and generating indicia representative of the formant. A pitch tracker determines the fundamental frequency of the analog speech input. The fundamental frequency is used to control a sinusoidal oscillator in the generation of a sinusoidal signal which when combined with the analog speech input generates a convolution over the chosen formant frequency. The process is repeated for each integer multiple of the fundamental frequency, thereby changing the sinusoidal oscillator. The optimal integer multiple is chosen which generates the formant identification. The optimal integer is also used to generate an appropriate bandwidth. Three formant frequency ranges are used to define human speech. The optimal integers for the other two formant identifications and the appropriate bandwidths are similarly determined. The three optimal integer values are combined with the fundamental frequency to get the three formant values and their associated bandwidths. These formant values and their bandwidths together with the fundamental frequency are communicated as output so as to identify in formant form the analog signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.