Speed-variable audio play-back apparatus
US5781696A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 28, 1995 |
| Grant date | Jul 14, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 28, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11B2220/90
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A speed-variable audio play-back apparatus which includes a pitch detecting circuit for separating speech source components and audio characteristics from an input audio signal, a pitch modulating unit for deleting selected ones of the separated speech source components or adding another speech source components to the separated speech source components depending on a play-back speed, thereby adjusting the length of the audio signal to be played back, a speech synthesizing circuit for synthesizing the speech source components and audio characteristics modulated by the pitch modulating unit, thereby outputting a speed-varied audio signal; and a main controller for controlling the above components in accordance with control signals externally applied thereto. With this arrangement, it is possible to play back audio stored in a storage medium at an adjusted speed while preventing degradation in tone color and loss of audio signals from occurring upon varying the play-back speed when the audio is played back by an apparatus such as a tape player, VTR, multimedia equipment, or computer, so that the played-back audio sounds like a person speaking quickly or slowly.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.