Patent · US Active

Method for processing speech using absolute loudness

US8200488B2 · kind B2 · utility

46Cited by

12References

3Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Sony Deutschland GmbH · DE

Inventors

Thomas Kemp · Rancho Santa Fe, US
Ralf Kompe · Schkölen, DE
Raquel Tato · Stuttgart, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Dec 10, 2003
Grant date	Jun 12, 2012
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 12, 2029

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG10L17/26
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention provides a method for processing speech comprising the steps of receiving a speech input (SI) of a speaker, generating speech parameters (SP) from said speech input (SI), determining parameters describing an absolute loudness (L) of said speech input (SI), and evaluating (EV) said speech input (SI) and/or said speech parameters (SP) using said parameters describing the absolute loudness (L). In particular, the step of evaluation (EV) comprises a step of emotion recognition and/or speaker identification. Further, a microphone array comprising a plurality of microphones is used for determining said parameters describing the absolute loudness. With a microphone array the distance of the speaker from the microphone array can be determined and the loudness can be normalized by the distance. Thus, the absolute loudness becomes independent from the distance of the speaker to the microphone, and absolute loudness can now be used as an input parameter for emotion recognition and/or speaker identification.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.