Daniel J Kahn

US Patent:

46655484, May 12, 1987

Filed:

Oct 7, 1983

Appl. No.:

6/539792

Inventors:

Daniel Kahn - Gillette NJ

Assignee:

American Telephone and Telegraph Company AT&T Bell Laboratories - Murray Hill NJ

International Classification:

G10L 500

US Classification:

381 43

Abstract:

A speech pattern is partitioned into its syllabic subunits by generating signals representative of the speech energy and autocorrelation features of the time frames portions thereof. The peak energy time frames are identified from the frame energy signals and the minimum energy time frames between each pair of successive peak energy frames of the speech pattern are determined from the time frame energy and autocorrelation feature signals. Candidate syllabic subunits are formed responsive to the peak and minimum energy frame characteristics and the autocorrelation feature signals. Signals corresponding to the duration and the energy of each candidate syllabic subunit peak energy frame relative to the energy of the other peak energy frames and the maximum peak energy frame of the speech pattern are formed and these signals are combined to produce a figure of merit for each candidate syllabic subunit. The sequence of syllabic subunits for the speech pattern are selected from the candidates by comparing the figure of merit signals of the candidate subunits.