Data processing: speech signal processing – linguistics – language – Audio signal bandwidth compression or expansion
Patent
1997-09-05
2000-05-16
Hudspeth, David R.
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language
Audio signal bandwidth compression or expansion
704205, 704211, 704207, G10L 1902
Patent
active
060649666
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
A. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for determining the quality of an output signal to be generated by a signal processing circuit with respect to a reference signal, which device is provided with a first series circuit having a first input for receiving the output signal and is provided with a second series circuit having a second input for receiving the reference signal and is provided with a combining circuit, coupled to a first output of the first series circuit and to a second output of the second series circuit, for generating a quality signal, which first series circuit is provided with
a first signal processing arrangement, coupled to the first input of the first series circuit, for generating a first signal parameter as a function of time and frequency, and
a first compressing arrangement, coupled to the first signal processing arrangement, for compressing a first signal parameter and for generating a first compressed signal parameter, which second series circuit is provided with
a second compressing arrangement, coupled to the second input, for generating a second compressed signal parameter, which combining circuit is provided with
a differential arrangement, coupled to the two compressing arrangements, for determining a differential signal on the basis of the compressed signal parameters, and
an integrating arrangement, coupled to the differential arrangement, for generating the quality signal by integrating the differential signal with respect to time and frequency.
Such a device is disclosed in the first reference: J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 40, No. 12, December 1992, in particular "A Perceptual Audio Quality Measure Based on a Psychoacoustic Sound Representation" by John G. Beerends and Jan A. Stemerdink, pages 963-978, more particularly FIG. 7. The device described therein determines the quality of an output signal to be generated by a signal processing circuit, such as, for example, a coder/decoder, or codec, with respect to a reference signal. The reference signal is, for example, an input signal to be presented to the signal processing circuit, although the possibilities also include using, as reference signal, a pre-calculated ideal version of the output signal. The first signal parameter is generated as a function of time and frequency by means of the first signal processing arrangement, associated with the first series circuit, in response to the output signal, after which the first signal parameter is compressed by means of the first compressing arrangement associated with the first series circuit. In this connection, intermediate operational processing of said first signal parameter should not be ruled out at all. The second signal parameter is compressed by means of the second compressing arrangement associated with the second series circuit in response to the reference signal. In this connection, too, further operational processing of said second signal parameter should not be ruled out at all. Of both compressed signal parameters, the differential signal is determined by means of the differential arrangement associated with the combining circuit, after which the quality signal is generated by integrating the differential signal with respect to time and frequency by means of the integrating arrangement associated with the combining circuit.
Such a device has, inter alia, the disadvantage that the objective quality signal to be assessed by means of said device and a subjective quality signal to be assessed by human observers have a poor correlation.
B. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the invention is, inter alia, to provide a device of the type mentioned in the preamble, wherein the objective quality signal which is to be assessed by means of the device and a subjective quality signal, which is to be assessed by human observers have an improved better correlation.
For this purpose, the device according to the invention has the characteristic that the device comprises
a converting arrangement coupled to at least one series circuit for converting
REFERENCES:
patent: 4208548 (1980-06-01), Orban
patent: 4860360 (1989-08-01), Boggs
patent: 5602961 (1997-02-01), Kolesnik et al.
Beerends, et al, "A Perceptual Speech-Quality Measure Based on a Psychoacoustic Sound Representation", Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, vol. 42, No. 3, Mar. 1994, pp. 115-123.
Beerends, et al, "A Perceptual Audio Quality Measure Based on a Psychoacoustic Sound Representation", Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, vol. 40, No. 12, Dec. 1992, pp. 963-978.
Beerends, et al, "Modelling a Cognitive Aspect in the Measurement of the Quality of Music Codes", An Audio Engineering Society Preprint, presented at the 96.sup.th Convention, Feb. 26-Mar. 1, 1994, pp. 1-13.
Azad Abul K.
Hudspeth David R.
Koninklijke PTT Nederland N.V.
Michaelson Peter L.
LandOfFree
Signal quality determining device and method does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Signal quality determining device and method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Signal quality determining device and method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-267630