SPEECH ENHANCEMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR EMPHASIZING CONSONANT PORTION TO IMPROVE ARTICULATION OF AUDIO SIGNAL

摘要

In a speech enhancement apparatus, a generator part generates a value representing likelihood of a consonant from an input audio signal, and a calculator part generates a consonant/vowel discriminating signal for discriminating a consonant portion and a vowel portion based on the generated value, detects a first signal level of the vowel portion and a second signal level of the consonant portion based on the audio signal and the consonant/vowel discriminating signal, and outputs a level-related signal. A determining part determines a gain coefficient that exceeds one when the second signal level is smaller than the first signal level based on the level-related signal so that the gain coefficient increases as the second signal level becomes smaller than the first signal level. A multiplier part multiplies the audio signal by the gain coefficient to output an audio signal having an emphasized consonant portion.

主权项

1. A speech enhancement apparatus comprising:
a generator part configured to generate and output a value representing likelihood of a consonant from an input audio signal having a predetermined sampling frequency; a calculator part configured to generate a consonant/vowel discriminating signal for discriminating a consonant portion and a vowel portion in the audio signal based on the value representing the likelihood of the consonant, detect a first signal level of the vowel portion and a second signal level of the consonant portion in the audio signal based on the audio signal and the consonant/vowel discriminating signal, and output a level-related signal representing a relation of the first signal level with respect to the second signal level; a determining part configured to determine a gain coefficient that exceeds one when the second signal level is smaller than the first signal level based on the level-related signal so that the gain coefficient increases as the second signal level becomes smaller than the first signal level; and a multiplier part configured to multiply the audio signal by the gain coefficient and output an audio signal having an emphasized consonant portion thereof.