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Patent Number: |
7391877 |
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Case ID: |
0 |
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Patent Title:
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Spatial processor for enhanced performance in multi-talker speech displays
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Status: |
ACTIVE |
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Status Date: |
6/17/2009 4:21:21 PM |
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Issue Date:
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6/24/2008 |
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Filed Date:
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3/30/2007 |
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Serial #:
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1/731,561 |
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Assignee Name:
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United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
(Washington,
DC)
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Inventor(s):
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Brungart, Douglas S. |
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Lab Name: |
Human Effectiveness Directorate |
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Location: |
2610 Seventh Street, Building 441
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7901 |
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Contact: |
Contact Lab About This Patent |
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RIGHTS OF THE GOVERNMENT
The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States for all governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of the invention is multi-talker communication systems. Many important communications tasks require listeners to extract information from a target speech signal that is masked by one or more competing talkers. In real-world
environments, listeners are generally able to take advantage of the binaural difference cues that occur when competing talkers originate at different locations relative to the listener''s head. This so-called "cocktail party" effect allows listeners to
perform much better when they are listening to multiple voices in real-world environments where the talkers are spatially-separated than they do when they are listening with conventional electroacoustic communications systems where the speech signals are
electr . . . . More |
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Optimal head related transfer function spatial configurations designed to
maximize speech intelligibility in multi-talker speech displays by
spatially separating competing speech channels combined with a method of
normalizing the relative levels of the different talkers in a
multi-talker speech display that improves overall performance even in
conventional multi-talker spatial configurations.
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I claim:
1. An interference-minimizing and speech-intelligibility-maximizing head related transfer function (HRTF) spatial configuration method comprising the steps of: receiving a plurality of
speech input signals from competing talkers located at different source locations; filtering said speech input signals with head-related transfer functions; normalizing levels of said head related transfer functions from each source location whereby a
speech-shaped noise input will produce the same level in the ear where the output is most intense at all of the source locations; combining the outputs of said head related transfer functions; and communicating outputs of said head related transfer
functions to headphones of a system operator.
2. The interference-minimizing and speech-intelligibility-maximizing head related transfer function (HRTF) spatial configuration method of claim 1 further comprising the step of applying automatic gain control to each of said plurality . . . . More |
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