Speech processing apparatus and methods

Abstract

Speech processing apparatus and methods utilizing a circuit for electronically deriving from speech over time a series of coordinate values representing positions of points on a path in a mathematical space which path positions represent the speech. An electronic memory prestores phonetic representations in correspondence with indicia of a glide in the path which indicia represent a nucleus in the space at which the glide begins and a range of directions of offglide on the path from the nucleus. A trajectory parameter is electronically computed from the series of coordinate values. When both the trajectory parameter satisfies a predetermined condition for significance and a coordinate value currently reached by the speech is within a predetermined region of such values, a signal is produced. The speech on the path is electronically analyzed in response to the signal for occurrence of a position in the nucleus and an offglide in said range of directions which offglide happens before another significant trajectory parameter occurs. Upon occurrence of such indicia of a glide, the phonetic representation corresponding to the glide indicia is obtained from the electronic memory. Other apparatus and methods for producing a segmentation index signal representing the trajectory parameter are disclosed.