Identification of the presence of speech in digital audio data

Abstract

The present invention provides a method, a computer-software-product and an apparatus for enabling a determination of speech related audio data within a record of digital audio data. The method comprises steps for extracting audio features from the record of digital audio data, for classifying one or more subsections of the record of digital audio data, and for marking at least a part of the record of digital audio data classified as speech. The classification of the digital audio data record is performed on the basis of the extracted audio features and with respect to at least one predetermined audio class. The extraction of the at least one audio feature as used by a method according to the invention comprises steps for partitioning the record of digital audio data into adjoining frames, defining a window for each frame which is formed by a sequence of adjoining frames containing the frame under consideration, determining for the frame under consideration and at least one further frame of the window a spectral-emphasis-value which is related to the frequency distribution contained in the digital audio data of the respective frame, and assigning a presence-of-speech indicator value to the frame under consideration based on an evaluation of the differences between the spectral-emphasis-values determined for the frame under consideration and at least one further frame of the window.