US3345979A - Apparatus for observing vocal cord wave - Google Patents

Apparatus for observing vocal cord wave Download PDF

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US3345979A
US3345979A US349059A US34905964A US3345979A US 3345979 A US3345979 A US 3345979A US 349059 A US349059 A US 349059A US 34905964 A US34905964 A US 34905964A US 3345979 A US3345979 A US 3345979A
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circuit
vocal cord
output
variations
waves
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US349059A
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Miura Tanetoshi
Koshikawa Tsuneji
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Hitachi Ltd
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Hitachi Ltd
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    • GPHYSICS
    • G10MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
    • G10LSPEECH ANALYSIS OR SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
    • G10L25/00Speech or voice analysis techniques not restricted to a single one of groups G10L15/00 - G10L21/00
    • G10L25/90Pitch determination of speech signals

Definitions

  • Vocal cord waves have an important role in linguistic education, vocal training and medical diagnosis in which defective functioning of vocalization is to be detected and an appropriate treatment for vocal disorder is to be determined. In order to judge the functioning of vocalization accurately it is particularly important to know the wave form and pitch fluctuation features of the vocal waves.
  • FIGURE 1 shows a block diagram of an apparatus embodying the present invention
  • FIGURES 2a to 20 show wave forms which are used to explain the operation of the apparatus illustrated in block diagram form in FIGURE 1.
  • numeral 1 represents a microphone for extracting body wall vibrations at the trachea and for translating the vibrations into electrical waves.
  • the microphone 1 which is of the type described in an article entitled, On the Extraction of the Pitch Signal Using the Body Wall Vibration at the Throat of the Talker," by Toshikako Sugimoto and Shizuo Hiki appearing in the proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Acoustics held at Copenhagen on Aug. 2l-28, 1962, pages 1 through 4paper number G26, is held pressed against the wall of'the trachea at a predetermined location.
  • An equalizing circuit 2 is connected to the microphone 1 to compensate for loss characteristics introduced by the wall of the trachea to the vocal cord waves.
  • a circuit 3 also is connected to the microphone 1 through a switch 8 to a timing pulse extracting circuit 3 which may be of the type described in the paper entitled Extraction and Portrayal of Pitch of Speech Sounds 0. O. Gruenz, Jr. and L. O. Schott appearing in volume 21, number of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, September 1949, pages 487 through 495.
  • the timing pulse extracting circuit 3 serves to extract a series of timing pulses (shown in FIGURE 2b having a period which is equal to the fundamental period of the related vocal cord waves.
  • a pitch fluctuation extracting circuit 4 which may be of the type described in the periodical Electrical Communication a technical 3,345,979 Patented Oct.
  • the pitch fluctuation extracting circuit 4 is connected to the circuit 3 to transform successive lengths of the period (time intervals between succeeding pulses) of said series of pulses into a series of varying pulses.
  • the extracting circuit 4 includes an amplifying or level shifting circuit for adjusting the voltage value of the pulses about a median value.
  • the output of the extracting circuit 4 is shown in FIGURE 211
  • a counting and selecting circuit 5 also is connected to the output of the circuit 3 and counts the output pulses of the circuit 3 in order to obtain an output synchronized with the arrival of a desired pulse in the series.
  • the output of the counting and selecting circuit 5 which may be of the type described in an article entitled An Industrial Batching Counter by R. W. Brierley appearing in Electronic Engineering Magazine--April 1954 issuepages 157 through 160, is represented by a wave form shown in FIGURE 20.
  • the pitch fluctuation shown in FIG- URE Zb which is the output of the extracting circuit 4 and the vocal cord wave shown in FIGURE 2a appearing at the output of the equalizing circuit 2, are displayed on a cathode ray tube 6 with starting of the horrizontal sweep being triggered by the output pulse 5 of the counting and selecting circuit C.
  • the sweep time of the cathode ray tube 6 is adjusted to display the phenomenon desired to be observed Within a particular time range according to the object of the investigation.
  • wave form and pitch lfluctuation features of the vocal cord vibrations can be observed very accurately and quantitatively.
  • a reference signal generator 7 may be connected, if required, to the circuit 3 by means of a switch 8 producing a timed series of reference pulses in order to compare the observed wave with the reference signal pulses.
  • An apparatus for observing vocal cord waves comprising: microphone means for extracting electrical vocal cord waves including pitch fluctuation features of vocal cord vibrations from body wall vibrations at the trachea, filter means operatively coupled to the output from said microphone means for compensating for loss characteristics of the wall of the trachea to said vocal cord waves, and time base display means operatively coupled to the output from said filter means for displaying said vocal cord waves including the pitch fluctuation features on an expanded time base scale for observation purposes.
  • An apparatus for observing vocal cord waves comprising: microphone means for extracting electrical vocal cord waves from body wall waves at the trachea, filter means operatively coupled to the output from said microphone means for compensating for loss characteristics of the wall of the trachea to said vocal cord waves, first pulse forming circuit means operatively coupled to the output of said filter means for extracting pulses having a period which is equal to the fundamental period of said vocal cord waves, second pulse forming circuit means operatively coupled to the output from said first pulse forming circuit means for transforming successive lengths of period into successive variable voltage pulses to extract pitch fiuctuation features, and time base display means operatively coupled 'to the output of said filter means and said second pulse forming circuit means for displaying said vocal cord waves including the pitch fluctuation features on an expanded time base scale for observation purposes.
  • An apparatus for observing electrical vocal cord Waves according to claim 2 further comprising third pulse forming circuit means operatively coupled to the output from said first pulse forming circuit means for deriving a desired synchronizing pulse signal from the output thereof and means for supplying the synchronizing pulse signal. to the time base display means for synchronizing the time base scan thereof.

Abstract

1,051,421. Cathode-ray tube displays. HITACHI Ltd. March 3, 1964 [April 3, 1963], No. 9033/64. Heading H4T. Signals (a1, Fig. 2) derived via a microphone A1 (Fig. 1, not shown), held in the region of the trachea and equalized in a circuit A2 (waveform a2) are displayed on the screen of a cathode-ray tube D against a time base which is triggered at a predetermined instant by a pulse (c). The latter is produced by counting in a circuit C a selected number of the pulses of a train (b1) produced in circuit B1 and the timespacing of which is equal to the period of the cycles of waveform (a1). Additionally, a circuit B 2 is employed to convert pulse train (b1) into a pulse train (b2) having amplitude variations corresponding to the variations in timespacing of (b1), i.e. amplitude variations corresponding to variations in pitch (frequency) of waveform (a1) and such variations are also displayed on the tube, e.g. by employing a dual beam tube. The input to circuit B1 may be replaced by the output of a reference generator E producing frequency modulated waves for calibration purposes. The tube preferably has a long persistence to facilitate direct visions.

Description

United States Patent 3,345,979 APPARATUS FOR OBSERVING "OCAL CORD WAVE Tanetoshi Miura, Tokyo, and Tsuneji Koshikawa, Tokorozawa-shi, Japan, assignors to Hitachi, Ltd., Chiyodaku, Tokyo, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Mar. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 349,059 4 Claims. (Cl. 1282) This invention relates to an apparatus for observing the Wave form and pitch fluctuation features of vocal cord waves.
Vocal cord waves have an important role in linguistic education, vocal training and medical diagnosis in which defective functioning of vocalization is to be detected and an appropriate treatment for vocal disorder is to be determined. In order to judge the functioning of vocalization accurately it is particularly important to know the wave form and pitch fluctuation features of the vocal waves.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for observing quantitatively and objectively the wave form and. pitch fluctuation features of vocal waves and thereby provide significant insights for the functioning of vocalization.
The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment thereof and in which:
FIGURE 1 shows a block diagram of an apparatus embodying the present invention, and
FIGURES 2a to 20 show wave forms which are used to explain the operation of the apparatus illustrated in block diagram form in FIGURE 1.
Referring to FIGURE 1, numeral 1 represents a microphone for extracting body wall vibrations at the trachea and for translating the vibrations into electrical waves. The microphone 1 which is of the type described in an article entitled, On the Extraction of the Pitch Signal Using the Body Wall Vibration at the Throat of the Talker," by Toshikako Sugimoto and Shizuo Hiki appearing in the proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Acoustics held at Copenhagen on Aug. 2l-28, 1962, pages 1 through 4paper number G26, is held pressed against the wall of'the trachea at a predetermined location. An equalizing circuit 2 is connected to the microphone 1 to compensate for loss characteristics introduced by the wall of the trachea to the vocal cord waves. These losses are approximated by a low pass filtering characteristic and are compensated for by a filter built into equalizing circuit 2. Suitable filters for this purpose are disclosed in the Electrical Engineers Handbook, published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc, fourth edition, fourth printing, February 196-3 and appearing on pages 654, 6-55 thereof. The body wall vibrations at the trachea (having a wave form shown in FIGURE 2a are extracted by the microphone 1 and transformed into a (wave form shown in FIGURE 2a are similar to the vocal cord waves by passing through the equalizing circuit 2.
A circuit 3 also is connected to the microphone 1 through a switch 8 to a timing pulse extracting circuit 3 which may be of the type described in the paper entitled Extraction and Portrayal of Pitch of Speech Sounds 0. O. Gruenz, Jr. and L. O. Schott appearing in volume 21, number of the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, September 1949, pages 487 through 495. The timing pulse extracting circuit 3 serves to extract a series of timing pulses (shown in FIGURE 2b having a period which is equal to the fundamental period of the related vocal cord waves. A pitch fluctuation extracting circuit 4, which may be of the type described in the periodical Electrical Communication a technical 3,345,979 Patented Oct. 10, 1967 journal published by the International Telephone and Telegraph Corporation-volume 23, number 2, published June 1946 and appearing on pages through 171 thereof. The pitch fluctuation extracting circuit 4 is connected to the circuit 3 to transform successive lengths of the period (time intervals between succeeding pulses) of said series of pulses into a series of varying pulses. The extracting circuit 4 includes an amplifying or level shifting circuit for adjusting the voltage value of the pulses about a median value. The output of the extracting circuit 4 is shown in FIGURE 211 A counting and selecting circuit 5 also is connected to the output of the circuit 3 and counts the output pulses of the circuit 3 in order to obtain an output synchronized with the arrival of a desired pulse in the series. The output of the counting and selecting circuit 5, which may be of the type described in an article entitled An Industrial Batching Counter by R. W. Brierley appearing in Electronic Engineering Magazine--April 1954 issuepages 157 through 160, is represented by a wave form shown in FIGURE 20. The pitch fluctuation shown in FIG- URE Zb which is the output of the extracting circuit 4 and the vocal cord wave shown in FIGURE 2a appearing at the output of the equalizing circuit 2, are displayed on a cathode ray tube 6 with starting of the horrizontal sweep being triggered by the output pulse 5 of the counting and selecting circuit C. The sweep time of the cathode ray tube 6 is adjusted to display the phenomenon desired to be observed Within a particular time range according to the object of the investigation. Thus wave form and pitch lfluctuation features of the vocal cord vibrations can be observed very accurately and quantitatively.
It is preferable to employ a cathode ray tube of long persistency to facilitate direct vision. A reference signal generator 7 may be connected, if required, to the circuit 3 by means of a switch 8 producing a timed series of reference pulses in order to compare the observed wave with the reference signal pulses.
Having described one embodiment of an apparatus for observing vocal cord waves constructed in accordance with the invention, it is believed obvious that other modifications and variations of the invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention described which are within the full intended scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
What we claim is:
1. An apparatus for observing vocal cord waves comprising: microphone means for extracting electrical vocal cord waves including pitch fluctuation features of vocal cord vibrations from body wall vibrations at the trachea, filter means operatively coupled to the output from said microphone means for compensating for loss characteristics of the wall of the trachea to said vocal cord waves, and time base display means operatively coupled to the output from said filter means for displaying said vocal cord waves including the pitch fluctuation features on an expanded time base scale for observation purposes.
2. An apparatus for observing vocal cord waves comprising: microphone means for extracting electrical vocal cord waves from body wall waves at the trachea, filter means operatively coupled to the output from said microphone means for compensating for loss characteristics of the wall of the trachea to said vocal cord waves, first pulse forming circuit means operatively coupled to the output of said filter means for extracting pulses having a period which is equal to the fundamental period of said vocal cord waves, second pulse forming circuit means operatively coupled to the output from said first pulse forming circuit means for transforming successive lengths of period into successive variable voltage pulses to extract pitch fiuctuation features, and time base display means operatively coupled 'to the output of said filter means and said second pulse forming circuit means for displaying said vocal cord waves including the pitch fluctuation features on an expanded time base scale for observation purposes.
3. An apparatus for observing electrical vocal cord Waves according to claim 2 further comprising third pulse forming circuit means operatively coupled to the output from said first pulse forming circuit means for deriving a desired synchronizing pulse signal from the output thereof and means for supplying the synchronizing pulse signal. to the time base display means for synchronizing the time base scan thereof.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,705,742 4/1955 Miller 1791 3,024,783 3/ 1962 Timcke l282 3,245,403 4/ 1966 Lieberman l282 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.
SIMON BRODER, Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. AN APPARATUS FOR OBSERVING VOCAL CORD WAVES COMPRISING: MICROPHONE MEANS FOR EXTRACTING ELECTRIAL VOCAL CORD WAVES INCLUDING PITCH FLUCTUATION FEATURES OF VOCAL CORD VIRBATIONS FROM BODY WALL VIBRATIONS AT THE TRACHEA, FILTER MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO THE OUTPUT FROM SAID MICROPHONE MEANS FOR COMPENSATING FOR LOSS CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WALL OF THE TRACHEA TO SAID VOCAL CORD WAVES, AND TIME BASE DISPLAY MEANS OPERATIVELY COUPLED TO THE OUTPUT FROM SAID FILTER MEANS FOR DISPLAYING SAID VOCAL CORD WAVES INCLUDING THE PITCH FLUCTUATION FEATURES ON AN EXPANDED TIME BASE SCALE FOR OBSERVATION PURPOSES.
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Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3368551A (en) * 1965-10-11 1968-02-13 Curtis D. Hardyck Method for correcting subvocalization
DE2304070A1 (en) * 1973-01-27 1974-08-01 Philips Patentverwaltung LANGUAGE PRACTICE DEVICE FOR THE DEAF OR HEAVY PEOPLE
US3837332A (en) * 1971-10-21 1974-09-24 Madison College Foundation Inc Voice-operated gas lamp stroboscopes
US4222394A (en) * 1977-11-14 1980-09-16 Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha System for processing a waveform for a larynx stroboscope
US4278096A (en) * 1977-11-14 1981-07-14 Ernest H. Friedman Coronary artery disease diagnosis method
US4862503A (en) * 1988-01-19 1989-08-29 Syracuse University Voice parameter extractor using oral airflow
US4986281A (en) * 1984-08-23 1991-01-22 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Method for obtaining a signal for analyzing human and animal joint functions
US5679001A (en) * 1992-11-04 1997-10-21 The Secretary Of State For Defence In Her Britannic Majesty's Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Children's speech training aid
US6109923A (en) * 1995-05-24 2000-08-29 Syracuase Language Systems Method and apparatus for teaching prosodic features of speech
US6850882B1 (en) 2000-10-23 2005-02-01 Martin Rothenberg System for measuring velar function during speech

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
LU71228A1 (en) * 1974-10-31 1976-03-17

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2705742A (en) * 1951-09-15 1955-04-05 Bell Telephone Labor Inc High speed continuous spectrum analysis
US3024783A (en) * 1958-01-21 1962-03-13 Timcke Rolf Vibration therapy apparatus
US3245403A (en) * 1966-04-12 System for acoustic detection of pathologic larynges

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3076932A (en) * 1963-02-05 Amplifier

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3245403A (en) * 1966-04-12 System for acoustic detection of pathologic larynges
US2705742A (en) * 1951-09-15 1955-04-05 Bell Telephone Labor Inc High speed continuous spectrum analysis
US3024783A (en) * 1958-01-21 1962-03-13 Timcke Rolf Vibration therapy apparatus

Cited By (13)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3368551A (en) * 1965-10-11 1968-02-13 Curtis D. Hardyck Method for correcting subvocalization
US3837332A (en) * 1971-10-21 1974-09-24 Madison College Foundation Inc Voice-operated gas lamp stroboscopes
DE2304070A1 (en) * 1973-01-27 1974-08-01 Philips Patentverwaltung LANGUAGE PRACTICE DEVICE FOR THE DEAF OR HEAVY PEOPLE
US4222394A (en) * 1977-11-14 1980-09-16 Asahi Kogaku Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha System for processing a waveform for a larynx stroboscope
US4278096A (en) * 1977-11-14 1981-07-14 Ernest H. Friedman Coronary artery disease diagnosis method
US4986281A (en) * 1984-08-23 1991-01-22 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Method for obtaining a signal for analyzing human and animal joint functions
US4862503A (en) * 1988-01-19 1989-08-29 Syracuse University Voice parameter extractor using oral airflow
US5679001A (en) * 1992-11-04 1997-10-21 The Secretary Of State For Defence In Her Britannic Majesty's Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Children's speech training aid
US5791904A (en) * 1992-11-04 1998-08-11 The Secretary Of State For Defence In Her Britannic Majesty's Government Of The United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland Speech training aid
US6109923A (en) * 1995-05-24 2000-08-29 Syracuase Language Systems Method and apparatus for teaching prosodic features of speech
US6358054B1 (en) 1995-05-24 2002-03-19 Syracuse Language Systems Method and apparatus for teaching prosodic features of speech
US6358055B1 (en) 1995-05-24 2002-03-19 Syracuse Language System Method and apparatus for teaching prosodic features of speech
US6850882B1 (en) 2000-10-23 2005-02-01 Martin Rothenberg System for measuring velar function during speech

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DE1191595B (en) 1965-04-22
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