Multimodal Speech Segment Detection Using Lip Motion Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional speech segment detection methods struggle to distinguish speech from noise, particularly dynamic noise, leading to recognition errors and resource wastage, as they rely on sound energy and zero-crossing rates, which are not effective in real environments with various noise sources.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that combines sound and image signals to detect lip motion, using a lip motion signal detector to differentiate between speech and noise, thereby improving speech segment detection and reducing errors in speech recognition systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional speech segment detection methods use sound energy and zero-crossing rates to detect speech segments, then the detection process is simple and fast, but speech and noise cannot be effectively distinguished leading to recognition errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines audio signal analysis with video lip motion detection to create a multi-modal speech detection system. The audio processing unit analyzes sound energy and zero-crossing rates while the video processing unit detects lip motion patterns, and both results are integrated to determine speech segments, thereby improving reliability through complementary information sources
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces lip motion detection as an intermediary mechanism to bridge the gap between audio signal analysis and accurate speech detection. The lip motion detector serves as a mediator that validates audio-based speech detection, providing an additional verification layer that reduces recognition errors without completely redesigning the detection system
2Loss of energy
If conventional methods process all sound frames with noise removal and feature extraction, then comprehensive processing is performed, but resources are wasted on dynamic noise that should be excluded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary lip motion detection on video frames before committing to full audio processing of corresponding sound frames. By detecting lip motion patterns in advance, the system can pre-filter out frames that correspond to dynamic noise, avoiding unnecessary noise removal and feature extraction operations on non-speech audio segments
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where lip motion detection results are fed back to control audio processing operations. When lip motion is detected, the system activates full audio processing; when no lip motion is detected, the system skips processing, thereby dynamically adjusting resource consumption based on actual speech presence indicators
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are an apparatus and method for speech segment detection, and a system for speech recognition. The apparatus is equipped with a sound receiver and an image receiver and includes: a lip motion signal detector for detecting a motion region from image frames output from the image receiver, applying lip motion image feature information to the detected motion region, and detecting a lip motion signal; and a speech segment detector for detecting a speech segment using sound frames output from the sound receiver and the lip motion signal detected from the lip motion signal detector. Since lip motion image information is checked in a speech segment detection process, it is possible to prevent dynamic noise from being misrecognized as speech.