Speech Enhancement Device with Time-Dependent Gain Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional speech enhancement devices face challenges in clearly enhancing speech signals when the speaker's volume changes over time, leading to unclear speech recognition due to excessive noise enhancement and distortion, especially towards the end of words.
Innovation Solution
A speech enhancement device that adjusts the gain of the input signal based on the elapsed time from the start of a speech production section, using a timer unit to measure time and a gain determination unit to set the appropriate enhancement level, ensuring clear speech enhancement only at necessary portions of the signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional AGC is applied to enhance the input signal, then the signal level is increased, but distortion increases and noise component is enhanced
Solution Approach 1:
The gain value is dynamically adjusted based on the elapsed time from the start of speech production. The system transitions from a static gain approach to a dynamic one where the gain changes continuously according to the speech timeline, allowing optimal enhancement at different speech phases while minimizing distortion and noise enhancement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the gain parameter over time based on the speech production duration. By modifying the gain parameter dynamically according to the elapsed time, the system achieves effective speech enhancement while controlling the harmful effects of distortion and noise amplification that occur with conventional static or excessive gain adjustment.
2Reliability
If gain is increased to enhance speech clarity, then speech becomes clearer, but excessive gain increases distortion especially at the end of words
Solution Approach 1:
The gain adjustment is made dynamic and time-dependent rather than static or uniformly applied. The system adapts the gain value according to the elapsed time within the speech production section, providing higher enhancement when needed while maintaining signal fidelity when the speech volume is already sufficient, thus resolving the contradiction between clarity and fidelity.
3Device complexity
If uniform gain adjustment is applied throughout the speech production section, then processing is simple, but speech at the end of words remains unclear due to volume decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic gain adjustment based on elapsed time, transitioning from a simple uniform gain approach to a time-varying gain strategy. This allows the system to provide targeted enhancement at critical moments (such as the end of words) while maintaining relatively simple processing logic through automated time-based control.
Solution Approach 2:
The gain parameter is changed according to the elapsed time within the speech production section. This parameter modification strategy enables the system to adaptively enhance speech clarity at different temporal positions, particularly addressing the volume decrease at word endings without requiring complex manual intervention or overly complicated processing architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A speech enhancement device which includes: a speech production section detection unit configured to detect a speech production section in which a speaker produces speech, from an input signal generated by a speech input unit; a timer unit configured to measure an elapsed time from a starting point of the speech production section; a gain determination unit configured to determine a gain, which represents a level of enhancement of the input signal, according to the elapsed time; and an enhancement unit configured to enhance the input signal or a spectrum signal of the input signal in the speech production section according to the gain, whereby the input signal is enhanced only at necessary portions thereof.