Abstract: A voice band expansion device includes a time-frequency converter that calculates a frequency spectrum of a voice signal having a first frequency band; a separator that extracts, from the frequency spectrum, an envelope amplitude spectrum, a periodic amplitude spectrum, and a random amplitude spectrum; an envelope amplitude spectrum band expander that expands a frequency band to a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band; a periodic amplitude spectrum band expander that expands a frequency band to the second frequency band; a random amplitude spectrum band expander that expands a frequency band of the random amplitude spectrum to the second frequency band; a broadband spectrum calculator that calculates a broadband frequency spectrum having the first frequency band and the second frequency band; and a frequency-time converter generates a voice signal having the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

Abstract: As optimal candidate as a control signal (y*) for generating a control sound suppressing noise from a speaker is selected from among a plurality of control signal candidates (y1 to yn) by a selection function unit. For this selection, a residual noise estimation function unit receiving as input a residual noise signal (e) from an error microphone is introduced. The function unit first obtains an estimated value of a noise component using a first transfer characteristic simulating filter. Further, this noise component estimated value and filtered outputs from second transfer characteristic simulating filters are used to obtain residual noise estimated values for the control signal candidates (y1 to yn). Further, the single control signal candidate corresponding to the smallest of these residual noise estimated values is selected and used as the above control signal (y*).

Abstract: A voice correction device includes a detector that detects a response from a user, a calculator that calculates an acoustic characteristic amount of an input voice signal, an analyzer that outputs an acoustic characteristic amount of a predetermined amount when having acquired a response signal due to the response from the detector, a storage unit that stores the acoustic characteristic amount output by the analyzer, a controller that calculates an correction amount of the voice signal on the basis of a result of a comparison between the acoustic characteristic amount calculated by the calculator and the acoustic characteristic amount stored in the storage unit, and a correction unit that corrects the voice signal on the basis of the correction amount calculated by the controller.

Abstract: A voice communication apparatus includes an analysis unit to analyze an outgoing conversation signal transmitted from a user of the voice communication apparatus to another party in communication or an incoming conversation signal from the another party in communication received by the voice communication apparatus, a storage unit to store a voice message to be played back, a mixing unit to perform mixing of the voice message with the incoming conversation signal, and a control unit to control a start timing of the mixing so that the mixing of the voice message with the incoming conversation signal is started between utterances of the user on the basis of an analysis result of the analysis unit.

Abstract: A voice reproduction apparatus includes an ambient sound analysis unit to analyze a characteristic of an ambient sound, a characteristic analysis unit to analyze an acoustic characteristic of a signal for reproduction, a reproduction timing adjusting unit to record the signal for reproduction and to read the signal for reproduction at a reproduction timing of follow-up reproduction, a reproduction speed changing unit to change a reproduction speed of the read signal for reproduction, and a control unit to control the reproduction timing adjusting unit so that the signal for reproduction is reproduced at the reproduction timing corresponding to an analysis result of the ambient sound analysis unit and to control the reproduction speed changing unit so that the signal for reproduction is reproduced at the reproduction speed corresponding to the analysis result of the ambient sound analysis unit and the acoustic characteristic obtained by the characteristic analysis unit.

Abstract: An active silencer includes: a speaker generating control sound which interferes with noise; a microphone detecting noise remaining after the interference as a remaining noise signal; a sound quality evaluation unit evaluating the sound quality of the remaining noise and output a result of the sound quality evaluation; an actuation signal determination unit determining, according to the result of the sound quality evaluation, the detection timing of the frequency component of the remaining noise signal to be used when the control sound is generated for a plurality of bands of the remaining noise, corresponding to the plurality of bands of a reference signal corresponding to the noise; and a control signal generation unit generating and output a control signal for generation of the control sound depending on a plurality of bands of the determined remaining noise signal and a plurality of bands of the reference signal corresponding to the noise.

Abstract: An audio signal processing system including a time-frequency conversion unit which converts an audio signal in time domain into frequency domain in frame units so as to calculate a frequency spectrum of the audio signal, a spectral change calculation unit which calculates an amount of change between a frequency spectrum of a first frame and a frequency spectrum of a second frame before the first frame based on the frequency spectrum of the first frame and the frequency spectrum of the second frame, and a judgment unit which judges the type of the noise which is included in the audio signal of the first frame in accordance with the amount of spectral change.

Abstract: An active noise control apparatus that controls by a control sound a noise which is output from a noise source, includes: a control sound generating section which inputs a control signal, and produce the control sound; a residual noise detecting section which detects, as a residual noise signal, a noise remaining after the noise control by the control sound; a control signal generating section which inputs, as a reference signal, a signal concerning the noise or the generation state of the noise, and generates the control signal; and a controlling section which inputs the control signal and the residual noise signal, detects the components that cannot be identified in the control signal generating section, and controls the generation of the control signal in the control signal generating section.

Abstract: An optical device includes a fast Fourier transform (FFT) unit, a signal noise ratio (SNR) calculation processing unit, a band selecting unit, an extension-signal creating unit, an addition unit, and an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) unit. The FFT unit performs the Fourier transform on an input signal that is input from the outside. The SNR calculation processing unit calculates an SNR with respect to each of bands in the input signal. The band selecting unit selects a band of which SNR exceeds a threshold and is the maximum SNR, based on respective SNRs of the bands. The extension-signal creating unit creates an extension signal based on a signal acquired by the band selecting unit. The addition unit adds the extension signal to the input signal, and creates a band-extended signal. The IFFT unit performs the inverse fast Fourier transform on the band-extended signal, and creates an output signal.

Abstract: A data decryption apparatus that decrypts encrypted data, includes a first data-receiving unit that receives a first data set, in which information on an encryption specification is embedded, through a first communication path; a time-information obtaining unit that obtains time information on a reception of the first data set by the first data receiving unit; a time-information storage unit that stores the time information with the information on the encryption specification associated therewith; a second data-receiving unit that receives a second data set through a second communication path, the second data set being encrypted based on the encryption-specification and appended by time information on performing data encryption; and an encryption-specification selecting unit that selects an encryption specification for use in decryption of the second data set based on the time information stored in the time-information storage unit and the time information appended to the second data set.

Abstract: In an apnea detecting apparatus, a respiratory pace analyzer determines a respiratory pace of a user based on an ambient noise (including a breathing sound, a snore, and the like of the user) generated in a surrounding area and on information of a posture of the user in determining whether or not the user suffers from the apnea syndrome. Then, an apnea time extracting unit in the apnea detecting apparatus determines whether or not a silent time is included in a time period during which the user is estimated to be breathing based on the respiratory pace and the silent time in the ambient noise.

Abstract: In a pitch conversion method and device which can reduce data throughput while suppressing a degradation of sound quality due to a pitch conversion as much as possible, an input signal pitch pattern per predetermined processing unit and a target pitch pattern are inputted, and a degradation degree indicating how a waveform of the input signal degrades upon pitch conversion from the input signal pitch pattern to the target pitch pattern is calculated. Alternatively, a degradation degree corresponding to a voice state and a phonemic type of the input signal is extracted from a database in which all of combinations of voice states and phonemic types estimated are associated with the degradation degrees to be recorded. Then, a pitch converter which performs a pitch conversion with small data throughput and a pitch converter which performs a pitch conversion with large data throughput are switched over depending on the degradation degree.

Abstract: A voice band expansion device includes a time-frequency converter that calculates a frequency spectrum of a voice signal having a first frequency band; a separator that extracts, from the frequency spectrum, an envelope amplitude spectrum, a periodic amplitude spectrum, and a random amplitude spectrum; an envelope amplitude spectrum band expander that expands a frequency band to a second frequency band that is different from the first frequency band; a periodic amplitude spectrum band expander that expands a frequency band to the second frequency band; a random amplitude spectrum band expander that expands a frequency band of the random amplitude spectrum to the second frequency band; a broadband spectrum calculator that calculates a broadband frequency spectrum having the first frequency band and the second frequency band; and a frequency-time converter generates a voice signal having the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

Abstract: In a wireless communication apparatus, an ambient apparatus number measurement unit measures the number of wireless apparatuses existing around. A movement amount measurement unit detects acceleration at the time when its own apparatus moves and measures the movement amount of its own apparatus. An ambient sound analysis unit records ambient sounds and analyzes the recorded ambient sounds to generate ambient sound analysis information. A communication controller estimates surroundings of its own apparatus based on at least one of the number of the measured wireless apparatuses, the measured movement amount, and the ambient sound analysis information, and autonomously performs a communication control of its own apparatus according to the estimated surroundings.

Abstract: An active silencer includes: a speaker generating control sound which interferes with noise; a microphone detecting noise remaining after the interference as a remaining noise signal; a sound quality evaluation unit evaluating the sound quality of the remaining noise and output a result of the sound quality evaluation; an actuation signal determination unit determining, according to the result of the sound quality evaluation, the detection timing of the frequency component of the remaining noise signal to be used when the control sound is generated for a plurality of bands of the remaining noise, corresponding to the plurality of bands of a reference signal corresponding to the noise; and a control signal generation unit generating and output a control signal for generation of the control sound depending on a plurality of bands of the determined remaining noise signal and a plurality of bands of the reference signal corresponding to the noise.

Abstract: A sound processing method includes transforming an input signal from a time domain to a frequency domain to produce a spectrum, detecting a peak of the spectrum, calculating a target attenuation amount based on one of the input signal and the spectrum, calculating attenuation amounts of respective frequency components of the spectrum based on the target attenuation amount and the detected peak, correcting levels of the spectrum by attenuating the spectrum in response to the calculated attenuation amounts of respective frequency components, and performing inverse frequency transform with respect to the level-corrected spectrum to produce an output signal.

Abstract: A voice processing apparatus, which processes a first voice signal, includes: an acoustic analysis part which analyzes a feature quantity of an input second voice signal; a reference range calculation part which calculates a reference range based on the feature quantity; a comparing part which compares the feature quantity and the reference range and outputs a comparison result; and a voice processing part which processes and outputs the input first voice signal based on the comparison result.

Abstract: The invention relates to speech speed conversion, and provides a speech speed converting device and a speech speed converting method for changing a speed of voice without degrading the voice quality, without changing characteristics, regarding a signal containing voice. The speech speed converting device includes: a voice classifying unit that is input with voice waveform data and a voice code based on a linear prediction, and that classifies the input signal based on the characteristic of the input signal; and a speed adjusting unit that selects either one of or both a speed conversion processing using the voice waveform and a speed conversion processing using the voice code, based on the classification, and that changes a speech speed of the input signal using the selected speed converting method.

Abstract: A disclosed speech sound enhancement device includes an SNR calculation unit for calculating an SNR which is a ratio of received speech sound to ambient noise; a first-frequency-range enhancement magnitude calculation unit for calculating, based on the SNR and frequency-range division information indicating a first and a second frequency range, enhancement magnitude of the first frequency range, the first frequency range contributing to an improvement of subjective intelligibility of the received speech sound, the second frequency range contributing to an improvement of subjective articulation of the received speech sound; a second-frequency-range enhancement magnitude calculation unit for calculating enhancement magnitude of the second frequency range based on the enhancement magnitude of the first frequency range; and a spectrum processing unit for processing spectra of the received speech sound using the enhancement magnitude of the first frequency range, the enhancement magnitude of the second frequency r

Abstract: As optimal candidate as a control signal (y*) for generating a control sound suppressing noise from a speaker is selected from among a plurality of control signal candidates (y1 to yn) by a selection function unit. For this selection, a residual noise estimation function unit receiving as input a residual noise signal (e) from an error microphone is introduced. The function unit first obtains an estimated value of a noise component using a first transfer characteristic simulating filter. Further, this noise component estimated value and filtered outputs from second transfer characteristic simulating filters are used to obtain residual noise estimated values for the control signal candidates (y1 to yn). Further, the single control signal candidate corresponding to the smallest of these residual noise estimated values is selected and used as the above control signal (y*).