Patents by Inventor Tsuneo Nitta

Tsuneo Nitta has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20220238113
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a speech imagery recognition device is configured to recognize speech from electroencephalogram (EEG) signals during speech imagery. The speech imagery recognition device comprises an analysis processor and an extractor. The analysis processor is configured to analyze discrete signals, which are obtained from EEG signals received from a plurality of electrodes, for each of the electrodes and output a spectral time sequence. The extractor is configured to obtain eigenvectors for each phoneme from the spectral time sequence and output a phoneme-feature vector time sequence based on the eigenvectors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventor: Tsuneo NITTA
  • Patent number: 8626508
    Abstract: Provided are a speech search device, the search speed of which is very fast, the search performance of which is also excellent, and which performs fuzzy search, and a speech search method. Not only the fuzzy search is performed, but also the distance between phoneme discrimination features included in speech data is calculated to determine the similarity with respect to the speech using both a suffix array and dynamic programming, and an object to be searched for is narrowed by means of search keyword division based on a phoneme and search thresholds relative to a plurality of the divided search keywords, the object to be searched for is repeatedly searched for while increasing the search thresholds in order, and whether or not there is the keyword division is determined according to the length of the search keywords, thereby implementing speech search, the search speed of which is very fast and the search performance of which is also excellent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Assignee: National University Corporation TOYOHASHI UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Koichi Katsurada, Tsuneo Nitta, Shigeki Teshima
  • Publication number: 20120036159
    Abstract: Provided are a speech search device, the search speed of which is very fast, the search performance of which is also excellent, and which performs fuzzy search, and a speech search method. Not only the fuzzy search is performed, but also the distance between phoneme discrimination features included in speech data is calculated to determine the similarity with respect to the speech using both a suffix array and dynamic programming, and an object to be searched for is narrowed by means of search keyword division based on a phoneme and search thresholds relative to a plurality of the divided search keywords, the object to be searched for is repeatedly searched for while increasing the search thresholds in order, and whether or not there is the keyword division is determined according to the length of the search keywords, thereby implementing speech search, the search speed of which is very fast and the search performance of which is also excellent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2010
    Publication date: February 9, 2012
    Applicant: Nat. Univ. Corp. Toyohashi Univ. of Technology
    Inventors: Koichi Katsurada, Tsuneo Nitta, Shigeki Teshima
  • Patent number: 5649056
    Abstract: A sound analyzer sound analyzes an input speech signal to obtain feature vectors. A matrix quantizer performs a matrix quantization process between the feature vectors obtained by the sound analyzer and a phonetic segment dictionary prepared in phonetic segment units to obtain a phonetic segment similarity sequence. A PS-phoneme integrating section integrates the phonetic segment similarity sequence into a phonemic feature vector. A HMM recognizer checks the phonemic feature vector using a HMM prepared in certain units, to thereby perform a recognition process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 15, 1997
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 5615300
    Abstract: Synthesized speech is generated by a software-implemented system with a programmed central processing unit. Phonetic parameters are generated from a series of phonetic symbols of an input text to be converted into synthesized speech, and prosodic parameters are also generated from prosodic information of the input text. The activity ratio of the central processing unit is determined, and the order of phonetic parameters or the arrangement of a synthesis unit or filter for speech synthesis is determined depending on the determined activity ratio of the central processing unit. Synthesized speech sounds are generated and filtered based on the phonetic and prosodic parameters according to the determined order of phonetic parameters or the determined arrangement of the filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1997
    Assignee: Toshiba Corporation
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Hara, Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 5506933
    Abstract: A recognition system comprises a feature extractor for extracting a feature vector x from an input speech signal, and a recognizing section for defining continuous density Hidden Markov Models of predetermined categories k as transition network models each having parameters of transition probabilities p(k,i,j) that a state Si transits to a next state Sj and output probabilities g(k,s) that a feature vector x is output in transition from the state Si to one of the states Si and Sj, and recognizing the input signal on the basis of similarity between a sequence X of feature vectors extracted by the feature extractor and the continuous density HMMs. Particularly, the recognizing section includes a memory section for storing a set of orthogonal vectors .phi..sub.m (k,s) provided for the continuous density HMMs, and a modified CDHMM processor for obtaining each of the output probabilities g(k,s) for the continuous density HMMs in accordance with corresponding orthogonal vectors .phi..sub.m (k,s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1996
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 5293588
    Abstract: A speech detection apparatus capable of reliably detecting speech segments in audio signals regardless of the levels of input audio signals and background noises. In the apparatus, a parameter of input audio signals is calculated frame by frame, and then compared with a threshold in order to judge each input frame as one of a speech segment and a noise segment, while the parameters of the input frames judged as the noise segments are stored in the buffer and the threshold is updated according to the parameters stored in the buffer. The apparatus may utilize a transformed parameter obtained from the parameter, in which the difference between speech and noise is emphasized, and noise standard patterns are constructed from the parameters of the input frames pre-estimated as noise segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 8, 1994
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hideki Satoh, Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 5255342
    Abstract: An inner product computing unit computes inner products of an input pattern whose category is unknown, and orthogonalized dictionary sets of a plurality of reference patterns whose categories are known. A nonlinear converting unit nonlinearly converts the inner products in accordance with a positive-negative symmetrical nonlinear function. A neural network unit or a statistical discriminant function computing unit performs predetermined computations of the nonlinearly converted values on the basis of preset coefficients in units of categories using a neural network or a statistical discriminant function. A determining section compares values calculated in units of categories using the preset coefficients with each other to discriminate a category to which the input pattern belongs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 1992
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1993
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 5133012
    Abstract: A plurality of candidate phonetic segments extracted from the input speech signal are passed through transition networks prepared for the respective words so as to obtain a score by weighting/averaging the long-term strategic scores by taking consideration of statistic distribution of the similarities or distances of phonetic segments and the short-term strategic scores by taking consideration of the environment of the phonetic segments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 5001760
    Abstract: An orthogonalizing time filter section is arranged in place of a Gram Schmidt orthogonalizing section. The orthogonalizing time filter section is constituted by a plurality of filters for performing smoothing processing and differential processing. The orthogonalizing time filter section obtains an average pattern of acquired learning patterns, and smoothes the average pattern along the time base to obtain a dictionary of a first axis. The section differentiates the average pattern along the time base to obtain a dictionary of a second axis. The above processing is repeated for each category, thus generating an orthogonalized dictionary.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 1988
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1991
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 4979213
    Abstract: Speech pattern data representing speech of a plurality of speakers are stored in a pattern storage section in advance. Averaged pattern data obtained by averaging a plurality of speech pattern data of the first of the plurality of speakers are obtained. Data obtained by blurring and differentiating the averaged pattern data are stored in an orthogonalized dictionary as basic orthogonalized dictionary data of first and second axes, respectively. Blurred data and differentiated data obtained with respect to the second and subsequent of the plurality of speakers are selectively stored in the orthogonalized dictionary as additional dictionary data having new axes. Speech of the plurality of speakers is recognized by computing a similarity between the orthogonalized dictionary formed in this manner and input speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 1989
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1990
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 4888823
    Abstract: Phoneme feature parameters are extracted from input digital speech signals by means of LPC analysis. Phonetic segments having phonetical meanings are obtained together with similarities to prescribed basic phonetic segments from the feature parameters to be passed through nodes of transition networks provided for each word. In passing the nodes, scores for similarity Sj of predetermined segments of the corresponding phonetic segments are made in selective scoring and the accumulation of the scores is used for recognition of continuous word speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 19, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tsuneo Nitta, Kensuke Uehara, Sadakazu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 4881266
    Abstract: In a speech recognition system for recognizing speeches uttered by non-specific speakers, start and end points of a word or speech interval are determined by a novel preprocessor for searching a sound power level to obtain speech boundary candidates and for determining likelihoods of speech or word intervals on the basis of the boundary candidates. Since likelihoods (probabilities) are determined for speech interval candidates, the similarity rate between feature parameters and reference pattern set of a speech signal are calculated for only the higher likelihood candidates, thus improving the accuracy and the speed of speech recognition. A percentage of erroneous boundary decision is about 0.5% when two speech interval candidates of the first and second likelihoods are adopted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Tsuneo Nitta, Kensuke Uehara, Sadakazu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 4851654
    Abstract: An IC card used for identifying an individual, has a key pad on the surface, a memory for storing a program and data, and a planar microphone and speaker. Speech corresponding to data or a command is converted into signals by a microphone. These signals can be supplied to an output terminal of the IC card under control of the IC card.Alternatively, the IC card can store or analyze the speech and generate a corresponding command or data.As the number of functions of the IC card is increased, the number of commands must also be increased. By inputting commands or data by voice instead of dedicated function keys, the number of necessary keys is reduced and convenience is enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: July 25, 1989
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 4677673
    Abstract: Continuous speech signal is recognized using "rough" and "detail" parameters derived from prestored reference speech and current unknown speech. The detail parameters are 16 spectral coefficients, the rough parameters 2 or 4 spectral coefficients representing the signal. A word interval detector decides segmentation based on rough parameter similarity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruhiko Ukita, Tsuneo Nitta, Sadakazu Watanabe
  • Patent number: 4677672
    Abstract: A continuous speech recognition circuit has a data generating circuit for calculating feature pattern data each having N-frame feature parameter data of a plurality of word-periods and reference pattern data every time one-frame period has elapsed and for sequentially generating a maximal similarity data among the calculated similarity data, and a recognition circuit for detecting a series of continuous word-periods which gives the largest similarity sum within a speech interval in accordance with the similarity data from the data generating circuit and recognizing as effective word data the word series corresponding to the detected series of continuous word-periods. The similarity data in each word period is obtained by calculating partial similarity data between the feature parameter data of each frame and each reference parameter data and using the N partial similarity data obtained during the word-period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 1983
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Teruhiko Ukita, Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 4651289
    Abstract: In a pattern recognition system for speech or print, a first memory stores predetermined reference vectors. A second memory stores subsequently-determined reference vectors subsequent to misrecognition when a new speaker or font is inputted, whereby only the deformations (differences) from a predetermined category of vectors are stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 1983
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1987
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Maeda, Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 4625287
    Abstract: A monosyllabic recognition apparatus is disclosed which includes a first memory which stores reference vowel patterns respectively representing vowel categories of known reference monosyllables of a preselected language, which are classified in accordance with the type of vowel characteristics of the language, the vowel categories independently including categories corresponding to a contracted sound and a syllabic nasal sound in addition to categories of basic vowels; a second memory which stores reference consonant patterns respectively representing consonant categories of the language, which are classified in accordance with the type of consonant characteristics of the language. A characteristic extracting section generates the acoustic parameter data of the input speech, which is divided by a segment processing section into monosyllabic acoustic parameter components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1986
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroshi Matsuura, Tsuneo Nitta
  • Patent number: 4624011
    Abstract: An acoustic signal processing circuit extracts input speech pattern data and subsidiary feature data from an input speech signal. The input speech pattern data comprise frequency spectra, whereas the subsidiary feature data comprise phoneme and acoustic features. These data are then stored in a data buffer memory. The similarity measures between the input speech pattern data stored in the data buffer memory and reference speech pattern data stored in a dictionary memory are computed by a similarity computation circuit. When the largest similarity measure exceeds a first threshold value and when the difference between the largest similarity measure and the second largest measure exceeds a second threshold value, category data of the reference pattern which gives the largest similarity measure is produced by a control circuit to correspond to an input speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 18, 1986
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Sadakazu Watanabe, Hidenori Shinoda, Tsuneo Nitta, Yoichi Takebayashi, Shouichi Hirai, Tomio Sakata, Kensuke Uehara, Yasuo Takahashi, Haruo Asada
  • Patent number: 4405838
    Abstract: A phoneme information extracting apparatus includes correlation data generators for successively generating correlation data representing the correlation between the acoustic power spectrum data corresponding to input voice and power spectrum data of various reference phonemes, selection circuits for successively transferring these correlation data when they detect that three or more successive correlation data have values greater than a predetermined value, maximum data hold circuits for holding the maximum correlation data among the correlation data transferred from the respective selection circuits, and a phoneme determination circuit for determining the optimum phoneme by detecting one of the data hold circuits that is holding the maximum correlation data among the correlation data held in the data hold circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 1981
    Date of Patent: September 20, 1983
    Assignee: Tokyo Shibaura Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tsuneo Nitta, Hideki Kasuya