Abstract: The present invention provides a new component that is useful as a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine antigen that uses as a target a receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. The present invention contains the fusion protein, which includes hemagglutinin and a receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, and a vaccine containing the fusion protein.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a peptide that is capable of efficiently delivering an antigen to dendritic cells and improving the vaccine effects of the antigen. A peptide that has at least one motif sequence comprising the amino acid sequence of sequence listing 1, or an amino acid sequence comprising the aforementioned amino acid sequence, but in which a mutation has been induced in the amino acid residue at the first and/or second position of the amino acid sequence, is bound to an antigen protein or an antigen peptide to efficiently deliver the antigen protein or antigen peptide to dendritic cells, allowing for significantly superior vaccine effects to be exhibited.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide a peptide that is capable of efficiently delivering an antigen to dendritic cells and improving the vaccine effects of the antigen. A peptide that has at least one motif sequence comprising the amino acid sequence of sequence listing 1, or an amino acid sequence comprising the aforementioned amino acid sequence, but in which a mutation has been induced in the amino acid residue at the first and/or second position of the amino acid sequence, is bound to an antigen protein or an antigen peptide to efficiently deliver the antigen protein or antigen peptide to dendritic cells, allowing for significantly superior vaccine effects to be exhibited.

Abstract: Microphones are provided at an air inlet of the engine and a vehicle-cabin-side wall surface of an engine room, and engine sounds are picked up. The engine sound is processed by a signal processing section, and the processed engine sound is output from a speaker provided in a vehicle cabin. The signal processing section is provided with a filter which simulates a sound insulation characteristic of the vehicle cabin and a transformation section for processing the engine sound according to driving condition. A spectrum transformation characteristic of the transformation section is determined according to values detected by a vehicle speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, and an accelerator depression sensor, and a spectrum of the engine sound is transformed by means of specification of the spectrum transformation characteristic, thereby enhancing an engine sound.

Abstract: In a voice authentication apparatus, a characteristics analyzer analyzes characteristics of a sample noise which is generated around a subject while the subject generates a sample voice for authentication of the subject. A setting part sets a correction value according to the characteristics of the sample noise analyzed by the characteristics analyzer. A correction part corrects an index value, which indicates a degree of similarity between a feature quantity of a reference voice which has been previously registered and a feature quantity of the sample voice obtained from the subject, based on the set correction value. A determinator determines authenticity of the subject by comparing the corrected index value with a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: In a sound processing device, a modulation spectrum specifier specifies a modulation spectrum of an input sound for each of a plurality of unit intervals. An index calculator calculates an index value corresponding to a magnitude of components of modulation frequencies belonging to a predetermined range of the modulation spectrum. A determinator determines whether the input sound of each of the unit intervals is a vocal sound or a non-vocal sound based on the index value.

Abstract: In a sound effect applying apparatus, an input part frequency-analyzes an input signal of sound or voice for detecting a plurality of local peaks of harmonics contained in the input signal. A subharmonics provision part adds a spectrum component of subharmonics between the detected local peaks so as to provide the input signal with a sound effect. An output part converts the input signal of a frequency domain containing the added spectrum component into an output signal of a time domain for generating the sound or voice provided with the sound effect.

Abstract: Character extraction section extracts character amounts, pertaining to a prosody of voice, from a voice signal sequentially in a time-serial manner. Difference value calculation calculates a difference value between each of the extracted character amounts and a reference value. Processing values, corresponding to the individual character amounts, are generated in accordance with the respective difference values, and a voice processing section controls the individual character amounts of the voice signal in accordance with the processing values corresponding to the character amounts and thereby generates an output signal having a prosody changed from the prosody of the voice signal.

Abstract: Even in a state that the change of an environmental noise cannot be anticipated, a sound generating period in an audio signal can be specified with high accuracy. Sound in an audio space in which an audio signal processing system 1 is disposed is always collected by a microphone 20 and inputted to an audio signal processing device 10 as an audio signal. Before a user carried out a prescribed operation, the audio signals inputted from the microphone 20 are sequentially stored in a first buffer 121. After the prescribed operation is carried out, the audio signals are sequentially stored in a second buffer 122. A specifying part 114 considers the level of the audio signal stored in the first buffer 121 as the level of the environmental noise and the level of the audio signal sequentially stored in the second buffer 122 as the level of sound generated at a current time to calculate an S/N ratio.

Abstract: In a voice processing device, a male voice index calculator calculates a male voice index indicating a similarity of the input sound relative to a male speaker sound model. A female voice index calculator calculates a female voice index indicating a similarity of the input sound relative to a female speaker sound model. A first discriminator discriminates the input sound between a non-human-voice sound and a human voice sound which may be either of the male voice sound or the female voice sound. A second discriminator discriminates the input sound between the male voice sound and the female voice sound based on the male voice index and the female voice index in case that the first discriminator discriminates the human voice sound.

Abstract: Microphones are provided at an air inlet of the engine and a vehicle-cabin-side wall surface of an engine room, and engine sounds are picked up. The engine sound is processed by a signal processing section, and the processed engine sound is output from a speaker provided in a vehicle cabin. The signal processing section is provided with a filter which simulates a sound insulation characteristic of the vehicle cabin and a transformation section for processing the engine sound according to driving condition. A spectrum transformation characteristic of the transformation section is determined according to values detected by a vehicle speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, and an accelerator depression sensor, and a spectrum of the engine sound is transformed by means of specification of the spectrum transformation characteristic, thereby enhancing an engine sound.

Abstract: Microphones are provided at an air inlet of the engine and a vehicle-cabin-side wall surface of an engine room, and engine sounds are picked up. The engine sound is processed by a signal processing section, and the processed engine sound is output from a speaker provided in a vehicle cabin. The signal processing section is provided with a filter which simulates a sound insulation characteristic of the vehicle cabin and a transformation section for processing the engine sound according to driving condition. A spectrum transformation characteristic of the transformation section is determined according to values detected by a vehicle speed sensor, an engine speed sensor, and an accelerator depression sensor, and a spectrum of the engine sound is transformed by means of specification of the spectrum transformation characteristic, thereby enhancing an engine sound.

Abstract: A voice processing apparatus has a storage device that stores registration information containing a characteristic parameter of a given voice. The voice processing apparatus is further provided with a judgment unit, a management unit and a notification unit. The judgment unit judges whether an input voice is appropriate or not for creating or updating the registration information based on a degree of a difference between an inter-band correlation matrix of an input voice acquired this time and an inter-band correlation matrix of another input voice that is judged as being appropriate last time. The management unit creates or updates the registration information based on a characteristic parameter of the input voice when the judgment unit judges that the input voice is appropriate. The notification unit notifies a speaker of the input voice when the judgment unit judges that the input voice is inappropriate.

Abstract: Envelope identification section generates input envelope data (DEVin) indicative of a spectral envelope (EVin) of an input voice. Template acquisition section reads out, from a storage section, converting spectrum data (DSPt) indicative of a frequency spectrum (SPt) of a converting voice. On the basis of the input envelope data (DEVin) and the converting spectrum data (DSPt), a data generation section specifies a frequency spectrum (SPnew) corresponding in shape to the frequency spectrum (SPt) of the converting voice and having a substantially same spectral envelope as the spectral envelope (EVin) of the input voice, and the data generation section generates new spectrum data (DSPnew) indicative of the frequency spectrum (SPnew). Reverse FFT section and output processing section generates an output voice signal (Snew) on the basis of the new spectrum data (DSPnew).

Abstract: In a sound signal processing apparatus, a frame information generation section generates frame information of each frame of a sound signal. A storage stores the frame information generated by the frame information generation section. A first interval determination section determines a first utterance interval in the sound signal. A second interval determination section determines a second utterance interval based on the frame information of the first utterance interval stored in the storage such that the second utterance interval is made shorter than the first utterance interval and confined within the first utterance interval by trimming frames from either of a start point or an end point of the first utterance interval.

Abstract: A similarity degree estimation method is performed by two processes. In a first process, an inter-band correlation matrix is created from spectral data of an input voice such that the spectral data are divided into a plurality of discrete bands which are separated from each other with spaces therebetween along a frequency axis, a plurality of envelope components of the spectral data are obtained from the plurality of the discrete bands, and elements of the inter-band correlation matrix are correlation values between the respective envelope components of the input voice. In a second process, a degree of similarity is calculated between a pair of input voices to be compared with each other by using respective inter-band correlation matrices obtained for the pair of the input voices through the inter-band correlation matrix creation process.

Abstract: Spectrum envelope of an input sound is detected. In the meantime, a converting spectrum is acquired which is a frequency spectrum of a converting sound comprising a plurality of sounds, such as unison sounds. Output spectrum is generated by imparting the detected spectrum envelope of the input sound to the acquired converting spectrum. Sound signal is synthesized on the basis of the generated output spectrum. Further, a pitch of the input sound may be detected, and frequencies of peaks in the acquired converting spectrum may be varied in accordance with the detected pitch of the input sound. In this manner, the output spectrum can have the pitch and spectrum envelope of the input sound and spectrum frequency components of the converting sound comprising a plurality of sounds, and thus, unison sounds can be readily generated with simple arrangements.

Abstract: Character extraction section extracts character amounts, pertaining to a prosody of voice, from a voice signal sequentially in a time-serial manner. Difference value calculation calculates a difference value between each of the extracted character amounts and a reference value. Processing values, corresponding to the individual character amounts, are generated in accordance with the respective difference values, and a voice processing section controls the individual character amounts of the voice signal in accordance with the processing values corresponding to the character amounts and thereby generates an output signal having a prosody changed from the prosody of the voice signal.

Abstract: An apparatus is constructed for converting an input voice signal into an output voice signal according to a target voice signal. In the apparatus, an input device provides the input voice signal composed of original sinusoidal components and original residual components other than the original sinusoidal components. An extracting device extracts original attribute data from at least the sinusoidal components of the input voice signal. The original attribute data is characteristic of the input voice signal. A synthesizing device synthesizes new attribute data based on both of the original attribute data derived from the input voice signal and target attribute data being characteristic of the target voice signal composed of target sinusoidal components and target residual components other than the sinusoidal components. The target attribute data is derived from at least the target sinusoidal components.

Abstract: In a sound processing device, a modulation spectrum specifier specifies a modulation spectrum of an input sound for each of a plurality of unit intervals. An index calculator calculates an index value corresponding to a magnitude of components of modulation frequencies belonging to a predetermined range of the modulation spectrum. A determinator determines whether the input sound of each of the unit intervals is a vocal sound or a non-vocal sound based on the index value.