Excitation vector generator, speech coder and speech decoder

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an excitation vector generator capable of obtaining a high-quality synthesized speech, and a speech coder and a speech decoder which can code and decode a high-quality speech signal at a low bit rate.

BACKGROUND ART

A CELP (Code Excited Linear Prediction) type speech coder executes linear prediction for each of frames obtained by segmenting a speech at a given time, and codes predictive residuals (excitation signals) resulting from the frame-by-frame linear prediction, using an adaptive codebook having old excitation vectors stored therein and a random codebook which has a plurality of random code vectors stored therein. For instance, “Code-Excited Linear Prediction(CELP):High-Quality Speech at Very Low Bit Rate,” M. R. Schroeder, Proc. ICASSP '85, pp. 937-940 discloses a CELP type speech coder.

FIG. 1

illustrates the schematic structure of a CELP type speech coder. The CELP type speech coder separates vocal information into excitation information and vocal tract information and codes them. With regard to the vocal tract information, an input speech signal

10

is input to a filter coefficients analysis section

11

for linear prediction and linear predictive coefficients (LPCs) are coded by a filter coefficients quantization section

12

. Supplying the linear predictive coefficients to a synthesis filter

13

allows vocal tract information to be added to excitation information in the synthesis filter

13

. With regard to the excitation information, excitation vector search in an adaptive codebook

14

and a random codebook

15

is carried out for each segment obtained by further segmenting a frame (called subframe). The search in the adaptive codebook

14

and the search in the random codebook

15

are processes of determining the code number and gain (pitch gain) of an adaptive code vector, which minimizes coding distortion in an equation 1, and the code number and gain (random code gain) of a random code vector.

∥

v

−(

gaHp+gcHc

)∥

2

(1)

v: speech signal (vector)

H: impulse response convolution matrix of the

H = [\begin{matrix} h (0) & 0 & \dots & \dots & 0 & 0 \\ h (1) & h (0) & 0 & \dots & 0 & 0 \\ h (2) & h (1) & h (0) & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋰ & 0 & 0 \\ ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋰ & h (0) & 0 \\ h (L - 1) & \dots & \dots & \dots & h (1) & h (0) \end{matrix}]

synthesis filter.

where

h: impulse response (vector) of the synthesis filter

L: frame length

p: adaptive code vector

c: random code vector

ga: adaptive code gain (pitch gain)

gc: random code gain

Because a closed loop search of the code that minimizes the equation 1 involves a vast amount of computation for the code search, however, an ordinary CELP type speech coder first performs adaptive codebook search to specify the code number of an adaptive code vector, and then executes random codebook search based on the searching result to specify the code number of a random code vector.

The speech coder search by the CELP type speech coder will now be explained with reference to

FIGS. 2A through 2C

. In the figures, a code x is a target vector for the random codebook search obtained by an equation 2. It is assumed that the adaptive codebook search has already been accomplished.

x=v−gaHp

(2)

where

x: target (vector) for the random codebook search

v: speech signal (vector)

H: impulse response convolution matrix H of the synthesis filter

p: adaptive code vector

ga: adaptive code gain (pitch gain)

The random codebook search is a process of specifying a random code vector c which minimizes coding distortion that is defined by an equation 3 in a distortion calculator

16

as shown in FIG.

2

A.

∥x−gcHc∥

2

(3)

where

x: target (vector) for the random codebook search

H: impulse response convolution matrix of the synthesis filter

c: random code vector

gc: random code gain.

The distortion calculator

16

controls a control switch

21

to switch a random code vector to be read from the random codebook

15

until the random code vector c is specified.

An actual CELP type speech coder has a structure in

FIG. 2B

to reduce the computational complexities, and a distortion calculator

16

′ carries out a process of specifying a code number which maximizes a distortion measure in an equation 4.

\begin{matrix} \frac{{(x^{'} Hc)}^{2}}{{&LeftDoubleBracketingBar; Hc &RightDoubleBracketingBar;}^{2}} = \frac{{((x^{'} H) c)}^{2}}{{&LeftDoubleBracketingBar; Hc &RightDoubleBracketingBar;}^{2}} = \frac{{(x^{″} c)}^{2}}{{&LeftDoubleBracketingBar; Hc &RightDoubleBracketingBar;}^{2}} = \frac{{(x^{″} c)}^{2}}{c^{'} H^{'} Hc} & (4) \end{matrix}

where

x: target (vector) for the random codebook search

H: impulse response convolution matrix of the synthesis filter

H

t

: transposed matrix of H

X

t

: time reverse synthesis of x using H (x′

t

=x

t

H)

c: random code vector.

Specifically, the random codebook control switch

21

is connected to one terminal of the random codebook

15

and the random code vector C is read from an address corresponding to that terminal. The read random code vector c is synthesized with vocal tract information by the synthesis filter

13

, producing a synthesized vector Hc. Then, the distortion calculator

16

′ computes a distortion measure in the equation 4 using a vector x′ obtained by a time reverse process of a target x, the vector Hc resulting from synthesis of the random code vector in the synthesis filter and the random code vector c. As the random codebook control switch

21

is switched, computation of the distortion measure is performed for every random code vector in the random codebook.

Finally, the number of the random codebook control switch

21

that had been connected when the distortion measure in the equation 4 became maximum is sent to a code output section

17

as the code number of the random code vector.

FIG. 2C

shows a partial structure of a speech decoder. The switching of the random codebook control switch

21

is controlled in such a way as to read out the random code vector that has a transmitted code number. After a transmitted random code gain gc and filter coefficient are set in an amplifier

23

and a synthesis filter

24

, a random code vector is read out to restore a synthesized speech.

In the above-described speech coder/speech decoder, the greater the number of random code vectors stored as excitation information in the random codebook

15

is, the more possible it is to search a random code vector close to the excitation vector of an actual speech. As the capacity of the random codebook (ROM) is limited, however, it is not possible to store countless random code vectors corresponding to all the excitation vectors in the random codebook. This restricts improvement on the quality of speeches.

Also has proposed an algebraic excitation which can significantly reduce the computational complexities of coding distortion in a distortion calculator and can eliminate a random codebook (ROM) (described in “8 KBIT/S ACELP CODING OF SPEECH WITH 10 MS SPEECH-FRAME: A CANDIDATE FOR CCITT STANDARDIZATION”: R. Salami, C. Laflamme, J-P. Adoul, ICASSP '94, pp. II-97 to II-100, 1994).

The algebraic excitation considerably reduces the complexities of computation of coding distortion by previously computing the results of convolution of the impulse response of a synthesis filter and a time-reversed target and the autocorrelation of the synthesis filter and developing them in a memory. Further, a ROM in which random code vectors have been stored is eliminated by algebraically generating random code vectors. A CS-ACELP and ACELP which use the algebraic excitation have been recommended respectively as G. 729 and G. 723.1 from the ITU-T.

In the CELP type speech coder/speech decoder equipped with the above-described algebraic excitation in a random codebook section, however, a target for a random codebook search is always coded with a pulse sequence vector, which puts a limit to improvement on speech quality.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an excitation vector generator, a speech coder and a speech decoder, which can significantly suppress the memory capacity as compared with a case where random code vectors are stored directly in a random codebook, and can improve the speech quality.

It is a secondary object of this invention to provide an excitation vector generator, a speech coder and a speech decoder, which can generate complicated random code vectors as compared with a case where an algebraic excitation is provided in a random codebqok section and a target for a random codebook search is coded with a pulse sequence vector, and can improve the speech quality.

In this invention, the fixed code vector reading section and fixed codebook of a conventional CELP type speech coder/decoder are respectively replaced with an oscillator, which outputs different vector sequences in accordance with the values of input seeds, and a seed storage section which stores a plurality of seeds (seeds of the oscillator). This eliminates the need for fixed code vectors to be stored directly in a fixed codebook (ROM) and can thus reduce the memory capacity significantly.

Further, according to this invention, the random code vector reading section and random codebook of the conventional CELP type speech coder/decoder are respectively replaced with an oscillator and a seed storage section. This eliminates the need for random code vectors to be stored directly in a random codebook (ROM) and can thus reduce the memory capacity significantly.

The invention is an excitation vector generator which is so designed as to store a plurality of fixed waveforms, arrange the individual fixed waveforms at respective start positions based on start position candidate information and add those fixed waveforms to generate an excitation vector. This can permit an excitation vector close to an actual speech to be generated.

Further, the invention is a CELP type speech coder/decoder constructed by using the above excitation vector generator as a random codebook. A fixed waveform arranging section may algebraically generate start position candidate information of fixed waveforms.

Furthermore, the invention is a CELP type speech coder/decoder, which stores a plurality of fixed waveforms, generates an impulse with respect to start position candidate information of each fixed waveform, convolutes the impulse response of a synthesis filter and each fixed waveform to generate an impulse response for each fixed waveform, computes the autocorrelations and correlations of impulse responses of the individual fixed waveforms and develop them in a correlation matrix. This can provide a speech coder/decoder which improves the quality of a synthesized speech at about the same computation cost as needed in a case of using an algebraic excitation as a random codebook.

Moreover, this invention is a CELP type speech coder/decoder equipped with a plurality of random codebooks and switch means for selecting one of the random codebooks. At least one random codebook may be the aforementioned excitation vector generator, or at least one random codebook may be a vector storage section having a plurality of random number sequences stored therein or a pulse sequences storage section having a plurality of random number sequences stored therein, or at least two random codebooks each having the aforementioned excitation vector generator may be provided with the number of fixed waveforms to be stored differing from one random codebook to another, and the switch means selects one of the random codebooks so as to minimize coding distortion at the time of searching a random codebook or adaptively selects one random codebook according to the result of analysis of speech segments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1

is a schematic diagram of a conventional CELP type speech coder;

FIG. 2A

is a block diagram of an excitation vector generating section in the speech coder in

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 2B

is a block diagram of a modification of the excitation vector generating section which is designed to reduce the computation cost;

FIG. 2C

is a block diagram of an excitation vector generating section in a speech decoder which is used as a pair with the speech coder in

FIG. 1

;

FIG. 3

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a first mode;

FIG. 4

is a block diagram of an excitation vector generator equipped in the speech coder of the first mode;

FIG. 5

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a second mode;

FIG. 6

is a block diagram of an excitation vector generator equipped in the speech coder of the second mode;

FIG. 7

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to third and fourth modes;

FIG. 8

is a block diagram of an excitation vector generator equipped in the speech coder of the third mode;

FIG. 9

is a block diagram of a non-linear digital filter equipped in the speech coder of the fourth mode;

FIG. 10

is a diagram of the adder characteristic of the non-linear digital filter shown in

FIG. 9

;

FIG. 11

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a fifth mode;

FIG. 12

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a sixth mode;

FIG. 13A

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a seventh mode;

FIG. 13B

is a block diagram of the essential portions of the speech coder according to the seventh mode;

FIG. 14

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech decoder according to an eighth mode;

FIG. 15

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a ninth mode;

FIG. 16

is a block diagram of a quantization target LSP adding section equipped in the speech coder according to the ninth mode;

FIG. 17

is a block diagram of an LSP quantizing/decoding section equipped in the speech coder according to the ninth mode;

FIG. 18

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a tenth mode;

FIG. 19A

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to an eleventh mode;

FIG. 19B

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech decoder according to the eleventh mode;

FIG. 20

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a twelfth mode;

FIG. 21

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a thirteenth mode;

FIG. 22

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a fourteenth mode;

FIG. 23

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a fifteenth mode;

FIG. 24

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a sixteenth mode;

FIG. 25

is a block diagram of a vector quantizing section in the sixteenth mode;

FIG. 26

is a block diagram of a parameter coding section of a speech coder according to a seventeenth mode; and

FIG. 27

is a block diagram of a noise canceler according to an eighteenth mode.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Preferred modes of the present invention will now be described specifically with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First Mode)

FIG. 3

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to this mode. This speech coder comprises an excitation vector generator

30

, which has a seed storage section

31

and an oscillator

32

, and an LPC synthesis filter

33

.

Seeds (oscillation seeds)

34

output from the seed storage section

31

are input to the oscillator

32

. The oscillator

32

outputs different vector sequences according to the values of the input seeds. The oscillator

32

oscillates with the content according to the value of the seed (oscillation seed)

34

and outputs an excitation vector

35

as a vector sequence. The LPC synthesis filter

33

is supplied with vocal tract information in the form of the impulse response convolution matrix of the synthesis filter, and performs convolution on the excitation vector

35

with the impulse response, yielding a synthesized speech

36

. The impulse response convolution of the excitation vector

35

is called LPC synthesis.

FIG. 4

shows the specific structure the excitation vector generator

30

. A seed to be read from the seed storage section

31

is switched by a control switch

41

for the seed storage section in accordance with a control signal given from a distortion calculator.

Simple storing of a plurality of seeds for outputting different vector sequences from the oscillator

32

in the seed storage section

31

can allow more random code vectors to be generated with less capacity as compared with a case where complicated random code vectors are directly stored in a random codebook.

Although this mode has been described as a speech coder, the excitation vector generator

30

can be adapted to a speech decoder. In this case, the speech decoder has a seed storage section with the same contents as those of the seed storage section

31

of the speech coder and the control switch

41

for the seed storage section is supplied with a seed number selected at the time of coding.

(Second Mode)

FIG. 5

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to this mode. This speech coder comprises an excitation vector generator

50

, which has a seed storage section

51

and a non-linear oscillator

52

, and an LPC synthesis filter

53

.

Seeds (oscillation seeds)

54

output from the seed storage section

51

are input to the non-linear oscillator

52

. An excitation vector

55

as a vector sequence output from the non-linear oscillator

52

is input to the LPC synthesis filter

53

. The output of the LPC synthesis filter

53

is a synthesized speech

56

.

The non-linear oscillator

52

outputs different vector sequences according to the values of the input seeds

54

, and the LPC synthesis filter

53

performs LPC synthesis on the input excitation vector

55

to output the synthesized speech

56

.

FIG. 6

shows the functional blocks of the excitation vector generator

50

. A seed to be read from the seed storage section

51

is switched by a control switch

41

for the seed storage section in accordance with a control signal given from a distortion calculator.

The use of the non-linear oscillator

52

as an oscillator in the excitation vector

50

can suppress divergence with oscillation according to the non-linear characteristic, and can provide practical excitation vectors.

Although this mode has been described as a speech coder, the excitation vector generator

50

can be adapted to a speech decoder. In this case, the speech decoder has a seed storage section with the same contents as those of the seed storage section

51

of the speech coder and the control switch

41

for the seed storage section is supplied with a seed number selected at the time of coding.

(Third Mode)

FIG. 7

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to this mode. This speech coder comprises an excitation vector generator

70

, which has a seed storage section

71

and a non-linear digital filter

72

, and an LPC synthesis filter

73

. In the diagram, numeral “

74

” denotes a seed (oscillation seed) which is output from the seed storage section

71

and input to the non-linear digital filter

72

, numeral “

75

” is an excitation vector as a vector sequence output from the non-linear digital filter

72

, and numeral “

76

” is a synthesized speech output from the LPC synthesis filter

73

.

The excitation vector generator

70

has a control switch

41

for the seed storage section which switches a seed to be read from the seed storage section

71

in accordance with a control signal given from a distortion calculator, as shown in FIG.

8

.

The non-linear digital filter

72

outputs different vector sequences according to the values of the input seeds, and the LPC synthesis filter

73

performs LPC synthesis on the input excitation vector

75

to output the synthesized speech

76

.

The use of the non-linear digital filter

72

as an oscillator in the excitation vector

70

can suppress divergence with oscillation according to the non-linear characteristic, and can provide practical excitation vectors. Although this mode has been described as a speech coder, the excitation vector generator

70

can be adapted to a speech decoder. In this case, the speech decoder has a seed storage section with the same contents as those of the seed storage section

71

of the speech coder and the control switch

41

for the seed storage section is supplied with a seed number selected at the time of coding.

(Fourth Mode)

A speech coder according to this mode comprises an excitation vector generator

70

, which has a seed storage section

71

and a non-linear digital filter

72

, and an LPC synthesis filter

73

, as shown in FIG.

7

.

Particularly, the non-linear digital filter

72

has a structure as depicted in FIG.

9

. This non-linear digital filter

72

includes an adder

91

having a non-linear adder characteristic as shown in

FIG. 10

, filter state holding sections

92

to

93

capable of retaining the states (the values of y(k−1) to y(k−N)) of the digital filter, and multipliers

94

to

95

, which are connected in parallel to the outputs of the respective filter state holding sections

92

-

93

, multiply filter states by gains and output the results to the adder

91

. The initial values of the filter states are set in the filter state holding sections

92

-

93

by seeds read from the seed storage section

71

. The values of the gains of the multipliers

94

-

95

are so fixed that the polarity of the digital filter lies outside a unit circle on a Z plane.

FIG. 10

is a conceptual diagram of the non-linear adder characteristic of the adder

91

equipped in the non-linear digital filter

72

, and shows the input/output relation of the adder

91

which has a 2's complement characteristic. The adder

91

first acquires the sum of adder inputs or the sum of the input values to the adder

91

, and then uses the non-linear characteristic illustrated in

FIG. 10

to compute an adder output corresponding to the input sum.

In particular, the non-linear digital filter

72

is a second-order all-pole model so that the two filter state holding sections

92

and

93

are connected in series, and the multipliers

94

and

95

are connected to the outputs of the filter state holding sections

92

and

93

. Further, the digital filter in which the non-linear adder characteristic of the adder

91

is a 2's complement characteristic is used. Furthermore, the seed storage section

71

retains seed vectors of 32 words as particularly described in Table 1.

TABLE 1

Seed vectors for generating random code vectors

i

Sy(n-1)[i]

Sy(n-2)[i]

i

Sy(n-1)[i]

Sy(n-2)[i]

1

0.250000

0.250000

9

0.109521

−0.761210

2

−0.564643

−0.104927

10

−0.202115

0.198718

3

0.173879

−0.978792

11

−0.095041

0.863849

4

0.632652

0.951133

12

−0.634213

0.424549

5

0.920360

−0.113881

13

0.948225

−0.184861

6

0.864873

−0.860368

14

−0.958269

0.969458

7

0.732227

0.497037

15

0.233709

−0.057248

8

0.917543

−0.035103

16

−0.852085

−0.564948

In the thus constituted speech coder, seed vectors read from the seed storage section

71

are given as initial values to the filter state holding sections

92

and

93

of the non-linear digital filter

72

. Every time zero is input to the adder

91

from an input vector (zero sequences), the non-linear digital filter

72

outputs one sample (y(k)) at a time which is sequentially transferred as a filter state to the filter state holding sections

92

and

93

. At this time, the multipliers

94

and

95

multiply the filter states output from the filter state holding sections

92

and

93

by gains a1 and a2 respectively. The adder

91

adds the outputs of the multipliers

94

and

95

to acquire the sum of the adder inputs, and generates an adder output which is suppressed between +1 to −1 based on the characteristic in FIG.

10

. This adder output (y(k+1)) is output as an excitation vector and is sequentially transferred to the filter state holding sections

92

and

93

to produce a new sample (y(k+2)).

Since the coefficients 1 to N of the multipliers

94

-

95

are fixed so that particularly the poles of the non-linear digital filter lies outside a unit circle on the Z plane according to this mode, thereby providing the adder

91

with a non-linear adder characteristic, the divergence of the output can be suppressed even when the input to the non-linear digital filter

72

becomes large, and excitation vectors good for practical use can be kept generated. Further, the randomness of excitation vectors to be generated can be secured.

Although this mode has been described as a speech coder, the excitation vector generator

70

can be adapted to a speech decoder. In this case, the speech decoder has a seed storage section with the same contents as those of the seed storage section

71

of the speech coder and the control switch

41

for the seed storage section is supplied with a seed number selected at the time of coding.

(Fifth Mode)

FIG. 11

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to this mode. This speech coder comprises an excitation vector generator

110

, which has an excitation vector storage section

111

and an added-excitation-vector generator

112

, and an LPC synthesis filter

113

.

The excitation vector storage section

111

retains old excitation vectors which are read by a control switch upon reception of a control signal from an unillustrated distortion calculator.

The added-excitation-vector generator

112

performs a predetermined process, indicated by an added-excitation-vector number excitation vector, on an old excitation-vector read from the storage section

111

to produce a new excitation vector. The added-excitation-vector generator

112

has a function of switching the process content for an old excitation vector in accordance with the added-excitation-vector number.

According to the thus constituted speech coder, an added-excitation-vector number is given from the distortion calculator which is executing, for example, an excitation vector search. The added-excitation-vector generator

112

executes different processes on old excitation vectors depending on the value of the input added-excitation-vector number to generate different added excitation vectors, and the LPC synthesis filter

113

performs LPC synthesis on the input excitation vector to output a synthesized speech.

According to this mode, random excitation vectors can be generated simply by storing fewer old excitation vectors in the excitation vector storage section

111

and switching the process contents by means of the added-excitation-vector generator

112

, and it is unnecessary to store random code vectors directly in a random codebook (ROM). This can significantly reduce the memory capacity.

Although this mode has been described as a speech coder, the excitation vector generator

110

can be adapted to a speech decoder. In this case, the speech decoder has an excitation vector storage section with the same contents as those of the excitation vector storage section

111

of the speech coder and an added-excitation-vector number selected at the time of coding is given to the added-excitation-vector generator

112

.

(Sixth Mode)

FIG. 12

shows the functional blocks of an excitation vector generator according to this mode. This excitation vector generator comprises an added-excitation-vector generator

120

and an excitation vector storage section

121

where a plurality of element vectors 1 to N are stored.

The added-excitation-vector generator

120

includes a reading section

122

which performs a process of reading a plurality of element vectors of different lengths from different positions in the excitation vector storage section

121

, a reversing section

123

which performs a process of sorting the read element vectors in the reverse order, a multiplying section

124

which performs a process of multiplying a plurality of vectors after the reverse process by different gains respectively, a decimating section

125

which performs a process of shortening the vector lengths of a plurality of vectors after the multiplication, an interpolating section

126

which performs a process of lengthening the vector lengths of the thinned vectors, an adding section

127

which performs a process of adding the interpolated vectors, and a process determining/instructing section

128

which has a function of determining a specific processing scheme according to the value of the input added-excitation-vector number and instructing the individual sections and a function of holding a conversion map (Table 2) between numbers and processes which is referred to at the time of determining the specific process contents.

TABLE 2

Conversion map between numbers and processes

Bit stream (MS . . . LSB)

6

5

4

3

2

1

0

V1 reading position

3

2

1

0

(16 kinds)

V2 reading position

2

1

0

4

3

(32 kinds)

V3 reading position

4

3

2

1

0

(32 kinds)

Reverse process

0

(2 kinds)

Multiplication

1

0

(4 kinds)

decimating process

1

0

(4 kinds)

interpolation

0

(2 kinds)

The added-excitation-vector generator

120

will now be described more specifically. The added-excitation-vector generator

120

determines specific processing schemes for the reading section

122

, the reversing section

123

, the multiplying section

124

, the decimating section

125

, the interpolating section

126

and the adding section

127

by comparing the input added-excitation-vector number (which is a sequence of 7 bits taking any integer value from 0 to 127) with the conversion map between numbers and processes (Table 2), and reports the specific processing schemes to the respective sections. The reading section

122

first extracts an element vector 1 (V1) of a length of 100 from one end of the excitation vector storage section

121

to the position of n1, paying attention to a sequence of the lower four bits of the input added-excitation-vector number (n1: an integer value from 0 to 15). Then, the reading section

122

extracts an element vector 2 (V2) of a length of 78 from the end of the excitation vector storage section

121

to the position of n2+14 (an integer value from 14 to 45), paying attention to a sequence of five bits (n2: an integer value from 14 to 45) having the lower two bits and the upper three bits of the input added-excitation-vector number linked together. Further, the reading section

122

performs a process of extracting an element vector 3 (V3) of a length of Ns (=52) from one end of the excitation vector storage section

121

to the position of n3+46 (an integer value from 46 to 77), paying attention to a sequence of the upper five bits of the input added-excitation-vector number (n3:an integer value from 0 to 31), and sending V1, V2 and V3 to the reversing section

123

.

The reversing section

123

performs a process of sending a vector having V1, V2 and V3 rearranged in the reverse order to the multiplying section

124

as new V1, V2 and V3 when the least significant bit of the added-excitation-vector number is “0” and sending V1, V2 and V3 as they are to the multiplying section

124

when the least significant bit is “1.”

Paying attention to a sequence of two bits having the upper seventh and sixth bits of the added-excitation-vector number linked, the multiplying section

124

multiplies the amplitude of V2 by −2 when the bit sequence is “00,” multiplies the amplitude of V3 by −2 when the bit sequence is “01,” multiplies the amplitude of V1 by −2 when the bit sequence is “10” or multiplies the amplitude of V2 by 2 when the bit sequence is “11,” and sends the result as new V1, V2 and V3 to the decimating section

125

.

Paying attention to a sequence of two bits having the upper fourth and third bits of the added-excitation-vector number linked, the decimating section

125

(a) sends vectors of 26 samples extracted every other sample from V1, V2 and V3 as new V1, V2 and V3 to the interpolating section

126

when the bit sequence is “00,” (b) sends vectors of 26 samples extracted every other sample from V1 and V3 and every third sample from V2 as new V1, V3 and V2 to the interpolating section

126

when the bit sequence is “01,”(c) sends vectors of 26 samples extracted every fourth sample from V1 and every other sample from V2 and V3 as new V1, V2 and V3 to the interpolating section

126

when the bit sequence is “10,” and (d) sends vectors of 26 samples extracted every fourth sample from V1, every third sample from V2 and every other sample from V3 as new V1, V2 and V3 to the interpolating section

126

when the bit sequence is “11.”

Paying attention to the upper third bit of the added-excitation-vector number, the interpolating section

126

(a) sends vectors which have V1, V2 and V3 respectively substituted in even samples of zero vectors of a length Ns (=52) as new V1, V2 and V3 to the adding section

127

when the value of the third bit is “0” and

(b) sends vectors which have V1, V2 and V3 respectively substituted in odd samples of zero vectors of a length Ns (=52) as new V1, V2 and V3 to the adding section

127

when the value of the third bit is “1.”

The adding section

127

adds the three vectors (V1, V2 and V3) produced by the interpolating section

126

to generate an added excitation vector.

According to this mode, as apparent from the above, a plurality of processes are combined at random in accordance with the added-excitation-vector number to produce random excitation vectors, so that it is unnecessary to store random code vectors as they are in a random codebook (ROM), ensuring a significant reduction in memory capacity.

Note that the use of the excitation vector generator of this mode in the speech coder of the fifth mode can allow complicated and random excitation vectors to be generated without using a large-capacity random codebook.

(Seventh Mode)

A description will now be given of a seventh mode in which the excitation vector generator of any one of the above-described first to sixth modes is used in a CELP type speech coder that is based on the PSI-CELP, the standard speech coding/decoding system for PDC digital portable telephones in Japan.

FIG. 13A

is presents a block diagram of a speech coder according to the seventh mode. In this speech coder, digital input speech data

1300

is supplied to a buffer

1301

frame by frame (frame length Nf=104). At this time, old data in the buffer

1301

is updated with new data supplied. A frame power quantizing/decoding section

1302

first reads a processing frame s(i) (0≦i≦Nf−1) of a length Nf (=104) from the buffer

1301

and acquires mean power amp of samples in that processing frame from an equation 5.

\begin{matrix} amp = \sqrt{\frac{\sum_{i = 0}^{Nf} s^{2} (i)}{Nf}} & (5) \end{matrix}

where

amp: mean power of samples in a processing frame

i: element number (0≦i≦Nf−1) in the processing frame

s(i): samples in the processing frame

Nf: processing frame length (=52).

The acquired mean power amp of samples in the processing frame is converted to a logarithmically converted value amplog from an equation 6.

\begin{matrix} amp \log = \frac{\log_{10} (255 \times amp + 1)}{\log_{10} (255 + 1)} & (6) \end{matrix}

where

amplog: logarithmically converted value of the mean power of samples in the processing frame

amp: mean power of samples in the processing frame.

The acquired amplog is subjected to scalar quantization using a scalar-quantization table Cpow of 10 words as shown in Table 3 stored in a power quantization table storage section

1303

to acquire an index of power Ipow of four bits, decoded frame power spow is obtained from the acquired index of power Ipow, and the index of power Ipow and decoded frame power spow are supplied to a parameter coding section

1331

. The power quantization table storage section

1303

is holding a power scalar-quantization table (Table 3) of 16 words, which is referred to when the frame power quantizing/decoding section

1302

carries out scalar quantization of the logarithmically converted value of the mean power of the samples in the processing frame.

TABLE 3

Power scalar-quantization table

i

Cpow(i)

i

Cpow(i)

1

0.00675

9

0.39247

2

0.06217

10

0.42920

3

0.10877

11

0.46252

4

0.16637

12

0.49503

5

0.21876

13

0.52784

6

0.26123

14

0.56484

7

0.30799

15

0.61125

8

0.35228

16

0.67498

An LPC analyzing section

1304

first reads analysis segment data of an analysis segment length Nw (=256) from the buffer

1301

, multiplies the read analysis segment data by a Hamming window of a window length Nw (=256) to yield a Hamming windowed analysis data and acquires the autocorrelation function of the obtained Hamming windowed analysis data to a prediction order Np (=10). The-obtained autocorrelation function is multiplied by a lag window table (Table 4) of 10 words stored in a lag window storage section

1305

to acquire a Hamming windowed autocorrelation function, performs linear predictive analysis on the obtained Hamming windowed autocorrelation function to compute an LPC parameter α(i) (1≦i≦Np) and outputs the parameter to a pitch pre-selector

1308

.

TABLE 4

Lag window table

i

Wlag(i)

i

Wlag(i)

0

0.9994438

5

0.9801714

1

0.9977772

6

0.9731081

2

0.9950056

7

0.9650213

3

0.9911382

8

0.9559375

4

0.9861880

9

0.9458861

Next, the obtained LPC parameter α(i) is converted to an LSP (Linear Spectrum Pair) ω(i) (1≦i≦Np) which is in turn output to an LSP quantizing/decoding section

1306

. The lag window storage section

1305

is holding a lag window table to which the LPC analyzing section refers.

The LSP quantizing/decoding section

1306

first refers to a vector quantization table of an LSP stored in a LSP quantization table storage section

1307

to perform vector quantization on the LSP received from the LPC analyzing section

1304

, thereby selecting an optimal index, and sends the selected index as an LSP code Ilsp to the parameter coding section

1331

. Then, a centroid corresponding to the LSP code is read as a decoded LSP ωq(i) (1≦i≦Np) from the LSP quantization table storage section

1307

, and the read decoded LSP is sent to an LSP interpolation section

1311

. Further, the decoded LSP is converted to an LPC to acquire a decoded LSP αq(i) (1≦i≦Np), which is in turn sent to a spectral weighting filter coefficients calculator

1312

and a perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter coefficients calculator

1314

. The LSP quantization table storage section

1307

is holding an LSP vector quantization table to which the LSP quantizing/decoding section

1306

refers when performing vector quantization on an LSP.

The pitch pre-selector

1308

first subjects the processing frame data s(i) (0≦i≦Nf−1) read from the buffer

1301

to inverse filtering using the LPC a (i) (1≦i≦Np) received from the LPC analyzing section

1304

to obtain a linear predictive residual signal res(i) (0≦i≦Nf−1), computes the power of the obtained linear predictive residual signal res(i), acquires a normalized predictive residual power resid resulting from normalization of the power of the computed residual signal with the power of speech samples of a processing subframe, and sends the normalized predictive residual power to the parameter coding section

1331

. Next, the linear predictive residual signal res(i) is multiplied by a Hamming window of a length Nw (=256) to produce a Hamming windowed linear predictive residual signal resw(i) (0≦i≦Nw−1), and an autocorrelation function φint(i) of the produced resw(i) is obtained over a range of Lmin−2≦i≦Lmax+2 (where Lmin is 16 in the shortest analysis segment of a long predictive coefficient and Lmax is 128 in the longest analysis segment of a long predictive coefficient). A polyphase filter coefficient Cppf (Table 5) of 28 words stored in a polyphase coefficients storage section

1309

is convoluted in the obtained autocorrelation function φint(i) to acquire an autocorrelation function φdq(i) at a fractional position shifted by −¼ from an integer lag int, an autocorrelation function φaq(i) at a fractional position shifted by +¼ from the integer lag int, and an autocorrelation function φah(i) at a fractional position shifted by +½ from the integer lag int.

TABLE 5

Polyphase filter coefficients Cppf

i

Cppf(i)

i

Cppf(i)

i

Cppf(i)

i

Cppf(i)

0

0.100035

7

0.000000

14

−0.128617

21

−0.212207

1

−0.180063

8

0.000000

15

0.300105

22

0.636620

2

0.900316

9

1.000000

16

0.900316

23

0.636620

3

0.300105

10

0.000000

17

−0.180063

24

−0.212207

4

−0.128617

11

0.000000

18

0.100035

25

0.127324

5

0.081847

12

0.000000

19

−0.069255

26

−0.090946

6

−0.060021

13

0.000000

20

0.052960

27

0.070736

Further, for each argument i in a range of Lmin−2≦i≦Lmax+2, a process of an equation 7 of substituting the largest one of φint(i), φdq(i), φaq(i) and φah(i) in φmax(i) to acquire (Lmax−Lmin+1) pieces of φmax(i).

φmax(

i

)=MAX(φint(

i

),φdq(

i

),φaq(

i

),φah(

i

)) φmax(

i

): maximum value of φint(

i

), φdq(

i

), φaq(

i

), φah(

i

) (7)

where

φmax(i): the maximum value among φint(i), φdq(i), φaq(i), φah(i)

I: analysis segment of a long predictive coefficient (Lmin≦i≦Lmax)

Lmin: shortest analysis segment (=16) of the long predictive coefficient

Lmax: longest analysis segment (=128) of the long predictive coefficient

φint(i): autocorrelation function of an integer lag (int) of a predictive residual signal

φdq(i): autocorrelation function of a fractional lag (int−¼) of the predictive residual signal

φaq(i): autocorrelation function of a fractional lag (int+¼) of the predictive residual signal

φah(i): autocorrelation function of a fractional lag (int+½) of the predictive residual signal.

Larger top six are selected from the acquire (Lmax−Lmin +1) pieces of φmax(i) and are saved as pitch candidates psel(i) (0≦i≦5), and the linear predictive residual signal res(i) and the first pitch candidate psel(0) are sent to a pitch weighting filter calculator

1310

and psel(i) (0≦i≦5) to an adaptive code vector generator

1319

.

The polyphase coefficients storage section

1309

is holding polyphase filter coefficients to be referred to when the pitch pre-selector

1308

acquires the autocorrelation of the linear predictive residual signal to a fractional lag precision and when the adaptive code vector generator

1319

produces adaptive code vectors to a fractional precision.

The pitch weighting filter calculator

1310

acquires pitch predictive coefficients cov(i) (0≦i≦2) of a third order from the linear predictive residuals res(i) and the first pitch candidate psel(0) obtained by the pitch pre-selector

1308

. The impulse response of a pitch weighting filter Q(z) is obtained from an equation which uses the acquired pitch predictive coefficients cov(i) (0≦i≦2), and is sent to the spectral weighting filter coefficients calculator

1312

and a perceptual weighting filter coefficients calculator

1313

.

\begin{matrix} Q (z) = 1 + \sum_{i = 0}^{2} cov (i) \times λ pi \times z - psel (0) + i - 1 & (8) \end{matrix}

where

Q(z): transfer function of the pitch weighting filter

cov(i): pitch predictive coefficients (0≦i≦2)

λpi: pitch weighting constant (=0.4)

psel(0): first pitch candidate.

The LSP interpolation section

1311

first acquires a decoded interpolated LSP ωintp(n,i) (1≦i≦Np) subframe by subframe from an equation 9 which uses a decoded LSP ωq(i) for the current processing frame, obtained by the LSP quantizing/decoding section

1306

, and a decoded LSP ωqp(i) for a previous processing frame which has been acquired and saved earlier.

\begin{matrix} ω intp (n, i) = {\begin{matrix} 0.4 \times ω q (i) + 0.6 \times ω qp (i) & n = 1 \\ ω q (i) & n = 2 \end{matrix} & (9) \end{matrix}

where

ωintp(n,j): interpolated LSP of the n-th subframe

n: subframe number (=1,2)

ωq(i): decoded LSP of a processing frame

ωqp(i): decoded LSP of a previous processing frame.

A decoded interpolated LPC αq(n,i) (1≦i≦Np) is obtained by converting the acquired ωintp(n,i) to an LPC and the acquired, decoded interpolated LPC αq(n,i) (1≦i≦Np) is sent to the spectral weighting filter coefficients calculator

1312

and the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter coefficients calculator

1314

.

The spectral weighting filter coefficients calculator

1312

, which constitutes an MA type spectral weighting filter I(z) in an equation 10, sends its impulse response to the perceptual weighting filter coefficients calculator

1313

.

\begin{matrix} I (z) = \sum_{i = 1}^{Nfir} α fir (i) \times z^{- i} & (10) \end{matrix}

where

I(z): transfer function of the MA type spectral weighting filter

Nfir: filter order (=11) of I(z)

αfir(i): filter order (1≦i≦Nfir) of I(z).

Note that the impulse response αfir(i) (1≦i≦Nfir) in the equation 10 is an impulse response of an ARMA type spectral weighting filter G(z), given by an equation 11, cut after Nfir (=11).

\begin{matrix} G (z) = \frac{1 + \sum_{i = 1}^{Np} α (n, i) \times λ {ma}^{i} \times z^{- i}}{1 + \sum_{i = 1}^{Np} α (n, i) \times λ a r^{i} \times z^{- i}} & (11) \end{matrix}

where

G(z): transfer function of the spectral weighting filter

n: subframe number (=1, 2)

Np: LPC analysis order (=10)

α(n,i): decoded interpolated LSP of the n-th subframe

λma: numerator constant (=0.9) of G(z)

λar: denominator constant (=0.4) of G(z).

The perceptual weighting filter coefficients calculator

1313

first constitutes a perceptual weighting filter W(z) which has as an impulse response the result of convolution of the impulse response of the spectral weighting filter I(z) received from the spectral weighting filter coefficients calculator

1312

and the impulse response of the pitch weighting filter Q(z) received from the pitch weighting filter calculator

1310

, and sends the impulse response of the constituted perceptual weighting filter W(z) to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter coefficients calculator

1314

and a perceptual weighting section

1315

.

The perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter coefficients calculator

1314

constitutes a perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter H(z) from an equation 12 based on the decoded interpolated LPC αq(n,i) received from the LSP interpolation section

1311

and the perceptual weighting filter W(z) received from the perceptual weighting filter coefficients calculator

1313

.

\begin{matrix} H (z) = \frac{1}{1 + \sum_{i = 1}^{Np} α q (n, i) \times z^{- i}} W (z) & (12) \end{matrix}

where

H(z): transfer function of the perceptual weighted synthesis filter

Np: LPC analysis order

αq(n,i): decoded interpolated LPC of the n-th subframe

n: subframe number (=1, 2)

W(z): transfer function of the perceptual weighting filter (I(z) and Q(z) cascade-connected).

The coefficient of the constituted perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter H(z) is sent to a target vector generator A

1316

, a perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter A

1317

, a perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter A

1321

, a perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter B

1326

and a perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter B

1329

.

The perceptual weighting section

1315

inputs a subframe signal read from the buffer

1301

to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter H(z) in a zero state, and sends its outputs as perceptual weighted residuals spw(i) (0≦i≦Ns−1) to the target vector generator A

1316

.

The target vector generator A

1316

subtracts a zero input response Zres(i) (0≦i≦Ns−1), which is an output when a zero sequence is input to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter H(z) obtained by the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter coefficients calculator

1314

, from the perceptual weighted residuals spw(i) (0≦i≦Ns−1) obtained by the perceptual weighting section

1315

, and sends the subtraction result to the perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter A

1317

and a target vector generator B

1325

as a target vector r(i) (0≦i≦Ns−1) for selecting an excitation vector.

The perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter A

1317

sorts the target vectors r(i) (0≦i≦Ns−1) received from the target vector generator A

1316

in a time reverse order, inputs the acquired vectors to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter H(z) with the initial state of zero, and sorts its outputs again in a time reverse order to obtain time reverse synthesis rh(k) (0≦i≦Ns−1) of the target vector, and sends the vector to a comparator A

1322

.

Stored in an adaptive codebook

1318

are old excitation vectors which are referred to when the adaptive code vector generator

1319

generates adaptive code vectors. The adaptive code vector generator

1319

generates Nac pieces of adaptive code vectors Pacb(i,k) (0≦i≦Nac−1, 0≦k≦≦Ns−1, 6≦Nac≦24) based on six pitch candidates psel(j) (0≦j≦5) received from the pitch pre-selector

1308

, and sends the vectors to an adaptive/fixed selector

1320

. Specifically, as shown in Table 6, adaptive code vectors are generated for four kinds of fractional lag positions per a single integer lag position when 16≦psel(j)≦44, adaptive code vectors are generated for two kinds of fractional lag positions per a single integer lag position when 46≦psel(j)≦64, and adaptive code vectors are generated for integer lag positions when 65≦psel(j)≦128. From this, depending on the value of psel(j) (0≦j≦5), the number of adaptive code vector candidates Nac is 6 at a minimum and 24 at a maximum.

TABLE 6

Total number of adaptive code vectors

and fixed code vectors

Total number of vectors

255

Number of adaptive code

222

vectors

16 ≦ psel(i) ≦ 44

116 (29 × four kinds of

fractional lags)

45 ≦ psel(i) ≦ 64

42 (21 × two kinds of

fractional lags)

65 ≦ psel(i) ≦ 128

64 (64 × one kind of

fractional lag)

Number of fixed code

32 (16 × two kinds of codes)

vectors

Adaptive code vectors to a fractional precision are generated through an interpolation which convolutes the coefficients of the polyphase filter stored in the polyphase coefficients storage section

1309

.

Interpolation corresponding to the value of lagf(i) means interpolation corresponding to an integer lag position when lagf(i)=0, interpolation corresponding to a fractional lag position shifted by −½ from an integer lag position when lagf(i)=1, interpolation corresponding to a fractional lag position shifted by +¼ from an integer lag position when lagf(i)=2, and interpolation corresponding to a fractional lag position shifted by −¼ from an integer lag position when lagf(i)=3.

The adaptive/fixed selector

1320

first receives adaptive code vectors of the Nac (6 to 24) candidates generated by the adaptive code vector generator

1319

and sends the vectors to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter A

1321

and the comparator A

1322

.

To pre-select the adaptive code vectors Pacb(i,k) (0≦i≦Nac−1, 0≦k≦Ns−1, 6≦Nac≦24) generated by the adaptive code vector generator

1319

to Nacb (=4) candidates from Nac (6 to 24) candidates, the comparator A

1322

first acquires the inner products prac(i) of the time reverse synthesized vectors rh(k) (0≦i≦Ns−1) of the target vector, received from the perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter A

1317

, and the adaptive code vectors Pacb(i,k) from an equation 13.

\begin{matrix} prac (i) = \sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} Pacb (i, k) \times rh (k) & (13) \end{matrix}

where

Prac(i): reference value for pre-selection of adaptive code vectors

Nac: the number of adaptive code vector candidates after pre-selection (=6 to 24)

i: number of an adaptive code vector (0

6

≦i≦Nac−1)

Pacb(i,k): adaptive code vector

rh(k): time reverse synthesis of the target vector r(k).

By comparing the obtained inner products Prac(i), the top Nacp (=4) indices when the values of the products become large and inner products with the indices used as arguments are selected and are respectively saved as indices of adaptive code vectors after pre-selection apsel(j) (0≦j≦Nacb−1) and reference values after pre-selection of adaptive code vectors prac(apsel(j)), and the indices of adaptive code vectors after pre-selection apsel(j) (0≦j≦Nacb−1) are output to the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

.

The perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter A

1321

performs perceptual weighted LPC synthesis on adaptive code vectors after pre-selection Pacb(absel(j),k), which have been generated by the adaptive code vector generator

1319

and have passed the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

, to generate synthesized adaptive code vectors SYNacb(apsel(j),k) which are in turn sent to the comparator A

1322

. Then, the comparator A

1322

acquires reference values for final-selection of an adaptive code vector sacbr(j) from an equation 14 for final-selection on the Nacb (=4) adaptive code vectors after pre-selection Pacb(absel(j),k), pre-selected by the comparator A

1322

itself.

\begin{matrix} sacbr (j) = \frac{{prac}^{2} (apsel (j))}{\sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} {SYNacb}^{2} (j, k)} & (14) \end{matrix}

where

sacbr(j): reference value for final-selection of an adaptive code vector

prac( ): reference values after pre-selection of adaptive code vectors

apsel(j): indices of adaptive code vectors after pre-selection

k: vector order (0≦j≦Ns−1)

j: number of the index of a pre-selected adaptive code vector (0≦j≦Nacb−1)

Ns: subframe length (=52)

Nacb: the number of pre-selected adaptive code vectors (=4)

SYNacb(J,K): synthesized adaptive code vectors.

The index when the value of the equation 14 becomes large and the value of the equation 14 with the index used as an argument are sent to the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

respectively as an index of adaptive code vector after final-selection ASEL and a reference value after final-selection of an adaptive code vector sacbr(ASEL).

A fixed codebook

1323

holds Nfc (=16) candidates of vectors to be read by a fixed code vector reading section

1324

. To pre-select fixed code vectors Pfcb(i,k) (0≦i≦Nfc−1, 0≦k≦Ns−1) read by the fixed code vector reading section

1324

to Nfcb (=2) candidates from Nfc (=16) candidates, the comparator A

1322

acquires the absolute values |prfc(i)| of the inner products of the time reverse synthesized vectors rh(k) (0≦i≦Ns−1) of the target vector, received from the perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter A

1317

, and the fixed code vectors Pfcb(i,k) from an equation 15.

\begin{matrix} &LeftBracketingBar; prfc (i) &RightBracketingBar; = \sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} Pfcb (i, k) \times rh (k) & (15) \end{matrix}

where

|prfc(i)|: reference values for pre-selection of fixed code vectors

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1)

i: number of a fixed code vector (0≦i≦Nfc−1)

Nfc: the number of fixed code vectors (=16)

Pfcb(i,k): fixed code vectors

rh(k): time reverse synthesized vectors of the target vector rh(k).

By comparing the values |prfc(i)| of the equation 15, the top Nfcb (=2) indices when the values become large and the absolute values of inner products with the indices used as arguments are selected and are respectively saved as indices of fixed code vectors after pre-selection fpsel(j) (0≦j≦Nfcb−1) and reference values for fixed code vectors after pre-selection |prfc(fpsel(j)|, and indices of fixed code vectors after pre-selection fpsel(j) (0≦j≦Nfcb−1) are output to the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

.

The perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter A

1321

performs perceptual weighted LPC synthesis on fixed code vectors after pre-selection Pfcb(fpsel(j),k) which have been read from the fixed code vector reading section

1324

and have passed the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

, to generate synthesized fixed code vectors SYNfcb(fpsel(j),k) which are in turn sent to the comparator A

1322

.

The comparator A

1322

further acquires a reference value for final-selection of a fixed code vector sfcbr(j) from an equation 16 to finally select an optimal fixed code vector from the Nfcb (=2) fixed code vectors after pre-selection Pfcb(fpsel(j),k), pre-selected by the comparator A

1322

itself.

\begin{matrix} sfcbr (j) = \frac{&RightBracketingBar; prfc (fpsel (j) {&LeftBracketingBar;}^{2}}{\sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} {SYNfcb}^{2} (j, k)} & (16) \end{matrix}

where

sfcbr(j): reference value for final-selection of a fixed code vector

|prfc()|: reference values after pre-selection of fixed code vectors

fpsel(j): indices of fixed code vectors after pre-selection (0≦j≦Nfcb−1)

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1)

j: number of a pre-selected fixed code vector (0≦j≦Nfcb−1)

Ns: subframe length (=52)

Nfcb: the number of pre-selected fixed code vectors (=2)

SYNfcb(J,K): synthesized fixed code vectors.

The index when the value of the equation 16 becomes large and the value of the equation 16 with the index used as an argument are sent to the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

respectively as an index of fixed code vector after final-selection FSEL and a reference value after final-selection of a fixed code vector sacbr(FSEL).

The adaptive/fixed selector

1320

selects either the adaptive code vector after final-selection or the fixed code vector after final-selection as an adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) in accordance with the size relation and the polarity relation among prac(ASEL), sacbr(ASEL), |prfc(FSEL)| and sfcbr(FSEL) (described in an equation 17) received from the comparator A

1322

.

\begin{matrix} AF (k) = {\begin{matrix} Pacb (ASEL, k) & sacbr (ASEL) \geq sfcbr (FSEL), prac (ASEL) > 0 \\ 0 & sacbr (ASEL) \geq sfcbr (FSEL), prac (ASEL) \leq 0 \\ Pfcb (FSEL, k) & sacbr (ASEL) < sfcbr (FSEL), prfc (FSEL) \geq 0 \\ - Pfcb (FSEL, k) & sacbr (ASEL) < sfcbr (FSEL), prfc (FSEL) < 0 \end{matrix} & (17) \end{matrix}

where

AF(k): adaptive/fixed code vector

ASEL: index of adaptive code vector after final-selection

FSEL: index of fixed code vector after final-selection

k: element number of a vector

Pacb(ASEL,k): adaptive code vector after final-selection

Pfcb(FSEL,k): fixed code vector after final-selection Pfcb(FSEL,k)

sacbr(ASEL): reference value after final-selection of an adaptive code vector

sfcbr(FSEL): reference value after final-selection of a fixed code vector

prac(ASEL): reference values after pre-selection of adaptive code vectors

prfc(FSEL): reference values after pre-selection of fixed code vectors prfc(FSEL).

The selected adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k) is sent to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter A

1321

and an index representing the number that has generated the selected adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k) is sent as an adaptive/fixed index AFSEL to the parameter coding section

1331

. As the total number of adaptive code vectors and fixed code vectors is designed to be 255 (see Table 6), the adaptive/fixed index AFSEL is a code of 8 bits.

The perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter A

1321

performs perceptual weighted LPC synthesis on the adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k), selected by the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

, to generate a synthesized adaptive/fixed code vector SYNaf(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) and sends it to the comparator A

1322

.

The comparator A

1322

first obtains the power powp of the synthesized adaptive/fixed code vector SYNaf(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) received from the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter A

1321

using an equation 18.

\begin{matrix} powp = \sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} {SYNaf}^{2} (k) & (18) \end{matrix}

where

powm: power of adaptive/fixed code vector (SYNaf(k))

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1)

Ns: subframe length (=52)

SYNaf(k): adaptive/fixed code vector.

Then, the inner product pr of the target vector received from the target vector generator A

1316

and the synthesized adaptive/fixed code vector SYNaf(k) is acquired from an equation 19.

\begin{matrix} pr = \sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} SYNaf (k) \times r (k) & (19) \end{matrix}

where

pr: inner product of SYNaf(k) and r(k)

Ns: subframe length (=52)

SYNaf(k): adaptive/fixed code vector

r(k): target vector

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1).

Further, the adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k) received from the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

is sent to an adaptive codebook updating section

1333

to compute the power POWaf of AF(k), the synthesized adaptive/fixed code vector SYNaf(k) and POWaf are sent to the parameter coding section

1331

, and powp, pr, r(k) and rh(k) are sent to a comparator B

1330

.

The target vector generator B

1325

subtracts the synthesized adaptive/fixed code vector SYNaf(k), received from the comparator A

1322

, from the target vector r(i) (0≦i≦Ns−1) received from the comparator A

1322

, to generate a new target vector, and sends the new target vector to the perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter B

1326

.

The perceptual weighted LPC reverse synthesis filter B

1326

sorts the new target vectors, generated by the target vector generator B

1325

, in a time reverse order, sends the sorted vectors to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter in a zero state, the output vectors are sorted again in a time reverse order to generate time-reversed synthesized vectors ph(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) which are in turn sent to the comparator B

1330

.

An excitation vector generator

1337

in use is the same as, for example, the excitation vector generator

70

which has been described in the section of the third mode. The excitation vector generator

70

generates a random code vector as the first seed is read from the seed storage section

71

and input to the non-linear digital filter

72

. The random code vector generated by the excitation vector generator

70

is sent to the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter B

1329

and the comparator B

1330

. Then, as the second seed is read from the seed storage section

71

and input to the non-linear digital filter

72

, a random code vector is generated and output to the filter B

1329

and the comparator B

1330

.

To pre-select random code vectors generated based on the first seed to Nstb (=6) candidates from Nst (=64) candidates, the comparator B

1330

acquires reference values cr(i1) (0≦i1≦Nstb1−1) for pre-selection of first random code vectors from an equation 20.

\begin{matrix} cr (i1) = \sum_{j = 0}^{Ns - 1} Pstb1 (i1j) \times rh (j) - \frac{pr}{powp} \sum_{j = 0}^{Ns - 1} Pstb1 (i1j) \times ph (j) & (20) \end{matrix}

where

cr(i1): reference values for pre-selection of first random code vectors

Ns: subframe length (=52)

rh(j): time reverse synthesized vector of a target vector (r(j))

powp: power of an adaptive/fixed vector (SYNaf(k))

pr: inner product of SYNaf(k) and r(k)

Pstb1(i1,j): first random code vector

ph(j): time reverse synthesized vector of SYNaf(k)

i1: number of the first random code vector (0≦i1≦Nst−1)

j: element number of a vector.

By comparing the obtained values cr(i1), the top Nstb (=6) indices when the values become large and inner products with the indices used as arguments are selected and are respectively saved as indices of first random code vectors after pre-selection s1psel(j1) (0≦j1≦Nstb−1) and first random code vectors after pre-selection Pstb1(s1psel(j1),k) (0≦j1≦Nstb−1, 0≦k≦Ns−1). Then, the same process as done for the first random code vectors is performed for second random code vectors and indices and inner products are respectively saved as indices of second random code vectors after pre-selection s1psel(j2) (0≦j2≦Nstb−1) and second random code vectors after pre-selection Pstb2(s2psel(j2),k) (0≦j2≦Nstb−1, 0≦k≦Ns−1).

The perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter B

1329

performs perceptual weighted LPC synthesis on the first random code vectors after pre-selection Pstb1(s1psel(j1),k) to generate synthesized first random code vectors SYNstb1(s1psel(j1),k) which are in turn sent to the comparator B

1330

. Then, perceptual weighted LPC synthesis is performed on the second random code vectors after pre-selection Pstb2(s1psel(j2),k) to generate synthesized second random code vectors SYNstb2(s2psel(j2),k) which are in turn sent to the comparator B

1330

.

To implement final-selection on the first random code vectors after pre-selection Pstb1(s1psel(j1),k) and the second random code vectors after pre-selection Pstb2(s1psel(j2),k), pre-selected by the comparator B

1330

itself, the comparator B

1330

carries out the computation of an equation 21 on the synthesized first random code vectors SYNstb1(s1psel(j1),k) computed in the perceptual weighted LPC synthesis filter B

1329

.

\begin{matrix} SYNOstb1 (s1psel (j1), k) = SYNstb1 (s1psel (j1), k) - \frac{SYNaf (j1)}{powp} \sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} Pstb1 (s1psel (j1), k) \times ph (k) & (21) \end{matrix}

where

SYNOstb1(s1psel(j1),k): orthogonally synthesized first random code vector

SYNstb1(s1psel(j1),k): synthesized first random code vector

Pstb1(s1psel(j1),k): first random code vector after pre-selection

SYNaf(j): adaptive/fixed code vector

powp: power of adaptive/fixed code vector (SYNaf(j))

Ns: subframe length (=52)

ph(k): time reverse synthesized vector of SYNaf(j)

j1: number of first random code vector after pre-selection

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1).

Orthogonally synthesized first random code vectors SYNOstb1(s1psel(j1),k) are obtained, and a similar computation is performed on the synthesized second random code vectors SYNstb2(s2psel(j2),k) to acquire orthogonally synthesized second random code vectors SYNOstb2(s2psel(j2),k), and reference values after final-selection of a first random code vector s1cr and reference values after final-selection of a second random code vector s2cr are computed in a closed loop respectively using equations 22 and 23 for all the combinations (36 combinations) of (s1psel(j1), s2psel(j2)).

\begin{matrix} scr1 = \frac{{cscr1}^{2}}{\sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} {[SYNOstb1 (s1pse1 (j1), k) + SYNOstb2 (s2psel (j2), k)]}^{2}} & (22) \end{matrix}

where

scr1: reference value after final-selection of a first random code vector

cscr1: constant previously computed from an equation 24

SYNOstb1(s1psel(j1),k): orthogonally synthesized first random code vectors

SYNOstb2(s2psel(j

2

),k): orthogonally synthesized second random code vectors

r(k): target vector

s1psel(j1): index of first random code vector after pre-selection

s2psel(j2): index of second random code vector after pre-selection

Ns: subframe length (=52)

k: element number of a vector.

\begin{matrix} scr2 = \frac{{cscr2}^{2}}{\sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} [{SYNOstb1 (s1pse1 (j1), k - SYNOstb2 (s2psel (j2), k)]}^{2}} & (23) \end{matrix}

where

scr2: reference value after final-selection of a second random code vector

cscr2: constant previously computed from an equation 25

SYNOstb1(s1psel(j1),k): orthogonally synthesized first random code vectors

SYNOstb2(s2psel(j2),k): orthogonally synthesized second random code vectors

r(k): target vector

s1psel(j1): index of first random code vector after pre-selection

s2psel(j2): index of second random code vector after pre-selection

Ns: subframe length (=52)

k: element number of a vector.

Note that cs1cr in the equation 22 and cs2cr in the equation 23 are constants which have been calculated previously using the equations 24 and 25, respectively.

\begin{matrix} cscr1 = \sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} SYNOstb1 (s1psel (j1), k) \times r (k) \div \sum_{K = 0}^{Ns - 1} SYNOstb2 (s2psel (j2), k) \times r (k) & (24) \end{matrix}

where

cscr1: constant for an equation 29

SYNOstb1(s1psel(j1),k): orthogonally synthesized first random code vectors

SYNOstb2(s2psel(j2),k): orthogonally synthesized second random code vectors

r(k): target vector

s1psel(j1): index of first random code vector after pre-selection

s2psel(j2): index of second random code vector after pre-selection

Ns: subframe length (=52)

k: element number of a vector.

\begin{matrix} cscr1 = \sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1} SYNOstb1 (s1psel (j1), k) \times r (k) - \sum_{K = 0}^{Ns - 1} SYNOstb2 (s2psel (j2), k) \times r (k) & (25) \end{matrix}

where

cscr2: constant for the equation 23

SYNOstb1(s1psel(j1),k): orthogonally synthesized first random code vectors

SYNOstb2(s2psel(j2),k): orthogonally synthesized second random code vectors

r(k): target vector

s1psel(j1): index of first random code vector after pre-selection

s2psel(j2): index of second random code vector after pre-selection

Ns: subframe length (=52)

k: element number of a vector.

The comparator B

1330

substitutes the maximum value of S1cr in MAXs1cr, substitutes the maximum value of S2cr in MAXs2cr, sets MAXs1cr or MAXs2cr, whichever is larger, as scr, and sends the value of s1psel(j1), which had been referred to when scr was obtained, to the parameter coding section

1331

as an index of a first random code vector after final-selection SSEL1. The random code vector that corresponds to SSEL1 is saved as a first random code vector after final-selection Pstb1(SSEL1,k), and is sent to the parameter coding section

1331

to acquire a first random code vector after final-selection SYNstb1(SSEL1,k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) corresponding to Pstb1(SSEL1,k).

Likewise, the value of s2psel(j2), which had been referred to when scr was obtained, to the parameter coding section

1331

as an index of a second random code vector after final-selection SSEL2. The random code vector that corresponds to SSEL2 is saved as a second random code vector after final-selection Pstb2(SSEL2,k), and is sent to the parameter coding section

1331

to acquire a second random code vector after final-selection SYNstb2(SSEL2,k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) corresponding to Pstb2(SSEL2,k).

The comparator B

1330

further acquires codes S1 and S2 by which Pstb1(SSEL1,k) and Pstb2(SSEL2,k) are respectively multiplied, from an equation 26, and sends polarity information Is1s2 of the obtained S1 and S2 to the parameter coding section

1331

as a gain polarity index Is1s2 (2-bit information).

\begin{matrix} (S1, S2) = {\begin{matrix} (+ 1, + 1) & scr1 \geq scr2, cscr1 \geq 0 \\ (- 1, - 1) & scr1 \geq scr2, cscr1 < 0 \\ (+ 1, - 1) & scr1 < scr2, cscr2 \geq 0 \\ (- 1, + 1) & scr1 < scr2, cscr2 < 0 \end{matrix} & (26) \end{matrix}

where

S1: code of the first random code vector after final-selection

S2: code of the second random code vector after final-selection

scr1: output of the equation 29

scr2: output of the equation 23

cscr1: output of the equation 24

cscr2: output of the equation 25.

A random code vector ST(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) is generated by an equation 27 and output to the adaptive codebook updating section

1333

, and its power POWsf is acquired and output to the parameter coding section

1331

.

ST

(

k

)=

S

1

×Pstb

1(

SSEL

1

,k

)÷

S

2

×Pstb

2(

SSEL

2

,k

) (27)

where

ST(k): probable code vector

S1: code of the first random code vector after final-selection

S2: code of the second random code vector after final-selection

Pstb1(SSEL1,k): first-stage settled code vector after final-selection

Pstb1(SSEL2,k): second-stage settled code vector after final-selection

SSEL1: index of the first random code vector after final-selection

SSEL2: second random code vector after final-selection

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1).

A synthesized random code vector SYNst(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) is generated by an equation 28 and output to the parameter coding section

1331

.

SYNst

(

k

)=

S

1

×SYNstb

1(

SSEL

1

,k

)+

S

2

×SYNstb

2(

SSEL

2

,k

) (28)

where

STNst(k): synthesized probable code vector

S1: code of the first random code vector after final-selection

S2: code of the second random code vector after final-selection

SYNstb1(SSEL1,k): synthesized first random code vector after final-selection

SYNstb2(SSEL2,k): synthesized second random code vector after final-selection

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1).

The parameter coding section

1331

first acquires a residual power estimation for each subframe rs is acquired from an equation 29 using the decoded frame power spow which has been obtained by the frame power quantizing/decoding section

1302

and the normalized predictive residual power resid, which has been obtained by the pitch pre-selector

1308

.

rs=Ns×spow×resid

(29)

where

rs: residual power estimation for each subframe

Ns: subframe length (=52)

spow: decoded frame power

resid: normalized predictive residual power.

A reference value for quantization gain selection STDg is acquired from an equation 30 by using the acquired residual power estimation for each subframe rs, the power of the adaptive/fixed code vector POWaf computed in the comparator A

1322

, the power of the random code vector POWst computed in the comparator B

1330

, a gain quantization table (CGaf[i],CGst[i]) (0≦i≦127) of 256 words stored in a gain quantization table storage section

1332

and the like.

TABLE 7

Gain quantization table

i

CGaf(i)

CGst(i)

1

0.38590

0.23477

2

0.42380

0.50453

3

0.23416

0.24761

126

0.35382

1.68987

127

0.10689

1.02035

128

3.09711

1.75430

\begin{matrix} STDg = {\sum_{k = 0}^{Ns - 1}}^{{(\sqrt{\frac{rs}{POWaf}} \cdot CGaf (Ig) \times SYNaf (k) + \sqrt{\frac{rs}{POWst}} \cdot CGst (Ig) \times SYNst (k) - r (k))}^{2}} & (30) \end{matrix}

where

STDg: reference value for quantization gain selection

rs: residual power estimation for each subframe

POWaf: power of the adaptive/fixed code vector

POWSst: power of the random code vector

i: index of the gain quantization table (0≦i≦127)

CGaf(i): component on the adaptive/fixed code vector side in the gain quantization table

CGst(i): component on the random code vector side in the gain quantization table

SYNaf(k): synthesized adaptive/fixed code vector

SYNst(k): synthesized random code vector

r(k): target vector

Ns: subframe length (=52)

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1).

One index when the acquired reference value for quantization gain selection STDg becomes minimum is selected as a gain quantization index Ig, a final gain on the adaptive/fixed code vector side Gaf to be actually applied to AF(k) and a final gain on the random code vector side Gst to be actually applied to ST(k) are obtained from an equation 31 using a gain after selection of the adaptive/fixed code vector CGaf(Ig), which is read from the gain quantization table based on the selected gain quantization index Ig, a gain after selection of the random code vector CGst(Ig), which is read from the gain quantization table based on the selected gain quantization index Ig and so forth, and are sent to the adaptive codebook updating section

1333

.

\begin{matrix} (Gaf, Gst) = (\sqrt{\frac{rs}{POWaf}} CGaf (Ig), \sqrt{\frac{rs}{POWst}} CGst (IG) & (31) \end{matrix}

where

Gaf: final gain on the adaptive/fixed code vector side

Gst: final gain on the random code vector side Gst

rs: residual power estimation for each subframe

POWaf: power of the adaptive/fixed code vector

POWst: power of the random code vector

CGaf(Ig): power of a fixed/adaptive side code vector

CGst(Ig): gain after selection of a random code vector side

Ig: gain quantization index.

The parameter coding section

1331

converts the index of power Ipow, acquired by the frame power quantizing/decoding section

1302

, the LSP code Ilsp, acquired by the LSP quantizing/decoding section

1306

, the adaptive/fixed index AFSEL, acquired by the adaptive/fixed selector

1320

, the index of the first random code vector after final-selection SSEL1, the second random code vector after final-selection SSEL2 and the polarity information Is1s2, acquired by the comparator B

1330

, and the gain quantization index Ig, acquired by the parameter coding section

1331

, into a speech code, which is in turn sent to a transmitter

1334

.

The adaptive codebook updating section

1333

performs a process of an equation 32 for multiplying the adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k), acquired by the comparator A

1322

, and the random code vector ST(k), acquired by the comparator B

1330

, respectively by the final gain on the adaptive/fixed code vector side Gaf and the final gain on the random code vector side Gst, acquired by the parameter coding section

1331

, and then adding the results to thereby generate an excitation vector ex(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1), and sends the generated excitation vector ex(k) (0≦k≦Ns−1) to the adaptive codebook

1318

.

ex

(

k

)=

Gaf×AF

(

k

)+

Gst×ST

(

k

) (32)

where

ex(k): excitation vector

AF(k): adaptive/fixed code vector

ST(k): random code vector

k: element number of a vector (0≦k≦Ns−1).

At this time, an old excitation vector in the adaptive codebook

1318

is discarded and is updated with a new excitation vector ex(k) received from the adaptive codebook updating section

1333

.

(Eighth Mode)

A description will now be given of an eighth mode in which any excitation vector generator described in first to sixth modes is used in a speech decoder that is based on the PSI-CELP, the standard speech coding/decoding system for PDC digital portable telephones. This decoder makes a pair with the above-described seventh mode.

FIG. 14

presents a functional block diagram of a speech decoder according to the eighth mode. A parameter decoding section

1402

obtains the speech code (the index of power Ipow, LSP code Ilsp, adaptive/fixed index AFSEL, index of the first random code vector after final-selection SSEL1, second random code vector after final-selection SSEL2, gain quantization index Ig and gain polarity index Is1s2), sent from the CELP type speech coder illustrated in

FIG. 13

, via a transmitter

1401

.

Next, a scalar value indicated by the index of power Ipow is read from the power quantization table (see Table 3) stored in a power quantization table storage section

1405

, is sent as decoded frame power spow to a power restoring section

1417

, and a vector indicated by the LSP code Ilsp is read from the LSP quantization table an LSP quantization table storage section

1404

and is sent as a decoded LSP to an LSP interpolation section

1406

. The adaptive/fixed index AFSEL is sent to an adaptive code vector generator

1408

, a fixed code vector reading section

1411

and an adaptive/fixed selector

1412

, and the index of the first random code vector after final-selection SSEL1 and the second random code vector after final-selection SSEL2 are output to an excitation vector generator

1414

. The vector (CAaf(Ig), CGst(Ig)) indicated by the gain quantization index Ig is read from the gain quantization table (see Table 7) stored in a gain quantization table storage section

1403

, the final gain on the final gain on the adaptive/fixed code vector side Gaf to be actually applied to AF(k) and the final gain on the random code vector side Gst to be actually applied to ST(k) are acquired from the equation 31 as done on the coder side, and the acquired final gain on the adaptive/fixed code vector side Gaf and final gain on the random code vector side Gst are output together with the gain polarity index Is1s2 to an excitation vector generator

1413

.

The LSP interpolation section

1406

obtains a decoded interpolated LSP wintp(n,i) (1≦i≦Np) subframe by subframe from the decoded LSP received from the parameter decoding section

1402

, converts the obtained ω intp(n,i) to an LPC to acquire a decoded interpolated LPC, and sends the decoded interpolated LPC to an LPC synthesis filter

1416

.

The adaptive code vector generator

1408

convolute some of polyphase coefficients stored in a polyphase coefficients storage section

1409

(see Table 5) on vectors read from an adaptive codebook

1407

, based on the adaptive/fixed index AFSEL received from the parameter decoding section

1402

, thereby generating adaptive code vectors to a fractional precision, and sends the adaptive code vectors to the adaptive/fixed selector

1412

. The fixed code vector reading section

1411

reads fixed code vectors from a fixed codebook

1410

based on the adaptive/fixed index AFSEL received from the parameter decoding section

1402

, and sends them to the adaptive/fixed selector

1412

.

The adaptive/fixed selector

1412

selects either the adaptive code vector input from the adaptive code vector generator

1408

or the fixed code vector input from the fixed code vector reading section

1411

, as the adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k), based on the adaptive/fixed index AFSEL received from the parameter decoding section

1402

, and sends the selected adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k) to the excitation vector generator

1413

. The excitation vector generator

1414

acquires the first seed and second seed from the seed storage section

71

based on the index of the first random code vector after final-selection SSEL1 and the second random code vector after final-selection SSEL2 received from the parameter decoding section

1402

, and sends the seeds to the non-linear digital filter

72

to generate the first random code vector and the second random code vector, respectively. Those reproduced first random code vector and second random code vector are respectively multiplied by the first-stage information S1 and second-stage information S2 of the gain polarity index to generate an excitation vector ST(k), which is sent to the excitation vector generator

1413

.

The excitation vector generator

1413

multiplies the adaptive/fixed code vector AF(k), received from the adaptive/fixed selector

1412

, and the excitation vector ST(k), received from the excitation vector generator

1414

, respectively by the final gain on the adaptive/fixed code vector side Gaf and the final gain on the random code vector side Gst, obtained by the parameter decoding section

1402

, performs addition or subtraction based on the gain polarity index Isls2, yielding the excitation vector ex(k), and sends the obtained excitation vector to the excitation vector generator

1413

and the adaptive codebook

1407

. Here, an old excitation vector in the adaptive codebook

1407

is updated with a new excitation vector input from the excitation vector generator

1413

.

The LPC synthesis filter

1416

performs LPC synthesis on the excitation vector, generated by the excitation vector generator

1413

, using the synthesis filter which is constituted by the decoded interpolated LPC received from the LSP interpolation section

1406

, and sends the filter output to the power restoring section

1417

. The power restoring section

1417

first obtains the mean power of the synthesized vector of the excitation vector obtained by the LPC synthesis filter

1416

, then divides the decoded frame power spow, received from the parameter decoding section

1402

, by the acquired mean power, and multiplies the synthesized vector of the excitation vector by the division result to generate a synthesized speech

518

.

(Ninth Mode)

FIG. 15

is a block diagram of the essential portions of a speech coder according to a ninth mode. This speech coder has a quantization target LSP adding section

151

, an LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

, a LSP quantization error comparator

153

added to the speech coder shown in

FIGS. 13

or parts of its functions modified.

The LPC analyzing section

1304

acquires an LPC by performing linear predictive analysis on a processing frame in the buffer

1301

, converts the acquired LPC to produce a quantization target LSP, and sends the produced quantization target LSP to the quantization target LSP adding section

151

. The LPC analyzing section

1304

also has a particular function of performing linear predictive analysis on a pre-read area to acquire an LPC for the pre-read area, converting the obtained LPC to an LSP for the pre-read area, and sending the LSP to the quantization target LSP adding section

151

.

The quantization target LSP adding section

151

produces a plurality of quantization target LSPs in addition to the quantization target LSPs directly obtained by converting LPCs in a processing frame in the LPC analyzing section

1304

.

The LSP quantization table storage section

1307

stores the quantization table which is referred to by the LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

, and the LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

quantizes/decodes the produced plurality of quantization target LSPs to generate decoded LSPs.

The LSP quantization error comparator

153

compares the produced decoded LSPs with one another to select, in a closed loop, one decoded LSP which minimizes an allophone, and newly uses the selected decoded LSP as a decoded LSP for the processing frame.

FIG. 16

presents a block diagram of the quantization target LSP adding section

151

.

The quantization target LSP adding section

151

comprises a current frame LSP memory

161

for storing the quantization target LSP of the processing frame obtained by the LPC analyzing section

1304

, a pre-read area LSP memory

162

for storing the LSP of the pre-read area obtained by the LPC analyzing section

1304

, a previous frame LSP memory

163

for storing the decoded LSP of the previous processing frame, and a linear interpolation section

164

which performs linear interpolation on the LSPs read from those three memories to add a plurality of quantization target LSPs.

A plurality of quantization target LSPs are additionally produced by performing linear interpolation on the quantization target LSP of the processing frame and the LSP of the pre-read, and produced quantization target LSPs are all sent to the LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

.

The quantization target LSP adding section

151

will now be explained more specifically. The LPC analyzing section

1304

performs linear predictive analysis on the processing frame in the buffer to acquire an LPC α(i) (1≦i≦Np) of a prediction order Np (=10), converts the obtained LPC to generate a quantization target LSP ω(i) (1≦i≦Np), and stores the generated quantization target LSP ω(i) (1≦i≦Np) in the current frame LSP memory

161

in the quantization target LSP adding section

151

. Further, the LPC analyzing section

1304

performs linear predictive analysis on the pre-read area in the buffer to acquire an LPC for the pre-read area, converts the obtained LPC to generate a quantization target LSP ωf(i) (1≦i≦Np), and stores the generated quantization target LSP ω(i) (1≦i<Np) for the pre-read area in the pre-read area LSP memory

162

in the quantization target LSP adding section

151

.

Next, the linear interpolation section

164

reads the quantization target LSP ω(i) (1≦i≦Np) for the processing frame from the current frame LSP memory

161

, the LSP ωf(i) (1≦i≦Np) for the pre-read area from the pre-read area LSP memory

162

, and decoded LSP ωqp(i) (1≦i≦Np) for the previous processing frame from the previous frame LSP memory

163

, and executes conversion shown by an equation 33 to respectively generate first additional quantization target LSP ω1(i) (1≦i≦Np), second additional quantization target LSP ω2(i) (1≦i≦Np), and third additional quantization target LSP ω1(i) (1≦i≦Np).

\begin{matrix} [\begin{matrix} ω 1 (i) \\ ω 2 (i) \\ ω 3 (i) \end{matrix}] = [\begin{matrix} 0.8 & 0.2 & 0.0 \\ 0.5 & 0.3 & 0.2 \\ 0.8 & 0.3 & 0.5 \end{matrix}] [\begin{matrix} ω q (i) \\ ω qp (i) \\ ω f (i) \end{matrix}] & (33) \end{matrix}

where

ω1(i): first additional quantization target LSP

ω2(i): second additional quantization target LSP

ω3(i): third additional quantization target LSP

i: LPC order (1≦i≦Np)

Np: LPC analysis order (=10)

ωq(i); decoded LSP for the processing frame

ωqp(i); decoded LSP for the previous processing frame

ωf(i): LSP for the pre-read area.

The generated ω1(i), ω2(i) and ω3(i) are sent to the LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

. After performing vector quantization/decoding of all the four quantization target LSPs ω(i), ω1(i), ω2(i) and ω3(i), the LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

acquires power Epow(ω) of an quantization error for ω(i), power Epow(ω1) of an quantization error for ω1(i), power Epow(ω2) of an quantization error for ω2(i), and power Epow(ω3) of an quantization error for ω3(i), carries out conversion of an equation 34 on the obtained quantization error powers to acquire reference values STDlsp(ω), STDlsp(ω1), STDlsp(ω2) and STDlsp(ω3) for selection of a decoded LSP.

\begin{matrix} [\begin{matrix} STDlsp & (ω) \\ STDlsp & (ω 1) \\ STDlsp & (ω 2) \\ STDlsp & (ω 3) \end{matrix}] = [\begin{matrix} Epow & (ω) \\ Epow & (ω 1) \\ Epow & (ω 2) \\ Epow & (ω 3) \end{matrix}] - [\begin{matrix} 0.0010 \\ 0.0005 \\ 0.0002 \\ 0.0000 \end{matrix}] & (34) \end{matrix}

where

STDlsp(ω): reference value for selection of a decoded LSP for ω(i)

STDlsp(ω1)): reference value for selection of a decoded LSP for ω1(i)

STDlsp(ω2): reference value for selection of a decoded LSP for ω2(i)

STDlsp(ω3): reference value for selection of a decoded LSP for ω3(i)

Epow(ω): quantization error power for ω(i)

Epow(ω1): quantization error power for ω1(i)

Epow(ω2): quantization error power for ω2(i)

Epow(ω3): quantization error power for ω3(i).

The acquired reference values for selection of a decoded LSP are compared with one another to select and output the decoded LSP for the quantization target LSP that becomes minimum as a decoded LSPωq(i) (1≦i≦Np) for the processing frame, and the decoded LSP is stored in the previous frame LSP memory

163

so that it can be referred to at the time of performing vector quantization of the LSP of the next frame.

According to this mode, by effectively using the high interpolation characteristic of an LSP (which does not cause an allophone even synthesis is implemented by using interpolated LSPs), vector quantization of LSPs can be so conducted as not to produce an allophone even for an area like the top of a word where the spectrum varies significantly. It is possible to reduce an allophone in a synthesized speech which may occur when the quantization characteristic of an LSP becomes insufficient.

FIG. 17

presents a block diagram of the LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

according to this mode. The LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

has a gain information storage section

171

, an adaptive gain selector

172

, a gain multiplier

173

, an LSP quantizing section

174

and an LSP decoding section

175

.

The gain information storage section

171

stores a plurality of gain candidates to be referred to at the time the adaptive gain selector

172

selects the adaptive gain. The gain multiplier

173

multiplies a code vector, read from the LSP quantization table storage section

1307

, by the adaptive gain selected by the adaptive gain selector

172

. The LSP quantizing section

174

performs vector quantization of a quantization target LSP using the code vector multiplied by the adaptive gain. The LSP decoding section

175

has a function of decoding a vector-quantized LSP to generate a decoded LSP and outputting it, and a function of acquiring an LSP quantization error, which is a difference between the quantization target LSP and the decoded LSP, and sending it to the adaptive gain selector

172

. The adaptive gain selector

172

acquires the adaptive gain by which a code vector is multiplied at the time of vector-quantizing the quantization target LSP of the processing frame by adaptively adjusting the adaptive gain based on gain generation information stored in the gain information storage section

171

, on the basis of, as references, the level of the adaptive gain by which a code vector is multiplied at the time the quantization target LSP of the previous processing frame was vector-quantized and the LSP quantization error for the previous frame, and sends the obtained adaptive gain to the gain multiplier

173

.

The LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

performs vector-quantizes and decodes a quantization target LSP while adaptively adjusting the adaptive gain by which a code vector is multiplied in the above manner.

The LSP quantizing/decoding section

152

will now be discussed more specifically. The gain information storage section

171

is storing four gain candidates (0.9, 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2) to which the adaptive gain selector

172

refers. The adaptive gain selector

172

acquires a reference value for selecting an adaptive gain, Slsp, from an equation 35 for dividing power ERpow, generated at-the time of quantizing the quantization target LSP of the previous frame, by the square of an adaptive gain Gqlsp selected at the time of vector-quantizing the quantization target LSP of the previous processing frame.

\begin{matrix} Slsp = \frac{ERpow}{{Gqlsp}^{2}} & (35) \end{matrix}

where

Slsp: reference value for selecting an adaptive gain

ERpow: quantization error power generated when quantizing the LSP of the previous frame

Gqlsp: adaptive gain selected when vector-quantizing the LSP of the previous frame.

One gain is selected from the four gain candidates (0.9, 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2), read from the gain information storage section

171

, from an equation 36 using the acquired reference value Slsp for selecting the adaptive gain. Then, the value of the selected adaptive gain Gqlsp is sent to the gain multiplier

173

, and information (2-bit information) for specifying type of the selected adaptive gain from the four types is sent to the parameter coding section.

\begin{matrix} Glsp = {\begin{matrix} 1.2 & Slsp > 0.0025 \\ 1.1 & Slsp > 0.0015 \\ 1.0 & Slsp > 0.0008 \\ 0.9 & Slsp \leq 0.0008 \end{matrix} & (36) \end{matrix}

where

Glsp: adaptive gain by which a code vector for LS quantization is multiplied

Slsp: reference value for selecting an adaptive gain.

The selected adaptive gain Glsp and the error which has been produced in quantization are saved in the variable Gqlsp and ERpow until the quantization target LSP of the next frame is subjected to vector quantization.

The gain multiplier

173

multiplies a code vector, read from the LSP quantization table storage section

1307

, by the adaptive gain selected by the adaptive gain selector

172

, and sends the result to the LSP quantizing section

174

. The LSP quantizing section

174

performs vector quantization on the quantization target LSP by using the code vector multiplied by the adaptive gain, and sends its index to the parameter coding section. The LSP decoding section

175

decodes the LSP, quantized by the LSP quantizing section

174

, acquiring a decoded LSP, outputs this decoded LSP, subtracts the obtained decoded LSP from the quantization target LSP to obtain an LSP quantization error, computes the power ERpow of the obtained LSP quantization error, and sends the power to the adaptive gain selector

172

.

This mode can suppress an allophone in a synthesized speech which may be produced when the quantization characteristic of an LSP becomes insufficient.

(Tenth Mode)

FIG. 18

presents the structural blocks of an excitation vector generator according to this mode. This excitation vector generator has a fixed waveform storage section

181

for storing three fixed waveforms (v1 (length: L1), v2 (length: L2) and v3 (length: L3)) of channels CH1, CH2 and CH3, a fixed waveform arranging section

182

for arranging the fixed waveforms (v1, v2, v3), read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

, respectively at positions P1, P2 and P3, and an adding section

183

for adding the fixed waveforms arranged by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

, generating an excitation vector.

The operation of the thus constituted excitation vector generator will be discussed.

Three fixed waveforms v1, v2 and v3 are stored in advance in the fixed waveform storage section

181

. The fixed waveform arranging section

182

arranges (shifts) the fixed waveform v1, read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

, at the position P1 selected from start position candidates for CH1, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has as shown in Table 8, and likewise arranges the fixed waveforms v2 and v3 at the respective positions P2 and P3 selected from start position candidates for CH2 and CH3.

TABLE 8

Channel

start position candidate information

number

Sign

for fixed waveform

CH1

±1

P1 (0, 10, 20, 30, . . . , 60, 70)

2, 12, 22, 32, . . . , 62, 72

CH2

±1

P2

6, 16, 26, 36, . . . , 66, 76

4, 14, 24, 34, . . . , 64, 74

CH3

±1

P3

8, 18, 28, 38, . . . , 68, 78

The adding section

183

adds the fixed waveforms, arranged by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

, to generate an excitation vector.

It is to be noted that code numbers corresponding, one to one, to combination information of selectable start position candidates of the individual fixed waveforms (information representing which positions were selected as P1, P2 and P3, respectively) should be assigned to the start position candidate information of the fixed waveforms the fixed waveform arranging section

182

has.

According to the excitation vector generator with the above structure, excitation information can be transmitted by transmitting code numbers correlating to the start position candidate information of fixed waveforms the fixed waveform arranging section

182

has, and the code numbers exist by the number of products of the individual start position candidates, so that an excitation vector close to an actual speech can be generated.

Since excitation information can be transmitted by transmitting code numbers, this excitation vector generator can be used as a random codebook in a speech coder/decoder.

While the description of this mode has been given with reference to a case of using three fixed waveforms as shown in

FIG. 18

, similar functions and advantages can be provided if the number of fixed waveforms (which coincides with the number of channels in FIG.

18

and Table 8) is changed to other values.

Although the fixed waveform arranging section

182

in this mode has been described as having the start position candidate information of fixed waveforms given in Table 8, similar functions and advantages can be provided for other start position candidate information of fixed waveforms than those in Table 8.

(Eleventh Mode)

FIG. 19A

is a structural block diagram of a CELP type speech coder according to this mode, and

FIG. 19B

is a structural block diagram of a CELP type speech decoder which is paired with the CELP type speech coder.

The CELP type speech coder according to this mode has an excitation vector generator which comprises a fixed waveform storage section

181

A, a fixed waveform arranging section

182

A and an adding section

183

A. The fixed waveform storage section

181

A stores a plurality of fixed waveforms. The fixed waveform arranging section

182

A arranges (shifts) fixed waveforms, read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

A, respectively at the selected positions, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has. The adding section

183

A adds the fixed waveforms, arranged by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

A, to generate an excitation vector c.

This CELP type speech coder has a time reversing section

191

for time-reversing a random codebook searching target x to be input, a synthesis filter

192

for synthesizing the output of the time reversing section

191

, a time reversing section

193

for time-reversing the output of the synthesis filter

192

again to yield a time-reversed synthesized target x′, a synthesis filter

194

for synthesizing the excitation vector c multiplied by a random code vector gain gc, yielding a synthesized excitation vector s, a distortion calculator

205

for receiving x′, c and S and computing distortion, and a transmitter

196

.

According to this mode, the fixed waveform storage section

181

A, the fixed waveform arranging section

182

A and the adding section

183

A correspond to the fixed waveform storage section

181

, the fixed waveform arranging section

182

and the adding section

183

shown in

FIG. 18

, the start position candidates of fixed waveforms in the individual channels correspond to those in Table 8, and channel numbers, fixed waveform numbers and symbols indicating the lengths and positions in use are those shown in FIG.

18

and Table 8.

The CELP type speech decoder in

FIG. 19B

comprises a fixed waveform storage section

181

B for storing a plurality of fixed waveforms, a fixed waveform arranging section

182

B for arranging (shifting) fixed waveforms, read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

B, respectively at the selected positions, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has, an adding section

183

B for adding the fixed waveforms, arranged by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

B, to yield an excitation vector c, a gain multiplier

197

for multiplying a random code vector gain gc, and a synthesis filter

198

for synthesizing the excitation vector c to yield a synthesized excitation vector s.

The fixed waveform storage section

181

B and the fixed waveform arranging section

182

B in the speech decoder have the same structures as the fixed waveform storage section

181

A and the fixed waveform arranging section

182

A in the speech coder, and the fixed waveforms stored in the fixed waveform storage sections

181

A and

181

B have such characteristics as to statistically minimize the cost function in the equation 3, which is the coding distortion computation of the equation 3 using a random codebook searching target by cost-function based learning.

The operation of the thus constituted speech coder will be discussed.

The random codebook searching target x is time-reversed by the time reversing section

191

, then synthesized by the synthesis filter

192

and then time-reversed again by the time reversing section

193

, and the result is sent as a time-reversed synthesized target x′ to the distortion calculator

205

.

The fixed waveform arranging section

182

A arranges (shifts) the fixed waveform v1, read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

A, at the position P1 selected from start position candidates for CH1, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has as shown in Table 8, and likewise arranges the fixed waveforms v2 and v3 at the respective positions P2 and P3 selected from start position candidates for CH2 and CH3. The arranged fixed waveforms are sent to the adding section

183

A and added to become an excitation vector c, which is input to the synthesis filter

194

. The synthesis filter

194

synthesizes the excitation vector c to produce a synthesized excitation vector S and sends it to the distortion calculator

205

.

The distortion calculator

205

receives the time-reversed synthesized target x′, the excitation vector c and the synthesized excitation vector s and computes coding distortion in the equation 4.

The distortion calculator

205

sends a signal to the fixed waveform arranging section

182

A after computing the distortion. The process from the selection of start position candidates corresponding to the three channels by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

A to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

205

is repeated for every combination of the start position candidates selectable by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

A.

Thereafter, the combination of the start position candidates that minimizes the coding distortion is selected, and the code number which corresponds, one to one, to that combination of the start position candidates and the then optimal random code vector gain gc are transmitted as codes of the random codebook to the transmitter

196

.

The fixed waveform arranging section

182

B selects the positions of the fixed waveforms in the individual channels from start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has, based on information sent from the transmitter

196

, arranges (shifts) the fixed waveform v1, read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

B, at the position P1 selected from start position candidates for CH1, and likewise arranges the fixed waveforms v2 and v3 at the respective positions P2 and P3 selected from start position candidates for CH2 and CH3. The arranged fixed waveforms are sent to the adding section

183

B and added to become an excitation vector c. This excitation vector c is multiplied by the random code vector gain gc selected based on the information from the transmitter

196

, and the result is sent to the synthesis filter

198

. The synthesis filter

198

synthesizes the gc-multiplied excitation vector c to yield a synthesized excitation vector s and sends it out.

According to the speech coder/decoder with the above structures, as an excitation vector is generated by the excitation vector generator which comprises the fixed waveform storage section, fixed waveform arranging section and the adding section, a synthesized excitation vector obtained by synthesizing this excitation vector in the synthesis filter has such a characteristic statistically close to that of an actual target as to be able to yield a high-quality synthesized speech, in addition to the advantages of the tenth mode.

Although the foregoing description of this mode has been given with reference to a case where fixed waveforms obtained by learning are stored in the fixed waveform storage sections

181

A and

181

B, high-quality synthesized speeches can also obtained even when fixed waveforms prepared based on the result of statistical analysis of the random codebook searching target x are used or when knowledge-based fixed waveforms are used.

While the description of this mode has been given with reference to a case of using three fixed waveforms, similar functions and advantages can be provided if the number of fixed waveforms is changed to other values.

Although the fixed waveform arranging section in this mode has been described as having the start position candidate information of fixed waveforms given in Table 8, similar functions and advantages can be provided for other start position candidate information of fixed waveforms than those in Table 8.

(Twelfth Mode)

FIG. 20

presents a structural block diagram of a CELP type speech coder according to this mode.

This CELP type speech coder includes a fixed waveform storage section

200

for storing a plurality of fixed waveforms (three in this mode: CH1:W1, CH2:W2 and CH3:W3), and a fixed waveform arranging section

201

which has start position candidate information of fixed waveforms for generating start positions of the fixed waveforms, stored in the fixed waveform storage section

200

, according to algebraic rules. This CELP type speech coder further has a fixed waveform an impulse response calculator

202

for each waveform, an impulse generator

203

, a correlation matrix calculator

204

, a time reversing section

191

, a synthesis filter

192

′ for each waveform, a time reversing section

193

and a distortion calculator

205

.

The impulse response calculator

202

has a function of convoluting three fixed waveforms from the fixed waveform storage section

200

and the impulse response h (length L=subframe length) of the synthesis filter to compute three kinds of impulse responses for the individual fixed waveforms (CH1:h1, CH2:h2 and CH3:h3, length L=subframe length).

The synthesis filter

192

′ has a function of convoluting the output of the time reversing section

191

, which is the result of the time-reversing the random codebook searching target x to be input, and the impulse responses for the individual waveforms, h1, h2 and h3, from the impulse response calculator

202

.

The impulse generator

203

sets a pulse of an amplitude

1

(a polarity present) only at the start position candidates P1, P2 and P3, selected by the fixed waveform arranging section

201

, generating impulses for the individual channels (CH1:d1, CH2:d2 and CH3:d3).

The correlation matrix calculator

204

computes autocorrelation of each of the impulse responses h1, h2 and h3 for the individual waveforms from the impulse response calculator

202

, and correlations between h1 and h2, h1 and h3, and h2 and h3, and develops the obtained correlation values in a correlation matrix RR.

The distortion calculator

205

specifies the random code vector that minimizes the coding distortion, from an equation 37, a modification of the equation 4, by using three time-reversed synthesis targets (x′1, x′2 and x′3),the correlation matrix RR and the three impulses (d1, d2 and d3) for the individual channels.

\begin{matrix} \frac{{(\sum_{i = 1}^{3} x_{i}^{' t} d_{i})}^{2}}{\sum_{i = 1}^{3} \sum_{j = 1}^{3} d_{i}^{' t} H_{i}^{t} H_{j} d_{j}} & (37) \end{matrix}

where

di: impulse (vector) for each channel

di=±1xδ(k−p),k=0 to L−1, p

i

: n start position candidates of the i-th channel

H

i

: impulse response convolution matrix for each waveform (H

i

=HW

i

)

W

i

: fixed waveform convolution matrix

W_{i} = &AutoLeftMatch; [\begin{matrix} W_{i} (0) & 0 & \dots & \dots & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ W_{i} (1) & W_{i} (0) & 0 & \dots & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ W_{i} (2) & W_{i} (1) & W_{i} (0) & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋰ & 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ W_{i} (L_{i} - 1) & W_{i} (L_{i} - 2) & ⋰ & ⋰ & ⋰ & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ 0 & W_{i} (L_{i} - 1) & W_{i} (L_{i} - 2) & ⋰ & ⋰ & 0 & \dots & 0 \\ ⋮ & 0 & W_{i} (L_{i} - 1) & ⋰ & ⋰ & 0 & 0 & 0 \\ ⋮ & ⋮ & 0 & ⋰ & ⋰ & ⋰ & 0 & 0 \\ ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋮ & ⋰ & ⋰ & ⋰ & ⋰ & 0 \\ 0 & 0 & 0 & 0 & W_{i} (L_{i} - 1) & \dots & W_{i} (1) & W_{i} (0) \end{matrix} &AutoRightMatch;]

where

w

i

is the fixed waveform (length: L

i

) of the i-th channel

x′

i

: vector obtained by time reverse synthesis of x using H

i

(x′

i

t

=x

t

H

i

).

Here, transformation from the equation 4 to the equation 37 is shown for each of the denominator term (equation 38) and the numerator term (equation 39).

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} {(x^{t} Hc)}^{2} = {(x^{t} H (W_{1} d_{1} + W_{2} d_{2} + W_{3} d_{3}))}^{2} \\ = {(x^{t} (H_{1} d_{1} + H_{2} d_{2} + H_{3} d_{3}))}^{2} \\ = {((x^{t} H_{1}) d_{1} + (x^{t} H_{2}) d_{2} + (x^{t} H_{3}) d_{3})}^{2} \\ = {(x_{1}^{′t} d_{1} + x_{2}^{′t} d_{2} + x_{3}^{′t} d_{3})}^{2} \\ = {(\sum_{i = 1}^{3} x_{I}^{′t} d_{i})}^{2} \end{matrix} & (38) \end{matrix}

where

x: random codebook searching target (vector)

x

t

: transposed vector of x

H: impulse response convolution matrix of the synthesis filter

c: random code vector (c=W

1

d

1

+W

2

d

2

+W

3

d

3

)

W

i

: fixed waveform convolution matrix

di: impulse (vector) for each channel

H

i

: impulse response convolution matrix for each waveform (H

i

=HW

i

)

x′

i

: vector obtained by time reverse synthesis of x using H

i

(x′

i

t

=x

t

H

i

).

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} {&LeftDoubleBracketingBar; Hc &RightDoubleBracketingBar;}^{2} = {&LeftDoubleBracketingBar; H (W_{1} d_{1} + W_{2} d_{2} + W_{3} d_{3}) &RightDoubleBracketingBar;}^{2} \\ {(= &LeftDoubleBracketingBar; H_{1} d_{1} + H_{2} d_{2} + H_{3} d_{3}) &RightDoubleBracketingBar;)}^{2} \\ = {(H_{1} d_{1} + H_{2} d_{2} + H_{3} d_{3})}^{t} (H_{1} d_{1} + H_{2} d_{2} + H_{3} d_{3}) \\ = (d_{1}^{t} H_{1}^{t} + d_{2}^{t} H_{2}^{t} + d_{3}^{t} H_{3}^{t}) (H_{1} d_{1} + H_{2} d_{2} + H_{3} d_{3}) \\ = \sum_{i = 1}^{3} \sum_{j = 1}^{3} d_{i}^{t} H_{i}^{t} d_{j} H_{j} \end{matrix} & (39) \end{matrix}

where

H: impulse response convolution matrix of the synthesis filter

C: random code vector (c=W1d1+W2d2+W3d3)

W

i

: fixed waveform convolution matrix

di: impulse (vector) for each channel

H

i

: impulse response convolution matrix for each waveform (H

i

=HW

i

)

The operation of the thus constituted CELP type speech coder will be described.

To begin with, the impulse response calculator

202

convolutes three fixed waveforms stored and the impulse response h to compute three kinds of impulse responses h1, h2 and h3 for the individual fixed waveforms, and sends them to the synthesis filter

192

′ and the correlation matrix calculator

204

.

Next, the synthesis filter

192

′ convolutes the random codebook searching target x, time-reversed by the time reversing section

191

, and the input three kinds of impulse responses h1, h2 and h3 for the individual waveforms. The time reversing section

193

time-reverses the three kinds of output vectors from the synthesis filter

192

′ again to yield three time-reversed synthesis targets x′1, x′2 and x′3, and sends them to the distortion calculator

205

.

Then, the correlation matrix calculator

204

computes autocorrelations of each of the input three kinds of impulse responses h1, h2 and h3 for the individual waveforms and correlations between h1 and h2, h1 and h3, and h2 and h3, and sends the obtained autocorrelations and correlations value to the distortion calculator

205

after developing them in the correlation matrix RR.

The above process having been executed as a pre-process, the fixed waveform arranging section

201

selects one start position candidate of a fixed waveform for each channel, and sends the positional information to the impulse generator

203

.

The impulse generator

203

sets a pulse of an amplitude

1

(a polarity present) at each of the start position candidates, obtained from the fixed waveform arranging section

201

, generating impulses d1, d2 and d3 for the individual channels and sends them to the distortion calculator

205

.

Then, the distortion calculator

205

computes a reference value for minimizing the coding distortion in the equation 37, by using three time-reversed synthesis targets x′1, x′2 and x′3 for the individual waveforms, the correlation matrix RR and the three impulses d1, d2 and d3 for the individual channels.

The process from the selection of start position candidates corresponding to the three channels by the fixed waveform arranging section

201

to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

205

is repeated for every combination of the start position candidates selectable by the fixed waveform arranging section

201

. Then, code number which corresponds to the combination of the start position candidates that minimizes the reference value for searching the coding distortion in the equation 37 and the then optimal gain are specified with the random code vector gain gc used as a code of the random codebook, and are transmitted to the transmitter.

The speech decoder of this mode has a similar structure to that of the tenth mode in

FIG. 19B

, and the fixed waveform storage section and the fixed waveform arranging section in the speech coder have the same structures as the fixed waveform storage section and the fixed waveform arranging section in the speech decoder. The fixed waveforms stored in the fixed waveform storage section is a fixed waveform having such characteristics as to statistically minimize the cost function in the equation 3 by the training using the coding distortion equation (equation 3) with a random codebook searching target as a cost-function.

According to the thus constructed speech coder/decoder, when the start position candidates of fixed waveforms in the fixed waveform arranging section can be computed algebraically, the numerator in the equation 37 can be computed by adding the three terms of the time-reversed synthesis target for each waveform, obtained in the previous processing stage, and then obtaining the square of the result. Further, the numerator in the equation 37 can be computed by adding the nine terms in the correlation matrix of the impulse responses of the individual waveforms obtained in the previous processing stage. This can ensure searching with about the same amount of computation as needed in a case where the conventional algebraic structural excitation vector (an excitation vector is constituted by several pulses of an amplitude

1

) is used for the random codebook.

Furthermore, a synthesized excitation vector in the synthesis filter has such a characteristic statistically close to that of an actual target as to be able to yield a high-quality synthesized speech.

Although the foregoing description of this mode has been given with reference to a case where fixed waveforms obtained through training are stored in the fixed waveform storage section, high-quality synthesized speeches can also obtained even when fixed waveforms prepared based on the result of statistical analysis of the random codebook searching target x are used or when knowledge-based fixed waveforms are used.

While the description of this mode has been given with reference to a case of using three fixed waveforms, similar functions and advantages can be provided if the number of fixed waveforms is changed to other values.

Although the fixed waveform arranging section in this mode has been described as having the start position candidate information of fixed waveforms given in Table 8, similar functions and advantages can be provided for other start position candidate information of fixed waveforms than those in Table 8.

(Thirteenth Mode)

FIG. 21

presents a structural block diagram of a CELP type speech coder according to this mode. The speech coder according to this mode has two kinds of random codebooks A

211

and B

212

, a switch

213

for switching the two kinds of random codebooks from one to the other, a multiplier

214

for multiplying a random code vector by a gain, a synthesis filter

215

for synthesizing a random code vector output from the random codebook that is connected by means of the switch

213

, and a distortion calculator

216

for computing coding distortion in the equation 2.

The random codebook A

211

has the structure of the excitation vector generator of the tenth mode, while the other random codebook B

212

is constituted by a random sequence storage section

217

storing a plurality of random code vectors generated from a random sequence. Switching between the random codebooks is carried out in a closed loop. The x is a random codebook searching target.

The operation of the thus constituted CELP type speech coder will be discussed.

First, the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook A

211

, and the fixed waveform arranging section

182

arranges (shifts) the fixed waveforms, read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

, at the positions selected from start position candidates of fixed waveforms respectively, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has as shown in Table 8. The arranged fixed waveforms are added together in the adding section

183

to become a random code vector, which is sent to the synthesis filter

215

after being multiplied by the random code vector gain. The synthesis filter

215

synthesizes the input random code vector and sends the result to the distortion calculator

216

.

The distortion calculator

216

performs minimization of the coding distortion in the equation 2 by using the random codebook searching target x and the synthesized code vector obtained from the synthesis filter

215

.

After computing the distortion, the distortion calculator

216

sends a signal to the fixed waveform arranging section

182

. The process from the selection of start position candidates corresponding to the three channels by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

216

is repeated for every combination of the start position candidates selectable by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

.

Thereafter, the combination of the start position candidates that minimizes the coding distortion is selected, and the code number which corresponds, one to one, to that combination of the start position candidates, the then optimal random code vector gain gc and the minimum coding distortion value are memorized.

Then, the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook B

212

, causing a random sequence read from the random sequence storage section

217

to become a random code vector. This random code vector, after being multiplied by the random code vector gain, Is input to the synthesis filter

215

. The synthesis filter

215

synthesizes the input random code vector and sends the result to the distortion calculator

216

.

The distortion calculator

216

computes the coding distortion in the equation 2 by using the random codebook searching target x and the synthesized code vector obtained from the synthesis filter

215

.

After computing the distortion, the distortion calculator

216

sends a signal to the random sequence storage section

217

. The process from the selection of the random code vector by the random sequence storage section

217

to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

216

is repeated for every random code vector selectable by the random sequence storage section

217

.

Thereafter, the random code vector that minimizes the coding distortion is selected, and the code number of that random code vector, the then optimal random code vector gain gc and the minimum coding distortion value are memorized.

Then, the distortion calculator

216

compares the minimum coding distortion value obtained when the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook A

211

with the minimum coding distortion value obtained when the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook B

212

, determines switch connection information when smaller coding distortion was obtained, the then code number and the random code vector gain are determined as speech codes, and are sent to an unillustrated transmitter.

The speech decoder according to this mode which is paired with the speech coder of this mode has the random codebook A, the random codebook B, the switch, the random code vector gain and the synthesis filter having the same structures and arranged in the same way as those in

FIG. 21

, a random codebook to be used, a random code vector and a random code vector gain are determined based on a speech code input from the transmitter, and a synthesized excitation vector is obtained as the output of the synthesis filter.

According to the speech coder/decoder with the above structures, one of the random code vectors to be generated from the random codebook A and the random code vectors to be generated from the random codebook B, which minimizes the coding distortion in the equation 2, can be selected in a closed loop, making it possible to generate an excitation vector closer to an actual speech and a high-quality synthesized speech.

Although this mode has been illustrated as a speech coder/decoder based on the structure in

FIG. 2

of the conventional CELP type speech coder, similar functions and advantages can be provided even if this mode is adapted to a CELP type speech coder/decoder based on the structure in

FIGS. 19A and 19B

or FIG.

20

.

Although the random codebook A

211

in this mode has the same structure as shown in

FIG. 18

, similar functions and advantages can be provided even if the fixed waveform storage section

181

takes another structure (e.g., in a case where it has four fixed waveforms).

While the description of this mode has been given with reference to a case where the fixed waveform arranging section

182

of the random codebook A

211

has the start position candidate information of fixed waveforms as shown in Table 8, similar functions and advantages can be provided even for a case where the section

182

has other start position candidate information of fixed waveforms.

Although this mode has been described with reference to a case where the random codebook B

212

is constituted by the random sequence storage section

217

for directly storing a plurality of random sequences in the memory, similar functions and advantages can be provided even for a case where the random codebook B

212

takes other excitation vector structures (e.g., when it is constituted by excitation vector generation information with an algebraic structure).

Although this mode has been described as a CELP type speech coder/decoder having two kinds of random codebooks, similar functions and advantages can be provided even in a case of using a CELP type speech coder/decoder having three or more kinds of random codebooks.

(Fourteenth Mode)

FIG. 22

presents a structural block diagram of a CELP type speech coder according to this mode. The speech coder according to this mode has two kinds of random codebooks. One random codebook has the structure of the excitation vector generator shown in

FIG. 18

, and the other one is constituted of a pulse sequences storage section which retains a plurality of pulse sequences. The random codebooks are adaptively switched from one to the other by using a quantized pitch gain already acquired before random codebook search.

The random codebook A

211

, which comprises the fixed waveform storage section

181

, fixed waveform arranging section

182

and adding section

183

, corresponds to the excitation vector generator in

FIG. 18. A

random codebook B

221

is comprised of a pulse sequences storage section

222

where a plurality of pulse sequences are stored. The random codebooks A

211

and B

221

are switched from one to the other by means of a switch

213

′. A multiplier

224

outputs an adaptive code vector which is the output of an adaptive codebook

223

multiplied by the pitch gain that has already been acquired at the time of random codebook search. The output of a pitch gain quantizer

225

is given to the switch

2131

.

The operation of the thus constituted CELP type speech coder will be described.

According to the conventional CELP type speech coder, the adaptive codebook

223

is searched first, and the random codebook search is carried out based on the result. This adaptive codebook search is a process of selecting an optimal adaptive code vector from a plurality of adaptive code vectors stored in the adaptive codebook

223

(vectors each obtained by multiplying an adaptive code vector and a random code vector by their respective gains and then adding them together). As a result of the process, the code number and pitch gain of an adaptive code vector are generated.

According to the CELP type speech coder of this mode, the pitch gain quantizer

225

quantizes this pitch gain, generating a quantized pitch gain, after which random codebook search will be performed. The quantized pitch gain obtained by the pitch gain quantizer

225

is sent to the switch

213

′ for switching between the random codebooks.

The switch

213

′ connects to the random codebook A

211

when the value of the quantized pitch gain is small, by which it is considered that the input speech is unvoiced, and connects to the random codebook B

221

when the value of the quantized pitch gain is large, by which it is considered that the input speech is voiced.

When the switch

213

′ is connected to the random codebook A

211

, the fixed waveform arranging section

182

arranges (shifts) the fixed waveforms, read from the fixed waveform storage section

181

, at the positions selected from start position candidates of fixed waveforms respectively, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has as shown in Table 8. The arranged fixed-waveforms are sent to the adding section

183

and added together to become a random code vector. The random code vector is sent to the synthesis filter

215

after being multiplied by the random code vector gain. The synthesis filter

215

synthesizes the input random code vector and sends the result to the distortion calculator

216

.

The distortion calculator

216

computes coding distortion in the equation 2 by using the target x for random codebook search and the synthesized code vector obtained from the synthesis filter

215

.

After computing the distortion, the distortion calculator

216

sends a signal to the fixed waveform arranging section

182

. The process from the selection of start position candidates corresponding to the three channels by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

216

is repeated for every combination of the start position candidates selectable by the fixed waveform arranging section

182

.

Thereafter, the combination of the start position candidates that minimizes the coding distortion is selected, and the code number which corresponds, one to one, to that combination of the start position candidates, the then optimal random code vector gain gc and the quantized pitch gain are transferred to a transmitter as a speech code. In this mode, the property of unvoiced sound should be reflected on fixed waveform patterns to be stored in the fixed waveform storage section

181

, before speech coding takes places.

When the switch

213

′ is connected to the random codebook B

212

, a pulse sequence read from the pulse sequences storage section

222

becomes a random code vector. This random code vector is input to the synthesis filter

215

through the switch

213

′ and multiplication of the random code vector gain. The synthesis filter

215

synthesizes the input random code vector and sends the result to the distortion calculator

216

.

The distortion calculator

216

computes the coding distortion in the equation 2 by using the target x for random codebook search X and the synthesized code vector obtained from the synthesis filter

215

.

After computing the distortion, the distortion calculator

216

sends a signal to the pulse sequences storage section

222

. The process from the selection of the random code vector by the pulse sequences storage section

222

to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

216

is repeated for every random code vector selectable by the pulse sequences storage section

222

.

Thereafter, the random code vector that minimizes the coding distortion is selected, and the code number of that random code vector, the then optimal random code vector gain gc and the quantized pitch gain are transferred to the transmitter as a speech code.

The speech decoder according to this mode which is paired with the speech coder of this mode has the random codebook A, the random codebook B, the switch, the random code vector gain and the synthesis filter having the same structures and arranged in the same way as those in FIG.

22

. First, upon reception of the transmitted quantized pitch gain, the coder side determines from its level whether the switch

213

′ has been connected to the random codebook A

211

or to the random codebook B

221

. Next, based on the code number and the sign of the random code vector, a synthesized excitation vector is obtained as the output of the synthesis filter.

According to the speech coder/decoder with the above structures, two kinds of random codebooks can be switched adaptively in accordance with the characteristic of an input speech (the level of the quantized pitch gain is used to determine the transmitted quantized pitch gain in this mode), so that when the input speech is voiced, a pulse sequence can be selected as a random code vector whereas for a strong voiceless property, a random code vector which reflects the property of voiceless sounds can be selected. This can ensure generation of excitation vectors closer to the actual sound property and improvement of synthesized sounds. Because switching is performed in a closed loop in this mode as mentioned above, the functional effects can be improved by increasing the amount of information to be transmitted.

Although this mode has been illustrated as a speech coder/decoder based on the structure in

FIG. 2

of the conventional CELP type speech coder, similar functions and advantages can be provided even if this mode is adapted to a CELP type speech coder/decoder based on the structure in

FIGS. 19A and 19B

or FIG.

20

.

In this mode, a quantized pitch gain acquired by quantizing the pitch gain of an adaptive code vector in the pitch gain quantizer

225

is used as a parameter for switching the switch

213

′. A pitch period calculator may be provided so that a pitch period computed from an adaptive code vector can be used instead.

Although the random codebook A

211

in this mode has the same structure as shown in

FIG. 18

, similar functions and advantages can be provided even if the fixed waveform storage section

181

takes another structure (e.g., in a case where it has four fixed waveforms).

While the description of this mode has been given with reference to the case where the fixed waveform arranging section

182

of the random codebook A

211

has the start position candidate information of fixed waveforms as shown in Table 8, similar functions and advantages can be provided even for a case where the section

182

has other start position candidate information of fixed waveforms.

Although this mode has been described with reference to the case where the random codebook B

212

is constituted by the pulse sequences storage section

222

for directly storing a pulse sequence in the memory, similar functions and advantages can be provided even for a case where the random codebook B

212

takes other excitation vector structures (e.g., when it is constituted by excitation vector generation information with an algebraic structure).

Although this mode has been described as a CELP type speech coder/decoder having two kinds of random codebooks, similar functions and advantages can be provided even in a case of using a CELP type speech coder/decoder having three or more kinds of random codebooks.

(Fifteenth Mode)

FIG. 23

presents a structural block diagram of a CELP type speech coder according to this mode. The speech coder according to this mode has two kinds of random codebooks. One random codebook takes the structure of the excitation vector generator shown in FIG.

18

and has three fixed waveforms stored in the fixed waveform storage section, and the other one likewise takes the structure of the excitation vector generator shown in

FIG. 18

but has two fixed waveforms stored in the fixed waveform storage section. Those two kinds of random codebooks are switched in a closed loop.

The random codebook A

211

, which comprises a fixed waveform storage section A

181

having three fixed waveforms stored therein, fixed waveform arranging section A

182

and adding section

183

, corresponds to the structure of the excitation vector generator in

FIG. 18

which however has three fixed waveforms stored in the fixed waveform storage section.

A random codebook B

230

comprises a fixed waveform storage section B

231

having two fixed waveforms stored therein, fixed waveform arranging section B

232

having start position candidate information of fixed waveforms as shown in Table 9 and adding section

233

, which adds two fixed waveforms, arranged by the fixed waveform arranging section B

232

, thereby generating a random code vector. The random codebook B

230

corresponds to the structure of the excitation vector generator in

FIG. 18

which however has two fixed waveforms stored in the fixed waveform storage section.

TABLE 9

Channel

Channel number Sign Start position

number

Sign

candidates fixed waveforms

0, 4, 8, 12, 16, . . . , 72, 76

CH1

±1

P1

2, 6, 10, 14, 18, . . . , 74, 78

1, 5, 9, 13, 17, . . . , 73, 77

CH2

±1

P2

3, 7, 11, 15, 19, . . . , 75, 79

The other structure is the same as that of the above-described thirteenth mode.

The operation of the CELP type speech coder constructed in the above way will be described.

First, the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook A

211

, and the fixed waveform arranging section A

182

arranges (shifts) three fixed waveforms, read from the fixed waveform storage section A

181

, at the positions selected from start position candidates of fixed waveforms respectively, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has as shown in Table 8. The arranged three fixed waveforms are output to the adding section

183

and added together to become a random code vector. This random code vector is sent to the synthesis filter

215

through the switch

213

and the multiplier

214

for multiplying it by the random code vector gain. The synthesis filter

215

synthesizes the input random code vector and sends the result to the distortion calculator

216

.

The distortion calculator

216

computes coding distortion in the equation 2 by using the random codebook search target X and the synthesized code vector obtained from the synthesis filter

215

.

After computing the distortion, the distortion calculator

216

sends a signal to the fixed waveform arranging section A

182

. The process from the selection of start position candidates corresponding to the three channels by the fixed waveform arranging section A

182

to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

216

is repeated for every combination of the start position candidates selectable by the fixed waveform arranging section A

182

.

Thereafter, the combination of the start position candidates that minimizes the coding distortion is selected, and the code number which corresponds, one to one, to that combination of the start position candidates, the then optimal random code vector gain gc and the minimum coding distortion value are memorized.

In this mode, the fixed waveform patterns to be stored in the fixed waveform storage section A

181

before speech coding are what have been acquired through training in such a way as to minimize distortion under the condition of three fixed waveforms in use.

Next, the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook B

230

, and the fixed waveform arranging section B

232

arranges (shifts) two fixed waveforms, read from the fixed waveform storage section B

231

, at the positions selected from start position candidates of fixed waveforms respectively, based on start position candidate information for fixed waveforms it has as shown in Table 9. The arranged two fixed waveforms are output to the adding section

233

and added together to become a random code vector. This random code vector is sent to the synthesis filter

215

through the switch

213

and the multiplier

214

for multiplying it by the random code vector gain. The synthesis filter

215

synthesizes the input random code vector and sends the result to the distortion calculator

216

.

The distortion calculator

216

computes coding distortion in the equation 2 by using the target x for random codebook search X and the synthesized code vector obtained from the synthesis filter

215

.

After computing the distortion, the distortion calculator

216

sends a signal to the fixed waveform arranging section B

232

. The process from the selection of start position candidates corresponding to the three channels by the fixed waveform arranging section B

232

to the distortion computation by the distortion calculator

216

is repeated for every combination of the start position candidates selectable by the fixed waveform arranging section B

232

.

Thereafter, the combination of the start position candidates that minimizes the coding distortion is selected, and the code number which corresponds, one to one, to that combination of the start position candidates, the then optimal random code vector gain gc and the minimum coding distortion value are memorized. In this mode, the fixed waveform patterns to be stored in the fixed waveform storage section B

231

before speech coding are what have been acquired through training in such a way as to minimize distortion under the condition of two fixed waveforms in use.

Then, the distortion calculator

216

compares the minimum coding distortion value obtained when the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook B

230

with the minimum coding distortion value obtained when the switch

213

is connected to the random codebook B

212

, determines switch connection information when smaller coding distortion was obtained, the then code number and the random code vector gain are determined as speech codes, and are sent to the transmitter.

The speech decoder according to this mode has the random codebook A, the random codebook B, the switch, the random code vector gain and the synthesis filter having the same structures and arranged in the same way as those in

FIG. 23

, a random codebook to be used, a random code vector and a random code vector gain are determined based on a speech code input from the transmitter, and a synthesized excitation vector is obtained as the output of the synthesis filter.

According to the speech coder/decoder with the above structures, one of the random code vectors to be generated from the random codebook A and the random code vectors to be generated from the random codebook B, which minimizes the coding distortion in the equation 2, can be selected in a closed loop, making it possible to generate an excitation vector closer to an actual speech and a high-quality synthesized speech.

Although this mode has been illustrated as a speech coder/decoder based on the structure in

FIG. 2

of the conventional CELP type speech coder, similar functions and advantages can be provided even if this mode is adapted to a CELP type speech coder/decoder based on the structure in

FIGS. 19A and 19B

or FIG.

20

.

Although this mode has been described with reference to the case where the fixed waveform storage section A

181

of the random codebook A

211

stores three fixed waveforms, similar functions and advantages can be provided even if the fixed waveform storage section A

181

stores a different number of fixed waveforms (e.g., in a case where it has four fixed waveforms). The same is true of the random codebook B

230

.

While the description of this mode has been given with reference to the case where the fixed waveform arranging section A

182

of the random codebook A

211

has the start position candidate information of fixed waveforms as shown in Table 8, similar functions and advantages can be provided even for a case where the section

182

has other start position candidate information of fixed waveforms. The same is applied to the random codebook B

230

.

Although this mode has been described as a CELP type speech coder/decoder having two kinds of random codebooks, similar functions and advantages can be provided even in a case of using a CELP type speech coder/decoder having three or more kinds of random codebooks.

(Sixteenth Mode)

FIG. 24

presents a structural block diagram of a CELP type speech coder according to this mode. The speech coder acquires LPC coefficients by performing autocorrelation analysis and LPC analysis on input speech data

241

in an LPC analyzing section

242

, encodes the obtained LPC coefficients to acquire LPC codes, and encodes the obtained LPC codes to yield decoded LPC coefficients.

Next, an excitation vector generator

245

acquires an adaptive code vector and a random code vector from an adaptive codebook

243

and an excitation vector generator

244

, and sends them to an LPC synthesis filter

246

. One of the excitation vector generators of the above-described first to fourth and tenth modes is used for the excitation vector generator

244

. Further, the LPC synthesis filter

246

filters two excitation vectors, obtained by the excitation vector generator

245

, with the decoded LPC coefficients obtained by the LPC analyzing section

242

, thereby yielding two synthesized speeches.

A comparator

247

analyzes a relationship between the two synthesized speeches, obtained by the LPC synthesis filter

246

, and the input speech, yielding optimal values (optimal gains) of the two synthesized speeches, adds the synthesized speeches whose powers have been adjusted with the optimal gains, acquiring a total synthesized speech, and then computes a distance between the total synthesized speech and the input speech.

Distance computation is also carried out on the input speech and multiple synthesized speeches, which are obtained by causing the excitation vector generator

245

and the LPC synthesis filter

246

to function with respect to all the excitation vector samples those are generated by the random codebook

243

and the excitation vector generator

244

. Then, the index of the excitation vector sample which provides the minimum one of the distances obtained from the computation. The obtained optimal gains, the obtained index of the excitation vector sample and two excitation vectors corresponding to that index are sent to a parameter coding section

248

.

The parameter coding section

248

encodes the optimal gains to obtain gain codes, and the LPC codes and the index of the excitation vector sample are all sent to a transmitter

249

. An actual excitation signal is produced from the gain codes and the two excitation vectors corresponding to the index, and an old excitation vector sample is discarded at the same time the excitation signal is stored in the adaptive codebook

243

.

FIG. 25

shows functional blocks of a section in the parameter coding section

248

, which is associated with vector quantization of the gain.

The parameter coding section

248

has a parameter converting section

2502

for converting input optimal gains

2501

to a sum of elements and a ratio with respect to the sum to acquire quantization target vectors, a target vector extracting section

2503

for obtaining a target vector by using old decoded code vectors, stored in a decoded vector storage section, and predictive coefficients stored in a predictive coefficients storage section, a decoded vector storage section

2504

where old decoded code vectors are stored, a predictive coefficients storage section

2505

, a distance calculator

2506

for computing distances between a plurality of code vectors stored in a vector codebook and a target vector obtained by the target vector extracting section by using predictive coefficients stored in the predictive coefficients storage section, a vector codebook

2507

where a plurality of code vectors are stored, and a comparator

2508

, which controls the vector codebook and the distance calculator for comparison of the distances obtained from the distance calculator to acquire the number of the most appropriate code vector, acquires a code vector from the vector storage section based on the obtained number, and updates the content of the decoded vector storage section using that code vector.

A detailed description will now be given of the operation of the thus constituted parameter coding section

248

. The vector codebook

2507

where a plurality of general samples (code vectors) of a quantization target vector are stored should be prepared in advance. This is generally prepared by an LBG algorithm (IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS, VOL. COM-28, NO. 1, PP 84-95, JANUARY 1980) based on multiple vectors which are obtained by analyzing multiple speech data.

Coefficients for predictive coding should be stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2505

. The predictive coefficients will now be discussed after describing the algorithm. A value indicating a unvoiced stateshould be stored as an initial value in the decoded vector storage section

2504

. One example would be a code vector with the lowest power.

First, the input optimal gains

2501

(the gain of an adaptive excitation vector and the gain of a random excitation vector) are converted to element vectors (inputs) of a sum and a ratio in the parameter converting section

2502

. The conversion method is illustrated in an equation 40.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} P = \log (Ga + Gs) \\ R = Ga / (Ga + Gs) \end{matrix} & (40) \end{matrix}

where

(Ga, Gs): optical gain

Ga: gain of an adaptive excitation vector

Gs: gain of stochastic excitation vector

(P, R): input vectors

P: sum

R: ratio.

It is to be noted that Ga above should not necessarily be a positive value. Thus, R may take a negative value. When Ga+Gs becomes negative, a fixed value prepared in advance is substituted.

Next, based on the vectors obtained by the parameter converting section

2502

, the target vector extracting section

2503

acquires a target vector by using old decoded code vectors, stored in the decoded vector storage section

2504

, and predictive coefficients stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2504

. An equation for computing the target vector is given by an equation 41.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} Tp = P - (\sum_{i = 1}^{l} Upi \times pi + \sum_{i - 1}^{l} Vpi \times ri) \\ Tr = R - (\sum_{i = 1}^{l} Uri \times pi + \sum_{i = 1}^{l} Vri \times ri) \end{matrix} & (41) \end{matrix}

where

(Tp, Tr): target vector

(P, R): input vector

(pi, ri): old decoded vector

Upi, Vpi, Uri, Vri: predictive coefficients (fixed values)

i: index indicating how old the decoded vector is

l: prediction order.

Then, the distance calculator

2506

computes a distance between a target vector obtained by the target vector extracting section

2503

and a code vector stored in the vector codebook

2507

by using the predictive coefficients stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2505

. An equation for computing the distance is given by an equation 42.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} Dn = Wp \times {(Tp - UpO \times Cpn - VpO \times Crn)}^{2} + \\ Wr \times {(Tr - UpO \times Cpn - VrO \times Crn)}^{2} \end{matrix} & (42) \end{matrix}

where

Dn: distance between a target vector and a code vector

(Tp, Tr): target vector

UpO, VpO, UrO, VrO: predictive coefficients (fixed values)

(Cpn, Crn): code vector

n: the number of the code vector

Wp, Wr: weighting coefficient (fixed) for adjusting the sensitivity against distortion.

Then, the comparator

2508

controls the vector codebook

2507

and the distance calculator

2506

to acquire the number of the code vector which has the shortest distance computed by the distance calculator

2506

from among a plurality of code vectors stored in the vector codebook

2507

, and sets the number as a gain code

2509

. Based on the obtained gain code

2509

, the comparator

2508

acquires a decoded vector and updates the content of the decoded vector storage section

2504

using that vector. An equation 43 shows how to acquire a decoded vector.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} p = (\sum_{i = 1}^{l} Upi \times pi + \sum_{i = 1}^{l} Vpi \times ri) + UpO \times Cpn + VpO \times Crn \\ R = (\sum_{i = 1}^{l} Uri \times pi + \sum_{i = 1}^{l} Vri \times ri) + UrO \times Cpn + VrO \times Crn \end{matrix} & (43) \end{matrix}

where

(Cpn, Crn): code vector

(P, r): decoded vector

(pi, ri): old decoded vector

Upi, Vpi, Uri, Vri: predictive coefficients (fixed values)

i: index indicating how old the decoded vector is

l: prediction order.

n: the number of the code vector.

An equation 44 shows an updating scheme.

Processing order

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} pO = CpN \\ rO = CrN \\ pi = pi - 1 (i = 1 \sim 1) \\ ri = ri - 1 (i = 1 \sim 1) \end{matrix} & (44) \end{matrix}

N: code of the gain.

Meanwhile, the decoder, which should previously be provided with a vector codebook, a predictive coefficients storage section and a coded vector storage section similar to those of the coder, performs decoding through the functions of the comparator of the coder of generating a decoded vector and updating the decoded vector storage section, based on the gain code transmitted from the coder.

A scheme of setting predictive coefficients to be stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2505

will now be described.

Predictive coefficients are obtained by quantizing a lot of training speech data first, collecting input vectors obtained from their optimal gains and decoded vectors at the time of quantization, forming a population, then minimizing total distortion indicated by the following equation 45 for that population. Specifically, the values of Upi and Uri are acquired by solving simultaneous equations which are derived by partial differential of the equation of the total distortion with respect to Upi and Uri.

\begin{matrix} Total = \sum_{t = 0}^{T} {Wp \times {(Pt - \sum_{i = 0}^{l} Upi \times pt, i)}^{2} + Wr \times {(Rt - \sum_{i = 0}^{l} Uri \times rt, i)}^{2}} pt, O = {Cpn}_{(t)} rt, O = {Crn}_{(t)} & (45) \end{matrix}

where

Total: total distortion

t: time (frame number)

T: the number of pieces of data in the population

(Pt, Rt): optimal gain at time t

(pti, rti): decoded vector at time t

Upi, Vpi, Uri, Vri: predictive coefficients (fixed values)

i: index indicating how old the decoded vector is

l: prediction order.

(Cpn

(t)

, Crn

(t)

): code vector at time t

n: the number of the code vector

Wp, Wr: weighting coefficient (fixed) for adjusting the sensitivity against distortion.

According to such a vector quantization scheme, the optimal gain can be vector-quantized as it is, the feature of the parameter converting section can permit the use of the correlation between the relative levels of the power and each gain, and the features of the decoded vector storage section, the predictive coefficients storage section, the target vector extracting section and the distance calculator can ensure predictive coding of gains using the correlation between the mutual relations between the power and two gains. Those features can allow the correlation among parameters to be utilized sufficiently.

(Seventeenth Mode)

FIG. 26

presents a structural block diagram of a parameter coding section of a speech coder according to this mode. According to this mode, vector quantization is performed while evaluating gain-quantization originated distortion from two synthesized speeches corresponding to the index of an excitation vector and a perpetual weighted input speech.

As shown in

FIG. 26

, the parameter coding section has a parameter calculator

2602

, which computes parameters necessary for distance computation from input data or a perpetual weighted input speech, a perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of adaptive code vector and a perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of random code vecror

2601

to be input, a decoded vector stored in a decoding vector storage section, and predictive coefficients stored in a predictive coefficients storage section, a decoded vector storage section

2603

where old decoded code vectors are stored, a predictive coefficients storage section

2604

where predictive coefficients are stored, a distance calculator

2605

for computing coding distortion of the time when decoding is implemented with a plurality of code vectors stored in a vector codebook by using the predictive coefficients stored in the predictive coefficients storage section, a vector codebook

2606

where a plurality of code vectors are stored, and a comparator

2607

, which controls the vector codebook and the distance calculator for comparison of the coding distortions obtained from the distance calculator to acquire the number of the most appropriate code vector, acquires a code vector from the vector storage section based on the obtained number, and updates the content of the decoded vector storage section using that code vector.

A description will now be given of the vector quantizing operation of the thus constituted parameter coding section. The vector codebook

2606

where a plurality of general samples (code vectors) of a quantization target vector are stored should be prepared in advance. This is generally prepared by an LBG algorithm (IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS, VOL. COM-28, NO. 1, PP 84-95, JANUARY 1980) or the like based on multiple vectors which are obtained by analyzing multiple speech data. Coefficients for predictive coding should be stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2604

. Those coefficients in use are the same predictive coefficients as stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2505

which has been discussed in (Sixteenth Mode). A value indicating a unvoiced stateshould be stored as an initial value in the decoded vector storage section

2603

.

First, the parameter calculator

2602

computes parameters necessary for distance computation from the input perpetual weighted input speech, perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of adaptive code vector and perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of random code vector, and further from the decoded vector stored in the decoded vector storage section

2603

and the predictive coefficients stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2604

. The distances in the distance calculator are based on the following equation 46.

\begin{matrix} En = \sum_{i = 0}^{I} {(Xi - Gan \times Ai - Gsn \times Si)}^{2} & (46) \\ Gan = Orn \times e \times p (Opn) \\ Gsn = (1 - Orn) \times e \times p (Opn) \\ Opn = Yp + UpO \times Cpn + VpO \times Crn \\ Yp = \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Upj \times pj + \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Vpj \times rj \\ Yr = \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Urj \times pj + \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Vrj \times rj \end{matrix}

Gan, Gsn: decoded gain

(Opn, Orn): decoded vector

(Yp, Yr): predictive vector

En: coding distortion when the n-th gain code vector is used

Xi: perpetual weighted input speech

Ai: perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of adaptive code vector

Si: perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of stochastic code vector

n: code of the code vector

i: index of excitation data

I: subframe length (coding unit of the input speech)

(Cpn, Crn): code vector

(pj, rj): old decoded vector

Upj, Vpj, Urj, Vrj: predictive coefficients (fixed values)

j: index indicating how old the decoded vector is

J: prediction order.

Therefore, the parameter calculator

2602

computes those portions which do not depend on the number of a code vector. What is to be computed are the predictive vector, and the correlation among three synthesized speeches or the power. An equation for the computation is given by an equation 47.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} Yp = \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Upj \times pj + \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Vpj \times rj \\ Yr = \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Urj \times pj + \sum_{j = 1}^{J} Vrj \times rj \\ Dxx = \sum_{i = 0}^{I} Xi \times Xi \\ Dxa = \sum_{i = 0}^{I} Xi \times Ai \times 2 \\ Dxs = \sum_{i = 0}^{I} Xi \times Si \times 2 \\ Daa = \sum_{i = 0}^{I} Ai \times Ai \\ Das = \sum_{i = 0}^{I} Ai \times Si \times 2 \\ Dss = \sum_{i = 0}^{I} Si \times Si \end{matrix} & (47) \end{matrix}

where

(Yp, Yr): predictive vector

Dxx, Dxa, Dxs, Daa, Das, Dss: value of correction among synthesized speeches or the power

Xi: perpetual weighted input speech

Ai: perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of adaptive code vector

Si: perpetual weighted LPC synthesis of stochastic code vector

i: index of excitation data

I: subframe length (coding unit of the input speech)

(pi, rj): old decoded vector

Upj, Vpj, Urj, Vrj: predictive coefficients (fixed values)

j: index indicating how old the decoded vector is

J: prediction order.

Then, the distance calculator

2506

computes a distance between a target vector obtained by the target vector extracting section

2503

and a code vector stored in the vector codebook

2507

by using the predictive coefficients stored in the predictive coefficients storage section

2505

. An equation for computing the distance is given by an equation 42.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} En = Dxx + {(Gan)}^{2} \times Daa + {(Gsn)}^{2} \times Dss - \\ Gan \times Dxa - Gsn \times Dxs + Gan \times Gsn \times Das \\ Gan = Orn \times \exp (Opn) \\ Gsn = (1 - Orn) \times \exp (Opn) \\ Opn = Yp + UpO \times Cpn + VpO \times Crn \\ Orn = Yr + UrO \times Cpn + VrO \times Crn \end{matrix} & (48) \end{matrix}

where

En: coding distortion when the n-th gain code vector is used

Dxx, Dxa, Dxs, Daa, Das, Dss: value of correction among synthesized speeches or the power

Gan, Gsn: decoded gain

(Opn, Orn): decoded vector

(Yp, Yr): predictive vector

UpO, VpO, UrO, VrO: predictive coefficients (fixed values)

(Cpn, Crn): code vector

n: the number of the code vector.

Actually, Dxx does not depend on the number n of the code vector so that its addition can be omitted.

Then, the comparator

2607

controls the vector codebook

2606

and the distance calculator

2605

to acquire the number of the code vector which has the shortest distance computed by the distance calculator

2605

from among a plurality of code vectors stored in the vector codebook

2606

, and sets the number as a gain code

2608

. Based on the obtained gain code

2608

, the comparator

2607

acquires a decoded vector and updates the content of the decoded vector storage section

2603

using that vector. A code vector is obtained from the equation 44.

Further, the updating scheme, the equation 44, is used.

Meanwhile, the speech decoder should previously be provided with a vector codebook, a predictive coefficients storage section and a coded vector storage section similar to those of the speech coder, and performs decoding through the functions of the comparator of the coder of generating a decoded vector and updating the decoded vector storage section, based on the gain code transmitted from the coder.

According to the thus constituted mode, vector quantization can be performed while evaluating gain-quantization originated distortion from two synthesized speeches corresponding to the index of the excitation vector and the input speech, the feature of the parameter converting section can permit the use of the correlation between the relative levels of the power and each gain, and the features of the decoded vector storage section, the predictive coefficients storage section, the target vector extracting section and the distance calculator can ensure predictive coding of gains using the correlation between the mutual relations between the power and two gains. This can allow the correlation among parameters to be utilized sufficiently.

(Eighteenth Mode)

FIG. 27

presents a structural block diagram of the essential portions of a noise canceler according to this mode. This noise canceler is installed in the above-described speech coder. For example, it is placed at the preceding stage of the buffer

1301

in the speech coder shown in FIG.

13

.

The noise canceler shown in

FIG. 27

comprises an A/D converter

272

, a noise cancellation coefficient storage section

273

, a noise cancellation coefficient adjusting section

274

, an input waveform setting section

275

, an LPC analyzing section

276

, a Fourier transform section

277

, a noise canceling/spectrum compensating section

278

, a spectrum stabilizing section

279

, an inverse Fourier transform section

280

, a spectrum enhancing section

281

, a waveform matching section

282

, a noise estimating section

284

, a noise spectrum storage section

285

, a previous spectrum storage section

286

, a random phase storage section

287

, a previous waveform storage section

288

, and a maximum power storage section

289

.

To begin with, initial settings will be discussed. Table 10 shows the names of fixed parameters and setting examples.

TABLE 10

Fixed Parameters

Setting Examples

frame length

160 (20 msec for 8-kHz

sampling data)

pre-read data length

80 (10 msec for the

above data)

FET order

256

LPC prediction order

10

sustaining number of noise

spectrum reference

30

designated minimum power

20.0

AR enhancement coefficient 0

0.5

MA enhancement coefficient 0

0.8

high-frequency enhancement

0.4

coefficient 0

AR enhancement coefficient 1-0

0.66

MA enhancement coefficient 1-0

0.64

AR enhancement coefficient 1-1

0.7

MA enhancement coefficient 1-1

0.6

high-frequency enhancement

0.3

coefficient 1

power enhancement coefficient

1.2

noise reference power

20000.0

unvoiced segment power

0.3

reduction coefficient

compensation power increase

2.0

coefficient

number of consecutive noise

5

references

noise cancellation coefficient

0.8

training coefficient

unvoiced segment detection

0.05

coefficient

designated noise cancellation

1.5

coefficient

Phase data for adjusting the phase should have been stored in the random phase storage section

287

. Those are used to rotate the phase in the spectrum stabilizing section

279

. Table 11 shows a case where there are eight kinds of phase data.

TABLE 11

Phase Data

(−0.51, 0.86), (0.98, −0.17)

(0.30, 0.95), (−0.53, −0.84)

(−0.94, 0.34), (0.70, 0.71)

(−0.22, 0.97), (0.38, −0.92)

Further, a counter (random phase counter) for using the phase data should have been stored in the random phase storage section

287

too. This value should have been initialized to 0 before storage.

Next, the static RAM area is set. Specifically, the noise cancellation coefficient storage section

273

, the noise spectrum storage section

285

, the previous spectrum storage section

286

, the previous waveform storage section

288

and the maximum power storage section

289

are cleared. The following will discuss the individual storage sections and a setting example.

The noise cancellation coefficient storage section

273

is an area for storing a noise cancellation coefficient whose initial value stored is 20.0. The noise spectrum storage section

285

is an area for storing, for each frequency, mean noise power, a mean noise spectrum, a compensation noise spectrum for the first candidate, a compensation noise spectrum for the second candidate, and a frame number (sustaining number) indicating how many frames earlier the spectrum value of each frequency has changed; a sufficiently large value for the mean noise power, designated minimum power for the mean noise spectrum, and sufficiently large values for the compensation noise spectra and the sustaining number should be stored as initial values.

The previous spectrum storage section

286

is an area for storing compensation noise power, power (full range, intermediate range) of a previous frame (previous frame power), smoothing power (full range, intermediate range) of a previous frame (previous smoothing power), and a noise sequence number; a sufficiently large value for the compensation noise power, 0.0 for both the previous frame power and full frame smoothing power and a noise reference sequence number as the noise sequence number should be stored.

The previous waveform storage section

288

is an area for storing data of the output signal of the previous frame by the length of the last pre-read data for matching of the output signal, and all 0 should be stored as an initial value. The spectrum enhancing section

281

, which executes ARMA and high-frequency enhancement filtering, should have the statuses of the respective filters cleared to 0 for that purpose. The maximum power storage section

289

is an area for storing the maximum power of the input signal, and should have 0 stored as the maximum power.

Then, the noise cancellation algorithm will be explained block by block with reference to FIG.

27

.

First, an analog input signal

271

including a speech is subjected to A/D conversion in the A/D converter

272

, and is input by one frame length+pre-read data length (160+80=240 points in the above setting example). The noise cancellation coefficient adjusting section

274

computes a noise cancellation coefficient and a compensation coefficient from an equation 49 based on the noise cancellation coefficient stored in the noise cancellation coefficient storage section

273

, a designated noise cancellation coefficient, a learning coefficient for the noise cancellation coefficient, and a compensation power increase coefficient. The obtained noise cancellation coefficient is stored in the noise cancellation coefficient storage section

273

, the input signal obtained by the A/D converter

272

is sent to the input waveform setting section

275

, and the compensation coefficient and noise cancellation coefficient are sent to the noise estimating section

284

and the noise canceling/spectrum compensating section

278

.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} q = q \times C + Q \times (1 - C) \\ r = Q / q \times D \end{matrix} & (49) \end{matrix}

where

q: noise cancellation coefficient

Q: designated noise cancellation coefficient

C: learning coefficient for the noise cancellation coefficient

r: compensation coefficient

D: compensation power increase coefficient.

The noise cancellation coefficient is a coefficient indicating a rate of decreasing noise, the designated noise cancellation coefficient is a fixed coefficient previously designated, the learning coefficient for the noise cancellation coefficient is a coefficient indicating a rate by which the noise cancellation coefficient approaches the designated noise cancellation coefficient, the compensation coefficient is a coefficient for adjusting the compensation power in the spectrum compensation, and the compensation power increase coefficient is a coefficient for adjusting the compensation coefficient.

In the input waveform setting section

275

, the input signal from the A/D converter

272

is written in a memory arrangement having a length of 2 to an exponential power from the end in such a way that FFT (Fast Fourier Transform) can be carried out. 0 should be filled in the front portion. In the above setting example, 0 is written in 0 to 15 in the arrangement with a length of 256, and the input signal is written in 16 to 255. This arrangement is used as a real number portion in FFT of the eighth order. An arrangement having the same length as the real number portion is prepared for an imaginary number portion, and all 0 should be written there.

In the LPC analyzing section

276

, a hamming window is put on the real number area set in the input waveform setting section

275

, autocorrelation analysis is performed on the Hamming-windowed waveform to acquire an autocorrelation value, and autocorrelation-based LPC analysis is performed to acquire linear predictive coefficients. Further, the obtained linear predictive coefficients are sent to the spectrum enhancing section

281

.

The Fourier transform section

277

conducts discrete Fourier transform by FFT using the memory arrangement of the real number portion and the imaginary number portion, obtained by the input waveform setting section

275

. The sum of the absolute values of the real number portion and the imaginary number portion of the obtained complex spectrum is computed to acquire the pseudo amplitude spectrum (input spectrum hereinafter) of the input signal. Further, the total sum of the input spectrum value of each frequency (input power hereinafter) is obtained and sent to the noise estimating section

284

. The complex spectrum itself is sent to the spectrum stabilizing section

279

.

A process in the noise estimating section

284

will now be discussed.

The noise estimating section

284

compares the input power obtained by the Fourier transform section

277

with the maximum power value stored in the maximum power storage section

289

, and stores the maximum power value as the input power value in the maximum power storage section

289

when the maximum power is smaller. If at least one of the following cases is satisfied, noise estimation is performed, and if none of them are met, noise estimation is not carried out.

(1) The input power is smaller than the maximum power multiplied by an unvoiced segment detection coefficient.

(2) The noise cancellation coefficient is larger than the designated noise cancellation coefficient plus 0.2.

(3) The input power is smaller than a value obtained by multiplying the mean noise power, obtained from the noise spectrum storage section

285

, by 1.6.

The noise estimating algorithm in the noise estimating section

284

will now be discussed.

First, the sustaining numbers of all the frequencies for the first and second candidates stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

are updated (incremented by 1). Then, the sustaining number of each frequency for the first candidate is checked, and when it is larger than a previously set sustaining number of noise spectrum reference, the compensation spectrum and sustaining number for the second candidate are set as those for the first candidate, and the compensation spectrum of the second candidate is set as that of the third candidate and the sustaining number is set to 0. Note that in replacement of the compensation spectrum of the second candidate, the memory can be saved by not storing the third candidate and substituting a value slightly larger than the second candidate. In this mode, a spectrum which is 1.4 times greater than the compensation spectrum of the second candidate is substituted.

After renewing the sustaining number, the compensation noise spectrum is compared with the input spectrum for each frequency. First, the input spectrum of each frequency is compared with the compensation nose spectrum of the first candidate, and when the input spectrum is smaller, the compensation noise spectrum and sustaining number for the first candidate are set as those for the second candidate, and the input spectrum is set as the compensation spectrum of the first candidate with the sustaining number set to 0. In other cases than the mentioned condition, the input spectrum is compared with the compensation nose spectrum of the second candidate, and when the input spectrum is smaller, the input spectrum is set as the compensation spectrum of the second candidate with the sustaining number set to 0. Then, the obtained compensation spectra and sustaining numbers of the first and second candidates are stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

. At the same time, the mean noise spectrum is updated according to the following equation 50.

Si=Si×

g

+Si×(1

−g

) (50)

where

s: means noise spectrum

S: input spectrum

g: 0.9 (when the input power is larger than a half the mean noise power)

0.5 (when the input power is equal to or smaller than a half the mean noise power)

i: number of the frequency.

The mean noise spectrum is pseudo mean noise spectrum, and the coefficient g in the equation 50 is for adjusting the speed of learning the mean noise spectrum. That is, the coefficient has such an effect that when the input power is smaller than the noise power, it is likely to be a noise-only segment so that the learning speed will be increased, and otherwise, it is likely to be in a speech segment so that the learning speed will be reduced.

Then, the total of the values of the individual frequencies of the mean noise spectrum is obtained to be the mean noise power. The compensation noise spectrum, mean noise spectrum and mean noise power are stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

.

In the above noise estimating process, the capacity of the RAM constituting the noise spectrum storage section

285

can be saved by making a noise spectrum of one frequency correspond to the input spectra of a plurality of frequencies. As one example is illustrated the RAM capacity of the noise spectrum storage section

285

at the time of estimating a noise spectrum of one frequency from the input spectra of four frequencies with FFT of 256 points in this mode used. In consideration of the (pseudo) amplitude spectrum being horizontally symmetrical with respect to the frequency axis, to make estimation for all the frequencies, spectra of 128 frequencies and 128 sustaining numbers are stored, thus requiring the RAM capacity of a total of 768 W or 128 (frequencies)×2 (spectrum and sustaining number)×3 (first and second candidates for compensation and mean).

When a noise spectrum of one frequency is made to correspond to input spectra of four frequencies, by contrast, the required RAM capacity is a total of 192 W or 32 (frequencies)×2 (spectrum and sustaining number)×3 (first and second candidates for compensation and mean). In this case, it has been confirmed through experiments that for the above 1×4 case, the performance is hardly deteriorated while the frequency resolution of the noise spectrum decreases. Because this means is not for estimation of a noise spectrum from a spectrum of one frequency, it has an effect of preventing the spectrum from being erroneous estimated as a noise spectrum when a normal sound (sine wave, vowel or the like) continues for a long period of time.

A description will now be given of a process in the noise canceling/spectrum compensating section

278

.

A result of multiplying the mean noise spectrum, stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

, by the noise cancellation coefficient obtained by the noise cancellation coefficient adjusting section

274

is subtracted from the input spectrum (spectrum difference hereinafter). When the RAM capacity of the noise spectrum storage section

285

is saved as described in the explanation of the noise estimating section

284

, a result of multiplying a mean noise spectrum of a frequency corresponding to the input spectrum by the noise cancellation coefficient is subtracted. When the spectrum difference becomes negative, compensation is carried out by setting a value obtained by multiplying the first candidate of the compensation noise spectrum stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

by the compensation coefficient obtained by the noise cancellation coefficient adjusting section

274

. This is performed for every frequency. Further, flag data is prepared for each frequency so that the frequency by which the spectrum difference has been compensated can be grasped. For example, there is one area for each frequency, and 0 is set in case of no compensation, and 1 is set when compensation has been carried out. This flag data is sent together with the spectrum difference to the spectrum stabilizing section

279

. Furthermore, the total number of the compensated (compensation number) is acquired by checking the values of the flag data, and it is sent to the spectrum stabilizing section

279

too.

A process in the spectrum stabilizing section

279

will be discussed below. This process serves to reduce allophone feeling mainly of a segment which does not contain speeches.

First, the sum of the spectrum differences of the individual frequencies obtained from the noise canceling/spectrum compensating section

278

is computed to obtain two kinds of current frame powers, one for the full range and the other for the intermediate range. For the full range, the current frame power is obtained for all the frequencies (called the full range; 0 to 128 in this mode). For the intermediate range, the current frame power is obtained for an perpetually important, intermediate band (called the intermediate range; 16 to 79 in this mode).

Likewise, the sum of the compensation noise spectra for the first candidate, stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

, is acquired as current frame noise power (full range, intermediate range). When the values of the compensation numbers obtained from the noise canceling/spectrum compensating section

278

are checked and are sufficiently large, and when at least one of the following three conditions is met, the current frame is determined as a noise-only segment and a spectrum stabilizing process is performed.

(1) The input power is smaller than the maximum power multiplied by an unvoiced segment detection coefficient.

(2) The current frame power (intermediate range) is smaller than the current frame noise power (intermediate range) multiplied by 5.0.

(3) The input power is smaller than noise reference power.

In a case where no stabilizing process is not conducted, the consecutive noise number stored in the previous spectrum storage section

286

is decremented by 1 when it is positive, and the current frame noise power (full range, intermediate range) is set as the previous frame power (full range, intermediate range) and they are stored in the previous spectrum storage section

286

before proceeding to the phase diffusion process.

The spectrum stabilizing process will now be discussed. The purpose for this process is to stabilize the spectrum in an unvoiced segment (speech-less and noise-only segment) and reduce the power. There are two kinds of processes, and a process 1 is performed when the consecutive noise number is smaller than the number of consecutive noise references while a process 2 is performed otherwise. The two processes will be described as follow.

(Process 1)

The consecutive noise number stored in the previous spectrum storage section

286

is incremented by 1, and the current frame noise power (full range, intermediate range) is set as the previous frame power (full range, intermediate range) and they are stored in the previous spectrum storage section

286

before proceeding to the phase adjusting process.

(Process 2)

The previous frame power, the previous frame smoothing power and the unvoiced segment power reduction coefficient, stored in the previous spectrum storage section

286

, are referred to and are changed according to an equation 51.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} Dd80 = Dd80 \times 0.8 + A80 \times 0.2 \times P \\ D80 = D80 \times 0.5 + Dd80 \times 0.5 \\ Dd129 = Dd129 \times 0.8 + A129 \times 0.2 \times P \\ D129 = D129 \times 0.5 + Dd129 \times 0.5 \end{matrix} & (51) \end{matrix}

where

Dd80: previous frame smoothing power (intermediate range)

D80: previous frame power (intermediate range)

Dd129: previous frame smoothing power (full range)

D129: previous frame power (full range)

A80: current frame noise power (intermediate range)

A129: current frame noise power (full range).

Then, those powers are reflected on the spectrum differences. Therefore, two coefficients, one to be multiplied in the intermediate range (coefficient 1 hereinafter) and the other to be multiplied in the full range (coefficient 2 hereinafter), are computed. First, the coefficient 1 is computed from an equation 52.

r

1

=D

80/

A

80(when

A

80>0) 1.0 (when

A

80≦0) (52)

where

r1: coefficient 1

D80: previous frame power (intermediate range)

A80: current frame noise power (intermediate range).

As the coefficient 2 is influenced by the coefficient 1, acquisition means becomes slightly complicated. The procedures will be illustrated below.

(1) When the previous frame smoothing power (full range) is smaller than the previous frame power (intermediate range) or when the current frame noise power (full range) is smaller than the current frame noise power (intermediate range), the flow goes to (2), but goes to (3) otherwise.

(2) The coefficient 2 is set to 0.0, and the previous frame power (full range) is set as the previous frame power (intermediate range), then the flow goes to (6).

(3) When the current frame noise power (full range) is equal to the current frame noise power (intermediate range), the flow goes to (4), but goes to (5) otherwise.

(4) The coefficient 2 is set to 1.0, and then the flow goes to (6).

(5) The coefficient 2 is acquired from the following equation 53, and then the flow goes to (6).

r

2=(

D

129

−D

80)/(

A

129

−A

80) (53)

where

r2: coefficient 2

D129: previous frame power (full range)

D80: previous frame power (intermediate range)

A129: current frame noise power (full range)

A80: current frame noise power (intermediate range).

(6) The computation of the coefficient 2 is terminated.

The coefficients 1 and 2 obtained in the above algorithm always have their upper limits clipped to 1.0 and lower limits to the unvoiced segment power reduction coefficient. A value obtained by multiplying the spectrum difference of the intermediate frequency (16 to 79 in this example) by the coefficient 1 is set as a spectrum difference, and a value obtained by multiplying the spectrum difference of the frequency excluding the intermediate range from the full range of that spectrum difference (0 to 15 and 80 to 128 in this example) by the coefficient 2 is set as a spectrum difference. Accordingly, the previous frame power (full range, intermediate range) is converted by the following equation 54.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} D80 = A80 \times r1 \\ D129 = D80 + (A129 - A80) \times r2 \end{matrix} & (54) \end{matrix}

where

r1: coefficient 1

r2: coefficient 2

D80: previous frame power (intermediate range)

A80: current frame noise power (intermediate range)

D129: previous frame power (full range)

A129: current frame noise power (full range).

Various sorts of power data, etc. obtained in this manner are all stored in the previous spectrum storage section

286

and the process 2 is then terminated.

The spectrum stabilization by the spectrum stabilizing section

279

is carried out in the above manner.

Next, the phase adjusting process will be explained. While the phase is not changed in principle in the conventional spectrum subtraction, a process of altering the phase at random is executed when the spectrum of that frequency is compensated at the time of cancellation. This process enhances the randomness of the remaining noise, yielding such an effect of making is difficult to give a perpetually adverse impression.

First, the random phase counter stored in the random phase storage section

287

is obtained. Then, the flag data (indicating the presence/absence of compensation) of all the frequencies are referred to, and the phase of the complex spectrum obtained by the Fourier transform section

277

is rotated using the following equation 55 when compensation has been performed.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} Bs = Si \times Rc - Ti \times Rc + 1 \\ Bt = Si \times Rc + 1 + Ti \times Rc \\ Si = Bs \\ Ti = Bt \end{matrix} & (55) \end{matrix}

where

Si, Ti: complex spectrum

i: index indicating the frequency

R: random phase data

c: random phase counter

Bs, Bt: register for computation.

In the equation 55, two random phase data are used in pair. Every time the process is performed once, the random phase counter is incremented by 2, and is set to 0 when it reaches the upper limit (16 in this mode). The random phase counter is stored in the random phase storage section

287

and the acquired complex spectrum is sent to the inverse Fourier transform section

280

. Further, the total of the spectrum differences (spectrum difference power hereinafter) and it is sent to the spectrum enhancing section

281

.

The inverse Fourier transform section

280

constructs a new complex spectrum based on the amplitude of the spectrum difference and the phase of the complex spectrum, obtained by the spectrum stabilizing section

279

, and carries out inverse Fourier transform using FFT. (The yielded signal is called a first order output signal.) The obtained first order output signal is sent to the spectrum enhancing section

281

.

Next, a process in the spectrum enhancing section

281

will be discussed.

First, the mean noise power stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

, the spectrum difference power obtained by the spectrum stabilizing section

279

and the noise reference power, which is constant, are referred to select an MA enhancement coefficient and AR enhancement coefficient. The selection is implemented by evaluating the following two conditions.

(Condition 1)

The spectrum difference power is greater than a value obtained by multiplying the mean noise power, stored in the noise spectrum storage section

285

, by 0.6, and the mean noise power is greater than the noise reference power.

(Condition 2)

The spectrum difference power is greater than the mean noise power.

When the condition 1 is met, this segment is a “voiced segment,” the MA enhancement coefficient is set to an MA enhancement coefficient 1—1, the AR enhancement coefficient is set to an AR enhancement coefficient 1-1, and a high-frequency enhancement coefficient is set to a high-frequency enhancement coefficient 1. When the condition 1 is not satisfied but the condition 2 is met, this segment is an “unvoiced segment,” the MA enhancement coefficient is set to an MA enhancement coefficient 1-0, the AR enhancement coefficient is set to an AR enhancement coefficient 1-0, and the high-frequency enhancement coefficient is set to 0. When the condition 1 is satisfied but the condition 2 is not, this segment is an “unvoiced, noise-only segment,” the MA enhancement coefficient is set to an MA enhancement coefficient 0, the AR enhancement coefficient is set to an AR enhancement coefficient 0, and the high-frequency enhancement coefficient is set to a high-frequency enhancement coefficient 0.

Using the linear predictive coefficients obtained from the LPC analyzing section

276

, the MA enhancement coefficient and the AR enhancement coefficient, an MA coefficient AR coefficient of an extreme enhancement filter are computed based on the following equation 56.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} α (ma) i = αi \times β^{i} \\ α (ar) i = αi \times γ^{i} \end{matrix} & (56) \end{matrix}

where

α(ma)i: MA coefficient

α(ar)i: AR coefficient

αi: linear predictive coefficient

β: MA enhancement coefficient

γ: AR enhancement coefficient

i: number.

Then, the first order output signal acquired by the inverse Fourier transform section

280

is put through the extreme enhancement filter using the MA coefficient and AR coefficient. The transfer function of this filter is given by the following equation 57.

\begin{matrix} \frac{1 + {α (ma)}_{1} \times Z^{- 1} + {α (ma)}_{2} \times Z^{- 2} + \dots + {α (ma)}_{j} \times Z^{- j}}{1 + {α (ar)}_{1} \times Z^{- 1} + {α (ar)}_{2} \times Z^{- 2} + \dots + {α (ar)}_{j} \times Z^{- j}} & (57) \end{matrix}

where

α(ma)

1

: MA coefficient

α(ar)

1

: AR coefficient

j: order.

Further, to enhance the high frequency component, high-frequency enhancement filtering is performed by using the high-frequency enhancement coefficient. The transfer function of this filter is given by the following equation 58.

1−δZ

−1

(58)

where

δ: high-frequency enhancement coefficient.

A signal obtained through the above process is called a second order output signal. The filter status is saved in the spectrum enhancing section

281

.

Finally, the waveform matching section

282

makes the second order output signal, obtained by the spectrum enhancing section

281

, and the signal stored in the previous waveform storage section

288

, overlap one on the other with a triangular window. Further, data of this output signal by the length of the last pre-read data is stored in the previous waveform storage section

288

. A matching scheme at this time is shown by the following equation 59.

\begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} \begin{matrix} O_{j} = (j \times D_{j} + (L - j) \times Z_{j}) / L & (j = 0 \sim L - 1) \\ O_{j} = D_{j} & (j = L \sim L \div M - 1) \\ Z_{j} = O_{M + j} & (j + 0 \sim L - 1) \end{matrix} \end{matrix} & (59) \end{matrix}

where

O

j

: output signal

D

j

: second order output signal

Z

j

: output signal

L: pre-read data length

M: frame length.

It is to be noted that while data of the pre-read data length+frame length is output as the output signal, that of the output signal which can be handled as a signal is only a segment of the frame length from the beginning of the data. This is because, later data of the pre-read data length will be rewritten when the next output signal is output. Because continuity is compensated in the entire segments of the output signal, however, the data can be used in frequency analysis, such as LPC analysis or filter analysis.

According to this mode, noise spectrum estimation can be conducted for a segment outside a voiced segment as well as in a voiced segment, so that a noise spectrum can be estimated even when it is not clear at which timing a speech is present in data.

It is possible to enhance the characteristic of the input spectrum envelope with the linear predictive coefficients, and to possible to prevent degradation of the sound quality even when the noise level is high.

Further, using the mean spectrum of noise can cancel the noise spectrum more significantly. Further, separate estimation of the compensation spectrum can ensure more accurate compensation.

It is possible to smooth a spectrum in a noise-only segment where no speech is contained, and the spectrum in this segment can prevent allophone feeling from being caused by an extreme spectrum variation which is originated from noise cancellation.

The phase of the compensated frequency component can be given a random property, so that noise remaining uncanceled can be converted to noise which gives less perpetual allophone feeling.

The proper weighting can perpetually be given in a voiced segment, and perpetual-weighting originating allophone feeling can be suppressed in an unvoiced segment or an unvoiced syllable segment.

Industrial Applicability

As apparent from the above, an excitation vector generator, a speech coder and speech decoder according to this invention are effective in searching for excitation vectors and are suitable for improving the speech quality.

Number	Date	Country
8-294738	Nov 1996	JP
8-310324	Nov 1996	JP
9-34582	Feb 1997	JP
9-34583	Feb 1997	JP

Number	Name	Date	Kind
4797925	Lin	Jan 1989	A
5060269	Zinser	Oct 1991	A
5293449	Tzeng	Mar 1994	A
5371853	Kao et al.	Dec 1994	A
5396576	Miki et al.	Mar 1995	A
5428561	Bryant et al.	Jun 1995	A
5634085	Yoshikawa et al.	May 1997	A
6115687	Tanaka et al.	Sep 2000	A
6463406	McCree	Oct 2002	B1

Number	Date	Country
2150614	Apr 2001	CA
0488751	Jun 1992	EP
0680032	Nov 1995	EP
2-12300	Jan 1990	JP
5281999	Oct 1993	JP
6175695	Jun 1994	JP
6202697	Jul 1994	JP
7295598	Nov 1995	JP
8006600	Jan 1996	JP
8016196	Jan 1996	JP
804400	Feb 1996	JP
8279757	Oct 1996	JP
9-6396	Jan 1997	JP
10-63300	Mar 1998	JP
9912156	Mar 1999	WO

Excitation vector generator, speech coder and speech decoder

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Date Filed

Date Issued

Inventors

Original Assignees

Examiners

Agents

CPC

US Classifications

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US

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Term Extension

Abstract

Description

Claims

Priority Claims (4)

Parent Case Info

US Referenced Citations (9)

Foreign Referenced Citations (15)

Non-Patent Literature Citations (21)

Entry
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