Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6360198?dq=5,758,352
Timestamp: 2015-04-18 19:25:14
Document Index: 105639505

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 2', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 4', 'art 8', 'art 6', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 8', 'art 6', 'art 8', 'art 8', 'art 9', 'art 9', 'art 10', 'art 7', 'art 2', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 4', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 4', 'art 3', 'art 6', 'art 5', 'art 2', 'art 7', 'art 10', 'art 2', 'art 11', 'art 11', 'art 10', 'art 11', 'art 2', 'art 11']

Patent US6360198 - Audio processing method, audio processing apparatus, and recording ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA reproduction part reproduced at a changeable speed ratio r. An A/D conversion part A/D converts, based on sampling frequency fi, an audio signal reproduced at a speed different from that upon recording. A block data division part divides audio data based on an attribute possessed by the audio data....http://www.google.com/patents/US6360198?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6360198 - Audio processing method, audio processing apparatus, and recording reproduction apparatus capable of outputting voice having regular pitch regardless of reproduction speedAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6360198 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/297,730Publication dateMar 19, 2002Filing dateSep 1, 1998Priority dateSep 12, 1997Fee statusPaidAlso published asCA2271463A1, CA2271463C, CN1125459C, CN1239571A, DE69836472D1, EP0939401A1, EP0939401A4, EP0939401B1, WO1999014751A1Publication number09297730, 297730, US 6360198 B1, US 6360198B1, US-B1-6360198, US6360198 B1, US6360198B1InventorsAtsushi Imai, Nobumasa Seiyama, Tohru TakagiOriginal AssigneeNippon Hoso KyokaiExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (11), Referenced by (12), Classifications (14), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetAudio processing method, audio processing apparatus, and recording reproduction apparatus capable of outputting voice having regular pitch regardless of reproduction speed
performing A/D conversion, at a sampling frequency fi, of the audio signal that has been reproduced from the recording medium; performing analysis processing on audio data that has been obtained by the A/D conversion according to the attribute thereof; dividing the audio data into block units each having a prescribed time width according to data that has been obtained by the analysis processing; performing a series of processings of performing interpolation or thinning processing on the audio data in divided block units if necessary to thereby make data length thereof I/r greater and thereby produce output audio data; performing D/A conversion, at a sampling frequency fo, of the thus-produced output audio data to thereby output a sound synchronized with an image; and setting the respective sampling D/A conversion of the audio data to thereby produce an audio signal, and the changeable speed ratio r may satisfy prescribed conditions. 2. An audio processing method according to claim 1, wherein as the prescribed conditions, when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed radio r satisfy the relationship of fi/fo=r, there is used the sampling frequency fi which is represented by an expression fi=r�fo; and when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed ratio r are in the relationship of fi/fo≠r, there is used the sampling frequency fi that is represented by an expression fi=r�fo/c that includes a sampling frequency conversion coefficient c.
as the prescribed conditions that are set by the sampling frequency setting means, when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed radio r satisfy the relationship of fi/ fo=r, there is used the sampling frequency fi which is represented by an expression fi=r≠fo; and when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed ratio r are in the relationship of fi/ fo≠r, there is used the sampling frequency fi that is represented by an expression fi=r�fo/c that includes a sampling frequency conversion coefficient c. 6. An audio processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
Also, if imposing a limitation on means for correcting the pitch of the sound, there is known a pitch shifter (pitch changer) which has been presently being used in a �karaoke� apparatus or the like. However, if using such a pitch shifter in the correction of the pitch in the above-described VTR apparatus, when the object sound is a human voice or the correction range therefor is wide, such as, for example, when restoring to the original pitch the sound whose pitch has been lowered 1 octave as in the case of a � time speed reproduction, there existed the problem with the quality of the sound, such as the problem that a large amount of distortion or echo feeling follows the corrected sound.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems and has an object to provide an audio processing method, audio processing apparatus and recording and reproduction apparatus which take in a sound which has been changeable speed reproduced within a practical use range of changeable speed as when having reproduced at a speed that is � time, or 2 times, higher and whose pitch has changed, and which, while the clearness of the sound is being maintained as is, enables the pitch of the sound to be restored to its original level within a range of �1 octave or so in a state where the sound is synchronized highly accurately with the image.
According to the audio processing method as described in claim 3, the gist is that, in the audio processing method as described in claim 1, as the prescribed conditions, when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed radio r satisfy the relationship of fi/fo=r, there is used the sampling frequency fi which is represented by an expression fi=r�fo; and when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed ratio r are in the relationship of fi/fo≠r, there is used the sampling frequency fi that is represented by an expression fi=r�fo/c that includes a sampling frequency conversion coefficient c.
According to the audio processing method as described in claim 4, the gist is that, in the audio processing method as described in claim 2, as the prescribed conditions, when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed radio r satisfy the relationship of fi/fo=r, there is used the sampling frequency fi which is represented by an expression fi=r�fo; and when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed ratio r are in the relationship of fi/fo≠r, there is used the sampling frequency fi that is represented by an expression fi=r�fo/c that includes a sampling frequency conversion coefficient c.
According to the audio processing method as described in claim 7, the gist is that, in the audio processing apparatus as described in claim 6, as the prescribed conditions that are set by the sampling frequency setting means, when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed radio r satisfy the relationship of fi/ fo=r, there is used the sampling frequency fi which is represented by an expression fi=r�fo; and when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed ratio r are in the relationship of fi/ fo≠r, there is used the sampling frequency fi that is represented by an expression fi=r�fo/c that includes a sampling frequency conversion coefficient c.
As has been described above, according to the present invention, in an audio processing method of, when reproducing, at a reproduction speed different from that at which an audio signal has been recorded in a recording medium, the audio signal recorded in the recording medium, adjusting the pitch of the reproduced audio signal, a sampling frequency f1, which is used when performing A/D conversion of the audio signal that has been reproduced from the recording medium at a changeable reproduction speed ratio r with respect to a normal reproduction speed to thereby produce audio data, and a sampling frequency fo, which is used when performing, after having performed digital signal processing on the audio data, D/A conversion thereof to thereby produce an audio signal, are respectively set so that these frequencies and the changeable reproduction speed r may satisfy prescribed conditions. As a result of this, the invention takes in a sound which has been changeable speed reproduced and whose pitch has changed within a practical use range of changeable speed as when having reproduced at a speed that is � time, or 2 times, higher, and , while the clearness of the sound is being maintained as is, enables the pitch of the sound to be restored to its original level within a range of �1 octave or so in a state where the sound is synchronized highly accurately with the image.
FIG. 4 is a typical view illustrating an example of block connection instructing operation of the connection sequence production part, which is performed when the sound-equipped VTR changeable speed reproduction apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 has been set as being �slowly�; and
FIG. 5 is a typical view illustrating an example of block connection instructing operation of the connection sequence production part, which is performed when the sound-equipped VTR changeable speed reproduction apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1 has been set as being �quickly�.
At this time, in a series of processes of performing A/D conversion of the audio signal reproduced at a speed different from that at the time of recording, performing correction of the pitch and extension and contraction of the time length of the data by digital signal processing, and thereafter performing D/A conversion and thereby outputting a sound synchronized with an image, assuming that the sampling frequency at the time of A/D conversion is represented by fi (Hz); the sampling frequency at the time of D/A conversion is represented by fo (Hz); and the changeable speed ratio of the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 is represented by r, A/D conversion of the audio signal is performed using the sampling frequency fi which is expressed by fi=r�fo (Hz) in a case where the sampling frequencies fi and fo (Hz) can be set so as to satisfy the relationship of fi/fo=r. Also, in a case where the relationship of fi/fo≠r is established because the sampling frequencies fi and fo cannot be set to be at given values, the audio signal is converted to audio data that is in a state where sampling has been performed using a sampling frequency conversion coefficient c=r�fo/fi (Hz) by the sampling frequency conversion part 4 provided in a stage succeeding the A/D conversion part 3. And, by performing a series of processes of performing analysis processing on the audio signal according to the attribute of the sound, dividing the audio data into blocks each having a prescribed time width according to data that has been obtained through the performance of the analysis processing and if necessary performing interpolation or thinning of the data in units of a block to thereby make the time length of the data if necessary 1/r time greater, and, after the performance of such series of processes, performing D/A conversion of the audio signal at the sampling frequency fo (Hz), a high quality of sound with no change being made in the pitch thereof is output while synchronizing the presented timing of the sound with the video signal that has been obtained with a changeable speed reproduction of the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2.
At this time, when the sampling frequencies fi and fo can be set so that the sampling frequency fi at the time of A/D conversion, the sampling frequency fo at the time of D/A conversion and the changeable speed ratio r satisfy the relationship of fi/fo=r, the A/D conversion part 3 performs A/D conversion of the audio signal (the changed speed reproduced audio signal) output from the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 at the sampling frequency fi=r�fo (Hz) to thereby produce audio data. Also, when the sampling frequency fi at the time of A/D conversion, the sampling frequency fo at the time of D/A conversion and the changeable speed ratio r are in the relationship of fi/fo≠r as in the case where the sampling frequencies fi and fo are each a fixed value for example, the A/D conversion part 3 performs A/D conversion of the audio signal (the changed speed reproduced audio signal) output from the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 at a prescribed sampling frequency fi (Hz) to thereby produce audio data, and supplies the audio data that has been thereby obtained to the sampling frequency conversion part 4.
The sampling frequency conversion part 4 produces c=1 as the sampling frequency conversion coefficient c when the audio data output from the A/D conversion part is audio data that has been so converted so as to satisfy the relationship of fi/fo=r. Also, the sampling frequency conversion part 4 produces c=r�fo/fi as the sampling frequency conversion coefficient c when the audio data output from the A/D conversion part 3 is audio data that has been so converted with the relationship fi/fo≠r. The sampling frequency conversion part 4 converts the sampling frequency of the audio data output from the A/D conversion part 3 according to the sampling frequency conversion coefficient c and thereby converts the audio data that has been A/D converted at the sampling frequency fi to audio data corresponding to the audio data that was so A/D converted at the sampling frequency fo (Hz) the same as that used when reproduction was made at a normal reproduction speed and supplies this converted audio data to the analysis processing part 5 and to the block data division part 6.
In this case, in the attribute analysis processing, regarding the audio data output from the sampling frequency conversion part 4, calculation is made of the sum of the square of the data by the use of a window width of around 30 ms or so and calculation is also made of the power value P of the audio data at intervals each of around 5 ms or so. In addition, comparison is made between the power value P and a preset threshold value Pmin, whereby the data portion that satisfies the relationship of �P<Pmin� is determined to be an unvoiced sound section while, on the other hand, the data portion that satisfies the relationship of �Pmin≦P� is determined to be a voiced sound section. Thereafter, zero cross analysis, auto-correlation analysis with respect to the audio data that was obtained by the decimation processing, etc. are performed on the audio data output from the sampling frequency conversion part 4. And, according to the analysis results and the power value P, it is determined whether of the audio data the portion satisfying the relationship of �Pmin≦P� is a sound section resulting from the vibration of the vocal cord (the voiced sound section) or a sound section non-resulting from the vibration of the vocal cord (the unvoiced sound section). It is to be noted that although the attributes such as noises or music-or-the like background sounds are also considered as being among the respective attributes of the audio data output from the sampling frequency conversion part 4, since in general it is difficult to make exact auto discrimination between noises signals or background sound signals and audio signals, noise sounds or background sounds are also classified into either the voiced sound or the unvoiced sound.
In this case, if the reproduction speed of the sound-equipped VTR changeable speed reproduction apparatus 1 is set to be �slowly�, the connecting data production part 8 takes in the audio data in block units that is output from the block data division part 6. And, the part 8 performs, in units of a block, windowing with respect to the audio data situated at the start portion of this block by the use of the window A linearly increasing during a time length d (ms) and performs, in units of a block, windowing with respect to the audio data situated at the start portion of a block immediately succeeding this block by the use of the window B linearly decreasing during a time length d (ms). Thereafter, the part 8 performs duplicate addition of the start portion of the immediately succeeding block and the start portion of the block preceding the same, thereby producing connecting data having a time length of d (ms), and supplies it to the connecting data accumulation part 9. Also, if the reproduction speed of the sound-equipped VTR changeable speed reproduction apparatus is set to be �quickly�, the connecting data production part 8 takes in the audio data in block units that is output from the block data division part 6. And, the part 8 performs, in units of a block, windowing with respect to the audio data situated at the start portion of this block by the use of the window A linearly increasing during the time length d (ms) and performs, in units of a block, windowing with respect to the audio data situated at the start portion of a block that is the second block after this block by the use of the window B linearly decreasing during the time length d (ms). Thereafter, the part 8 performs duplicate addition of the start portion of the immediately succeeding block and the start portion of the block preceding the same, thereby producing connecting data having a time length of d (ms), and supplies it to the connecting data accumulation part 9. At this time, although a given value falling within the range of from �5 (ms)� to �the shortest block of the relevant block, the block that is the first block after it, and the block that is the second block after it� can be selected as the time length d, the shorter the time length d is made, the smaller can be made the capacity of the buffer of the connecting data accumulation part 9.
Also, the method of performing the time data monitoring in the connection sequence determination portion of the connection sequence production part 10 is considered to be executed with such a construction as illustrated in FIG. 3. Namely, the block length in block units that is output from the block data accumulation part 7 is calculated at all times by an input data length monitoring portion 21 to thereby determine the input data length leng_in. Then, while determining this input data length, the extension/contraction scale factor (inverse multiple) 1/r is calculated by an output data target length calculation portion 22 according to the input data length leng_in and the changeable speed ratio r output from the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 to thereby determine the output data target length �target� (target=leng_in/r). Also, in parallel with this, by an output data length monitoring portion 23, an output data length leng_out is determined according to the previous connection data output from the audio data connection part 11. Thereafter, determination is made of the difference t (t=target−leng_out) between the output data target length �target� and the output data length leng_out by a comparison portion 24, hereupon this difference is supplied to the audio data connection part 11.
First, in a case where the sound-equipped VTR changeable speed reproduction apparatus 1 is in operation with the reproduction speed being set as being �slowly�, when, in a state where the audio signal that appears while one of the voiced sound section, unvoiced sound section and silent section is being sequentially switched to and replaced by a next one thereof is being input, it has been detected according to the previous connection data output from the audio data connection part 11 that the attribute of the audio data has been replaced by another one or it has been detected that the extension/contraction scale factor of the audio data has been changed as a result of a change in the reproduction speed of the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 even when the attribute of the audio data is the same, the connection sequence determination portion determines that the starting conditions for starting the process of producing the connection sequence have been all prepared. And the connection sequence determination portion determines that the time at this point in time is a starting time To as illustrated in (A) in FIG. 4.
L/2<R�S i −S o (1)
Also, in a case where the sound-equipped VTR changeable speed reproduction apparatus 1 is in operation with the reproduction speed being set as being �quickly�, the processing that will be described below is executed with the timing at which the conditions shown in the following expression (2) hold true.
L/2<S o −R�S i (2)
In this way, according to this embodiment, when having reproduced an audio signal at a speed different from that at the time of recording through the control of the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2, by, while matching the sampling frequency fi (Hz) used when performing A/D conversion with the sampling frequency fo (Hz) used when performing D/A conversion by the use of the sampling frequency conversion part 4, dividing the audio data into blocks each having a prescribed time width and if necessary performing interpolation or thinning thereof according to the changeable speed ratio r of the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 and the attribute of the sound, a high quality of sound with no change being made in the pitch thereof is output while synchronizing the presented timing of the sound with a video signal that has been changeable-speed reproduced in the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2. For this reason, the apparatus 1 can take in the sound that has been changeable speed reproduced and has changed in pitch within a range over which the changeable speed is in practical use as when reproduction has been made at a speed that is � time, or 2 times, higher. And, while the clearness of the sound is being maintained as is and in a state where the sound has been synchronized highly accurately with the image, the pitch can be restored to the original level within a range of approximately �1 octave or so.
Also, according to this embodiment, when performing digital signal processing on the audio data that has been obtained by performing A/D conversion, at the sampling frequency fi, of the audio signal that has been reproduced from a recording medium at the changeable speed ratio r with respect to the normal or regular reproduction speed, the apparatus uses the following procedures. Namely, by performing a series of processes of performing analysis processing on the attribute of the audio signal, dividing the audio data into blocks each having a prescribed time width according to data that has been obtained through the performance of the analysis processing and if necessary performing interpolation or thinning of the data in units of a block to thereby make the time length of the data if necessary 1/r time greater, and, after the performance of such series of processes and the resulting production of the audio data, performing D/A conversion of the output audio data at the sampling frequency fo (Hz), an audio signal is produced. For this reason, the apparatus can take in the sound that has been changeable speed reproduced and has changed in pitch within a range over which the changeable speed is in practical use as when reproduction has been made at a speed that is � time, or 2 times, higher. And, while the clearness of the sound is being maintained as is and in a state where the sound has been synchronized highly accurately with the image, the pitch can be restored, while the connection portions of the sound are being optimized, to the original level within a range of approximately �1 octave or so.
Further, according to this embodiment, when the changeable speed radio r of the audio signal output from the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2, the sampling frequency fi used when performing A/D conversion of this audio signal, the sampling frequency fo used when performing D/A conversion of the audio data satisfy the relationship of fi/fo=r, there is used the sampling frequency fi=r�fo (Hz). Also, when the sampling frequencies fi and fo and the changeable speed ratio r are in the relationship of fi/fo≠r, there is used the sampling frequency fi that is expressed by fi=r�fo/c that includes the sampling frequency conversion coefficient c. Using the technique of merely adding a small number of circuits to a conventionally used circuit, which is to insert the sampling frequency conversion part 4 into between the A/D conversion part 3 and the block data division part 6 (the analysis processing part 5), the apparatus takes in the sound that has been changeable speed reproduced and has changed in pitch within a range over which the changeable speed is in practical use as when reproduction has been made at a speed that is � time, or 2 times, higher. And, while the clearness of the sound is being maintained as is and in a state where the sound has been synchronized highly accurately with the image by completely correcting the time non-coincidence between the sound and the image, the pitch can be restored, while the connection portions of the sound are being optimized, to the original level within a range of approximately �1 octave or so.
Further, according to this embodiment, when performing digital signal processing on the audio data that has been obtained by performing A/D conversion, at the sampling frequency fi, of the audio signal that is output from the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2, the block length in block units that is output from the block data accumulation part 7 is calculated at all times by the input data length monitoring portion 21, which constitutes the connection sequence production part 10, to thereby determine the input data length leng_in. Then, while determining this input data length, the extension/contraction scale factor (inverse multiple) 1/r is calculated by the output data target length calculation portion 22 according to the input data length leng_in and the changeable speed ratio r output from the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 to thereby determine the output data target length �target� (target=leng_in/r). Also, in parallel with this, by the output data length monitoring portion 23, an output data length leng_out is determined according to the previous connection data output from the audio data connection part 11. Thereafter, determination is made of the difference t (t=target−leng_out) between the output data target length �target� and the output data length leng_out by the comparison portion 24, whereupon this difference is supplied to the audio data connection part 11. And the extension/contraction scale factor is so adjusted as to zero this difference t. For this reason, the apparatus takes in the sound that has been changeable speed reproduced and has changed in pitch within a range over which the changeable speed is in practical use as when reproduction has been made at a speed that is {fraction (1/2)} time, or 2 times, higher. And, while the clearness of the sound is being maintained as is and in a state where the sound has been synchronized highly accurately with the image by completely correcting the time non-coincidence between the sound and the image, the pitch can be restored, while the connection portions of the sound are being optimized, to the original level within a range of approximately �1 octave or so.
Additionally, although in the above-described embodiment it is arranged that determination is made of the difference t (t=target−leng_out) between the output data target length �target� and the output data length leng out by the connection sequence production part 10, whereupon the extension/contraction scale factor is so adjusted as to zero this difference t in the audio data connection part 11 according to the necessity, it may be also arranged to feed the time data output from the VTR changeable speed reproduction part 2 directly back to the audio data connection part 11 and to control the extension/contraction scale factor so that the timing of the image and the timing of the sound may coincide with each other.
As has been described above, according to the resent invention, it is possible to take in the sound that has been changeable speed reproduced and has changed in pitch within a range over which the changeable speed is in practical use as when reproduction has been made at a speed that is � time, or 2 times, higher. And, while the clearness of the sound is being maintained as is and in a state where the sound has been synchronized highly accurately with the image, it is possible to restore the pitch, while the connection portions of the sound are being optimized, to the original level within a range of approximately �1 octave or so.
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