Abstract:
A vector-quantizing device comprises a first code book for storing a plurality of code vectors at respective addresses; a first addressing unit for selecting a code vector stored in the first code; a synthesis unit supplied with the code vector from the first code book for producing a synthetic signal that simulates an input signal; an evaluation unit supplied with the input signal and further with the synthetic signal from the synthesis means for evaluating a difference therebetween and searching for a code vector that minimizes the difference. There, the evaluation unit produces the first index data that specifies a code vector wherein the difference is minimized as a coded output. In addition, the vector-quantizing device includes a second code book for storing a plurality of code vectors at respective addresses; a second addressing unit for selecting a code vector stored in the second code book: and an update unit for counting the frequency of selection of the code vectors for each of the code vectors stored in the first code book. There, the update unit is for replacing a code vector in the first code book, when the frequency of use of the code vector is below a predetermined threshold, with a code vector in the second code book.

Description:
This application is a continuation, of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/933,793, filed Aug. 24, 1992, now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to vector-quantizing devices and more particularly to a vector-quantizing device that has a code book wherein the content of the code book is optimized adaptively. 
     The technique of vector quantization is used extensively for speech recognition as well as for transmission of various signals such as video signals or audio signals with data compression. In the digital telephone systems for transmitting speech signals via a communication line, in particular, the vector-quantization provides a powerful means for reducing the bit rate. 
     FIG.1 shows an example of the spectrum of human speech. As will be noted in FIG. 1, the human speech is basically formed of a component having a periodic and random noise spectrum produced at the voice cord, and such a signal component is modulated as result of change of the transfer characteristic at the vocal tract. Thus, the transfer of the speech signal having a spectrum as shown in FIG.1 requires transmission of a large amount of information, and hence, there is a need of a large bandwidth for the transmission channel. 
     In the vector-quantization of speech signals, a reference signal having a white noise spectrum as shown in FIG.2 is produced and sampled with a predetermined clock. The samples thus obtained such as a 1 , a 2 , a 3 , a 4  . . . are grouped into a number of groups called code vectors such as (a 1 , a 2 ), (a 3 , a 4 ), . . . , and are stored in a memory device called code book together with respective index data. 
     When compressing a speech signal in transmission side, the code vectors thus stored in the code book are read out therefrom one by one by changing the index, and a speech signal is reproduced by processing the code vectors in a synthetic filter. There, the code vector that produces a signal that approximates the input speech signal with the smallest error is selected and the index data of the code vector is transmitted over the transmission line. In the reception side, a code book having the identical construction and content is provided, and the code vector is selected based upon the index data transmitted over the transmission line. By processing the code vector in a speech synthesis filter that corresponds to the speech synthesis filter of the transmission side, one can reproduce the speech signal successfully. 
     FIG.3 shows the construction of a conventional vector-quantizing device used in the transmission side of a telecommunication system. 
     Referring to FIG.3, the device includes a coding unit 1 that includes therein a code book and an addressing circuit for selectively reading out the code vector from the code book. The selected code vector is then supplied to a synthesis unit 2 for reproducing speech sample data from the code vector. Typically, the unit 2 is provided by a feedback filter that simulates the acoustic characteristics of the vocal tract. The reproduced speech data is then compared with an input speech signal at a subtracter 3 where a deviation of the reproduced speech signal from the input speech signal is calculated, and the output of the subtracter 3 indicating the deviation is supplied to an evaluation unit 4 that calculates the square of the deviation signal. When the evaluation is completed for all of the code vectors, the evaluation unit 4 evaluates the foregoing square deviation for each of the code vectors in the code book and selects the code vector that provides the smallest square deviation. Thereby, the index data that corresponds to the selected code vector is transmitted along the transmission line. Thereby, one can achieve a data compression by sending the index of the code vector instead of the digital speech signal itself. 
     On the other hand, the quantizing device of this prior art has a problem, associated with the use of fixed code book, in that there is a tendency that some of the code vectors are used frequently while other code vectors are not used. Further, such frequently used code vectors and unused code vectors may change when the person who speaks has changed. Thus, the conventional device of FIG. 1 has to have a large code book that stores therein a very large number of code vectors. Thereby, one needs a large number of bits for addressing the code vectors in the code book and the efficiency of data compression is inevitably deteriorated. 
     FIG.4 shows another conventional vector-quantizing device that is used for training the code book for improving the quality of reproduced signals. 
     In the device of FIG.4, there is provided a code book 5 for storing the code vectors, and an addressing unit 6 selects the code vectors stored in the code book 5. The code vector read out from the code book 5 as a result of addressing by the unit 6 is then supplied to a synthetic filter 7 that corresponds to the synthesis unit 2 of FIG.3. There, the speech data is synthesized from the selected code vector and is compared with the input speech signal at a subtracter 8. There, the subtracter 8 calculates the difference between the input speech signal and the synthesized speech data and produces an output signal indicative of the difference. This output signal is then supplied to an evaluation unit 9 corresponding to the unit 4 of FIG.3 for calculating the square of the output signal of the subtracter unit 8. Further, the unit 9 activates the unit 6 for changing the code vector until a code vector that minimizes the square of deviation is found. Further, the index of the code vector thus found is transmitted over the transmission line similarly to the device of FIG.3. When the device of FIG.4 is used in the reception side, on the other hand, the output of the filter 7 is outputted as the synthetic speech signal. 
     Further, the circuit of FIG.4 includes a training unit 10 that is supplied with the input signal as a training signal for a predetermined interval. There, training unit 10 modifies the content of each selected code vector such that the deviation detected by the unit 9 is minimized. Thereby, one can train the code book 5 such that the distortion of vector-quantization is minimized. 
     In the device of FIG.4, however, there exists a problem in that, although those code vectors that are selected frequently are optimized by the training, the code vectors that are less frequently selected or not selected at all do not experience the desired training. Thereby, there can occur a large distortion associated with the reduced number of the effective or &#34;active&#34; code vectors that are actually selected during the data compression of the speech signals. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful vector-quantizing device, wherein the foregoing problems are eliminated. 
     Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a vector-quantizing device that is capable of updating the content of the code book such that the code book contains only those code vectors that are used with more or less the same frequency. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a vector-quantizing device for decompressing an input signal by a vector-quantization process, comprising: a first code book for storing a plurality of code vectors at respective indices; encoding means for selecting a code vector stored in said first code book, said coding means producing an encoded output as index data indicative of the index of said selected code vector; synthesis means supplied with said selected code vector from said first code book for producing a synthetic signal that simulates said input signal; evaluation means supplied with said input signal and further with said synthetic signal from said synthesis means for evaluating a difference therebetween, said evaluation means controlling said encoding means in response to said difference such that a code vector that minimizes said difference is selected; a second code book for storing a plurality of code vectors at respective indices; and update means for counting the frequency of selection of said code vectors for each of said code vectors stored in said first code book, said update means replacing a code vector in said first code book, when the frequency of use of said code vector is below a predetermined threshold, with a code vector stored in said second code book. According to the present invention, one can modify the content of the first code book such that the first code book contains only those code vectors of which frequency of usage exceeds the predetermined threshold. In other words, the code vectors in the code book have a relatively uniform frequency of use. Thereby, one can reduce the distortion accompanying the vector quantization, and the quality of the speech signal reproduced at the reception side is significantly improved, particularly when the vector-quantizing device is used in a telecommunication system. 
     Other objects and further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the attached drawings, 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a typical spectrum of a speech; 
     FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the sampling of a random noise signal for creating code vectors used in the vector quantization; 
     FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the construction of a conventional vector-quantizing device; 
     FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the construction of another conventional vector-quantizing device; 
     FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the construction of a vector-quantizing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the essential part of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 As a block diagram showing the construction of a synthetic filter used in the circuit of FIG. 5 
     FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the construction of a vector-quantizing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 9 is a block diagram am showing the construction of a vector-quantizing device according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 10(A) and 10B) are diagrams showing the construction of a telecommunication system wherein a vector-quantizing device at the transmission side is connected to a vector-quantizing device at the reception side via a telecommunication line. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     FIG. 5 shows the construction of the vector-quantizing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 5 the vector-quantizing device of the present embodiment includes a code book 21 corresponding to the code book 5 of FIG. 4 for storing a number of code vectors such that the code vectors stored in the code book 21 are addressed by an addressing unit 22 that corresponds to the unit 6 of FIG. 4. There, a selected code vector is read out from the code book 21 and supplied to a synthesis filter 23 corresponding to the filter 7 of FIG. 4. Further, the output of the filter 23 is supplied to a subtracter unit 16 for subtraction from an input signal that is supplied also to the unit 16. The subtracter unit 16 produces an output signal indicative of the difference therebetween and supplies the same to an evaluation unit 17 that corresponds to the unit 9 of FIG. 4. 
     There, the unit 17 calculates the square of the difference represented by the output signal of the subtracter 16 for each of the code vectors stored in the code book 21. For this purpose, the unit 17 produces index data ADDRESS and controls the addressing unit 22. Further, the unit 17 produces a count signal indicative of the addressing of the code vector for each of the code vectors in the code book 21 and the count signal is counted in a counter 18. 
     When an input signal vector (X 0  &#39;, X 1  &#39;) comes in, the addressing unit 22 selects one of the code vectors such as a code vector (X 0 , X 1 ) in the code book 21 and outputs the same to the synthesis filter 23. There, the code vector (X 0 , X 1 ) is converted to a signal code vector (X 0   s , X 1   s ) after experiencing a transfer characteristic of the filter 23, and a difference (X 0  &#39;-X 0   s , X 1  &#39;-X 1   s ) is calculated in the subtracter 16. Further, the unit 17 calculates the square difference of the vectors as 
     
         E.sup.2 =(X.sub.0&#39; -X.sub.0.sup.s).sup.2 +(X.sub.1 &#39;-X.sub.1.sup.s).sup.2. 
    
     Further, such a square difference E 2  is calculated in the unit 17 for each of the code vectors in the code book 21 by selecting the next code via the addressing unit 22. By selecting the code vector that provides the smallest square difference E min   2  and sending the index data of such a code vector, the vector-quantizing device achieves the desired data compression. Typically, the code book 21 may include 128 code vectors in the index starting from 0 and ending at 127. Thereby, one can compress the input speech date to 7 bit digital data. 
     In the circuit of FIG. 5, it should be noted that there is provided another code book 14 such that the code book 14 replaces the code vector in the code book 21. For this purpose, there is provided another addressing unit 15 such that the unit 15 addresses the code vector in the code book 21 consecutively one after another and replaces the code vector in the code book 21 when the number of counts, counted by the counter 18 for the code vector under consideration, is smaller than a predetermined threshold. There, it should be noted that the counter 18 counts the frequency of use of the code vector for a predetermined interval for each of the input signal vector (X 0  &#39;, X 1  &#39;). In addition to the foregoing threshold function, the addressing unit 15 achieves an addressing of the second code book 14 for selecting a code vector that is used for substituting the code vector in the code book 21. There, the addressing unit 15 selects a next code vector in the code book 14 each time a code vector in the code book 14 is selected. 
     As a result of such a modification or updating of the code book 21, the code vectors that are used seldom are discarded and replaced by another, more frequently used code vector. Thereby, the code book 21 is updated to store only those code vectors that are used frequently after running for a predetermined duration. 
     FIG. 6 shows the construction of the essential part of the device of FIG. 5. 
     Referring to FIG. 6, there is provided an index decoder as the addressing unit 22, and the index decoder 22 selects the code vector stored in the code book 21 in response to the index data ADDRESS supplied from the evaluation unit 17. In response to the addressing, the code vector in the code book 21 is read out and supplied to the synthesis filter 23 via a buffer amplifier 22a. Further, it will be noted that the counter 18 of FIG. 5 is provided as an assembly 18b of counters that includes counters 18c with a number corresponding to the number of the addresses in the code book 21. Further, reading and writing of the counters 18c are achieved by an index decoder 18a that is supplied with index data ADDRESS from the evaluation unit 17. Thus, each time a code vector in the code book 21 is selected, the count in the counter 18c corresponding to the code vector is increased by one. 
     When updating the code book 21, the index data ADDRESS for selecting the code vectors in the code book 21 is changed consecutively, and the content of the counter 18c is read out in response to the index data ADDRESS thus given. Further, the count thus read out is supplied to a threshold detection unit 15a via a buffer amplifier 18d. There, the threshold detection unit 15a is supplied with a threshold data from a memory unit 15b and produces a control signal when the count stored in the selected counter 18c is smaller than the count provided by the memory 15b. This control signal is used for activating the updating of the code vector in the code book 21 as described below. 
     It will be noted that there is provided another index decoder 15d adjacent to the code book 14 for selecting the code vectors stored therein. Further, the index decoder 15d is supplied with index data generated by an index counter 15c. More specifically, the index decoder 15d selects a code vector in the code book 14 in response to the index data given by the index counter 15c, and the code vector thus selected is read out from the code book 14 via a buffer amplifier 15e. There, the control signal produced by the threshold detection unit 15a is used for activating the buffer amplifier 15e. Thus, in response to the activation of the buffer amplifier 15e, the code vector in the code book 14 at the index selected by the index counter 15c is transferred to the code book 21 via the index decoder 22 and replaces the code vector at the index selected by the index decoder 22. 
     It should be noted that the index counter 15c may be a counter that runs independently and changes the index data consecutively, or a counter that increases the index data by 1 in response to the control signal from the threshold detection unit 15a. Further, as will be described later with reference to other embodiment, the index counter 15c may be a random number generator for generating the index data at random. 
     FIG. 7 shows the construction of the synthesis filter 23 that is used in the circuit of FIG. 5. 
     Referring to FIG. 7, the filter 23 is a digital filter of the feedback type for simulating the reverberation occurring in the vocal tract according to the relationship 
     
         y(t.sub.i)=x(t.sub.i)+a.sub.1 y(t.sub.i-1)+ . . . +a.sub.m y(t.sub.i-m), 
    
     and includes delay circuits 23 1  -23 m  for delaying the input signal and coefficient circuits 23 1  &#39;-23 m  &#39; respectively corresponding to the delay circuits 23 1  -23 m  for multiplying the coefficients a 1  -a m  to the signals delayed by the corresponding delay circuits. The output of the coefficient circuits 23 1  &#39;-23 m  &#39; are then added with each other at a summation circuit 23 s , and the output of the summation circuit 23 s  is added to the input signal at a summation circuit 23s&#39;. 
     FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 8, a random code generator 31 is provided in place of the second code book 14 and the random code or number produced in the random code generator 31 is used for substituting for the code vector in the code book 21. Other aspects of the present embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment and further description will be omitted. 
     FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention wherein there is provided a training circuit 41 for training the code vectors stored in the code book 21. Thereby, the code vectors that are selected by the addressing unit 22 is subjected to a training or modification in response to the input signal during a training interval, and the code book is optimized against the input speech signal. As the code vectors that are not used frequently are discarded in the device of the present invention, all the code vectors in the code book of the device of FIG. 9 experience the training and the distortion associated with the vector-quantization data compression is minimized. 
     FIGS.10(A) and 10(B) show a telecommunication system wherein the data compression and decompression is achieved by the vector-quantizing device of the present invention. 
     Referring to FIG. 10(A) showing the transmission side, there is provided a vector-quantizing device substantially identical with the device of FIG. 5 as an encoder except that there is provided a gain controller 50 for encoding data indicative of the gain of the input signal. 
     There, the gain controller 50 includes a gain code book 51 for storing gain code values representing the magnitude of the input signal, and an addressing unit 52 selectively reads out the gain code values from the code book 51 under the control of the evaluation unit 17. There may be eight different gain code values with the index represented by 3 bit data. The gain code value thus read out from the code book 51 is multiplied to the shape code vector that has been read out from the code book 21 at a multiplier 53, and the data thus produced by the multiplier 53 is amplified in a gain amplifier 54 with a gain σ that is determined by the gain code value read out from the code book 51. As the addressing unit 52 is controlled by the evaluation unit 17 such that the square deviation E 2  becomes minimum, the selection of the optimum gain code value and hence the extraction of the index data of the optimum gain code value is guaranteed. 
     In the present embodiment, too, the updating of the code book 21 by the shape code vectors stored in the code book 14 is achieved similarly to the foregoing embodiment. Further, such an updating of the code book may by applied also to the code book 51 by providing an additional code book. 
     The index data of the optimum code vectors thus selected by the evaluation unit 17 is then transferred to a reception side via a transmission line. When the code book 21 includes 128 shape code vectors and the code book 51 includes 8 gain code values as mentioned previously, 10 bit data is used for the transmission of necessary information. 
     FIG. 10(B) shows the vector-quantizing device used in the reception side for reproducing the speech signal from the transmitted data. 
     Referring to FIG. 10(B), the reception side device has a construction similar to the device of the transmission side in that there is provided a code book 61 corresponding to the code book 21, and the shape code vectors stored in the code book 61 are read out therefrom by an addressing unit 62 that corresponds to the addressing unit 22. Further, there is provided a code book 63 for updating the shape code vectors stored in the code book 61 via an addressing unit 64 that corresponds to the addressing unit 64. In addition, there is provided a code book 65 corresponding to the code book 51 for storing the gain code values and an addressing unit 66 corresponding to the addressing unit 52 reads out the gain code values stored in the code book 65. 
     It should be noted that the data transmitted over the transmission line is supplied to the addressing unit 62 and further to the addressing unit 66 such that the index data that represents the index of the optimum shape code vector in the code book 21 is supplied to the addressing unit 62. Further the index data that represents the index of the optimum gain code value in the code book 51 is supplied to the addressing unit 66. Such a separation of the data is achieved easily by using the upper 3 bit data of the transmitted 10 bit data for the addressing of the gain code value in the code book 65 and by using the lower 7 bit data for the addressing of the shape code vectors in the code book 61. 
     The code vectors thus read out from the code books 61 and 65 are then multiplied with each other in a multiplier 67 that corresponds to the multiplier 53, and the multiplier 67 produces an output to a gain amplifier 68 corresponding to the gain amplifier 54. Further, the shape code vectors read out from the code book 61 is counted with respect to the frequency of use in a counter 70 that corresponds to the counter 18, and the counter controls the addressing unit 64 for updating those shape code vectors of which frequency of use is below a predetermined threshold, which is set identical with the threshold used when updating the shape code vectors by the addressing unit 15. Thereby, the addressing unit 64 operates exactly identical with the addressing unit 15. As the frequency of use of the code vectors in the code book 61 is identical with the shape code vectors in the code book 21, the updating of the code book 61 is achieved exactly identical with the updating of the code book 21. In other words, the telecommunication system of FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B) does not require the transmission of information about the updating of the code book separately to the transmission of data. 
     The output of the multiplier 67 is then supplied to a gain amplifier 68 corresponding to the gain amplifier 54 where the gain σ is adjusted in accordance with the output of the amplifier 68. Further, the output of the amplifier 68 representing the optimized code vector of the code books 61 and 65 multiplied with the optimized gain σ, is then passed through a synthesis filter 69 that corresponds to the synthesis filter 23 for simulating the acoustics of the vocal tract. Thereby, a synthetic speech signal is obtained as an output of the filter 69. 
     Further, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described heretofore, but various variations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.