Patent ID: 7509255

Claim:
An apparatus for processing a speech signal, comprising: a receiver which receives a multiplexed signal obtained by multiplexing a speech signal and collateral information concerning speech rate conversion which indicates whether or not on a transmitting end the speech signal has been subjected to a speech rate conversion process which temporally varies the speech signal without changing a pitch of speech included in the speech signal; a detector which detects the collateral information concerning speech rate conversion in the multiplexed signal received by the receiver and interprets a content of the collateral information; a sound reproducer which reproduces the speech signal included in the multiplexed signal received by the receiver; and a speech rate converting processor which subjects the speech signal reproduced by the sound reproducer to the speech rate conversion process if the collateral information concerning speech rate conversion detected by the detector indicates that the speech signal has not been subjected to the speech rate conversion process on the transmitting end, and which does not subject the speech signal reproduced by the sound reproducer to the speech rate conversion process if the collateral information concerning speech rate conversion indicates that the speech signal has been subjected to the speech rate conversion process on the transmitting end.