Speech reinforcement based on partial masking effect

Perceived quality of the speech signal deteriorates significantly in the presence of ambient noise. In this paper, based on the analysis that the partial masking effect is a main source of the quality degradation when interfering signals are present, we propose a novel approach to enhance the perceived quality of speech signal when the ambient noise cannot be directly controlled by reinforcing it so that it can be heard more clearly. To find a suitable reinforcement rule, the loudness perception model proposed by Moore et al. [1] is adopted with the consideration on the prevention of the hearing damage. Experimental results show that the perceived quality and intelligibility can be enhanced under various noise environments.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2009
• Where: ICASSP
• Authors: Jong Won Shin, Yu Gwang Jin, Seung Seop Park, Nam Soo Kim
• Keywords: Ambient Noise, ICASSP 2009, Partial Masking Effect, Signal Processing, Speech Signal