Voice Quality Measurement


Book Description

This comprehensive book explores the many facets of measuring voice quality. Voice quality is a concept that is widely recognized and applied, yet very difficult to define in a way that is universally satisfactory. A number of experts consider such topics as perceptual assessment, instrumental (objective) assessment, and various voice states and disorders. Contributors with a wide scope of experience present perspectives and ideas on how voice quality can be assessed with improved validity and reliability.




Voice Quality


Book Description

Offers a new model of vocal tract articulation that explains laryngeal and oral voice quality, both auditorily and visually, through language examples and familiar voices.







Assessment and Prediction of Speech Quality in Telecommunications


Book Description

The quality of a telecommunication voice service is largely inftuenced by the quality of the transmission system. Nevertheless, the analysis, synthesis and prediction of quality should take into account its multidimensional aspects. Quality can be regarded as a point where the perceived characteristics and the desired or expected ones meet. A schematic is presented which classifies different entities which contribute to the quality of a service, taking into account conversational, user as weIl as service related contributions. Starting from this concept, perceptively relevant constituents of speech communication quality are identified. The perceptive factors result from ele ments of the transmission configuration. A simulation model is developed and implemented which allows the most relevant parameters of traditional trans mission configurations to be manipulated, in real time and for the conversation situation. Inputs into the simulation are instrumentally measurable quality elements commonly used in transmission planning of telephone networks. A reduced set of these quality elements forms a basis for models which aim at predicting mouth-to-ear quality as it would be perceived by a user of the sys tem. These models are an important tool for the planner of telecommunication networks, as they allow the expected quality to be estimated in advance, even before the network has been set up. Two well-known models (the SUBMOD and the E-model) are analyzed in more detail, with an emphasis on the psy choacoustic and psychophysical backgrounds.




The Cambridge Handbook of Phonetics


Book Description

Phonetics - the study and classification of speech sounds - is a major sub-discipline of linguistics. Bringing together a team of internationally renowned phoneticians, this handbook provides comprehensive coverage of the most recent, cutting-edge work in the field, and focuses on the most widely-debated contemporary issues. Chapters are divided into five thematic areas: segmental production, prosodic production, measuring speech, audition and perception, and applications of phonetics. Each chapter presents an historical overview of the area, along with critical issues, current research and advice on the best practice for teaching phonetics to undergraduates. It brings together global perspectives, and includes examples from a wide range of languages, allowing readers to extend their knowledge beyond English. By providing both state-of-the-art research information, and an appreciation of how it can be shared with students, this handbook is essential both for academic phoneticians, and anyone with an interest in this exciting, rapidly developing field.




Multimedia Analysis, Processing and Communications


Book Description

This book has brought 24 groups of experts and active researchers around the world together in image processing and analysis, video processing and analysis, and communications related processing, to present their newest research results, exchange latest experiences and insights, and explore future directions in these important and rapidly evolving areas. It aims at increasing the synergy between academic and industry professionals working in the related field. It focuses on the state-of-the-art research in various essential areas related to emerging technologies, standards and applications on analysis, processing, computing, and communication of multimedia information. The target audience of this book is researchers and engineers as well as graduate students working in various disciplines linked to multimedia analysis, processing and communications, e.g., computer vision, pattern recognition, information technology, image processing, and artificial intelligence. The book is also meant to a broader audience including practicing professionals working in image/video applications such as image processing, video surveillance, multimedia indexing and retrieval, and so on. We hope that the researchers, engineers, students and other professionals who read this book would find it informative, useful and inspirational toward their own work in one way or another.




VoIP Voice and Fax Signal Processing


Book Description

A complete and systematic treatment of signal processing for VoIP voice and fax This book presents a consolidated view and basic approach to signal processing for VoIP voice and fax solutions. It provides readers with complete coverage of the topic, from how things work in voice and fax modules, to signal processing aspects, implementation, and testing. Beginning with an overview of VoIP infrastructure, interfaces, and signals, the book systematically covers: Voice compression Packet loss concealment techniques DTMF detection, generation, and rejection Wideband voice modules operation VoIP Voice-Network bit rate calculations VoIP voice testing Fax over IP and modem over IP Country deviations of PSTN mapped to VoIP VoIP on different processors and architectures Generic VAD-CNG for waveform codecs Echo cancellation Caller ID features in VoIP Packetization—RTP, RTCP, and jitter buffer Clock sources for VoIP applications Fax operation on PSTN, modulations, and fax messages Fax over IP payload formats and bit rate calculations Voice packets jitter with large data packets VoIP voice quality Over 100 questions and answers on voice and more than seventy questions and answers on fax are provided at the back of the book to reinforce the topics covered throughout the text. Additionally, several clarification, interpretation, and discussion sections are included in selected chapters to aide in readers' comprehension. VoIP Voice and Fax Signal Processing is an indispensable resource for professional electrical engineers, voice and fax solution developers, product and deployment support teams, quality assurance and test engineers, and computer engineers. It also serves as a valuable textbook for graduate-level students in electrical engineering and computer engineering courses.




Voice Quality


Book Description

The characteristic voice quality of a speaker conveys to listeners a wealth of information about his physical, psychological and social attributes. For this reason, voice quality is of interest to a wide range of disciplines, including linguistics, phonetics and speech science, speech pathology, sociology, psychology, medicine, and communication engineering. Literature on voice quality is, consequently, scattered through a correspondingly wide range of publications. While this bibliography is unlikely to be exhaustive, it aims to be comprehensive. Exceptions to this are purely medical literature and literature on speech pathology; also, although a number of different languages are represented, works in English received the principal coverage.




The MIT Encyclopedia of Communication Disorders


Book Description

A major new reference work with entries covering the entire field of communication and speech disorders.




Fundamentals of Cellular Network Planning and Optimisation


Book Description

“By 2008, some 2 billion people will be using mobile phones and devices, in many cases to access advanced data services. Against this backdrop, the need for efficient and effective network design will be critical to the success of increasingly complex mobile networks.” Simon Beresford-Wylie (SVP, Nokia Networks) With the complexity of the cellular networks increasing day by day, a deeper understanding of the design and performance of end-to-end cellular networks is required. Moreover, all the types of networks from 2G-2.5G-3G seem to co-exist. Fundamentals of Cellular Network Planning and Optimisation covers end-to-end network planning and optimisation aspects from second generation GSM to third generation WCDMA networks including GPRS and EDGE networks. All the sub-systems of the network i.e. radio network, transmission network and core network have been covered with focus on both practical and theoretical issues. By bringing all these concepts under one cover, this book becomes essential reading for the network design engineers working either with cellular service vendors or operators, experts/scientists working on end-to-end issues and undergraduate/post-graduate students. Key Highlights: Distinctly divided into four parts: 2G (GSM), 2.5G (GPRS & EDGE), 3G (WCDMA) and introduction to 4G (OFDM, ALL-IP, WLAN Overview) respectively Each part focuses on the radio, transmission and core networks. Concentrates on cellular network planning process and explains the underlying principles behind the planning and optimizing of the cellular networks. The text will serve as a handbook for anyone engaged in the study, design, deployment and business of cellular networks.