Effect of concave sound reflecting surfaces on speech intelligibility and the articulation index

1994 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 3267-3268
Author(s):  
Sami A. Khaiyat ◽  
Lester L. Boyer
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Articulation Index ◽  
Reflecting Surfaces

Binaural speech-to-noise loudness ratio at the speech reception threshold in vehicles

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-179
Author(s):  
Nilolina Samardzic ◽  
Brian C.J. Moore
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
New Method ◽  
Traditional Methods ◽  
Speech Reception ◽  
Typical Error ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Articulation Index ◽  
Speech Intelligibility Index ◽  
Binaural Listening

Traditional methods for predicting the intelligibility of speech in the presence of noise inside a vehicle, such as the Articulation Index (AI), the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII), and the Speech Transmission Index (STI), are not accurate, probably because they do not take binaural listening into account; the signals reaching the two ears can differ markedly depending on the positions of the talker and listener. We propose a new method for predicting the intelligibility of speech in a vehicle, based on the ratio of the binaural loudness of the speech to the binaural loudness of the noise, each calculated using the method specified in ISO 532-2 (2017). The method was found to give accurate predictions of the speech reception threshold (SRT) measured under a variety of conditions and for different positions of the talker and listener in a car. The typical error in the predicted SRT was 1.3 dB, which is markedly smaller than estimated using the SII and STI (2.0 dB and 2.1 dB, respectively).

Evaluation of an Articulation-Index Based Model for Predicting the Effects of Adaptive Frequency Response Hearing Aids

1990 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 676-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. Fabry ◽  
Dianne J. Van Tasell
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Function ◽  
Frequency Response ◽  
Hearing Aids ◽  
Background Noise ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Hearing Impaired ◽  
Articulation Index ◽  
Intelligibility Ratings ◽  
High Pass

The Articulation Index (AI) was used to evaluate an “adaptive frequency response” (AFR) hearing aid with amplification characteristics that automatically change to become more high-pass with increasing levels of background noise. Speech intelligibility ratings of connected discourse by normal-hearing subjects were predicted well by an empirically derived AI transfer function. That transfer function was used to predict aided speech intelligibility ratings by 12 hearing-impaired subjects wearing a master hearing aid with the Argosy Manhattan Circuit enabled (AFR-on) or disabled (AFR-off). For all subjects, the AI predicted no improvements in speech intelligibility for the AFR-on versus AFR-off condition, and no significant improvements in rated intelligibility were observed. The ability of the AI to predict aided speech intelligibility varied across subjects. However, ratings from every hearing-impaired subject were related monotonically to AI. Therefore, AI calculations may be used to predict relative—but not absolute—levels of speech intelligibility produced under different amplification conditions.

The Use of Virtual Reflectors to Improve Speech Intelligibility in Open Stage Auditoria

1998 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. El-Zeky ◽  
D.J. Oldham
Keyword(s):  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Potential Problem ◽  
Computer Modelling ◽  
Conventional Technique ◽  
Energy Fraction ◽  
Human Speech ◽  
Suitable Parameter ◽  
Transmission Index ◽  
Speech Transmission ◽  
Reflecting Surfaces

A potential problem encountered with open stage auditoria is poor speech intelligibility arising from the directional nature of human speech sources. The conventional technique of employing large overhead reflecting surfaces to ensure a large early energy fraction to improve intelligibility is shown to be unsuitable in this situation. The use of Virtual Reflectors consisting of microphones and loudspeakers symmetrically located relative to the stage is proposed as a possible solution to the problems of open stage auditoria. It is suggested that the Speech Transmission Index is a suitable parameter for assessing the performance of Virtual Reflectors when in use and that computer modelling could provide a suitable method for investigating the action of Virtual Reflectors.

An Analytical Look at Live and CB Speech Intelligibility in Contemporary Commercial Truck Cabs Based on the Articulation Index

1998 ◽  
Vol 42 (17) ◽  
pp. 1180-1184
Author(s):  
Suzanne E. Lee ◽  
Gary S. Robinson ◽  
John G. Casali
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Method ◽  
Task Analysis ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Speech Communication ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
Analytical Technique ◽  
Potential Safety ◽  
Federal Highway ◽  
Articulation Index ◽  
Driver's License

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) currently has a hearing requirement for individuals seeking a commercial driver's license for interstate commerce. The existence of such a requirement implies that truck driving is a hearing-critical job, perhaps including speech communication tasks. Indeed, a task analysis performed in an earlier phase of this research confirmed that there are many hearing critical truck driving tasks, including several speech communication tasks. However, previous studies have shown that the truck cab environment can be quite noisy, perhaps noisy enough to impair speech communication. In this study, an analytical method known as the Articulation Index (AI) was used to predict the level of intelligibility in truck cabs for live and CB speech given certain measured truck-cab noise levels. Results showed that except in the quietest noise conditions, speech communication is severely degraded in the truck cab, a finding with potential safety implications. The AI method described herein can be used as a standardized analytical technique to evaluate speech intelligibility in various truck cab environments for design and comparison purposes.

scholarly journals INTELLIGIBILITY OF THE KAZAKH SPEECH WHEN IT'S PROTECTED WITH COMBINED MASKING SIGNALS

Doklady BGUIR ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 67-73
Author(s):  
Y. N. Seitkulov ◽  
S. N. Boranbayev ◽  
H. V. Davydau ◽  
A. V. Patapovich
Keyword(s):  
Spectral Density ◽  
White Noise ◽  
Speech Intelligibility ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Articulation Index ◽  
Phonetic Features ◽  
Approximate Dependence ◽  
Speech Information ◽  
The Russian Language

The article is devoted to assessing the intelligibility of the Kazakh speech when it's masked by combined signals, including «white» noise and speech-like signals. The phonetics features of the Kazakh language have been considered taking into account the law of syngarmonism and the spectrum differences of speech in the Kazakh language and speech in the Russian language. A technique for assessing the intelligibility of the Kazakh speech when it's masked by «white» noise and speech-like signals is proposed. The aim of the work is to analyze well-known methods for speech intelligibility assessing and applying these methods to assess speech intelligibility in the Kazakh language, taking into account masking by its combined signals. Due to the fact that the use of the articulation method of assessing intelligibility for the Kazakh speech requires a dependence of intelligibility on the articulation index for this particular language (the application for the Kazakh language has not been experimentally tested), the use of the formant approach to speech intelligibility assessing will be examined in more detail. The curried out experimental studies of the spectral density of speech in the Kazakh language made it possible to obtain it's approximate dependence on the frequency and take into account the phonetic features of the Kazakh speech when assessing the security of the speech information using the formant method.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document