Analyzing perceptual dimensions of conversational speech quality

In this paper, method for evaluation of varying conversational speech quality in wireless communications is proposed. The proposed algorithm evaluates quality degradations using indicators based on count of lost frames and voice activity indications. The correctness of proposed algorithm is investigated by comparison of test results with results obtained using PESQ algorithm under same conditions. The achieved average correlation coefficient is 0.975. This result is independent of frame loss model and percentage of silence in test sentences. Proposed algorithm can be implemented in mobile stations and used for speech quality evaluation by real conversation. Ill. 3, bibl. 13, tabl. 3 (in English; abstracts in English and Lithuanian).http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.eee.109.3.182

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Assessment of Conversational Speech Quality Inside Vehicles, Concerning Influences of Room Acoustics and Driving Noises

Acta Acustica united with Acustica ◽

10.3813/aaa.918530 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 98 (3) ◽

pp. 461-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Oliver Jung

Keyword(s):

Transfer Functions ◽

Strong Relationship ◽

Speech Quality ◽

Room Acoustics ◽

Conversational Speech ◽

Acoustical Parameters ◽

Vehicle Interior ◽

Lombard Effect ◽

Speech Spectrum ◽

The Impact

This study considers the influences of room acoustics and driving noises in vehicle interiors on the subjectively perceived acoustical quality of conversations between passengers. A listening test with 25 participants was performed inside a laboratory to assess the impact of different vehicle interior transfer functions on the speech quality assessment in four predetermined dimensions. Idealized driving noises at three different vehicle speeds were presented simultaneously with speech samples to quantify the interferences of these noise conditions with varied signal-to-noise ratios. To minimize the influence of different human speakers, four talkers (two male and two female) were selected from commercially available audio books. The respective speech samples were adjusted in level and long-term average speech spectrum to the common values of conversational speech. The automatic reflex of raising one's voice in noisy environments, called “Lombard Effect” [1], was taken into account for an additional adjustment of speech levels while driving noises were present. A strong relationship between the speech-to-noise ratio and the test participants' evaluations was found. Thus, one can assume that the speech signals' attenuation or amplification caused by the different room acoustics of the tested vehicles play a more important role for a sufficient speech quality than the varied speech timbre or other parameters. Only at very high speech-to-noise ratios ( ≥ 20 dB with A-weighting), room-acoustical parameters such as IACC or the reverberation time are more determining for the speech quality appreciation than the speech's sound pressure level.

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Towards an Objective Model of the Conversational Speech Quality

2006 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics Speed and Signal Processing Proceedings ◽

10.1109/icassp.2006.1660249 ◽

2006 ◽

Author(s):

M. Gueguin ◽

R. Le Bouquin-Jeannes ◽

G. Faucon ◽

V. Barriac

Keyword(s):

Speech Quality ◽

Conversational Speech ◽

Objective Model

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On the Evaluation of the Conversational Speech Quality in Telecommunications

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing ◽

10.1155/2008/185248 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2008 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Marie Guéguin ◽

Régine Le Bouquin-Jeannès ◽

Valérie Gautier-Turbin ◽

Gérard Faucon ◽

Vincent Barriac

Keyword(s):

Speech Quality ◽

Conversational Speech

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Reliability of Clinician Judgments of Severity of Phonological Impairment

American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology ◽

10.1044/1058-0360.0403.39 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 4 (3) ◽

pp. 39-46 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Susan K. Rafaat ◽

Susan Rvachew ◽

Rebecca S. C. Russell

Keyword(s):

Conversational Speech ◽

Speech Language Pathologists ◽

Age Appropriate ◽

Citation Form ◽

Phonological Abilities ◽

Preschool Aged Children

Pairs of speech-language pathologists independently rated severity of phonological impairment for 45 preschoolers, aged 30 to 65 months. Children were rated along a continuum from normal to profound. In addition to judging overall severity of impairment, the clinicians provided separate ratings based on citation form and conversational samples. A judgment of intelligibility of conversational speech was also required. Results indicated that interclinician reliability was adequate (80% agreement) for older preschool-aged children (4-1/2 years and above) but that judgments by speechlanguage pathologists were not sufficiently reliable for children under 3-1/2 years of age 40% agreement). Children judged to have age appropriate phonological abilities were not clearly distinguishable from children judged to have a mild delay. Educating speech-language pathologists regarding the normative phonological data that are available with respect to young preschoolers, and ensuring that such data are readily accessible for assessment purposes, is required.

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