System and Method for an Endpoint Detection of Speech for Improved Speech Recognition in Noisy Environments

Abstract

According to a disclosed embodiment, an endpointer determines the background energy of a first portion of a speech signal, and a cepstral computing module extracts one or more features of the first portion. The endpointer calculates an average distance of the first portion based on the features. Subsequently, an energy computing module measures the energy of a second portion of the speech signal, and the cepstral computing module extracts one or more features of the second portion. Based on the features of the second portion, the endpointer calculates a distance of the second portion. Thereafter, the endpointer contrasts the energy of the second portion with the background energy of the first portion, and compares the distance of the second portion with the distance of the first portion. The second portion of the speech signal is classified by the endpointer as speech or non-speech based on the contrast and the comparison.

1 . A method for endpointing a speech signal, said method comprising steps of
 determining a background energy of a first portion of said speech signal;   extracting one or more features of said first portion;   calculating an average distance of said first portion based on said one or more features of said first portion;   measuring an energy of a second portion of said speech signal;   extracting one or more features of said second portion;   calculating a first distance of said second portion of said speech signal based on said one or more features of said second portion;   contrasting said energy of said second portion with said background energy of said first portion;   comparing said first distance of said second portion with said average distance of said first portion;   classifying said second portion as speech or non-speech based said step of contrasting and said step of comparing.   
     
     
         2 - 26 . (canceled)