Wearable vibrotactile speech aid

Abstract

A method for training vibrotactile speech perception in the absence of auditory speech can comprise selecting a first word, generating a first control signal configured to cause at least one vibrotactile transducer to vibrate against a person's body with a first vibration pattern based on the first word, sampling a second word, generating a second control signal configured to cause a vibrotactile transducer to vibrate against the person's body with a second vibration pattern based on the second word, and presenting a comparison between the first word and the second word to the person. An apparatus for training vibrotactile speech perception can comprise array of vibrotactile transducers can be in contact with the person's body. The array of vibrotactile transducers can replicate a vibration pattern based on one or more spoken words.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for improving speech recognition comprising:
 sampling a speech signal;   extracting a speech envelope from the speech signal; and   generating a control signal configured to cause one or more vibrotactile transducer to vibrate against a person's body with an intensity that varies over time based on the speech envelope such that the vibration supplements aural or visual speech recognition by the person.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the speech envelope is extracted using a Hilbert transform. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the speech envelope is extracted using a half-wave rectification and a low-pass filter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the speech envelope is extracted using a moving average filter. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control signal is configured to cause the transducer to vibrate at a constant frequency. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the control signal is a first control signal configured to cause a first vibrotactile transducer to vibrate, and further comprising generating a second control signal configured to cause a second vibrotactile transducer to vibrate against the person's body with an intensity that varies over time based on the speech envelope. 
     
     
         7 . A method for improving speech recognition comprising:
 sampling a speech signal;   extracting a speech envelope from the speech signal; and   generating a control signal configured to cause at least one of an array of vibrotactile transducers to vibrate against a person's body, wherein the number of vibrotactile transducers that the control signal causes to vibrate is based on the speech envelope, and wherein the vibration supplements aural or visual speech recognition by the person.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each vibrotactile transducer that the control signal causes to vibrate is caused to vibrate at a constant frequency. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein each vibrotactile transducer that the control signal causes to vibrate is caused to vibrate at a constant intensity. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 a sampling device to sample a speech signal;   a signal processing module to extract a speech envelope of the sampled speech signal;   a conversion module to convert the sampled speech envelope into a vibration pattern; and   a vibrotactile transducer to vibrate against a person's body with the vibration pattern to supplement aural and/or visual speech recognition by the person.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the vibration pattern has a constant frequency and an intensity that varies over time based on the speech envelope. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the signal processing module extracts the speech envelope using a Hilbert transform. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the signal processing module extracts the speech envelope using half-wave rectification and a low-pass filter. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of any of  claim 10 , wherein the signal processing module extracts the speech envelope using a moving average filter.