US PATENT CLASS 704
Class Notes


Current as of: June, 1999
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704 /   HD   DATA PROCESSING: SPEECH SIGNAL PROCESSING, LINGUISTICS, LANGUAGE TRANSLATION, AND AUDIO COMPRESSION/DECOMPRESSION



DEFINITION

Classification: 704/

This is the generic class for apparatus and corresponding methods for constructing, analyzing, and modifying units of human language by data processing, in which there is a significant change in the data.

This class also provides for systems or methods that process speech signals for storage, transmission, recognition, or synthesis of speech.

This class also provides for systems or methods for bandwidth compression or expansion of an audio signal, or for time compression or expansion of an audio signal.

Class 704 is structured into three main divisions:

A. Linguistics.

B. Speech Signal Processing.

C. Audio Compression.

See Subclass References to the Current Class, below, for the subclasses located within each of these three main divisions.

LINES WITH OTHER CLASSES A. LINGUISTICS

1. This class does not include subject matter wherein significant details of the modification or construction of documents are claimed. (See Class ?0? in the Search Class notes below in References to Other Classes, regarding Document Processing).

2. This class does not include subject matter directed to significant details of teaching languages. (See Class 434 in the Search Class notes in References to Other Classes, below).

3. This class does not include subject matter directed to significant details of the construction, analysis or modification of computer languages. (See Class 395 in the Search Class notes in References to Other Classes, below).

B. IMAGE ANALYSIS

1. This class does not include subject matter wherein significant image analysis is performed and speech signal processing is nominally claimed (see Class 382 in the Search Class notes in References to Other Classes, below).

2. This class includes subject matter directed to speech signal processing disclosed or claimed in plural diverse arts such as image analysis (classified, per se, in Class 382).

C. AUDIO SIGNAL PROCESSING

1. This class does not include subject matter wherein nominal bandwidth or time modifications are performed for other audio processing defined in Classes 381 or 84 (see Search Class notes below in References to Other Classes). Examples of subject matter not included are: Stereo, sound effects, hearing aids, input and output transducers, and musical instruments.

2. This class includes audio signal processing wherein significant processing is performed to modify the signal's bandwidth or time characteristics for compression or expansion of the signal.

D. COMMUNICATIONS 1. This class does not include subject matter wherein significant details of a distinct communications system or telephone link is performed and speech signal processing is nominally claimed (see Classes 340, 370, 375, 379, 455 in the Search Class notes below in References to Other Classes.).

2. This class includes subject matter directed to speech signal processing disclosed or claimed in plural diverse arts such as various types of communication systems.

E. APPLICATIONS

1. This class does not include subject matter wherein significant details of application systems are performed and speech signal processing is nominally claimed.

2. This class includes subject matter directed to speech signal processing disclosed or claimed in plural diverse arts to include electrical and mechanical systems. Examples would include systems controlled by speech recognition, systems which create specific displays of speech data, systems for editing speech data and otherwise unrelated systems which incorporate speech signal processing details such as placing a speech synthesizer into novelty items.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

1+, for linguistics.

100+, for speech signal processing.

500+, for audio compression.

REFERENCES TO OTHER CLASSES

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS 84, Music,

1+, for instruments used in producing music to include (a) electrical music instruments, (b) automatic instruments, and (c) hand-played instruments. Automatic and hand-played instruments are divided into four groups: stringed, wind, rigid vibrators, and membranes. This class also includes some accessory devices generally recognized as belonging to the art or industry.

181, Acoustics, various subclasses, for mechanically transmitting, amplifying and ascertaining the direction of sound and for mechanically muffling or filtering sound.

340, Communications: Electrical,

825+, for controlling one or more devices to obtain a plurality of results by transmission of a designated one of plural distinctive control signals over a smaller number of communication lines or channels.

341, Coded Data Generation or Conversion, various subclasses for electrical pulse and digit code converters (e.g., systems for originating or emitting a coded set of discrete signals or translating one code into another code wherein the meaning of the data remains the same but the formats may differ).

345, Computer Graphics Processing, Operator Interface Processing, and Selective Visual Display Systems, various subclasses for the selective control of two or more light generating or light controlling display elements in accordance with a received image signal, and

1+, for visual display systems with selective electrical control including display memory organization and structure for storing image data and manipulating image data between a display memory and display device.

360, Dynamic Magnetic Information Storage or Retrieval, which is an integral part of Class 369 following

18, for record carriers and systems wherein information is stored and retrieved by interaction with a medium and there is relative motion between a medium and a transducer, for example, magnetic disk drive devices, and control thereof, per se.

364, Electrical Computers and Data Processing Systems, 130+, for data processing control systems, subclasses 400+ for applications of computers in various environments.

365, Static Information Storage and Retrieval, various subclasses for addressable static singular storage elements or plural singular storage elements of the same type (i.e., the internal elements of memory, per se).

369, Dynamic Information Storage or Retrieval, various subclasses for record carriers and systems wherein information is stored and retrieved by interaction with a medium and there is relative motion between a medium and a transducer.

370, Multiplex Communications, for the simultaneous transmission of two or more signals over a common medium, particularly

58.1+, for time division multiplex (TDM) switching, subclasses 85.1+ for time division bus transmission, and subclasses 91+ for asynchronous TDM communications including addressing.

375, Pulse or Digital Communications, various subclasses for generic pulse or digital communication systems and synchronization of clocking signals from input data.

377, Electrical Pulse Counters, Pulse Dividers, and Shift Registers: Circuits and Systems, various subclasses for generic circuits for pulse counting.

379, Telephonic Communications, various subclasses for two-way electrical communication of intelligible audio information of arbitrary content over a link including an electrical conductor.

380, Cryptography,

3+, for stored information access or copy prevention (e.g., software program protection or computer virus detection) in combination with data encryption, and subclasses 22 through 25 and 50 for electric signal modification and other appropriate subclasses.

381, Electrical Audio Signal Processing Systems and Devices, various subclasses for wired one-way audio systems, per se.

382, Image Analysis, various subclasses for operations performed on image data with the aim of measuring a characteristic of an image, detecting variations, detecting structures, or transforming the image data, and for procedures for analyzing and categorizing patterns present in image data. 434, Education and Demonstration,

112+, for communication aids for the handicapped, subclasses

156+ for education and demonstration of language, subclasses 322+ for question or problem eliciting response.

455, Telecommunications, appropriate subclasses for modulated carrier wave communication, per se, and

26.1, for subject matter which blocks access to a signal source or otherwise limits usage of modulated carrier equipment.

702, Data Processing: Measuring, Calibrating, or Testing, appropriate subclasses for the application of computer data processing in measuring, calibrating, or testing.

707, Data Processing: Database and File Management, Data Structures, and Document Processing,

500+, for document processing including layout, editing, and spell-checking.

708, Electrical Computers: Arithmetic Processing and Calculating,

1+, for hybrid computers, subclasses 100+ for calculators, digital signal processing and arithmetical processing, per se, subclasses 300+ for digital filters, and subclasses 800+ for electric analog computers.

714, Error Detection/Correction and Fault Detection/Recovery, various subclasses for generic electrical pulse or pulse coded data error detection and correction.

GLOSSARY: The terms below have been defined for purposes of classification in this class and are shown in underlined type when used in the class and subclass definitions. When these terms are not underlined in the definitions, the meaning is not restricted to the glossary definitions below.

CORRELATION

A statistical measurement of the interdependence or association between two variables that are quantitative or qualitative in nature. A typical calculation would be performed by multiplying a signal by either another signal (cross-correlation) or by a delayed version of itself (autocorrelation).

DISTANCE

A statistical measurement for comparing elements defined by variables or vectors using scalar or vector subtraction of those elements. Examples: distance=a-b, |a-b|, (a-b).5 or two vectors may be treated as objects such that the straight line distance is measured between them.

EXCITATION

Stimulation of the vocal tract by vibratory action of the vocal cords or by a turbulent air flow. In a digital system, the vocal tract is typically modelled with a filter and excitation of the filter is performed using time representations of pitch (voiced excitation) and noise (unvoiced excitation).

LANGUAGE

A systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by the use of conventionalized sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings.

LINGUISTICS

The study of human speech including the units, nature, structure, and modification of language. NOISE

Any sound which is undesirable and interferes with one's hearing or with a system's analysis of desired sound.

PITCH

The measurable frequency or period at which the glottis vibrates.

SIMILARITY

A statistical measurement which is inversely proportional to distance. For example, if two patterns are compared yielding a small distance, then the patterns would exhibit a large (or high degree of) similarity.

SPEECH

The communication or expression of thoughts in spoken words.

UNVOICED

Speech sounds produced by a turbulent flow of air created at some point of stricture in the vocal tract and usually lacking pitch.

VOICED

Speech sounds produced by vibratory action of the vocal cords and usually having pitch.