Speech coding system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

0001The present invention relates to a speech coding system, more particularly to a speech coding system which performs a high quality compression of speech information signals with the using a vector quantization technique.

0002Recently in, for example, intra-company communication systems and digital mobile radio communication systems, a vector quantization method of compressing speech information signal while maintaining the speech quality is employed. According to the vector quantization method, first a reproduced signal is obtained by applying a prediction weighting to each signal vector in a codebook, and then an error power between the reproduced signal and an input speech signal is evaluated to determine a number, i.e., index, of the signal vector which provides a minimum error power. Nevertheless a more advanced vector quantization method is now needed to realize a greater compression of the speech information.

2. Description of the Related Art

0003A well known typical high quality speech coding method is a code-excited linear prediction (CELP) coding method, which uses the aforesaid vector quantization. The conventional CELP coding is known as a sequential optimization CELP coding or a simultaneous optimization CELP coding. These typical CELP codings will be explained in detail hereinafter.

0004As will be understood later, a gain (b) optimization for each vector of an adaptive codebook and a gain (g) optimization for each vector of a stochastic codebook are carried out sequentially and independently under the sequential optimization CELP coding, are carried out simultaneously under the simultaneous optimization CELP coding.

0005The simultaneous optimization CELP is superior to the sequential optimization CELP coding from the view point of the realization of a high quality speech reproduction, but the simultaneous optimization CELP coding has a drawback in that the computation amount becomes larger than that of the sequential optimization CELP coding.

0006Namely, the problem with the CELP coding lies in the massive amount of digital calculations required for encoding speech, which makes it extremely difficult to conduct a speech communication in real time. Theoretically, the realization of such a speech coding apparatus enabling real time speech communication is possible, but a supercomputer would be required for the above digital calculations, and accordingly in practice it would be impossible to obtain compact (handy type) speech coding apparatus.

0007To overcome this problems, has been proposed the use of a sparse-stochastic codebook which stores therein, as white noise, a plurality of thinned out code vectors has been proposed, and this effectively reduces the calculation amount.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

0008The object of the present invention is to provide a speech coding system which is operated with an improved sparse-stochastic codebook, as this use of an improved sparse-stochastic codebook makes it possible to reduce the digital calculation amount drastically.

0009To attain the above-mentioned object, the sparse-stochastic codebook is loaded with code vectors formed as multi-dimensional polyhedral lattice vectors each consisting of a zero vector with one sample set to +1 and another sample set to -1.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

0010The above object and features of the present invention will be more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: <ul id="ul0001" list-style="none"><li>Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a known sequential optimization CELP coding system;</li><li>Fig. 2 is a block diagram of known simultaneous optimization CELP coding system;</li><li>Fig. 3 is a block diagram expressing conceptually an optimization algorithm under the sequential optimization CELP coding method;</li><li>Fig. 4 is a block diagram expressing conceptually an optimization algorithm under the simultaneous optimization CELP coding method;</li><li>Fig. 5A is a vector diagram representing the conventional sequential optimization CELP coding;</li><li>Fig. 5B is a vector diagram representing the conventional simultaneous optimization CELP coding;</li><li>Fig. 5C is a vector diagram representing a gain optimization CELP coding most preferable for the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on the sequential optimization coding, according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 7 is a two-dimensional vector diagram representing hexagonal lattice code vectors according to the basic concept of the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing another principle of the construction based on the sequential optimization coding, according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on the simultaneous optimization coding, according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 10 is a block diagram showing another principle of the construction based on the simultaneous optimization coding, according to the present invention;</li><li>Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on an orthogonalization transform CELP coding to which the present invention is preferably applied;</li><li>Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on the orthogonalization transfer CELP coding to which the present invention is applied;</li><li>Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on another orthogonalization transform CELP coding to which the present invention is applied;</li><li>Fig. 14 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction which is an improved version the construction of Fig. 13;</li><li>Figs. 15A and 15B illustrate first and second examples of the arithmetic processing means shown in Figs. 8, 10, 13 and 14;</li><li>Figs. 16A to 16D depict an embodiment of the arithmetic processing means shown in Fig. 15A in more detail and from a mathematical viewpoint;</li><li>Figs. 17A to 17C depict an embodiment of the arithmetic processing means shown in Fig. 15, more specifically and mathematically;</li><li>Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment based on the structure of Fig. 11 to which the hexagonal lattice codebook is applied;</li><li>Fig. 19A is a vector diagram representing a Gram-Shmidt orthogonalization transform;</li><li>Fig. 19B is a vector diagram representing a householder transform for determining an intermediate vector B;</li><li>Fig. 19C is a vector diagram representing a householder transform for determining a final vector C';</li><li>Fig. 20 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment based on the structure of Fig. 11 to which the hexagonal lattice codebook is applied;</li><li>Fig. 21 is a block diagram showing an embodiment based on the principle of the construction shown in Fig. 14 according to the present invention; and</li><li>Fig. 22 depicts a graph of a speech quality vs computational complexity.</li></ul>

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

0011Before describing the embodiments of the present invention, the related art and the disadvantages thereof will be described with reference to the related figures.

0012Figure 1 is a block diagram of a known sequential optimization CELP coding system and Figure 2 is a block diagram of a known simultaneous optimization CELP coding system. In Fig. 1, an adaptive codebook 1 stores therein N-dimensional pitch prediction residual vectors corresponding to N samples delayed by a pitch period of one sample. A sparse-stochastic codebook 2 stores therein 2^m-pattern each 1 of which code vectors is created by using N-dimensional white noise corresponding to N samples similar to the above samples. In the figure, the codebook 2 is represented by a sparse-stochastic codebook in which some sample data, in each code vector, having a magnitude lower than a predetermined threshold level, e.g., N/4 samples among N samples is replaced by zero. Therefore, the codebook is called a sparse (thinning)-stochastic codebook. Each code vector is normalized such that a power of the N-dimensional elements becomes constant.

0013First, each pitch prediction residual vector P of the adaptive codebook 1 is perceptually weighted by a perceptual weighting linear prediction synthesis filter 3 indicated as 1/A'(Z), where A'(Z) denotes a perceptual weighting linear prediction analysis filter. The thus produced pitch prediction vector AP is multiplied by a gain b at a gain amplifier 5, to obtain a pitch prediction reproduced signal vector bAP.

0014Thereafter, both the pitch prediction reproduced signal vector bAP and an input speech signal vector AX, which has been perceptually weighted at a perceptual weighting filter 7 indicated as A(Z)/A'(Z) (where, A(Z) denotes a linear prediction analysis filter), are applied to a subtracting unit 8 to find a pitch prediction error signal vector AY therebetween. An evaluation unit 10 selects an optimum pitch prediction residual vector P from the codebook 1 for every frame such that the power of the pitch prediction error signal vector AY is at a minimum, according to the following equation (1). The unit 10 also selects the corresponding optimum gain b. <maths id="math0001" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>|AY|² = |AX - bAP|²   (1)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0001.tif" /></maths>

0015Further, each code vector C of the white noise sparse-stochastic codebook 2 is similarly perceptually weighted at a linear prediction reproducing filter 4 to obtain a perceptually weighted code vector AC. The vector AC is multiplied by the gain g at a gain amplifier 6, to obtain a linear prediction reproduced signal vector gAC.

0016Both the linear prediction reproduced signal vector gAC and the above-mentioned pitch prediction error signal vector AY are applied to a subtracting unit 9, to find an error signal vector E therebetween. An evaluation unit 11 selects an optimum code vector C from the codebook 2 for every frame, such that the power of the error signal vector E is at a minimum, according to the following equation (2). The unit 11 also selects the corresponding optimum gain g. <maths id="math0002" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>E|² = |AY - gAC|²   (2)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0002.tif" /></maths>

0017The following equation (3) can be obtained by the above-recited equations (1) and (2). <maths id="math0003" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>E|² = |AY - bAP - gAC|²   (3)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0003.tif" /></maths>

0018Note that the adaptation of the adaptive codebook 1 is performed as follows. First, bAP + gAC is found by an adding unit 12, the thus found value is analyzed to find bP + gC at a perceptual weighting linear prediction analysis filter (A'(Z)) 13, the output from the filter 13 is then delayed by one frame at a delay unit 14, and the thus-delayed frame is stored as a next frame in the adaptive codebook 1, i.e., a pitch prediction codebook.

0019As mentioned above, the gain b and the gain g are controlled separately under the sequential optimization CELP coding system shown in Fig. 1. Contrary, to this, in the simultaneous optimization CELP coding system of Fig. 2, first, bAP and gAC are added at an adding unit 15 to find <maths id="math0004" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>AX' = bAP + gAC,</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0004.tif" /></maths>    and the input speech signal perceptually weighted by the filter 7, i.e., AX, and the aforesaid AX', are applied to the subtracting unit 8 to find a error signal vector E according to the above-recited equation (3). An evaluation unit 16 selects a code vector C from the sparse-stochastic codebook 2, which code vector C can minimize the power of the vector E. The evaluation unit 16 also simultaneously controls the selection of the corresponding optimum gains b and g.

0020Note that the adaptation of the adaptive codebook 1 in the above case is similarly performed with respect to AX', which corresponds to the output of the adding unit 12 shown in Fig. 1.

0021The gains b and g are depicted conceptionally in Figs. 1 and 2, but actually are optimized in terms of the code vector (C) given from the sparse-stochastic codebook 2, as shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 4.

0022Namely, in the case of Fig. 1, based on the above-recited equation (2), the gain g which minimizes the power of the vector E is found by partially differentiating the equation (2), such that<maths id="math0005" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0005.tif" /></maths> is obtained, where the symbol "t" denotes an operation of a transpose.

0023Figure 3 is a block diagram conceptually expressing an optimization algorithm under the sequential optimization CELP coding method and Figure 4 is a block diagram for conseptually expressing an optimization algorithm under the simultaneous optimization CELP coding method.

0024Referring to Fig. 3, a multiplying unit 41 multiplies the pitch prediction error signal vector AY and the code vector AC, which is obtained by applying each code vector C of the sparse-codebook 2 to the perceptual weighting linear prediction synthesis filter 4 so that a correlation value <maths id="math0006" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AY</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0006.tif" /></maths> therebetween is generated. Then the perceptually weighted and reproduced code vector AC is applied to a multiplying unit 42 to find the autocorrelation value thereof, i.e., <maths id="math0007" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AC.</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0007.tif" /></maths>

0025Then, the evaluation unit 11, selects both the optimum code vector C and the gain g which can minimize the power of the error signal vector E with respect to the pitch prediction error signal vector AY according to the above-recited equation (4), by using both of the correlation values <maths id="math0008" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AY and </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AC.</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0008.tif" /></maths>

0026Further, in the case of Fig. 2 and based on the above-recited equation (3), the gain b and the gain g which minimize the power of the vector E are found by partially differentiating the equation (3), such that <maths id="math0009" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>g = [</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AP)AP </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AX - </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AP </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AP)AX]/ê</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0009.tif" /></maths><maths id="math0010" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>b = [</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AC </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AP)AX - </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AP </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AX]/ê   (5)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0010.tif" /></maths> where <maths id="math0011" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>ê = </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AP)AP </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AC - (</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AP)²</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0011.tif" /></maths> stands.

0027Then, in Fig. 4, both the perceptually weighted input speech signal vector AX and the reproduced code vector AC, given by applying each code vector C of the sparce-codebook 2 to the perceptual weighting linear prediction reproducing filter 4, are multiplied at a multiplying unit 51 to generate the correlation value <maths id="math0012" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AX</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0012.tif" /></maths> therebetween. Similarly, both the perceptually weighted pitch prediction vector AP and the reproduced code vector AC are multiplied at a multiplying unit 52 to generate the correlation value <maths id="math0013" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AP.</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0013.tif" /></maths> At the same time, the autocorrelation value <maths id="math0014" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AC</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0014.tif" /></maths> of the reproduced code vector AC is found at the multiplying unit 42.

0028Then the evaluation unit 16 simultaneously selects the optimum code vector C and the optimum gains b and g which can make minimize the error signal vector E with respect to the perceptually weighted input speech signal vector AX, according to the above-recited equation (5), by using the above mentioned correlation values, i.e., <maths id="math0015" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AX, </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AC)AP and </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC)AC.</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0015.tif" /></maths>

0029Thus, the sequential optimization CELP coding method is superior to the simultaneous optimization CELP coding method, from the view point that the former method requires a lower overall computation amount than that required by the latter method. Nevertheless, the former method is inferior to the latter method, from the view point that the decoded speech quality is poor in the former method.

0030Figure 5A is a vector diagram representing the conventional sequential optimization CELP coding; Figure 5B is a vector diagram representing the conventional simultaneous optimization CELP coding; and Figure 5C is a vector diagram representing a gain optimization CELP coding most preferable to the present invention. These figures represent vector diagrams by taking a two-dimensional vector as an example.

0031In the case of the sequential optimization CELP coding (Fig. 5A), a relatively small computation amount is needed to obtain the optimized vector AX', i.e., <maths id="math0016" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>AX' = bAP + gAC.</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0016.tif" /></maths> In this case, however an undesirable error Δe is liable to appear between the vector AX' and the input vector AX, which lowers the quality of the reproduced speech.

0032In the case of the simultaneous optimization CELP coding (Fig. 5B), <maths id="math0017" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>AX' = AX</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0017.tif" /></maths> can stand as shown in Fig. 5B, and consequently, the quality of the reproduced speech becomes better than the case of Fig. 5A. In the case of Fig. 5B, however the computation amount becomes large, as can be understood from the above-recited equation (5).

0033It is known that the CELP coding method, in general, requires a large computation amount, and to overcome this problem, as mentioned previously, the sparce-stochastic codebook is used. Nevertheless, the current reduction of the computation amount is in sufficient, and accordingly the present invention provides a special sparse-stochastic codebook.

0034Figure 6 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on the sequential optimization coding according to the present invention. Namely, Fig. 6 is a conceptual depiction of an optimization algorithm for the selection of optimum code vector from a hexagonal lattice code vector stochastic codebook 20 and the selection of the gain b, which is an improvement over the prior art algorithm shown in Fig. 3.

0035The present invention is featured by code vectors to be loaded in the sparse-stochastic codebook. The code vectors are formed as multi-dimensional polyhedral lattice vectors, herein referred to as the hexagonal lattice code vectors, each consisting of a zero vector with one sample set to +1 and another sample set to -1.

0036Figure 7 is a two-dimensional vector diagram representing hexagonal lattice code vectors according to the basic concept of the present invention. The hexagonal lattice code vector stochastic codebook 20 is set up by vectors C₁ , C₂ , and C₃ depicted in Fig. 7. These three vectors are located on a two-dimensional paper which is perpendicular to a three-dimensional reference vector defined as, for example, ^t[1, 1, 1], where the symbol t denotes a transpose, and the three vectors are set by unit vectors e₁ , e₂ and e₃ extending along the x-axis, y-axis and z-axis, respectively, and located on the planes defined by the x-y axes, y-z axes, and z-x axes, respectively.

0037Accordingly, for example, the code vector C₁ is formed by a composite vector of e₁ + (-e₂).

0038Here, assuming that an N-dimensional matrix as <maths id="math0018" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>I = [e₁ , e₂ , --- e</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><mtext>]</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0018.tif" /></maths> each of the hexagonal lattice code vectors C is expressed as <maths id="math0019" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>C</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext>, </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext> = [e</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext> - e</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><mtext>].</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0019.tif" /></maths> Namely, each vector C is constructed by a pair of impulses +1 and -1 and the remaining samples, which are zero vectors.

0039Therefore, the vector AC, which is obtained by multiplying the hexagonal lattice code vector C with the perceptual weighting matrix A, i.e., <maths id="math0020" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>A = [A₁ , A₂ , --- A</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>N</mtext></mrow></msub><mtext>]</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0020.tif" /></maths> at the filter 4, is expressed as follows. <maths id="math0021" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>AC = Ae</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext> - Ae</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext> = A</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext> - A</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0021.tif" /></maths> As understood from the above equation, the vector AC can be generated merely by picking up both the element n and the element m of the matrix and then subtracting one from the other, and if the thus-generated vector AC is used for performing a correlation operation at multiplying units 41 and 42, the computation amount can be greatly reduced.

0040In this case, it is known that such very sparse codebook does not affect the reproduced speech quality.

0041Figure 8 is a block diagram showing another principle of the construction based on the sequential optimization coding according to the present invention. In this case, the autocorrelation value ^t(AC)AC to be input to the evaluation unit 11 is calculated, as in Fig. 6, by a combination of both of the filters 4 and 42, and the correlation value ^t(AC)AY to be input, to the evaluation unit 11 is generated by first transforming the pitch prediction error signal vector AY, at an arithmetic processing means 21, into ^tAAY, and then applying the code vector C from the hexagonal lattice stochastic codebook 20, as is, to a multiplying unit 22. This enables the related operation to be carried out by making good use of the advantage of the hexagonal lattice codebook 20 as is, and thus the computation amount becomes smaller than in the case of Fig. 6.

0042Similarly, the prior art simultaneous optimization CELP coding of Fig. 4 can be improved by the present invention as shown in Fig. 9.

0043Figure 9 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on the simultaneous optimization coding according to the present invention. The computation amount needed in the case of Fig. 9 can be made smaller than that needed in the case of Fig. 4.

0044The concept of Fig. 8 can be also adopted to the simultaneous optimization CELP coding as shown in Fig. 10.

0045Figure 10 is a block diagram showing another principle of the construction based on the simultaneous optimization coding according to the present invention. By adopting the concept of Fig. 8, the input speech signal vector AX is transformed to ^tAAX at a first arithmetic processing means 31; the pitch prediction vector AP is transformed to ^tAAP at a second arithmetic processing means 34; and the thus-transformed vectors are multiplied by the hexagonal lattice code vector C, respectively. Accordingly, the computation amount is limited to only the number of hexagonal lattice vectors.

0046The present invention can be applied to not only the above-mentioned sequential and simultaneous optimization CELP codings, but also to a gain optimization CELP coding as shown in Fig. 7C, but the best results by the present invention are produced when it is applied to the optimization CELP coding shown in Fig. 5C. This will be explained below in detail.

0047Figure 11 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on an orthogonalization transform CELP coding to which the present invention is most preferably applied.

0048Regarding the pitch period, an evaluation and a selection the pitch prediction residual vector P and the gain b are performed in the usual way but, for the code vector C, a weighted orthogonalization transforming unit 60 is mounted in the system. The unit 60 receives each code vector C, from the conventional sparse-code 2, and the received code vector C is transformed into a perceptually reproduced code vector AC' which is orthogonal to the optimum pitch prediction vector AP among each of the perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vectors. Namely, the orthogonal vector AC', not the usual vector AC, is used for the evaluation by the evaluation unit 11.

0049This will be further clarified with reference to Fig. 5C. Note that, under the sequential optimization coding method (Fig. 5A), a quantization error is made larger as depicted by Δe in Fig. 5A, since the code vector AC, which has been taken as the vector C from the codebook 2 and perceptually weighted by A, is not orthogonal relative to the perceptually weighted pitch prediction reproduced signal vector bAP. Based on the above, if the code vector AC is transformed to the code vector AC' which is orthogonal to the pitch prediction vector AP, by a known transformation method, the quantization error can be minimized, even under the sequential optimization CELP coding method of Fig. 5A, to a quantization error comparable to that obtained by the simultaneous optimization method (Fig. 5B).

0050The gain g is multiplied with the thus-obtained code vector AC', to generate the linear prediction reproduced signal vector gAC'. The evaluation unit 11 selects the code vector from the codebook 2 and selects the gain g, which can minimize the power of the linear prediction error signal vector E, by using the thus generated gAC' and the perceptually weighted input speech signal vector AX.

0051Here, the present invention is actually applied to the orthogonalization transform CELP coding system of Fig. 11 based on the algorithm of Fig. 5C.

0052Figure 12 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on the orthogonalization transfer CELP coding to which the present invention is applied. Namely, the conventional sparse-stochastic codebook 2 is replaced by the hexagonal lattice code vector stochastic codebook 20. The orthogonalization transforming unit 60 generates the perceptually weighted reproduced code vector AC' which is orthogonal to the optimum pitch prediction vector AP among the code vectors C from the hexagonal lattice stochastic codebook 2 which are perceptually weighted by A. In this case, the transforming matrix H for applying the orthogonalization to C' relative to AP is indicated as <maths id="math0022" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>C' = HC.</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0022.tif" /></maths> Thus, the final vector AC' can be calculated by very simple equation, as follows. <maths id="math0023" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>AC' - AHC = HA</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext> - HA</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0023.tif" /></maths> This means that the computation amount needed for the correlation operation ^t(AC)AX at a multiplying unit 65, and for the autocorrelation operation ^t(AC')AC' at a multiplying unit 66 can be greatly reduced.

0053Figure 13 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction based on another orthogonalization transform CELP coding to which the present invention is applied. The construction of Fig. 13 is created by taking into account the fact that, in Fig. 12, the operation at the multiplying unit 65 is carried out between the two vectors, i.e., <maths id="math0024" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0024.tif" /></maths>. For a further reduction in the computation amount, as in the case of Fig. 8 or Fig. 10, the perceptually weighted input speech signal vector AX is applied to an arithmetic processing means 70, to generate a time-reversed perceptually weighted input speech signal vector ^tAAX. The vector ^tAAX is then applied to a time-reversed orthogonalization transforming unit 71 to generate a time-reversed perceptually weighted orthogonally transformed input speech signal vector ^t(AH)AX with respect to the optimum perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP.

0054Then, both the thus generated time-reversed perceptually weighted orthogonally transformed input speech signal vector ^t(AH)AX and each code vector C of the hexagonal lattice stochastic codebook 20 are multiplied at the multiplying unit 65, to generate the correlation value ^t(AHC)AX therebetween.

0055Further, the orthogonalization transforming unit 72 calculates, as in the case of Fig. 12, the perceptually weighted orthogonally transformed code vector AHC relative to the optimum perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP, which AHC is then sent to the multiplying unit 66 to find the related autocorrelation ^t(AHC)AHC.

0056Thus, the vector ^t(AH)AX, obtained by applying the time-reversed perceptual weighting at the arithmetic processing unit 70, is then applied, at the transforming unit 70, with a time-reversed orthogonalization transforming matrix H to, thereby find the correlation value therebetween, i.e., <maths id="math0025" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>(AHC)AX = </mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>(AC')AX</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0025.tif" /></maths> is obtained only by multiplying the code vector C of the hexagonal lattice codebook 20 as is, at the multiplying unit 65, whereby the computation amount can be reduced.

0057Figure 14 is a block diagram showing a principle of the construction which is an improved version of the construction of Fig. 13. In the figure, the multiplying operation at the multiplying unit 65 is identical to that of Fig. 13, except that an orthogonalization transforming unit 73 is employed in the latter system. At the stage preceding the unit 73, an autocorrelation matrix ^t(AH)AH, which is renewed at every frame, of the time-reversed transforming matrix ^t(AH) is produced by the arithmetic processing means 70 and the time-reversed orthogonalization transforming unit 71. Then, from the matrix ^t(AH)AH, three elements (n, n), (n, m) and (m, m) are taken out, which elements define each code vector C of the hexagonal lattice codebook 20. The elements are used to calculate an autocorrelation value ^t(AC')AC' of the code vector AC', which is perceptually weighted and orthogonally transformed relative to the optimum perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP.

0058Namely, the autocorrelation to be found by the orthogonalization transforming unit 73 is equal to an autocorrelation matrix ^t(AH)AH supplemented with the code vector C, which results in ^t(AHC)AHC. Since <maths id="math0026" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msub><mrow><mtext>AC = A</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>n</mtext></mrow></msub><msub><mrow><mtext> - A</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>m</mtext></mrow></msub></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0026.tif" /></maths> stands as explained before, the vector is rewritten as follows.<maths id="math0027" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0027.tif" /></maths>

0059Assuming that the matrix ^tH^tAAH in the above equation is prepared in advance, and is renewed at every frame, the autocorrelation value ^t(AC')AC' of the code vector AC' can be obtained only by taking out the three elements (n, n), (n, m) and (m, m) from the above matrix, which code vector AC' is a perceptually weighted and orthogonally transformed code vector relative to the optimum perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP.

0060As explained above, the present invention is applicable to any type of CELP coding, such as the sequential optimization, the simultaneous optimization and orthogonally transforming CELP codings, and the computation amount can be greatly reduced due to the use of the hexagonal lattice codebook 20.

0061Figure 15A and 15B illustrate first and second examples of the arithmetic processing means shown in Figs. 8, 10, 13 and 14. In Fig. 15A, the arithmetic processing means is comprised of members 21a, 21b and 21c. The member 21a is a time-reversed unit which rearranges the input signal (optimum AP) inversely along a time axis. The member 21b is an infinite impulse response (IIR) perceptual weighting filter comprised of a matrix <maths id="math0028" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>A (= 1/A'(Z)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0028.tif" /></maths> ). The member 21c is another time-reversed unit which arranges again the output signal from the filter 21b inversely along a time axis, and thus the arithmetic sub-vector <maths id="math0029" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0029.tif" /></maths><maths id="math0030" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0030.tif" /></maths>is generated thereby.

0062Figures 16A to 16D depict an embodiment of the arithmetic processing means shown in Fig. 15A in more detail and from a mathematical viewpoint. Assuming that the perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP is expressed as shown in Fig. 16A, a vector (AP)_TR becomes as shown in Fig. 16B which is obtained by rearranging the elements of Fig. 16A inversely along a time axis.

0063The vector (AP)_TR of Fig. 16B is applied to the IIR perceptual weighting linear prediction reproducing filter (A) 21b, having a perceptual weighting filter function 1/A'(Z), to generate the A(AP)_TR as shown in Fig. 16C.

0064In this case, the matrix A corresponds to a reversed matrix of a transpose matrix, ^tA, and therefore, the A(AP)_TR can be returned to its original form by rearranging the elements inversely along a time axis, and thus the vector of Fig. 16D is obtained.

0065The arithmetic processing means may be constructed by using a finite impulse response (FIR) perceptual weighting filter which multiplies the input vector AP with a transpose matrix, i.e., ^tA. An example thereof is shown in Fig. 15B.

0066Figures 17A to 17C depict an embodiment of the arithmetic processing means shown in Fig. 15B in more detail and from a mathematical viewpoint. In the figures, assuming that the FIR perceptual weighting filter matrix is set as A and the transpose matrix ^tA of the matrix A is an N-dimensional matrix, as shown in Fig. 7A, corresponding to the number of dimensions N of the codebook, and if the perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP is formed as shown in Fig. 17B (this corresponds to a time-reversed vector of Fig. 16B), the time-reversed perceptual weighting pitch prediction residual vector ^tAAP becomes a vector as shown in Fig. 17C, which vector is obtained by multiplying the above-mentioned vector AP with the transpose matrix ^tA. Note, in Fig. 16C, the symbol * denotes a multiplication symbol, and in this case, the accumulated multiplication number becomes N²/s, and thus the result of Fig. 16D and the result of Fig. 17C become the same.

0067Although, in Figs. 16A to 16D, the filter matrix A is formed as the IIR filter, it is also possible to use the FIR filter therefor. If the FIR filter is used, however the overall number of calculations becomes N²/2 (plus 2N times shift operations) as in the embodiment of Figs. 17A to 17C. Conversely, if the IIR filter is used, and assuming that a tenth order linear prediction analysis is achieved as an example, just 10N calculations plus 2N shift operations need be used for the related arithmetic processing.

0068Figure 18 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment based on the structure of Fig. 11 to which the hexagonal lattice codebook is applied. The construction is basically the same as that of Fig. 11, except that the conventional sparse-codebook 2 is replaced by the hexagonal lattice vector codebook 20 of the present invention.

0069In the first embodiment, an orthogonalization transforming unit 60 is comprised of: an arithmetic processing means 61 similar to the aforesaid arithmetic processing means 61 of Fig. 15A which receives the optimum perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP and generates an arithmetic sub-vector V (= ^tAAP); a Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization transforming unit 62 which generates a vector C' from the code vector C of the hexagonal lattice codebook 20 such that the vector C' becomes orthogonal to the vector V; and a filter matrix A, which applies the perceptual weighting to the code vector C' to generate the vector AC'.

0070In the above case, the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization arithmetic equation is given by <maths id="math0031" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>C' = C - V(</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>VC/</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>VV)   (6)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0031.tif" /></maths> The transformer 62 of Fig. 18 is applied to realize the above algorithm. Note, in the figure, each circle mark represents a vector operation and each triangle mark represents a scalar operation.

0071Figure 19A is a vector diagram for representing a Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization transform; Fig. 19B is a vector diagram representing a householder transform for determining an intermediate vector B; and Fig. 19C is a vector diagram representing a householder transform for determining a final vector C'.

0072Referring to Fig. 19A, a parallel component of the code vector C relative to the vector V is obtained by multiplying the unit vector (V/^tVV) of the vector V with the inner product ^tCV therebetween, and the result becomes <maths id="math0032" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>CV(V/</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>VV).</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0032.tif" /></maths>

0073Consequently, the vector C' orthogonal to the vector V can be given by the above-recited equation (6).

0074The thus-obtained vector C' is applied to the perceptual weighting filter 63 to produce the vector AC'. The optimum code vector C and gain g can be selected by applying the above vector AC' to the sequential optimization CELP coding shown in Fig. 3.

0075Figure 20 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment, based on the structure of Fig. 11, to which the hexagonal lattice codebook is applied. The construction (based on Fig. 12) is basically the same as that of Fig. 18, except that an orthogonalization transformer 64 is employed instead of the orthogonalization transformer 62.

0076The transforming equation performed by the transformer 64 is indicated as follows. <maths id="math0033" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>C' = C - 2B{(</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>BC)/(</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>BB)}   (8)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0033.tif" /></maths>

0077The above equation is applied to realize the householder transform. In the equation (8), the vector B is expressed as follows. <maths id="math0034" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>B = V - |V|D</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0034.tif" /></maths> where the vector D is orthogonal to all the code vectors C of the hexagonal lattice code vector stochastic codebook 20.

0078Referring back to Figs. 19B and 19C, the algorithm of the householder transform will be explained. First, the arithmetic sub-vector V is folded, with respect to a folding line, to become the parallel component of the vector D, and thus a vector (|V|/|D|)D is obtained. Here, D/|D| represents a unit vector of the direction D.

0079The thus-created D direction vector is used to create another vector in a direction reverse to the D direction, i.e., -D direction, which vector is expressed as <maths id="math0035" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>-(|V|/|D|)D</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0035.tif" /></maths> as shown in Fig. 19B. This vector is then added to the vector V to obtain a vector B, i.e., <maths id="math0036" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><mtext>B = V - (|V|/|D|)D</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0036.tif" /></maths> which becomes orthogonal to the folding line (refer to Fig. 19B).

0080Further, a component of the vector C projected onto the vector B is found as follows, as shown in Fig. 19A. <maths id="math0037" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>{(</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>CB)/(</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>BB)}B</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0037.tif" /></maths>

0081The thus found vector is doubled in an opposite direction, i.e.,<maths id="math0038" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0038.tif" /></maths> and added to the vector C, and as a result the vector C' is obtained which is orthogonal to the vector V.

0082Thus, the vector C' is created and is applied with the perceptual weighting A to obtain the code vector AC' which is orthogonal to the optimum vector AP.

0083Figure 21 is a block diagram showing an embodiment based on the principle construction shown in Fig. 14 according to the present invention. In Fig. 21, the arithmetic processing means 70 of Fig. 14 can be comprised of the transpose matrix ^tA, as in the aforesaid arithmetic processing means 21 (Fig. 15B), but in the embodiment of Fig. 21, the arithmetic processing means 70 is comprised of a time-reversing type filter which achieves an inverse operation in time.

0084Further, an orthogonalization transforming unit 73 is comprised of arithmetic processors 73a, 73b, 73c and 73d. The arithmetic processor 32a generates, similar to the arithmetic processing means 70, the arithmetic sub-vector V (= ^tAAP) by applying a time-reversing perceptual weighting to the optimum pitch prediction vector AP given as an input signal thereto.

0085The above vector V is transformed, at the arithmetic processor 32b including the perceptual weighting matrix A, into three vectors B, uB and AB by using the vector D, as an input, which is orthogonal to all of the code vectors of the hexagonal lattice sparse-stochastic codebook 20.

0086The vectors B and uB of the above three vectors are sent to a time-reversing orthogonalization transforming unit 71, and the unit 71 applies a time-reversing householder transform to the vector ^tAAX from the arithmetic processing means 70, to generate <maths id="math0039" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0039.tif" /></maths>.

0087The time-reversed householder orthogonalization transform, ^tH, at the unit 71 will be explained below.

0088First, the above-recited equation (8) is rewritten, using <maths id="math0040" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>u = ²/</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>BB</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0040.tif" /></maths> , as follows. <maths id="math0041" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>C' = C - B(u</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>BC)   (9)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0041.tif" /></maths>

0089The equation (9) is then transformed, by using C' = HC, as follows.<maths id="math0042" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0042.tif" /></maths>

0090Accordingly,<maths id="math0043" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0043.tif" /></maths> is obtained, which is same as H written above.

0091Here, the aforesaid vector ^t(AH)AX input to the transforming unit 71 is replaced by, e.g., W, and the following equation stands. <maths id="math0044" num=""><math display="inline"><mrow><msup><mrow><mtext>​</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><msup><mrow><mtext>HW = W - (WB)(u</mtext></mrow><mrow><mtext>t</mtext></mrow></msup><mtext>B)</mtext></mrow></math><img file="EP0462558A2_D0044.tif" /></maths> This is realized by the arithmetic construction as shown in the figure.

0092The above vector t(AH)AX is multiplied, at the multiplier 65, by the hexagonal lattice code vector C from the codebook 20, to obtain a correlation value R_XC which is expressed as shown below.<maths id="math0045" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0045.tif" /></maths> The value R_XC is sent to the evaluation unit 11.

0093The arithmetic processor 73C receives the input vectors AB and uB and finds the orthogonalization transform matrix H and the time-reversing orthogonalization transform matrix ^tH, and further, a FIR and thus perceptual weighting filter matrix A is applied thereto, and thus the autocorrelation matrix ^t(AH)AH of the time-reversing perceptual weighting orthogonalization transforming matrix AH produced by the arithmetic processing unit 70 and the transforming unit 71, is generated at every frame.

0094The thus-generated autocorrelation matrix ^t(AH)AH, G, is stored in the arithmetic processor 73d to produce, when the hexagonal lattice code vector C of the codebook 20 is sent thereto, the vector ^t(AHC)AHC, which is written as follows, as previously shown.<maths id="math0046" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0046.tif" /></maths>

0095Accordingly by only taking out three elements (n, n), (n, m) and (m, m) in the matrix, i.e., <maths id="math0047" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0047.tif" /></maths><maths id="math0048" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0048.tif" /></maths>, from the arithmetic processor 73d and sending same to the evaluation unit 11, the autocorrelation value R_CC , expressed as below in the equation (11), of the code vector AC' can be produced, which vector AC' is obtained by applying the perceptual weighting and the orthogonalization transform to the optimum perceptually weighted pitch prediction residual vector AP.<maths id="math0049" num=""><img file="EP0462558A2_D0049.tif" /></maths> The thus-obtained value R_CC is sent to the valuation unit 11.

0096Thus the evaluation unit 11 receives two correlation values, and by using same, selects the optimum code vector and the gain.

0097The following table clarifies the multiplication number needed in a variety of CELP coding system. <tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><img file="EP0462558A2_D0050.tif" /></tables>

0098Referring to the above Table, if N = 60, as an example, is set for the N-dimensional sparsed code vectors, 500 to 600 multiplications are required. Assuming here that 1024 code vectors are loaded as standard in the codebook, a computation amount of about 12 million/sec is needed for a search of one code vector in the above case of N = 60. This computation amount is not comparable with that of a usual IC processor.

0099Contrary to the above, the use of the hexagonal lattice codebook according to the present invention can drastically reduce the multiplication number to about 1/200.

0100Figure 22 depicts a graph of speech quality vs computational complexity. As mentioned previously, the hexagonal lattice vector codebook of the present invention is most preferably applied to the orthogonalization transform CELP coding. In the graph, × symbols represent the characteristics under the conventional sequential optimization (OPT) CELP coding and the conventional simultaneous optimization (OPT) CELP coding, and o symbols represent the characteristics under the Gram-Schmidt and householder orthogonalization transform CELP codings. Four symbols are measured with the use of the hexagonal lattice vector codebook 20. In the graph, the abscissa indicates millions of operations per second, where 1 operation - 1 multiply-accumulate = 1 compare = 0.1 division = 0.1 square root stand. Namely, 1 operation is equivalent to 1 multiply-accumulate, one comparison, i.e., < or >, one 0.1 division (÷) (1 division = 10 operations) and one 0.1 square root, i.e.,√. The ordinate thereof indicates a sequential SNR in computer Simulation (dB). As can be seen in the graph, the computation amount required in the Gram-Schmidt orthogonalization and householder transform CELP coding systems is larger than that required in the sequential optimization CELP coding system, but the former two systems give a better speech reproduction quality than that produced by the latter system.

0101From the viewpoint of the computation amount, the Gram-Schmidt transform is superior to the householder transform, but from the viewpoint of the quality (SNR), the householder transform is the best among the variety of CELP coding methods.

0102Reference signs in the claims are intended for better understanding and shall not limit the scope.