Formant map counterpart in auditory processing based on cochlear pressure wave trajectories

Abstract

It is known for a long time that vowels can be classified using spectrum analysis and formant map templates. But in systems having poor spectral resolution, e.g. in cochlear implants, it may be interesting to see if a map of vowel classes can be constructed based on temporal cues only. We present a bio-inspired approach to extract the shape of cochlear pressure wave trajectories for speech signals and provide a simple vowel classification method not requiring any spectral information directly. Experiments and results included in this study emphasize the importance of biotic cochlear delays and urge their application in future cochlear implant speech processing strategies.