title: A blind algorithm for reverberation-time estimation using subband decomposition of speech signals.
abstract: An algorithm for blind estimation of reverberation time (RT) in speech signals is proposed. Analysis is restricted to the free-decaying regions of the signal, where the reverberation effect dominates, yielding a more accurate RT estimate at a reduced computational cost. A spectral decomposition is performed on the reverberant signal and partial RT estimates are determined in all signal subbands, providing more data to the statistical-analysis stage of the algorithm, which yields the final RT estimate. Algorithm performance is assessed using two distinct speech databases, achieving 91% and 97% correlation with the RTs measured by a standard nonblind method, indicating that the proposed method blindly estimates the RT in a reliable and consistent manner.
authors.affiliation: Electrical Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Avenue Athos da Silveira Ramos 149, Rio de Janeiro 21941-972, Brazil. thprego@lps.ufrj.br
authors.forename: Thiago de M
authors.initials: Tde M
authors.lastname: Prego
authors.forename: Amaro A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Sergio L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Netto
authors.forename: Bowon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Said
authors.forename: Ronald W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Schafer
authors.forename: Ton
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kalker
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013018:Sound Spectrography; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013997:Time Factors