Epoch extraction from linear prediction residual for identification of closed glottis interval

In voiced speech analysis epochal information is useful in accurate estimation of pitch periods and the frequency response of the vocal tract system. Ideally, linear prediction (LP) residual should give impulses at epochs. However, there are often ambiguities in the direct use of LP residual since samples of either polarity occur around epochs. Further, since the digital inverse filter does not compensate the phase response of the vocal tract system exactly, there is an uncertainty in the estimated epoch position. In this paper we present an interpretation of LP residual by considering the effect of the following factors: 1) the shape of glottal pulses, 2) inaccurate estimation of formants and bandwidths, 3) phase angles of formants at the instants of excitation, and 4) zeros in the vocal tract system. A method for the unambiguous identification of epochs from LP residual is then presented. The accuracy of the method is tested by comparing the results with the epochs obtained from the estimated glottal pulse shapes for several vowel segments. The method is used to identify the closed glottis interval for the estimation of the true frequency response of the vocal tract system.