EQUIPMENT SYSTEMS IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM - PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF APPLICATIONS OF THE COMPUTER-AIDED SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM

• NCJ Number: 32933
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 63 pages
• Contract Number(s): J-LEAA-025-73
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Aerospace Corporation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Best Practice/State-of-the-Art Review
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

A REPORT ON THE PRESENT AND FUTURE FORENSIC USES OF VOICE IDENTIFICATION TO ESTIMATE THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF A COMPUTER-AIDED SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM.

Abstract

WHILE THE USE OF VOICE SPECTROGRAMS (OR VOICEPRINTS) FOR SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION HAS CERTAIN DRAWBACKS, THE TECHNIQUE IS BEING USED CURRENTLY IN CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS AND IN COURTROOM CASES. THE REPORT PROVIDES ESTIMATES OF THE SCOPE OF THIS USE AND HOW THE USE IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE AS A CONSEQUENCE OF SUPPLEMENTING THE MANUAL EXAMINATION OF SPECTROGRAMS WITH THE COMPUTER-AIDED SYSTEM. THE RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION INDICATE THE PRINCIPAL CRITICISM OF MANUAL EXAMINATIONS IS THAT THEY ARE SUBJECTIVE AND LACK GENERAL SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT. THE COMPUTER-AIDED APPROACH, BEING MORE QUANTITATIVE IN NATURE AND SPECIFYING, IN A DIRECT WAY, THE POINTS OF COMPARISON BETWEEN SPEECH SAMPLES IS EXPECTED TO BE MORE LIKELY TO GAIN ACCEPTANCE BY THE SCIENTIFIC AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY. THIS ACCEPTANCE, COUPLED WITH INCREASED SPEED OF OPERATION FOR THE COMPUTER-AIDED SYSTEM, WOULD MAKE RECORDED SPEECH SAMPLES A VALUABLE SOURCE OF PHYSICAL EVIDENCE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)