Tellabs Operations, Inc.

Bruce E Dunne

Daniel J Marchok

Ravi Chandran

Richard C Younce

Kenneth P Laberteaux

David S Farrell

An apparatus and method for suppressing noise is presented. The apparatus may utilize a filter bank of bandpass filters to split the input noisy speech-containing signal into separate frequency bands. To determine whether the input signal contains speech, DTMF tones or silence, a joint voice activity & DTMF activity detector (JVADAD) may be used. The overall average noise-to-signal ratio (NSR) of the input signal is estimated in the overall NSR estimator, which estimates the average noisy signal power in the input signal during speech activity and the average noise power during silence. Two indirect power measures are performed for each band, measuring a short-term power and a long-term power. The power estimation processes are adapted based on the signal activity indicated by the JVADAD. A NSR adapter adapts the NSR for each frequency band based on the long-term and short-term power measures, the overall NSR and the signal activity indicated by the JVADAD. The NSR adaptation may then be performed. The gain computer utilizes these NSR values to determine the gain factors for each frequency band. The gain multiplier may then perform the attenuation of each frequency band. Finally, the processed signals in the separate frequency bands are summed up in the combiner to produce the clean output signal. In another embodiment of the present invention, a method for suppressing noise is presented. An alternative embodiment of the present invention includes a method and apparatus for extending DTMF tones. Yet another embodiment of the present invention includes regenerating DTMF tones.

Communication system tonal component maintenance techniques

In order to enhance the quality of a communication signal derived from speech and noise, a filter divides the communication signal into a plurality of frequency band signals. A calculator generates a plurality of power band signals each having a power band value and corresponding to one of the frequency band signals. The power band values are based on estimating, over a time period, the power of one of the frequency band signals. The time period is different for different ones of the frequency band signals. The power band values are used to calculate weighting factors which are used to alter the frequency band signals that are combined to generate an improved communication signal.

Communication system noise cancellation power signal calculation techniques

A communication system () receives a communication signal comprising first and second data with different compression levels, such as highly compressed and weakly compressed levels. A mode detector () detects the level of compression. One or more signal decoders () decode the highly compressed data. An analyzer () determines the type of enhancement required. One or more processors () enhance the data as required. An encoder () reencodes the enhanced decoded data. Metrics () may aid the operation of the analyzer (). The communication system may include telephones (). Processors () enhance signals in opposite first and second directions between pairs of the telephones. A path () connects the processors in tandem. One or more switches () disable signal enhancement for one of the processors depending on the compression level of the signals to avoid degrading call quality.

Audio enhancement communication techniques

An echo canceller circuit for use in an echo canceller system is set forth that provides sensitive double-talk detection. The echo canceller circuit comprises a second digital filter having adaptive tap coefficients to simulate an echo response occurring during the call. The adaptive tap coefficients of the second digital filter are updated over the duration of the call using a Least Mean Squares process having an adaptive gain a. A channel condition detector is used to detect channel conditions during the call. The channel condition detector is responsive to detected channel conditions for changing the adaptive gain a during the call. For example, the channel condition detector may detect the presence of a double-talk condition and set the adaptive gain a to zero. Similarly, the channel condition detector may detect the occurrence of a high background noise condition and set the adaptive gain a to a level less than 1 that is dependent on the detected level of the background noise. Other similar channel conditions and corresponding adaptive gain settings may likewise be utilized.

Echo canceller employing dual-H architecture having variable adaptive gain settings

The spectral shape of a communication signal is preserved by filtering it into a selected number of frequency band signals representing a selected number of the frequency bands. A calculator generates a plurality of initial gain signals having initial gain values for altering the gain of the frequency band signals. Each initial gain signal corresponds to one of the frequency band signals. Each initial gain value is derived from a measurement of the power of at least a portion of one of the frequency band signals. The calculator also generates a plurality of modified gain signals having modified gain values. Each modified gain signal corresponds to at least one of the frequency band signals and each modified gain value is derived from one or more functions of at least two of the initial gain values. The frequency band signals are altered in response to the modified gain signals to generate weighted frequency band signals which are combined to generate an improved communication signal.

Spectrally interdependent gain adjustment techniques

In order to enhance the quality of a communication signal comprising speech signal components due to speech and noise signal components due to noise, a filter divides the communication signal into a plurality of frequency band signals representing the speech signal components and the noise signal components in a plurality of frequency bands. A calculator generates a plurality of weighting signals having weighting values corresponding to the frequency band signals. The weighting values represent at least approximations of the normalized powers of the noise signal components in the frequency band signals. The frequency band signals are altered in response to the weighting signals to generate weighted frequency band signals which are combined to generate a communication signal with enhanced quality.

Relative noise ratio weighting techniques for adaptive noise cancellation

In order to enhance the quality of a communication signal derived from speech and noise, the likelihood that the communication signals result from at least some speech is determined. A calculator calculates a first power signal representing the power of at least a portion of the communication signals estimated over a first time period and calculates a second power signal representing the power of at least a portion of the communication signals estimated over a second time period longer than the first time period. The calculator also generates a comparison signal having a value related to the likelihood that the portion of the communication signals result from at least some speech by comparing a first expression involving the first power signal with a second expression involving the second power signal. The calculator also generates a speech likelihood signal having a value representing a first likelihood that the communication signal results from at least some speech in the event that the comparison signal value falls within a first range and having a second value representing a second likelihood that the communication signal results from at least some speech in the event that the comparison signal value falls within a second range. The second likelihood is different from the first likelihood.

Speech presence measurement detection techniques

An echo canceller circuit for use in an echo canceller system is set forth that provides sensitive double-talk detection. The echo canceller circuit comprises a second digital filter having adaptive tap coefficients to stimulate an echo response occurring during the call. The adaptive tap coefficients of the second digital filter are updated over the duration of the call using a Least Mean Squares process having an adaptive gain a. A channel condition detector is used to detect channel conditions during the call. The channel condition detector is responsive to detected channel conditions for changing the adaptive gain a during the call. For example, the channel condition detector may detect the presence of a double-talk condition and set the adaptive gain a to zero. Similarly, the channel condition detector may detect the occurrence of a high background noise condition and set the adaptive gain a to a level less than 1 that is dependent on the detected level of the background noise. Other similar channel conditions and corresponding adaptive gain settings may likewise be utilized.

A processor ( ) is arranged to divide a communication signal into a plurality of frequency band signals including speech and noise components due to speech and noise. The processor generates first and second power signals for the frequency band signals. Each first power signal is based on estimating over a first time period the power of one of the frequency band signals. Each second power signal is based on estimating over a second time period less than the first time period the power of one of the frequency band signals. The processor generates condition signals representing conditions of the frequency band signals, and adjusts the gain of the frequency band signals in response to the condition signals to generate adjusted frequency band signals. The processor then combines the adjusted frequency band signals to generate an adjusted communication signal.

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Niles, MI, United States of America

Bruce E Dunne