System for generating a wideband signal from a narrowband signal using transmitted speaker-dependent data

A method for electronically communicating speech between a first party and a second party, the method comprising:

• transmitting a first narrowband speech signal comprising a narrowband version of speech utterances of the first party;
• transmitting first speaker-dependent data comprising data correlating narrowband versions of the speech utterances of the first party with corresponding wideband versions of the speech utterances of the first party;
• receiving the first narrowband speech signal and the first speaker-dependent data by the second party;
• using the first narrowband speech signal and the first speaker-dependent data to generate a first wideband speech signal corresponding to a wideband version of the speech utterances of the first party at a locus of the second party;
• transmitting a second narrowband speech signal comprising a narrowband version of speech utterances of the second party;
• transmitting second speaker-dependent data comprising data correlating narrowband versions of the speech utterances of the second party with corresponding wideband versions of the speech utterances of the second party;
• receiving the second narrowband speech signal and the second speaker-dependent data by the first party;
• and
• using the second narrowband speech signal and the second speaker-dependent data to generate a second wideband speech signal corresponding to a wideband version of the speech utterances of the second party at a locus of the first party.

A system for use in communicating speech signals received from a transmitting party, the system comprising:

• a receiver adapted to receive a narrowband signal corresponding to a narrowband version of speech utterances of the transmitting party and to receive speaker-dependent data correlating narrowband versions of speech utterances of the transmitting party with corresponding wideband versions of the speech utterances of the transmitting party;
• an analyzer adapted to identify selected portions of the speaker-dependent data that best correspond to the received narrowband signal;
• and
• a wideband signal generator adapted to generate a wideband speech signal using the selected portions of the speaker-dependent data identified by the analyzer.

A computer program comprising one or more computer readable media having computer-executable instructions for performing a method, the method comprising:

• transmitting a narrowband speech signal comprising a narrowband version of speech utterances of a speaker;
• transmitting speaker-dependent data comprising data correlating narrowband versions of the speech utterances of the speaker with corresponding wideband versions of the speech utterances of the speaker;
• receiving the narrowband speech signal and the speaker-dependent data;
• and
• using the narrowband speech signal and the speaker-dependent data to generate a wideband speech signal corresponding to a wideband version of the speech utterances of the speaker.