# US 2008/0189100 A1 · Method and System for Improving Speech Quality > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0189100 A1 - Document ID: US20080189100A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/670,154 - Filed: 2007-02-01 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-01 - Assignees: Broadcom Corporation - Inventors: Wilfrid LeBlanc; Mohammad Zad-Issa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080189100A1 ## CPC - G10L 19/005: Correction of errors induced by the transmission channel, if related to the coding algorithm - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract A method and system for improving speech quality may include estimating at least one component of a distorted portion of a speech signal from at least one component of an undistorted portion of the speech signal and reinforcing the component of the distorted portion based on the estimating. The components may include the pitch, spectral envelope and spectral energy of the speech signal. The undistorted portion of the speech signal may be delayed and the components of the distorted portion may be interpolated from the components of a delayed undistorted portion and a current undistorted portion of the speech signal. The components of the distorted portion of the speech signal may be extrapolated from a current undistorted portion of the speech signal. Components of the distorted portion of the speech signal may be estimated from frequency bands other than the frequency band affected by the distortion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing signals, the method comprising: estimating at least one component of a distorted portion of a speech signal from at least one component of an undistorted portion of said speech signal; and reinforcing said at least one component of said distorted portion based on said estimating. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, comprising extrapolating said at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from a current undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, comprising delaying said undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, comprising interpolating said at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from said delayed undistorted portion of said speech signal and a current undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said distorted portion of said speech signal occurs in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of said speech signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, comprising estimating at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from frequency bands other than said first frequency band. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said estimated at least one component is at least one of: a pitch component, a spectral envelope component, and a spectral energy component. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said reinforced at least one component is at least one of: a pitch component, a spectral envelope component, and a spectral energy component. ### Claim 9 A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having at least one code section for processing signals, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform steps comprising: estimating at least one component of a distorted portion of a speech signal from at least one component of an undistorted portion of said speech signal; and reinforcing said at least one component of said distorted portion based on said estimating. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The machine-readable storage according to claim 8, comprising extrapolating said at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from a current undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The machine-readable storage according to claim 1, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables delaying said undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The machine-readable storage according to claim 11, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables interpolating said at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from said delayed undistorted portion of said speech signal and a current undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein said distorted portion of said speech signal occurs in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of said speech signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The machine-readable storage according to claim 13, wherein said at least one code section comprises code that enables estimating at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from frequency bands other than said first frequency band. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein said estimated at least one component is at least one of: a pitch component, a spectral envelope component, and a spectral energy component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The machine-readable storage according to claim 9, wherein said reinforced at least one component is at least one of: a pitch component, a spectral envelope component, and a spectral energy component. ### Claim 17 A system for processing signals, the system comprising: one or more circuits that enables estimating at least one component of a distorted portion of a speech signal from at least one component of an undistorted portion of said speech signal; and said one or more circuits enables reinforcing said at least one component of said distorted portion based on said estimating. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits extrapolating said at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from a current undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein said one or more circuits enables delaying said undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system according to claim 19, wherein said one or more circuits enables interpolating said at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from said delayed undistorted portion and a current undistorted portion of said speech signal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein said distorted portion of said speech signal occurs in a first frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands of said speech signal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The system according to claim 21, wherein said one or more circuits enables estimating at least one component of said distorted portion of said speech signal from frequency bands other than said first frequency band. ### Claim 23 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein said estimated at least one component is at least one of: a pitch component, a spectral envelope component, and a spectral energy component. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein said reinforced at least one component is at least one of: a pitch component, a spectral envelope component, and a spectral energy component. ### Claim 25 A method for processing signals, the method comprising, replacing a frequency component that matches a background noise estimate of a speech signal with an estimate derived from a signal that is characteristic of said background noise estimate. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein said background noise estimate of said speech signal comprises a long-term background noise estimate. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein said signal that is characteristic of said background noise estimate comprises a frequency component that is derived from a history of background noise estimates. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein said signal background noise estimate of said speech signal comprises comfort noise. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, comprising detecting when at least a portion of said speech signal is distorted. ### Claim 30 A system for processing signals, the system comprising, one or more circuits that replace a frequency component that matches a background noise estimate of a speech signal with an estimate derived from a signal that is characteristic of said background noise estimate. ### Claim 31 (depends on 29) The system according to claim 29, wherein said background noise estimate of said speech signal comprises a long-term background noise estimate. ### Claim 32 (depends on 29) The system according to claim 29, wherein said signal that is characteristic of said background noise estimate comprises a frequency component that is derived from a history of background noise estimates. ### Claim 33 (depends on 29) The system according to claim 29, wherein said signal background noise estimate of said speech signal comprises comfort noise. ### Claim 34 (depends on 25) The systems according to claim 25, wherein said one or more circuits detect when at least a portion of said speech signal is distorted.