Voice activity detection driven noise remediator

A receiving apparatus for processing a received signal, said signal comprising a speech component and a noise component, said apparatus comprising:

• an energy estimator for generating an energy signal representing the acoustic energy of said received signal;
• a noise estimator for receiving said energy signal and for generating a noise estimate signal representing the average background noise in said received signal;
• a voice activity detector for receiving said noise estimate signal and said energy signal and for generating a voice detection signal representing whether speech is present in said received signal;
• and
• a noise remediator responsive to said noise estimate signal and said voice detection signal for processing said received signal when said voice detection signal indicates that speech is not present in said received signal and for generating a processed signal, wherein said noise estimator, said voice activity detector and said noise remediator are in said receiving apparatus,
• wherein said processed signal comprises:
• a first component comprising an attenuated received signal;
• and
• a second component comprising a comfort noise signal.

A receiving apparatus for processing a received signal having speech and noise components, said apparatus comprising:

• an energy estimator in said receiving apparatus for generating an energy signal representing the acoustic energy of said received signal;
• a noise estimator in said receiving apparatus for receiving said energy signal and for generating a noise estimate signal representing the average background noise in said received signal;
• a plurality of high pass filters;
• and
• means for applying one of said plurality of high pass filters to said received signal based upon said noise estimate signal and for generating a high pass filtered signal.

A receiving apparatus for processing a received signal having speech and noise components, said apparatus comprising:

• and energy estimator for generating an energy signal representing the acoustic energy of said received signal;
• a noise estimator for receiving said energy signal and for generating a noise estimate signal representing the average background noise in said received signal;
• a high pass filter driver connected to said noise estimator for filtering said received signal based upon said noise estimate signal and generating a high pass filtered signal;
• a voice activity detector for receiving said noise estimate signal and said energy signal and for generating a voice detection signal representing whether speech is present in said received signal;
• and
• a noise remediator responsive to said noise estimate signal and said voice detection signal for attenuating said high pass filtered signal and inserting comfort noise into said high pass filtered signal when said voice detection signal indicates that speech is not present in said received signal.

A method for processing an encoded signal, said encoded signal representing speech and noise, said method comprising the steps:

• receiving said encoded signal at a receiver in a communication system;
• decoding said encoded signal into a decoded signal;
• generating an energy signal representing the acoustic energy of said decoded signal;
• generating a noise estimate signal representing the average background noise level in said decoded signal;
• generating a voice detection signal based upon said energy signal and said noise estimate signal, said voice detection signal indicating whether said decoded signal contains a speech component;
• and
• if said voice detection signal indicates that said decoded signal does not contain a speech component:
• generating a comfort noise signal based upon said noise estimate signal;
• attenuating said decoded signal;
• and
• inserting said comfort noise signal into said decoded signal.

A method for processing a received encoded signal representing speech and noise, said method comprising the steps:

• receiving said encoded signal at a receiver in a communication system;
• decoding said encoded signal into a decoded signal;
• generating an energy value representing the acoustic energy of said decoded signal;
• generating a noise estimate value representing the average background noise level in said decoded signal;
• determining whether said decoded signal contains a speech component based upon said energy value and said noise estimate value;
• and
• if said decoded signal does not contain a speech component for a predetermined period of time:
• attenuating said decoded signal;
• and
• inserting comfort noise into said decoded signal.

A method for processing a received signal representing speech and noise, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating an energy signal representing the acoustic energy of said received signal, said received signal does not contain any specialized non-speech frames;
• generating a noise estimate signal representing the average background noise in said received signal;
• and
• generating a high pass filtered signal by applying said received signal to one of a plurality of high pass filters based upon said noise estimate signal.

A method for processing a received signal representing speech and noise, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating an energy value representing the acoustic energy of said received signal, wherein said received signal does not contain special non-speech frames;
• generating a noise estimate value representing the average background noise in said received signal;
• generating a high pass filtered signal by applying said received signal to one of a plurality of high pass filters based upon said noise estimate value;
• generating comfort noise based on said noise estimate value;
• determining whether said received signal contains a speech component based upon said energy value and said noise estimate value;
• and
• generating a processed high pass filtered signal if said received signal does not contain a speech component.

A receiving apparatus for processing a received encoded signal representing speech and noise, said apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving said encoded signal, wherein said encoded signal does not contain special non-speech frames;
• means for decoding said encoded signal into a decoded signal;
• means for generating an energy value representing the acoustic energy of said decoded signal;
• means for generating a noise estimate value representing the average background noise level in said decoded signal;
• means for determining whether said decoded signal contains a speech component based upon said energy value and said noise estimate value;
• and
• means for generating a processed decoded signal if the decoded signal does not contain a speech component for a predetermined period of time, said processed decoded signal comprising an attenuated decoded signal component and a comfort noise component.

A receiving apparatus for processing a received signal, said received signal comprising a speech component and a noise component, said apparatus comprising:

• means for generating an energy value representing the acoustic energy of said received signal;
• means for generating a noise estimate value representing the average background noise in said received signal;
• and
• means for generating a high pass filtered signal by applying said received signal to one of a plurality of high pass filters based upon said noise estimate value, wherein said energy value generating means and said high pass filter generating means are in said receiving apparatus.

A receiving apparatus for processing a received encoded signal representing speech and noise, said apparatus comprising:

• a speech decoder for receiving said encoded signal and generating a decoded signal, wherein said encoded signal does not contain special non-speech frames;
• an energy estimator for receiving an encoded energy value from said encoded signal and for generating an energy signal representing the acoustic energy of said encoded signal;
• a noise estimator connected to said energy estimator for receiving said energy signal and for generating a noise estimate signal representing the average background noise level in said encoded signal;
• a high pass filter driver connected to said noise estimator and said speech decoder for receiving said noise estimate signal and said decoded signal and for high pass filtering said decoded signal based upon said noise estimate signal, and for generating a high pass filtered signal;
• a voice activity detector connected to said energy estimator and to said noise estimator for receiving said energy signal and said noise estimate signal and for generating a voice detection signal representative of whether said encoded signal contains a speech component;
• and
• a noise remediator connected to said voice activity detector, said noise estimator, and said high pass filter driver for receiving said voice detection signal, said noise estimate signal, and said high pass filtered signal, and for generating a processed high pass filtered signal when said noise detection signal indicates that said encoded signal does not contain a speech component,
• wherein said processed high pass filtered signal comprises:
• an attenuated high pass filtered signal;
• and
• low pass filtered white noise.