Method and device for voice activity detection and a communication device

A mobile station for transmission and reception of speech messages, comprising:

• means for detecting voice activity in a speech message, and
• means for making a voice activity decision on the basis of the detection, wherein said detecting means and decision making means comprises
• means for dividing said speech message into subsignals each representing a specific frequency band,
• means for estimating noise in the subsignals,
• means for calculating subdecision signals on the basis of the estimated noise in the subsignals, and
• means for making a voice activity decision for the input signal on the basis of the calculated subdecision signals.

A method of detecting voice activity in a communication device, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving an input signal,
• detecting voice activity in the input signal, and
• making a voice activity decision on basis of the detection, wherein the steps of detecting and making a voice activity decision comprise steps of,
• dividing said input signal into subsignals representing specific frequency bands,
• estimating noise in the subsignals,
• calculating subdecision signals on the basis of the estimated noise in the subsignals, and
• making the voice activity decision for the input signal on the basis of the calculated subdecision signals.