Method and apparatus for providing speech quality based packet enhancement in packet switched networks

A vocoder bypass control method to facilitate communication between at least a first and second wireless unit wherein each of the first and second wireless units are in operative communication with at least one network element that can provide vocoding comprising:

• determining, by at least one network element, an echo level communicated between the first and second wireless units;
• selecting whether to enter bypass or tandem vocoding by at least one network element based on the determined echo level;
• and
• dynamically determining a echo even after a tandem vocoding mode of operation to see if a bypass mode can be entered again.

An apparatus for providing vocoder bypass for audio signal information communicated between at least a first and second wireless communication unit comprising:

• a vocoder;
• and
• a vocoder bypass controller including:
• an echo level detector operatively coupled to receive the speech information from the vocoder, and operative to determine an echo level of the received speech information and to generate an echo level based vocoder bypass control signal in response to de determined echo level;
• and
• vocoder bypass control logic operatively responsive to selectively activate or deactivate a vocoder bypass operation in response to the echo level based vocoder bypass control signal;
• and
• wherein the vocoder boss controller dynamically determines an echo level even after a tandem vocoding mode of operation to see if a bypass mode can be entered again.

An apparatus for providing vocoder bypass for audio signal information communicated between at least a first and second wireless communication unit comprising:

• a vocoder;
• and
• a vocoder bypass controller including:
• an echo level detector operatively coupled to receive the speech information from the vocoder, and operative to determine an echo level of the received speech information and to generate an echo level based vocoder bypass control signal in response to the determined echo level;
• and
• vocoder bypass control logic operatively responsive to selectively activate or deactivate a vocoder bypass operation in response to the echo level based vocoder bass control signal;
• and
• wherein the vocoder bypass controller obtains compressed speech as sent by the first wireless unit and obtains encoded speech as sent by the second wireless unit wherein the compressed speech and encoded speech was coded through a tandem vocoding mode of operation by a plurality of network elements and performs echo canceling on the obtained compressed speech in response to a determined unsuitable echo level.

A network element for communicating encoded speech packets comprising:

• vocoder bypass control logic to selectively activate or deactivate a vocoder bypass operation state for the network element;
• an outgoing decoder having an input and an output, and operative to provide vocoding on outgoing speech packets;
• an incoming decoder having an input and an output;
• a speech quality detector operatively coupled to the incoming decoder and operative to determine a speech quality level of incoming encoded speech packets whereby the speech quality level is at least one of echo level or background noise level;
• and
• a speech quality enhancer operative, based on the determination of speech quality level and when the vocoder bypass operation is in an active state, to perform encoded speech packet replacement by replacing current transmitted packets with at least one of background noise packets resultant from a noise suppression process, null packets or silence packets.

A network element for a communication system comprising:

• vocoder bypass control logic to selectively activate or deactivate a vocoder bypass operation state for the network element;
• an outgoing decoder operative to provide vocoding on outgoing encoded speech packets;
• an incoming decoder having an input and an output;
• and
• a first speech quality detector operatively coupled to the incoming decoder and operative to determine a first speech quality level of incoming encoded speech packets whereby the first speech quality level is at least one of echo level or background noise level;
• a second speech quality detector operatively coupled to the incoming decoder and to receive outgoing encoded speech packets, and operative to determine a second speech quality level of outgoing encoded speech packets whereby the second speech quality level is at least one of echo level or background noise level;
• and
• a speech quality enhancer operative, based on the determination of at least one of the first speech quality level and the second speech quality level and when the vocoder bypass operation is in an active state, to perform encoded speech packet replacement by replacing current transmitted packets with at least one of background noise packets resultant from a noise suppression process, null packets or silence packets.

A method for enhancing speech quality in a communication system comprising:

• transitioning to a vocoder bypass mode of operation;
• receiving an outgoing speech packet from a first communication unit;
• transmitting the outgoing speech packet to a second communication unit;
• receiving an incoming speech packet from the second communication unit;
• determining if the incoming speech packet contains an echo signal caused, at least in part, by the outgoing speech packet;
• and
• selecting whether to transmit the incoming encoded speech packet or a replacement encoded speech packet to the first communication unit based on the determination and while remaining in the vocoder bypass mode of operation.