Echo path change detection in telecommunications networks

An apparatus for detecting a possible occurrence of an echo path change in a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for generating pre-cancellation measures of average energy of a near-end signal in the telecommunications network prior to echo cancellation;
• means for generating post-cancellation measures of average energy of the near-end signal after the echo cancellation;
• means for generating echo return loss enhancement (ERLE) estimates based on the pre-cancellation near-end average energy measures and the post-cancellation near-end average energy measures;
• and
• means for comparing a current ERLE estimate to a subsequent ERLE estimate to detect the possible occurrence of the echo path change.

A method for determining whether a possible occurrence of an echo path change is an actual occurrence of the echo path change or an occurrence of double talk in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting the possible occurrence of the echo path change;
• (b) comparing magnitudes of a post-cancellation near-end signal in the telecommunications network to magnitudes of a pre-cancellation near-end signal in the telecommunications network;
• (c) generating a counter value based on the comparisons of step (b);
• (d) comparing the counter value to a specified threshold level;
• and
• (e) determining whether the possible occurrence of the echo path change is the occurrence of the double talk based on the comparison of step (d).

An apparatus for determining whether a possible occurrence of an echo path change is an actual occurrence of the echo path change or an occurrence of double talk in a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

• means for detecting the possible occurrence of the echo path change;
• means for comparing magnitudes of a post-cancellation near-end signal in the telecommunications network to magnitudes of a pre-cancellation near-end signal in the telecommunications network;
• means for generating a counter value based on the comparisons of the post-cancellation near-end signal magnitudes and the pre-cancellation near-end signal magnitudes;
• means for comparing the counter value to a specified threshold level;
• and
• means for determining whether the possible occurrence of the echo path change is the occurrence of the double talk based on the comparison of the counter value to the specified threshold level.

A method for determining whether a possible occurrence of an echo path change is an actual occurrence of the echo path change or an occurrence of double talk in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting the possible occurrence of the echo path change;
• (b) generating pre-cancellation measures of average energy of a near-end signal in the telecommunications network;
• (c) generating far-end average energy measures of a far-end signal in the telecommunications network;
• (d) generating ERL estimates based on the far-end average energy measures and the pre-cancellation near-end average energy measures;
• (e) comparing the ERL estimates to a boundary value;
• (f) generating a counter value based on the comparisons of step (e);
• (g) comparing the counter value to a specified threshold level;
• and
• (h) determining whether the possible occurrence of the echo path change is the occurrence of the double talk based on the comparison of step (g).

An apparatus for determining whether a possible occurrence of an echo path change is an actual occurrence of the echo path change or an occurrence of double talk in a telecommunications network, the apparatus comprising:

• an EPC detection initializer adapted to detect the possible occurrence of the echo path change;
• an input energy calculator adapted to generate pre-cancellation measures of average energy of a near-end signal in the telecommunications network;
• a far-end energy calculator adapted to generate measures of average energy of a far-end signal in the telecommunications network;
• an ERL estimator adapted to generate ERL estimates based on the far-end average energy measures and the pre-cancellation near-end average energy measures;
• an ERL counter adapted to (1) compare the ERL estimates to a boundary value and (2) generate a counter value based on the comparisons of the ERL estimates to the boundary value;
• an ERL discriminator adapted to compare the counter value to a specified threshold level;
• and
• an EPC discriminator adapted to determine whether the possible occurrence of the echo path change is the occurrence of the double talk based on the comparison of the counter value to the specified threshold level.