Apparatus and method for voice processing and telephone apparatus

A voice processing apparatus, comprising:

• a voice signal acquiring unit that acquires a voice signal converted to plural frequency bands from an input signal having a narrowed band;
• an expanding unit that generates based on a narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, an expansion band component expanding the band of the voice signal;
• a correcting unit that corrects the power of the expansion band component by a correction amount determined based on a noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit;
• and
• an output unit that outputs the voice signal of which the band has been expanded based on the expansion band component corrected by the correcting unit and based on the narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit,
• wherein the voice signal acquiring unit comprises:
• a first acquiring unit that acquires a first voice signal having a narrowed band;
• and
• a second acquiring unit that acquires a second voice signal indicative of a voice near a reproducing device that reproduces the first voice signal, wherein
• the expanding unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit,
• the correcting unit uses the noise component included in the second voice signal acquired by the second acquiring unit as the noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, and
• the output unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, wherein
• the correcting unit corrects the power by the correction amount that is based on a ratio of a voice component included in the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit and the noise component, wherein the higher the ratio is, the greater the correction amount.

A voice processing apparatus, comprising:

• a voice signal acquiring unit that acquires a voice signal converted to plural frequency bands from an input signal having a narrowed band;
• an expanding unit that generates based on a narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, an expansion band component expanding the band of the voice signal;
• a correcting unit that corrects the power of the expansion band component by a correction amount determined based on a noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit;
• and
• an output unit that outputs the voice signal of which the band has been expanded based on the expansion band component corrected by the correcting unit and based on the narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit,
• wherein the voice signal acquiring unit comprises:
• a first acquiring unit that acquires a first voice signal having a narrowed band;
• and
• a second acquiring unit that acquires a second voice signal indicative of a voice near a reproducing device that reproduces the first voice signal, wherein
• the expanding unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit,
• the correcting unit uses the noise component included in the second voice signal acquired by the second acquiring unit as the noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, and
• the output unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, wherein the correcting unit corrects the power by the correction amount that is based on similarity of the noise components included in the first voice signal and the second voice signal, respectively,
• wherein the higher the similarity is, the greater the correction amount.

A signal processing method comprising:

• acquiring a voice signal;
• generating based on a narrowband component of the voice signal acquired at the acquiring, an expansion band component expanding the band of the voice signal;
• correcting the power of the expansion band component by a correction amount determined based on a noise component included in the voice signal acquired at the acquiring;
• and
• outputting the voice signal of which the band has been expanded based on the expansion band component corrected at the correcting and based on the narrowband component of the voice signal acquired at the acquiring,
• wherein the voice signal is acquired by a voice signal acquiring method comprising the following steps:
• a first acquiring step that acquires a first voice signal having a narrowed band;
• and
• a second acquiring step that acquires a second voice signal indicative of a voice near a reproducing device that reproduces the first voice signal, wherein
• the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring step is used as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring method,
• the second voice signal acquired by the second acquiring step is used as the noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring method, and
• the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring step is used as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring method, wherein
• the correcting includes correcting the power by the correction amount that is based on a ratio of the noise component included in the first voice signal and the noise component included in the second voice signal,
• wherein the higher the ratio is, the greater the correction amount.

A telephone apparatus comprising:

• a receiving unit that receives a first voice signal by way of a network;
• a first acquiring unit that acquires the first voice signal received by the receiving unit;
• an expanding unit that generates based from a narrowband component of the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit, an expansion band component expanding the band of the first voice signal;
• a second acquiring unit that acquires a second voice signal indicative of a voice near a receiver that reproduces the first voice signal;
• a correcting unit that corrects the power of the expansion band component by a correction amount determined based on a noise component included in the second voice signal acquired by the second acquiring unit;
• an output unit that outputs to the receiver, the voice signal of which the band has been expanded based on the expansion band component corrected by the correcting unit and based on the narrowband component of the first voice signal;
• and
• a transmitting unit that transmits by way of the network the second voice signal acquired by the second acquiring unit, wherein
• the expanding unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the receiving unit,
• the correcting unit uses the noise component included in the second voice signal acquired by the second acquiring unit as the noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the receiving unit, and
• the output unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the receiving unit, wherein
• the correcting unit corrects the power by the correction amount that is based on a ratio of the noise component included in the first voice signal and the noise component included in the second voice signal, wherein
• the higher the ratio is, the greater the correction amount.

A voice processing apparatus, comprising:

• a voice signal acquiring unit that acquires a voice signal converted to plural frequency bands from an input signal having a narrowed band;
• an expanding unit that generates based on a narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, an expansion band component expanding the band of the voice signal;
• a correcting unit that corrects the power of the expansion band component by a correction amount determined based on a noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit;
• and
• an output unit that outputs the voice signal of which the band has been expanded based on the expansion band component corrected by the correcting unit and based on the narrowband component of the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit,
• wherein the voice signal acquiring unit comprises:
• a first acquiring unit that acquires a first voice signal having a narrowed band;
• and
• a second acquiring unit that acquires a second voice signal indicative of a voice near a reproducing device that reproduces the first voice signal, wherein
• the expanding unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit,
• the correcting unit uses the noise component included in the second voice signal acquired by the second acquiring unit as the noise component included in the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, and
• the output unit uses the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit as the voice signal acquired by the voice signal acquiring unit, wherein
• the correcting unit corrects the power by the correction amount that is based on a ratio of a voice component included in the first voice signal acquired by the first acquiring unit and the noise component, wherein
• the higher the ratio is, the smaller the correction amount.