An assessment test method and apparatus

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of communication automatic testing, and provides an evaluation test method and device, which are suitable for evaluation test of automatic voice quality based on a Z interface. The evaluation test method comprises the following steps: a physical connection is established with a communication device under test through a single Z interface, and a call link is established; a standard test voice signal is sent to the communication device under test through the single Z interface, and a returned voice signal is received from the communication device under test synchronously; the collected standard test voice signal and the returned voice signal are compared and analyzed, an average opinion score value is calculated as a voice quality index, and a test report is generated. The application is deeply cooperated with automatic test software through a hardware device, a complete test system integrating a method and a device is formed, and the automation degree, test efficiency and standardization level of voice quality test of the Z interface communication device are fundamentally improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of automatic communication testing technology, and in particular to an evaluation testing method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous evolution of communication technologies, although Voice over IP (VoIP) and mobile communication have become mainstream, a large number of communication terminal devices in the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and satellite communication fields, such as fixed-line phones and satellite communication terminals, still rely on the Z-interface for voice communication. Ensuring the voice communication quality of these devices is crucial for guaranteeing user experience and the reliability of communication systems. However, when conducting automated voice quality assessments for Z-interface-based communication devices, it has been found that existing technologies suffer from low automation, poor adaptability, and inconsistent standards in voice quality testing, which urgently need improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application aims to propose an evaluation and testing method that can improve the efficiency of voice quality testing for Z-interface communication devices and enhance the versatility and adaptability of interface communication devices.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of this application is implemented as follows:

[0005] An evaluation testing method suitable for performing automated speech quality evaluation based on a Z-interface, the evaluation testing method comprising:

[0006] A physical connection is established with the communication device under test via a single Z-interface;

[0007] Control the single Z interface to automatically execute a preset call control procedure;

[0008] Standard test voice signals are sent to the communication device under test via the single Z interface, and the returned voice signals are received from the communication device under test simultaneously.

[0009] An objective speech quality assessment is performed on the standard test speech signal and the returned speech signal, and a speech quality index is calculated.

[0010] Generate and output a test report containing the aforementioned voice quality metrics.

[0011] Furthermore, the preset call control process includes: providing preset electrical signals to the communication device under test through a subscriber line interface circuit simulating the user-side interface of a telephone exchange, and detecting the on-hook / off-hook status; and automatically completing dialing, ringing detection, on-hook / off-hook control, and call release according to preset test parameters.

[0012] Furthermore, the objective speech quality assessment employs the PESQ or POLQA algorithm and utilizes a global timestamp mechanism to synchronize the starting point of the standard test speech signal with the returned speech signal.

[0013] Furthermore, the number of Z interfaces is set to two, and the calling terminal and the called terminal are simulated by two independent Z interfaces respectively, establishing an end-to-end bidirectional call link to realize separate evaluation of the uplink and downlink voice quality.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, this application has the following advantages:

[0015] (1) The evaluation and testing method described in this application is based on the principle that "a single Z-interface can simultaneously carry control and voice", which solves the problems of multiple manual operations, complicated steps and reliance on manual supervision in the prior art. It has the advantages of high degree of test automation, time and labor saving and high efficiency.

[0016] Meanwhile, this application establishes a connection with the device under test through a standardized Z-interface, realizing a fully automated closed loop from call setup, voice playback, signal acquisition to quality assessment and report generation. A single test can save more than 80% of manual operation time, making it particularly suitable for batch testing on production lines and regression testing in laboratories. It enhances the versatility and adaptability of interface communication devices and further improves the voice quality testing efficiency of Z-interface communication devices.

[0017] (2) By simulating the user-side interface function of a telephone exchange through the subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) integrated in the hardware, the entire process of call setup, maintenance and release is automated, eliminating tedious and error-prone steps such as manual dialing and manual judgment of on / off calls, and significantly improving testing efficiency and repeatability. It further defines the specific technical path for implementing in-line control, which is an integrated and low-cost implementation method that is different from the existing general computing platform plus independent signaling board.

[0018] (3) By achieving microsecond-level signal synchronization alignment through a global timestamp mechanism, the quality of input data for international standard algorithms such as PESQ / POLQA is ensured, making the calculated MOS grading index highly accurate and repeatable. This effectively eliminates the uncertainty of results caused by alignment errors in traditional testing methods. In traditional testing methods, signal alignment often relies on cross-correlation algorithms for post-processing, which involves a large amount of computation and is easily affected by noise. However, this application achieves efficient and robust forward alignment through a hardware-assisted global timestamp mechanism, which is an important technological innovation.

[0019] (4) Through the dual-interface architecture and its end-to-end bidirectional independent evaluation capability, an end-to-end bidirectional communication link is established, realizing "simultaneous completion of call control and voice transmission by a single Z interface" and "full-duplex evaluation", which is easy to expand into a multi-channel parallel test system. Moreover, by increasing the number of interface modules, parallel testing of multiple devices can be achieved, thereby increasing the test throughput by several times. Thus, it can meet the capacity requirements of large-scale production testing. Compared with subjective evaluation that relies on manual listening, this application is not only more efficient and less costly, but also produces objective and quantifiable results, avoiding subjective bias caused by human ear fatigue and environmental differences.

[0020] This application also proposes an evaluation and testing device suitable for performing automated voice quality evaluation and testing based on the Z interface, the evaluation and testing device including a control processing unit and an interface module;

[0021] The control processing unit includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores automated testing software that integrates a speech quality assessment algorithm. When executed by the processor, the automated testing software can perform the aforementioned automated speech quality assessment test method based on the Z-interface.

[0022] The interface module is connected to the control processing unit through a data communication interface. The interface module is equipped with a Z interface for establishing a physical connection with the communication device under test.

[0023] Furthermore, the interface module includes:

[0024] The subscriber line interface circuit is used to provide the electrical characteristics required for the Z interface of the connected communication device under test.

[0025] The signal conversion unit is used to perform the conversion between digital audio signals and analog speech signals;

[0026] The local control unit is used to coordinate the operation of various components on the voice board, execute the instructions issued by the computing board, and provide feedback on the status information of the communication device under test.

[0027] A communication interface unit is used for data communication with the control processing unit.

[0028] Furthermore, the control processing unit is also used to generate a global timestamp to synchronize the start point of the standard test voice signal and the voice signal returned from the communication device under test at the microsecond level.

[0029] Furthermore, there are two interface modules, which are used to simulate the calling terminal and the called terminal respectively, in order to establish an end-to-end bidirectional call link.

[0030] Furthermore, the data communication interface is a universal serial bus.

[0031] Furthermore, the voice quality assessment algorithm includes the PESQ algorithm or the POLQA algorithm; the automated testing software is also used to automatically configure test parameters, control the call process, collect voice signals, calculate voice quality indicators, and generate test reports.

[0032] The evaluation and testing device described in this application, through deep integration with the evaluation and testing methods, forms a complete and independently deployable automated voice quality evaluation and testing system based on the Z-interface, producing significant synergistic technical effects. It provides users with a one-stop, fully automated testing experience, from "physical connection" to "report receipt." Users simply connect the device under test, click "Start Test" on the software interface, and the system automatically completes all subsequent tasks, ultimately presenting a professional voice quality evaluation report. This not only completely liberates testers from tedious manual operations but also ensures the consistency and authority of test results through standardized processes and high-precision algorithms, fundamentally improving the automation, efficiency, and standardization of voice quality testing for Z-interface communication devices.

[0033] Furthermore, the evaluation and testing device of this application realizes human-computer interaction, test parameter configuration, device scheduling and control, data acquisition and analysis, and test report generation through software. Through a hardware architecture of "control processing unit + interface module," it supports end-to-end bidirectional link quality assessment by simulating calling and called parties through dual modules. This comprehensively measures the performance of communication equipment in real-world call scenarios and assists in problem localization. By integrating interface modules with chips such as SLIC, CODEC, and MCU, the cost is controllable. Combined with a free or low-cost software environment running on a general-purpose PC, compared to purchasing expensive, closed dedicated communication testers, this application provides a cost-effective, open, and flexible solution, lowering the testing threshold for SMEs and developers.

[0034] Furthermore, by deeply integrating the user line interface characteristics, voice processing functions, and automated control functions, the technical bottlenecks of traditional testing devices—such as the need for additional control channels and poor Z-interface compatibility—are overcome. Thus, through chip-level co-design at the hardware level, it is possible to ensure that the evaluation testing method achieves "simultaneous call control and voice transmission via a single Z-interface, without the need for additional control channels." Attached Figure Description

[0035] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain this application and do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0036] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating the automated speech evaluation and testing steps described in the embodiments of this application;

[0037] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the automated speech evaluation test described in the embodiments of this application;

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware device described in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the technical solution and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application.

[0040] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be combined with each other.

[0041] Furthermore, it should be noted that in the description of this application, if terms such as "upper," "lower," "inner," or "outer" appear, indicating orientation or positional relationship, these are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on this application. In addition, if terms such as "first" or "second" appear, they are also used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0042] Furthermore, in the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "connector" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application in light of the specific circumstances.

[0043] In this application, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example, which is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0044] The present application will now be described in detail through exemplary embodiments. However, it should be understood that, without further description, elements, structures, and features in one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments.

[0045] The first aspect of this application provides an evaluation and testing method suitable for automated voice quality evaluation testing based on the Z-interface. The core of this method lies in establishing a connection with the device under test (DUT) through a standardized Z-interface, automatically completing the entire process from dialing, call setup, playback, voice signal transmission and reception, recording, voice quality evaluation, and test report generation. This improves the efficiency of voice quality testing for Z-interface communication devices and enhances the versatility and adaptability of these devices.

[0046] It employs a collaborative approach involving a computing board, dual voice boards, and an automated testing program. Through software, it enables human-computer interaction, test parameter configuration, device scheduling and control, data acquisition and analysis, and test report generation. This solves the problems of excessive manual operation, cumbersome steps, and reliance on manual supervision, thus offering advantages such as high automation, time and labor savings, and high efficiency.

[0047] In related technologies, communication terminal equipment relies on the Z interface to realize voice communication. However, existing voice quality assessment tests are mostly based on the Type-C interface or 3.5mm audio interface. For traditional PSTN equipment and satellite communication terminals that use the Z interface, there is a lack of universal, standardized, and automated test interfaces and driver modules that are compatible with the Z interface, making it difficult to directly interface and integrate with the device under test.

[0048] At present, existing testing technologies for Z-interface communication devices have significant shortcomings and can no longer meet the requirements for voice communication quality testing. Specifically, firstly, existing testing methods typically require manual operation of device connection, dialing, on / off calls, voice playback, and recording, resulting in low testing efficiency and difficulty in ensuring the consistency and repeatability of testing steps, thus failing to meet the needs of large-scale production and quality inspection.

[0049] Secondly, mature evaluation algorithms such as PESQ and POLQA are seamlessly integrated into the automated testing process for Z-interface communication devices, making it impossible to automatically acquire, synchronize, and analyze the original voice signal.

[0050] In view of this, in order to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology, the evaluation and testing method in this embodiment is mainly used for automated voice quality evaluation testing of communication devices based on the Z interface, combined with Figure 1 As shown, in terms of overall design, the evaluation and testing method of this embodiment includes:

[0051] Step S1: Establish a physical connection with the communication device under test through a single Z interface;

[0052] Specifically, when connecting a single Z-interface to the communication device under test, the number of single Z-interfaces is set to two. The calling terminal and the called terminal are simulated by the two independent Z-interfaces respectively, and an end-to-end bidirectional call link is established to achieve separate evaluation of the uplink and downlink voice quality.

[0053] In this embodiment, the single interface can be configured as an RJ11 interface. The testing device can not only send and receive analog voice signals through the RJ11 interface, but also simultaneously complete all necessary call control signaling interactions. This fundamentally changes the traditional architecture that requires separate control and voice channels in testing, greatly simplifying physical connections and system topology. Its technical advantages include: reduced hardware connection complexity, reduced risks of poor contact and signal interference caused by multiple cable connections, and improved stability and ease of use of the testing system.

[0054] Step S2: Control a single Z interface to automatically execute a preset call control process;

[0055] Specifically, the evaluation and testing method in this embodiment simulates the user-side interface function of a telephone exchange using a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) integrated in the hardware. The preset call control process includes: providing preset electrical signals to the communication device under test through the subscriber line interface circuit simulating the user-side interface of the telephone exchange, and detecting the on-hook / off-hook status; and automatically completing dialing, ringing detection, on-hook / off-hook control, and call release operations according to preset test parameters.

[0056] In this embodiment, the preset test parameters include, but are not limited to, the calling number, the called number, and the ringing duration. Based on these preset test parameters, the following sub-processes are automatically completed: providing power to the device under test, sending a ringing signal, accurately detecting the off-hook / on-hook status of the device under test, simulating the sending of a dual-tone multi-frequency (DTMF) dialing signal, and executing a call release. This series of operations is entirely controlled by software algorithms and executed by hardware, requiring no manual intervention.

[0057] Therefore, this embodiment automates the entire process of call setup, maintenance, and release, eliminating tedious and error-prone steps such as manual dialing and manual judgment of call pickup / hang-up, and significantly improving testing efficiency and repeatability.

[0058] In addition, this embodiment limits the specific technical path for achieving on-the-go control by deeply binding the automation of call control with the specific functions of the SLIC chip. This is an integrated and low-cost implementation method that is different from the existing general computing platform plus independent signaling board.

[0059] Step S3: Send a standard test voice signal to the communication device under test through a single Z interface, and simultaneously receive the returned voice signal from the communication device under test.

[0060] Specifically, the standard test audio signal is generated or read by the control processing unit, converted from digital to analog, and then sent through the Z interface. The audio signal returned from the device under test is received through the same Z interface, converted from analog to digital, and then sent back to the control processing unit.

[0061] In some exemplary implementations, the standard test speech signal file can be a speech sample file conforming to international standards such as ITU-T P.501, or it can be a user-defined test speech, including single-tone signals, swept-frequency signals, pink noise, white noise, or speech samples of a specific language.

[0062] It is worth noting that this embodiment introduces a global timestamp mechanism to achieve precise synchronization of transmitted and received signals. The control processing unit records a high-precision global timestamp when sending each audio data packet; it also records the timestamp when receiving a returned data packet. By comparing the timestamp information of the reference signal and the degraded signal, the system can achieve precise alignment of the starting points of the two signals at the microsecond level.

[0063] Therefore, the evaluation and testing method in this embodiment effectively eliminates timing errors introduced by hardware encoding / decoding delays, data transmission jitter, and signal processing in the device under test. This is crucial for subsequent algorithms such as PESQ and POLQA, which rely on precise alignment, and directly determines the accuracy, objectivity, and repeatability of MOS grading quality index calculations. In traditional methods, signal alignment often relies on cross-correlation algorithms for post-processing, which is computationally intensive and susceptible to noise.

[0064] Step S4: Perform an objective speech quality assessment on the standard test speech signal and the returned speech signal, and calculate the speech quality index;

[0065] Specifically, objective speech quality assessment uses PESQ or POLQA algorithms and utilizes a global timestamp mechanism to synchronize and align the standard test speech signal with the returned speech signal at the starting point.

[0066] It is worth noting that this embodiment preferably employs the PESQ (P.862) or POLQA (P.863) algorithms recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-T). These algorithms, through complex psychoacoustic models, compare the reference signal with the degraded signal and output an objective MOS value (such as MOS-LQO) that is highly correlated with the subjective mean opinion score (MOS). In addition, the algorithm can also simultaneously output auxiliary indicators such as delay time, jitter, and signal-to-noise ratio.

[0067] Therefore, by seamlessly integrating internationally standardized, high-precision objective evaluation algorithms into the automated testing process, the test results are authoritative, comparable, and consistent across platforms. Compared to subjective evaluations that rely on manual listening tests, the method in this embodiment is not only more efficient and less costly, but also produces objective and quantifiable results, and avoids subjective biases caused by human ear fatigue and environmental differences.

[0068] Step S5: Generate and output a test report containing the aforementioned voice quality indicators.

[0069] Specifically, the test report not only includes the final MOS value, but also integrates all configuration parameters of this test (such as test duration, voice files, algorithm version), key process logs (such as call setup success time, off-hook status changes, call duration), and auxiliary analysis data (such as latency jitter curve). The report supports PDF, CSV, XML, and other formats, making it easy to archive, print, or import into a higher-level quality management system (QMS) for analysis.

[0070] Therefore, the method in this embodiment automates the "last mile" from raw data to final decision information. Testers can obtain a complete, standardized, and highly readable test document without manually organizing the data, which greatly improves work efficiency and the standardization of the testing process.

[0071] Continue by Figure 1 and combined Figure 2 As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, a computer board and two voice boards are included, and the timing sequence for performing a complete voice quality assessment test is as follows:

[0072] First, task configuration and initialization are performed. Specifically, the user configures the test task parameters in the user interface of the automated testing software running on the computing board. In this embodiment, the parameters configured by the user include: the calling number (simulated by the system), the called number (simulated by the system), the test duration, the selected standard test voice file, and the evaluation algorithm selection. After configuration, the test control module sends a "start call" command to the local control unit of voice board 1 (simulating the calling side). The local control unit of voice board 1 controls the user line interface circuit to generate a dial tone and sends the dial tone signal (generated by the signal conversion unit) to the calling terminal through the Z interface. Subsequently, the test control module instructs voice board 1 to simulate dialing operations and send a dual-tone multi-frequency signal to the called number.

[0073] Next, call establishment is performed as follows: When the called terminal connected to voice board 2 (simulating the called party) detects a ringing signal, voice board 2 detects this status through its SLIC chip, and its MCU feeds back to the computing board via the USB bus. The test control module of the computing board then issues an "off-hook" command. The MCU of voice board 2 controls the SLIC chip to perform the off-hook action, sending an off-hook signal to the called terminal. After confirming the link is established, voice board 2 feeds back the "off-hook successful" status to the computing board, thus completing the call link establishment.

[0074] The voice transmission and acquisition process is repeated as follows: After the call link is established, the voice signal processing module of the computing board reads the pre-selected standard test voice file and sends it to voice board 1 as a data stream via the data bus. After receiving the data, the communication interface unit of voice board 1 converts the digital audio signal into an analog voice signal using the signal conversion unit (CODEC), and sends it to the calling terminal via the Z interface through the subscriber line interface circuit. This analog voice signal is then transmitted through the calling terminal, the tested communication link, and the called terminal before reaching the Z interface of voice board 2. The subscriber line interface circuit of voice board 2 receives this analog signal, converts it into a digital audio signal using the signal conversion unit (CODEC), and sends it back to the computing board via the data bus through the communication interface unit.

[0075] Then, the call release is performed, specifically as follows: after the preset test duration is reached or the user manually stops the call, the test control module of the computing board sends a "hang up" command to the voice board 2. The local control unit of the voice board 2 controls the user line interface circuit to execute the hang-up action, sending a hang-up signal to the called terminal and releasing the call link. The voice board 2 feeds back the "hang-up successful" status to the computing board. Subsequently, the test control module sends a "hang-up" command to the voice board 1 to release the calling side link. After the status is successfully fed back to the computing board, the call test ends.

[0076] Finally, a quality assessment and report generation are performed. Specifically, the quality assessment module of the computing board inputs the collected returned speech signal (degraded signal) and the sent standard test speech signal (reference signal) into the selected objective speech quality assessment module. In this embodiment, the PESQ or POLQA algorithm is used for analysis and calculation to obtain the MOS-LQO (Mean Opinion Score - Objective Listening Quality) value. Simultaneously, the algorithm also outputs relevant indicators such as latency and jitter.

[0077] Therefore, the data management and report generation module automatically summarizes test configuration parameters, process logs (including call setup time, call duration, hang-up status, etc.), quality assessment results, etc., to generate a detailed test report, which is then presented to the user through the user interface. The report supports multiple formats such as PDF, CSV, and XML, facilitating subsequent analysis and archiving. Users can view real-time test progress and historical test records through the interactive interface.

[0078] In a preferred embodiment, the method of this application simulates the calling terminal and the called terminal through two independent Z-interfaces. One interface module connects to the device under test as the calling side, and the other interface module connects to the same or another device under test as the called side. The system controls these two interface modules to work together to establish a complete end-to-end bidirectional call link. On this link, the voice quality of the uplink (sent from the calling side Z-interface and received via the called side Z-interface) and the downlink (sent from the called side Z-interface and received via the calling side Z-interface) can be evaluated separately.

[0079] It should be noted that the testing method in this embodiment establishes a connection with the device under test through a standardized Z-interface, automatically completing the entire process from dialing, call setup, playback, voice signal transmission and reception, recording, voice quality assessment, and test report generation. The corresponding device provides hardware support and software control for the implementation of this method, ensuring the automation and accuracy of the testing process. Furthermore, this embodiment can realistically simulate actual call scenarios, providing a comprehensive, two-way evaluation of the voice transmission quality of communication devices. This helps to accurately pinpoint whether the problem occurs in the uplink or downlink, providing richer information for device debugging and troubleshooting.

[0080] The second aspect of this application provides an evaluation and testing apparatus suitable for performing the automated evaluation and testing method of the first aspect embodiment. In terms of overall design, it includes a control processing unit and an interface module.

[0081] In some embodiments, the control processing unit includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores automated testing software integrating a voice quality assessment algorithm. When the automated testing software is executed by the processor, it implements the automated assessment testing method of the first aspect embodiment. The control processing unit is used to generate a global timestamp to synchronize the start points of a standard test voice signal and a voice signal returned from the communication device under test.

[0082] In some embodiments, the interface module connects to the control processing unit via a data communication interface. Each interface module is equipped with one or more standard Z-interfaces (typically RJ11 interfaces) for establishing a direct physical connection with the device under test. This interface module is not a simple signal pass-through board, but a highly integrated intelligent front-end. It integrates the following functional units:

[0083] The subscriber line interface circuit is used to provide the electrical characteristics required for the Z interface of the connected communication device under test.

[0084] The signal conversion unit is used to perform the conversion between digital audio signals and analog speech signals;

[0085] The local control unit is used to coordinate the operation of various components on the interface module, execute the instructions issued by the control processing unit, and provide feedback on the status information of the communication device under test.

[0086] The communication interface unit is used for data communication with the control processing unit.

[0087] In a preferred embodiment, there are two interface modules. Under the scheduling of the control processing unit, these two modules can play the roles of caller and called party, respectively, thereby establishing a real end-to-end call link. This embodiment requires no additional external equipment or switch; a single device can complete end-to-end bidirectional voice quality testing on a single device under test with caller / called party functionality (such as a telephone) or two independent devices (such as two user ports of a telephone exchange).

[0088] In another preferred embodiment, the data communication unit is a Universal Serial Bus (USB), particularly a USB 2.0 High Speed ​​or USB 3.0 Ultra High Speed ​​interface. The plug-and-play nature of the USB interface allows the entire device to be recognized and used by any computing device with a USB host port (such as PCs, laptops, and industrial tablets), greatly expanding its application scenarios and portability.

[0089] For example, by Figure 1-2 , combined Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment describes an end-to-end bidirectional voice quality assessment test apparatus, which includes a computing board and two voice boards (voice board 1 and voice board 2). The computing board and the two voice boards are connected via a data bus. In this embodiment, the data bus adopts a USB 3.0 bus to meet the requirements of high bandwidth and real-time performance.

[0090] The computing board serves as the control core and data processing center of the entire system, integrating core components such as a central processing unit (CPU), RAM, HDD / SSD, and USB controller. The computing board runs an operating system (such as Windows or Linux) and an automated testing program on top of it, integrating modules for test control, voice signal processing, and quality assessment.

[0091] Furthermore, voice board 1 and voice board 2 share the same hardware structure. Each voice board is equipped with a standard Z-interface, and the two voice boards can respectively simulate two independent physical entities: the calling terminal and the called terminal, thereby establishing a true end-to-end bidirectional call link. Each voice board deeply integrates the following functional units:

[0092] Communication interface unit: Used for high-speed data communication with the control processing unit. In a preferred embodiment, this unit is a USB device controller chip, making the entire interface module behave as a standard USB audio device or a custom USB device, facilitating driver development and data reading / writing by the control processing unit.

[0093] Signal conversion unit: Responsible for bidirectional conversion between digital audio signals and analog speech signals. It converts the digital audio stream sent by the control processing unit into an analog signal, which is then sent to the Z interface after being driven by the SLIC chip. Simultaneously, it amplifies, filters, and converts the analog speech signal (usually attenuated) received from the Z interface into a high-precision digital audio stream (e.g., 16-bit, 8kHz sampling) and sends it back to the control processing unit. In a preferred embodiment, this unit is a speech codec chip (CODEC), serving as the core signal conversion unit responsible for converting between digital audio signals and analog speech signals.

[0094] The subscriber line interface circuit is the core of the Z-interface electrical characteristics. It provides standard power (-48V) to the connected device under test, transmits a ringing signal (AC90Vrms), performs two-to-four-wire conversion (hybrid circuit), detects loop continuity (on / off state), and detects DTMF signals. By integrating an SLIC chip, this device directly simulates the subscriber-side interface of a telephone exchange at the physical layer.

[0095] Local Control Unit: In a preferred embodiment, this unit is a microcontroller (MCU) responsible for coordinating and controlling the operation of all the aforementioned chips. It receives macro-level instructions from the computing board (such as "initiate a call" or "play voice") and parses them into specific control sequences for the SLIC and CODEC (such as "generate ringing" or "start analog-to-digital conversion"). Simultaneously, the MCU monitors the status of the device under test (DUT) fed back by the SLIC chip in real time (such as off-hook, on-hook, and DTMF key presses), packages this status information, and reports it to the computing board via the communication interface. This "centralized control, distributed execution" architecture significantly reduces the real-time burden on the computing board and ensures deterministic and low-latency instruction execution.

[0096] The resulting hardware architecture offers significant technical advantages: First, by integrating the SLIC, CODEC, and MCU into a single module, it achieves "simultaneous control and voice transmission via a single Z-interface," overcoming the technical bottleneck of traditional test devices requiring additional control channels (such as RS-232 or GPIB) or the use of discrete components to build signaling analog circuits. This highly integrated design results in a small device size, low power consumption, and high reliability, with only a single standard telephone line for connection to the device under test, greatly improving adaptability and ease of use. Second, the distributed architecture of "control processing unit + intelligent interface module" allows the test software to focus on high-level logic and computationally intensive tasks (such as PESQ evaluation), while the low-level, real-time signaling interaction and signal acquisition are handled by the MCU. This achieves a reasonable division of hardware and software resources, resulting in higher overall system performance and faster response.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the standard Z-interface is used to establish a physical connection with the communication device under test (such as an analog telephone). In one specific implementation, this interface uses a common telephone interface connector such as an RJ11 interface; in other implementations, terminal blocks or other forms of electrical connection methods may also be used.

[0098] In this embodiment, in some exemplary implementations, before the test begins, the user connects the calling terminal under test to the Z interface of voice board 1 and the called terminal to the Z interface of voice board 2. This system can simulate two independent telephone terminals (one calling and one called) to evaluate the end-to-end voice transmission quality of the device under test.

[0099] It should be noted that, through the efficient linkage and collaborative work of the computing board and the voice board via USB, two communication terminals can be connected respectively to autonomously complete the calling and called party test, and call control and voice signal transmission can be completed simultaneously with a single Z interface. Without the need for an additional control channel, the fully automated and integrated voice quality evaluation test of the Z interface communication device can be realized. From the hardware architecture, the integration, versatility and automation level of the test system are guaranteed.

[0100] Based on the above overview, specifically, for the computing board in this embodiment, the automated testing program it runs includes:

[0101] The user interface module provides a graphical interface for configuring test task parameters, controlling test start and stop, and displaying test results.

[0102] Test control module: Used to automatically control the voice board to perform communication processes such as dialing, call setup, call hold, and hang-up based on configured parameters;

[0103] Voice signal processing module: used to generate or retrieve standard test voice signals, control their transmission, and synchronously acquire voice signals returned from the device under test and perform preprocessing.

[0104] Quality assessment module: This module is used to analyze and calculate the preprocessed standard test speech signal and the returned speech signal by calling objective assessment algorithms such as PESQ and POLQA to obtain speech quality indicators.

[0105] The data management and report generation module is used to store test data and automatically generate test reports that include test configurations, process logs, and quality indicators.

[0106] Furthermore, the aforementioned automated testing program, serving as the core engine for automated testing processes, achieves efficient linkage with the hardware device (including one computing board and two voice boards) via a USB interface through deep collaboration of five functional modules. It can not only control the dual voice boards to connect to two communication terminals to simulate the calling and called entities, but also automatically execute a complete closed loop from parameter configuration, call control, voice acquisition, quality assessment to report generation, without manual intervention. Crucially, the system relies on the computing board's global timestamp mechanism to achieve precise timing synchronization, ensuring that the reference signal and degradation signal are precisely aligned at the microsecond level when running the PESQ / POLQA algorithm. This effectively eliminates phase errors caused by transmission delays, thus, together with the hardware device, constructing a high-precision, fully automated, and reliable voice quality assessment system for Z-interface communication devices.

[0107] It's worth noting that in one specific implementation, the control processing unit uses a high-precision clock provided by the operating system to generate timestamps. To avoid the jitter effects of USB transmission, the timestamp generation and resolution points are designed to occur at the application layer's packet encapsulation and decapsulation points, rather than the physical layer. Specifically:

[0108] Sending path: After the application reads the audio data block from the file, it immediately reads the current global timestamp T1 and writes it into the custom packet header of the data block. Subsequently, the data block passes through the operating system driver, the USB controller, and finally arrives at the interface module. Upon receiving the data packet with T1, the interface module's MCU immediately starts playback via the CODEC. The playback delay is fixed (determined by the CODEC's FIFO size and sampling rate, typically less than a few milliseconds).

[0109] Reception Path: After receiving a complete audio data block from the CODEC, the MCU of the interface module immediately reads the local timestamp T2_raw. Due to a deviation in the global clock of the interface module's control processing unit, the MCU needs to periodically (e.g., once per second) receive a clock synchronization command from the control processing unit to calibrate its local clock and obtain a calibrated timestamp T2. The MCU packages the audio data and T2 together and sends it to the control processing unit via USB. Upon receiving it, the control processing unit can record another reception timestamp T3 for other analyses (such as USB transmission delay).

[0110] Ultimately, the timestamps for the reference signal and the degradation signal used for signal alignment are T1 and T2, respectively. Since T2 has been calibrated, and the fixed delay components of the entire transmission and reception process (such as CODEC processing and Z-interface electrical transmission) can be pre-calibrated, the system can calculate precise, nanosecond-level resolution end-to-end signal transmission delays. Experimental data shows that this mechanism can control the signal alignment error within ±5 microseconds, far superior to the hundreds of microseconds or even milliseconds of alignment error that traditional cross-correlation algorithms may produce in low signal-to-noise ratio environments, thus ensuring extremely high reliability of the PESQ / POLQA score.

[0111] In the above embodiments, the "interactive interface" can be a graphical user interface, a command-line interface, a web interface, or a control interface exposed through an application programming interface (API) for integration and invocation by other automation systems.

[0112] In the above embodiments, "objective speech quality assessment algorithm" refers to any algorithm that can output quantitative indicators related to subjective listening quality based on comparative analysis of reference and degraded signals. Typical examples include, but are not limited to, algorithms such as PESQ, POLQA, P.563, and STOI. "Speech quality indicators" can be any quantitative value that can characterize speech quality, such as MOS value, percentage of intelligibility, and signal-to-noise ratio.

[0113] Furthermore, "data bus" broadly refers to any bus or interface standard capable of enabling data communication between computing boards and voice boards, including but not limited to USB bus, PCIe bus, Ethernet, Thunderbolt interface, etc. Those skilled in the art can select the appropriate bus type based on actual bandwidth requirements, real-time requirements, and hardware platform.

[0114] In this embodiment, an integrated design of hardware devices and automated testing software is adopted. It incorporates PESQ / POLQA objective evaluation algorithms, automatically completing parameter configuration, test process control, voice quality assessment, and report generation, forming a complete closed-loop testing solution. Furthermore, through the hardware and software collaboration of the computing board and dual voice boards, a complete and fully automated voice quality assessment and testing system is constructed. This system requires no manual intervention, completing call control and voice transmission solely through a single Z-interface, and integrates internationally standard objective evaluation algorithms, fundamentally improving the efficiency, accuracy, and standardization of voice quality testing for Z-interface communication devices.

[0115] The embodiments of the third aspect of this application provide a multi-channel parallel testing extension. Building upon the embodiments of the second aspect described above, this embodiment demonstrates the system's scalability. Since the computing board and the voice board are connected via a standard data bus, the system can be easily expanded to support multiple voice board pairs, enabling multi-channel parallel testing.

[0116] Specifically, provided the data bus bandwidth allows, N pairs of voice boards (each pair containing one calling board and one called board) can be connected to the computing board, simultaneously testing N independent channels of the device under test. The automated test program on the computing board adopts a multi-threaded or multi-process architecture, allocating independent test control instances and data processing resources to each channel. The test processes for each channel are independent and executed in parallel, thereby improving test efficiency by N times. This scalability is particularly useful for batch testing scenarios on production lines.

[0117] Furthermore, the device architecture of this embodiment inherently supports horizontal scaling. By adding interface modules and optimizing software concurrency capabilities, test throughput can increase linearly. This is crucial for large-scale manufacturing processes, significantly shortening product testing cycles, reducing production costs, and increasing capacity. This is something that existing decentralized and non-integrated testing solutions cannot achieve.

[0118] The above embodiments illustrate the evaluation and testing method and apparatus proposed in this application from different perspectives. By organically integrating automated call control, high-precision signal synchronization, internationally standardized objective evaluation algorithms, and flexible hardware architecture, it effectively solves many pain points in the prior art, providing a new, efficient, accurate, standardized, and easily scalable solution for voice quality testing of Z-interface communication devices, demonstrating significant creativity and industrial applicability.

[0119] The above are merely some embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The technical features or structures in the foregoing different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined to form other specific technical solutions as needed. For those skilled in the art, this application can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this application should be included within the protection scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. An evaluation and testing method suitable for performing automated speech quality evaluation and testing based on the Z-interface, characterized in that, The method includes: A physical connection is established with the communication device under test via a single Z-interface; Control the single Z interface to automatically execute a preset call control procedure; Standard test voice signals are sent to the communication device under test via the single Z interface, and the returned voice signals are received from the communication device under test simultaneously. An objective speech quality assessment is performed on the standard test speech signal and the returned speech signal, and a speech quality index is calculated. Generate and output a test report containing the aforementioned voice quality metrics.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preset call control process includes: The user-side interface of a telephone exchange is simulated through a subscriber line interface circuit, which provides a preset electrical signal to the communication device under test and detects the on / off status. Based on preset test parameters, it automatically completes dialing, ring detection, on / off control, and call release operations.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The objective speech quality assessment uses the PESQ or POLQA algorithm, and the standard test speech signal and the returned speech signal are synchronized and aligned at the starting point through a global timestamp mechanism.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of individual Z interfaces is set to two. The calling terminal and the called terminal are simulated by the two independent Z interfaces respectively, and an end-to-end bidirectional call link is established to realize the separate evaluation of the uplink and downlink voice quality.

5. An evaluation and testing apparatus for performing automated voice quality evaluation testing based on a Z-interface, characterized in that, include: The control processing unit includes a processor and a memory, wherein the memory stores automated testing software that integrates a voice quality assessment algorithm, and the automated testing software, when executed by the processor, is capable of performing the assessment testing method described in any one of claims 1-4. The interface module is connected to the control processing unit via a data communication interface. The interface module is equipped with a Z-interface for establishing a physical connection with the communication device under test.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The interface module includes: The subscriber line interface circuit is used to provide the electrical characteristics required for the Z interface of the connected communication device under test. The signal conversion unit is used to perform the conversion between digital audio signals and analog speech signals; The local control unit is used to coordinate the operation of the various components on the interface module, execute the instructions issued by the control processing unit, and provide feedback on the status information of the communication device under test. A communication interface unit is used for data communication with the control processing unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The control processing unit is also used to generate a global timestamp to synchronize the start point of the standard test voice signal and the voice signal returned from the communication device under test.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The interface module consists of two modules, which are used to simulate the calling terminal and the called terminal respectively, in order to establish an end-to-end bidirectional call link.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The data communication interface is a universal serial bus.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The voice quality assessment algorithm includes the PESQ algorithm or the POLQA algorithm; the automated testing software is used to automatically configure test parameters, control the call process, collect voice signals, calculate voice quality indicators, and generate test reports.

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