Dynamic Anti-Aliasing Suppression for Sub-Band Echo Cancellation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wideband telephony echo canceller systems face significant processing challenges due to non-linear aliasing components in sub-bands, which increase processing load and resource consumption when signals are not merged immediately after decoding, leading to inefficient echo cancellation and digital signal processing.

Innovation Solution

A dynamic anti-aliasing suppression method is applied to sub-band digital signals, with varying aggressiveness levels based on the activity of near and far-end audio inputs, using a simulated digital signal to subtract aliasing components, allowing for efficient echo cancellation and DSP at lower sampling frequencies with reduced resource allocation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If sub-bands are decoded and processed separately at low sampling frequency to reduce processing load, then processing resources are reduced, but non-linear aliasing components are introduced into the sub-band signals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing loadVSAvoidnon-linear aliasing components
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the non-linear aliasing components from the sub-band signals through a dedicated aliasing suppression module. This module identifies and separates the aliasing components from the useful signal content, allowing the system to process sub-bands at reduced sampling rates while maintaining signal quality by eliminating the harmful aliasing artifacts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary aliasing suppression module between the sub-band decoding and echo cancellation stages. This intermediary component processes the sub-band signals to suppress aliasing before they propagate to subsequent processing stages, enabling low-rate processing without compromising overall system performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If sub-bands are not merged immediately after decoding to enable echo cancellation and DSP on low frequency sub-bands, then processing can be performed at lower sampling frequency, but each sub-band signal carries significant non-linear aliasing component

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing at lower sampling frequencyVSAvoidsignal quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent converts the aliasing components, which are normally harmful artifacts, into manageable signals through the aliasing suppression module. By designing a module that specifically targets and suppresses these aliasing components, the system transforms what would be signal degradation into an controlled processing step, enabling reliable low-rate operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies aliasing suppression as a preliminary action before echo cancellation and other DSP operations. By suppressing the aliasing components in advance, the subsequent processing stages operate on cleaner signals, improving the reliability of echo cancellation and other digital signal processing operations performed on the low-frequency sub-bands.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Quantity of substance

If processing is performed on sub-bands separately rather than merging and processing at high sampling rate, then resource consumption is reduced, but echo cancellation effectiveness may be compromised due to aliasing

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomputing resourcesVSAvoidecho cancellation precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary aliasing suppression module that bridges the gap between low-rate sub-band processing and high-quality echo cancellation. This module ensures that the aliasing components do not interfere with the echo cancellation process, allowing the system to achieve effective echo cancellation using reduced computing resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the traditional approach of merging sub-bands at high sampling rate with a substituted approach that processes sub-bands separately at lower rates with aliasing suppression. This substitution maintains echo cancellation effectiveness while significantly reducing the computational mechanics required for processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP2174236B1A method and system for dynamic aliasing suppression.
Publication Date: 2013.12.04 DSP GROUP
  • EP2174236B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2174236B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP2174236B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

It is respectfully submitted that the Abstract exceeds 150 words. A suggested re-wording follows: A method of for aliasing suppression in a sub-band speaker-phone system, comprising receiving an analog audio signal from a near end analog audio input interface, subtracting a simulated digital signal from said sub-band digital audio signal, wherein said simulated digital signal is created by an echo canceling unit; and applying dynamic anti aliasing suppression with varying aggressiveness on each of said N greater than or equal to 2 near-end sub-band digital audio signals.