Speech Processing Peripheral Device for Stable IP Telephony
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Solution Overview
Problem
Softphones struggle with maintaining consistent speech quality due to PC specifications and are unreliable during power outages, lacking the durability of hardphones while being less convenient and more expensive.
Innovation Solution
A speech processing peripheral device connected to a PC, executing call control via software and providing hardware-based speech processing, separates call control from speech processing to ensure stable quality and reliability, akin to hardphones, while maintaining the convenience of softphones.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If IP telephone function is implemented by software on PC (softphone), then terminal cost is reduced and linkage with other services is improved, but speech quality becomes unstable depending on PC specifications and applications
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the IP telephone system into two separate components: a softphone running on the PC that handles call control and user interface functions, and an external speech processing device that handles audio signal processing. This segmentation allows the speech processing functions to be isolated from PC resource constraints, ensuring stable speech quality while maintaining the cost advantages of software-based implementation.
Solution Approach 2:
The speech processing device acts as an intermediary between the PC and the communication network. It receives audio signals from the PC, processes them through dedicated hardware, and transmits them to the network. This intermediary approach ensures that speech processing is performed by specialized hardware rather than general-purpose PC resources, guaranteeing stable speech quality.
2Ease of operation
If IP telephone function is implemented by software on PC, then convenience and service linkage are improved, but the system becomes unreliable during power outages or PC failures
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the speech processing function into an independent external device, the system ensures that audio processing continues to function even when the PC experiences power issues or failures. The speech processing device operates independently with its own power supply, maintaining communication capabilities during PC disruptions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention prepares for potential PC failures by having a dedicated speech processing device that can operate independently. This prior cushioning ensures that even if the PC becomes unavailable, the speech processing functionality remains intact, providing a backup mechanism that maintains system reliability.
3Device complexity
If speech processing is performed by PC hardware, then integration is simplified, but speech quality varies with PC specifications and operational conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The speech processing device serves as an intermediary that standardizes the interface between the PC and the communication network. It provides a consistent, dedicated hardware platform for speech processing that is independent of PC variations, ensuring uniform speech quality across different PC configurations while maintaining straightforward USB-based integration.
Data Source
AI summary
There are provided with an IP telephone system having both convenience of the softphone and durability of the hardphone, and a speech processing peripheral device (10) for the IP telephone system. The speech processing peripheral device as a peripheral device of an information processing device (20) is connected to the information processing device (20) for executing a call control program and functioning as a call controller. This speech processing peripheral device (10) includes a host connection means for sending/receiving an audio signal to/from the information processing device (20) and a speech processing means for executing speech processing in IP telephone communication. The IP telephone system according to the present invention includes the information processing device (20) for executing the call control program and functioning as the call controller and the speech processing peripheral device (10) according to the present invention, connected to the information processing device (20).