Telecom Audio Enhancement Using Noise-Based Speech Band Gain
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Users of telecommunications terminals face difficulty in hearing audio messages in noisy environments due to inadequate signal enhancement methods that do not account for ambient noise levels.
Innovation Solution
A telecommunications terminal equipped with an input audio transducer, noise energy estimator, audio enhancer, and processor that applies a greater gain to a selected audio frequency band corresponding to speech, with a gain factor calculated based on the minimum RMS noise energy, ensuring enhanced signal intelligibility without distortion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the gain of the received signal is increased to enhance signal enhancement in noisy environments, then the audio signal intelligibility is improved, but the received signal becomes significantly distorted when gain exceeds a particular level
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different gain values to different frequency bands of the received signal. Specifically, it identifies frequency bands corresponding to speech components and applies higher gain to these bands while applying lower or zero gain to other bands. This selective frequency-dependent gain application enhances speech intelligibility in noisy environments without causing distortion across the entire signal spectrum.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the gain applied to different frequency bands based on real-time analysis of the received signal. The system continuously monitors the signal to noise ratio in different frequency bands and adaptively modifies the gain values accordingly, allowing optimal signal enhancement that responds to changing noise conditions without introducing distortion.
2Measurement precision
If adaptive methods are used to enhance signal gain based on spectrum analysis, then signal enhancement is improved, but the system does not account for the noise level in the user's environment at the receiving terminal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system analyzes the received signal spectrum, determines the signal to noise ratio in different frequency bands, and uses this information to adjust the gain applied to each band. This closed-loop approach ensures that the enhancement adapts to both the transmitted signal characteristics and the ambient noise conditions at the receiving terminal, optimizing speech intelligibility in varying environmental conditions.
Data Source
AI summary
A telecommunications terminal (100) includes an input audio transducer (111), a receiver (101) for receiving an electrical signal representing a transmitted audio signal, a noise energy estimator (117) for estimating an audio noise energy input received by the input audio transducer and an audio enhancement means (108) for applying to the received electrical signal in a selected audio frequency band a gain which is greater than the gain applied to audio frequencies of the received electrical signal outside the selected band, the gain applied being a function of the audio noise energy input.