Temporal Gain Adjustment for Band-Limited Audio Signal Quality

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing speech coders face challenges in maintaining high voice quality at low bit rates, often introducing noise or distortion due to limited bit allocation, especially when encoding band-limited signals that lack high-band content.

Innovation Solution

The system adjusts temporal gain parameters based on high-band signal characteristics, limiting variability in gain shape parameters when the signal is band-limited, thereby reducing audible artifacts during encoding and decoding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If speech coding is performed at low bit rates to reduce data transmission, then data rate is reduced, but voice quality deteriorates due to noise and distortion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata rateVSAvoidvoice quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of temporal gain adjustment by detecting high-band signal characteristics and selectively adjusting gain shape parameters. When the high-band signal floor exceeds a threshold, the system adjusts temporal gain parameters to prevent excessive gain variations, thereby maintaining voice quality at low bit rates without requiring increased data transmission

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Manufacturing precision

If temporal gain parameters are adjusted to improve voice quality, then voice quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional signal analysis and control logic

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevoice qualityVSAvoidcoding complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary detection of high-band signal characteristics before conducting speech coding. By calculating the high-band signal floor in advance and comparing it against a threshold, the system prepares the gain adjustment strategy beforehand, which simplifies the overall coding process by avoiding complex real-time adjustments during encoding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by using the detected high-band signal characteristics to control the temporal gain adjustment process. The gain shape parameters are adjusted based on feedback from the high-band signal floor measurement, creating a closed-loop control mechanism that improves voice quality without requiring complex open-loop processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If standard speech coding models are used for band-limited signals, then coding simplicity is maintained, but audible artifacts increase due to mismatch with signal characteristics

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoding simplicityVSAvoidaudible artifacts
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by treating high-band and low-band signals differently based on their characteristics. When the high-band signal floor exceeds the threshold, the system selectively adjusts gain parameters for that specific band, rather than applying uniform processing to the entire signal. This localized approach reduces audible artifacts while maintaining overall coding simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3161825B1Temporal gain adjustment based on high-band signal characteristic
Publication Date: 2018.07.18 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP3161825B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3161825B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3161825B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides techniques for adjusting a temporal gain parameter and for adjusting linear prediction coefficients. A value of the temporal gain parameter may be based on a comparison of a synthesized high-band portion of an audio signal to a high-band portion of the audio signal. If a signal characteristic of an upper frequency range of the high-band portion satisfies a first threshold, the temporal gain parameter may be adjusted. A linear prediction (LP) gain may be determined based on an LP gain operation that uses a first value for an LP order. The LP gain may be associated with an energy level of an LP synthesis filter. The LP order may be reduced if the LP gain satisfies a second threshold.