Method for discontinuous transmission and accurate reproduction of background noise information

• US 20060171419A1
• Filed: 05/05/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Black, Peter J., Kapoor, Rohit, Spindola, Serafin Diaz
• Granted Patent: US 8,102,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/477
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/012 Comfort noise or silence coding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/24 Variable rate codecs, e.g. for generating different qualities using a scalable representation such as hierarchical encoding or layered encoding

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method of communicating background noise comprising the steps of transmitting background noise, blanking subsequent background noise data rate frames used to communicate the background noise, receiving the background noise and updating the background noise. In another embodiment, the present invention comprises an apparatus for communicating background noise comprising a vocoder, at least one smart blanking apparatus operably connected to the vocoder, a de-jitter buffer operably connected to the smart blanker; and a network stack operably connected to the input of the de-jitter buffer and the an output of the smart blanking apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of communicating background noise, comprising the steps of:

transmitting the background noise;

blanking subsequent background noise data rate frames used to communicate the background noise;

receiving the background noise; and

updating the background noise.

2. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, further comprising a step of triggering.

3. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, further comprising the step of playing background noise, wherein said step of playing background noise comprises:

outputting white noise in the form of a random sequence of numbers, and

extracting a frequency characteristic of said white noise.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of waiting until at least one of said background noise data rate frames has been sent before sending an update background noise data rate frame, whereby a stable background noise rate frame is transmitted.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of waiting until 40 to 100 ms after last transitory background noise data rate frames have been sent before sending an update background noise frame, whereby a stable background noise rate frame is transmitted.

6. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, further comprising a step of transmitting a keep alive packet before a threshold time has expired.

7. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, further comprising a step of initializing an encoder and a decoder, wherein said step of initializing an encoder and a decoder comprises:

setting a state of said encoder to voice state;

setting a state of said decoder to silence state; and

setting a prototype to a ⅛

data rate frame.

8. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, further comprising a step of blending the background noise.

9. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, further comprising a step of playing an erasure if said background noise data rate frame is not received.

10. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, wherein said step of updating the background noise comprises transmitting an update background noise data rate frame having at least one codebook entry.

11. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, wherein said step of transmitting the background noise comprises:

receiving a frame;

determining if said frame is a silence frame;

transitioning to an active state and transmitting said frame if said frame is not said silence frame;

determining if a state is a silence state if said frame is said silence frame;

transitioning to said silence state and sending said silence frame to a receiver if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not in said silence state;

determining if said frame is stable, if said frame is said silence frame and said state in said silence state;

updating statistics and determining if an update was triggered if said frame is stable; and

building and sending a prototype frame if said update was triggered.

12. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 11, wherein said step of transmitting the background noise further comprises the step of transmitting transitory background noise data rate frames if said frame is not stable.

13. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 1, wherein said step of receiving the background noise, comprises the steps of:

receiving a frame;

determining if said frame is a voice frame;

determining if a state is a voice state if said frame is said voice frame;

playing said frame if said state is said voice state and said frame is said voice frame;

checking if said frame is a silence frame if said frame is not said voice frame;

checking if said state is a silence state if said frame is said silence frame;

transitioning to said silence state and playing said frame if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not said silence state;

generating an update and playing said update if said frame is said silence frame and said state is said silence state;

checking if said state is said silence state if said frame not said voice frame or said silence frame;

playing a prototype frame if said state is said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame;

checking if N consecutive erasures have been sent if said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame;

playing an erasure if N consecutive erasures have not been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame; and

transitioning to said silence state and playing said prototype frame if N consecutive erasures have been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame.

14. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 2, wherein said step of triggering comprises:

filtering said background noise data rate frames;

comparing an energy of said background noise data rate frame to an average energy of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmitting an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold.

15. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 2, wherein said step of triggering comprises:

filtering said background noise data rate frames;

comparing a spectrum of said background noise data rate frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmitting an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold.

16. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 2, further comprising a step of playing an erasure if no frame is received.

17. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 8, wherein said step of blending comprises changing said background noise gradually from a prior update value to a new update value.

18. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 9, wherein said erasure is played less than or equal to 50 percent of the time.

19. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 14, wherein said threshold is equal to or greater than 1 db.

20. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 14, wherein said step of transmitting an update background noise data rate frame comprises transmitting at least one codebook entry.

21. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 15, wherein said step of comparing a spectrum of said background noise data rate frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames comprises taking a sum of absolute differences of elements of codebook entries for said background noise data rate frames.

22. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 15, wherein said threshold is equal to or greater than 40 percent.

23. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 15, wherein said step of transmitting an update background noise data rate frame comprises transmitting at least one codebook entry.

24. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 16, wherein said erasure is played less than or equal to 50 percent of the time.

25. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 20, wherein said at least one codebook entry comprises at least one energy codebook entry, and at least one spectral codebook entry.

26. The method of communicating background noise according to claim 25, wherein said update comprises a most frequently used codebook entry.

27. A method of communicating background noise, comprising the steps of:

transmitting background noise, comprising the steps of

receiving a frame,

determining if said frame is a silence frame,

transitioning to an active state and transmitting said frame if said frame is not a silence frame,

determining if a state is a silence state if said frame is said silence frame,

transitioning to said silence state and sending said silence frame to a receiver if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not in said silence state,

determining if said frame is stable, if said frame is said silence frame and said state in said silence state,

updating statistics and determining if an update was triggered if said frame is stable, and

building and sending a prototype frame if said update was triggered; and

receiving background noise, comprising the steps of

receiving said frame,

determining if said frame is a voice frame,

determining if said state is a voice state if said frame is said voice frame,

playing said frame if said state is said voice state and said frame is said voice frame,

checking if said frame is said silence frame if said frame is not said voice frame,

checking if said state is said silence state if said frame is said silence frame,

transitioning to said silence state and playing said frame if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not said silence state,

generating an update and playing said update if said frame is said silence frame and said state is said silence state,

checking if state is said silence state if said frame not said voice frame or said silence frame,

playing said prototype frame if said state is said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame,

checking if N consecutive erasures have been sent if said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame, playing an erasure if N consecutive erasures have not been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame, and

transitioning to said silence state and playing said prototype frame if N consecutive erasures have been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame.

28. An apparatus for communicating background noise, comprising:

at least one vocoder having at least one input and at least one output, comprising

a decoder having at least one input and at least one output, and

an encoder having at least one input and at least one output,

at least one smart blanking apparatus having a memory and at least one input and at least one output, wherein a first of said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said vocoder and said at least one output is operably connected to said at least one input of said vocoder;

a de-jitter buffer having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one output is operably connected to a second of said at least one input of said smart blanker; and

a network stack having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one input of said de-jitter buffer and said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said smart blanking apparatus.

29. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 28, wherein said decoder comprises:

a relaxed code-excited linear predictive decoder having a plurality of inputs and at least one output, wherein said relaxed code-excited linear predictive decoder comprises a background noise generator;

a frame error detection apparatus having a plurality of inputs and at least one output, wherein a first of said plurality of inputs of said frame error detection apparatus is operably connected to a first of said relaxed code-excited linear predictive decoder'"'"'s plurality of inputs, a second of said plurality of inputs of said frame error detection apparatus is operably connected to a second of said relaxed code-excited linear predictive decoder'"'"'s plurality of inputs; and

a post filter having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said relaxed code-excited linear predictive decoder.

30. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 28, wherein said encoder comprises:

signal processor having at least one input and at least one output;

a model estimator having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said signal processor;

a rate determinator having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to a first of said at least one outputs of said model parameter estimator;

a ⅛

rate encoder having at least one input and at least one output;

a full rate encoder having at least one input and at least one output;

a first switch having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said model parameter estimator, a first of said at least one outputs is operably connected to said at least one input of said ⅛

rate encoder and a second of said at least one outputs is operably connected to said at least one input of said full rate encoder;

a second switch having at least one input and at least one output, wherein a first of said at least one inputs is operably connected to said at least one output of said ⅛

rate encoder and a second of said at least one inputs is operably connected to said at least one output of said full rate encoder; and

a packet formatter having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said second switch.

31. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 28, wherein said encoder comprises:

signal processor having at least one input and at least one output;

a model estimator having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said signal processor;

a rate determinator having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to a first of said at least one outputs of said model parameter estimator;

a ⅛

rate encoder having at least one input and at least one output;

a ½

rate encoder having at least one input and at least one output;

a first switch having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said model parameter estimator, a first of said at least one outputs is operably connected to said at least one input of said ⅛

rate encoder and a second of said at least one outputs is operably connected to said at least one input of said ½

rate encoder;

a second switch having at least one input and at least one output, wherein a first of said at least one inputs is operably connected to said at least one output of said ⅛

rate encoder and a second of said at least one inputs is operably connected to said at least one output of said ½

rate encoder; and

a packet formatter having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input is operably connected to said at least one output of said second switch.

32. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 28, wherein said memory further comprises:

codebooks comprising codebook entries having background energy codebook entries and background spectrum codebook entries.

33. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 28, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is adapted to execute instructions stored in said memory comprising:

transmit the background noise;

blank subsequent background noise data rate frames used to communicate the background noise;

receive the background noise; and

update the background noise.

34. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 28, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is adapted to execute instructions stored in said memory comprising:

transmit background noise, comprising the steps of

receive a frame,

determine if said frame is a silence frame,

transition to an active state and transmit said frame if said frame is not a said silence frame,

determine if said state is a silence state if said frame is said silence frame,

transition to said silence state and send said silence frame to a receiver if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not in said silence state,

determine if said frame is stable, if said frame is said silence frame and said state in said silence state,

update statistics and determine if an update was triggered if said frame is stable, and

build and send a prototype frame if said update was triggered; and

receive said background noise, comprising the steps of

receive said frame,

determine if said frame is a voice frame,

determine if said state is a voice state if said frame is said voice frame,

play said frame if said state is said voice state and said frame is said voice frame,

check if said frame is said silence frame if said frame is not said voice frame,

check if said state is said silence state if said frame is said silence frame,

transition to said silence state and play said frame if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not said silence state,

generate an update and play said update if said frame is said silence frame and said state is said silence state,

check if said state is said silence state if said frame not said voice frame or said silence frame,

play said prototype frame if said state is said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame,

check if N consecutive erasures have been sent if said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame,

play an erasure if N consecutive erasures have not been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame, and

transition to said silence state and play said prototype frame if N consecutive erasures have been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame.

35. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 29, wherein said background noise generator comprises:

a noise generator having at least one input and at least one output; and

an LPC filter having at least one input and at least one output, wherein said at least one input of said LPC filter is operably connected to said at least one output of said noise generator.

36. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 32, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is adapted to execute instructions stored in said memory comprising:

transmit the background noise;

blank subsequent background noise data rate frames used to communicate the background noise;

receive the background noise; and

update the background noise by transmitting an update background noise data rate frame having at least one of said codebook entries.

37. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a trigger instruction stored in said memory.

38. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a play background noise instruction stored in said memory, wherein said play background noise instruction comprises:

output white noise in the form of a random sequence of numbers, and

extract a frequency characteristics of said white noise.

39. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising:

wait until at least one of said background noise data rate frames before sending an update background noise data rate frame, whereby a stable background noise data rate frame is transmitted.

40. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising:

wait until 40 to 100 ms after last transitory background noise data rate frames have been sent before sending an update background noise data rate frame, whereby a stable background noise data rate frame is transmitted.

41. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising:

transmit a keep alive packet before a threshold time has expired.

42. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising initialize an encoder and a decoder, wherein said initialize an encoder and a decoder instruction comprises:

set a state of said encoder to voice;

set a state of said decoder to silence; and

set a prototype to a ⅛

data rate frame.

43. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising blend said background noise.

44. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising play an erasure if said background noise data rate frame is not received.

45. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising transmit the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises:

receive a frame;

determine if said frame is a silence frame;

transition to an active state and transmit said frame if said frame is not said silence frame;

determine if state is silence state if said frame is silence frame;

transition to said silence state and send said silence frame to receiver if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not in said silence state;

determine if said frame is stable, if said frame is said silence frame and said state in said silence state;

update statistics and determine if an update was triggered if said frame is stable; and

build and send a prototype frame if said update triggered.

46. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 33, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising receive the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises:

receive a frame;

determine if said frame is a voice frame;

determine if a state is a voice state if said frame is said voice frame;

play said frame if said state is said voice state and said frame is said voice frame;

check if said frame is a silence frame if said frame is not a voice frame;

check if said state is a silence state if said frame is said silence frame;

transition to silence state and play said frame if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not said silence state;

generate an update and play said update if said frame is said silence frame and said state is said silence state;

check if said state is said silence state if said frame not said voice frame or said silence frame;

play a prototype frame if said state is said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame;

check if N consecutive erasures have been sent if said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame;

play an erasure if N consecutive erasures have not been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame; and

transition to said silence state and play said prototype frame if N consecutive erasures have been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame.

47. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 36, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter background noise rate frames;

compare an energy of said background noise data rate frame to an average energy of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold, wherein said update background noise data rate frame comprises at least one of said codebook entries.

48. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 36, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter background noise data rate frames;

compare a spectrum of said background noise data rate frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold, wherein said update background noise data rate frame comprises at least one of said codebook entries.

49. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 37, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter said background noise data rate frames;

compare an energy of said background noise data rate frame to an average energy of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold.

50. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 37, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter background noise rate frames;

compare a spectrum of said background noise data frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold.

51. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 37, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising play an erasure if no frame is received.

52. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 43, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said blend instruction stored in said memory, wherein said blend instruction further comprises change background gradually from a prior update value to a new update value.

53. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 44, wherein said erasure is played less than or equal to 50 percent of the time.

54. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 45, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising transmit the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises:

transmit transitory background noise data rate frames if said frame is not stable.

55. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 47, wherein at least one of said codebook entries comprises at least one energy codebook entry, and at least one spectral codebook entry.

56. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 49, wherein said threshold is equal to or greater than 1 db.

57. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 50, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said compare a spectrum of said background noise data rate frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames instruction by taking a sum of absolute differences of elements of codebook entries for said background noise data rate frames.

58. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 50, wherein said threshold is equal to or greater than 40 percent.

59. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 55, wherein said erasure is played less than or equal to 50 percent of the time.

60. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 57, wherein said update background noise data rate frame comprises a most frequently used codebook entry.

82. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 47, wherein at least one of said codebook entries comprises at least one energy codebook entry, and at least one spectral codebook entry.

86. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 82, wherein said erasure is played less than or equal to 50 percent of the time.

61. A smart blanking apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

software comprising instructions stored in said memory; and

at least one input and at least one output, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is adapted to execute instructions stored in said memory comprising;

transmit the background noise,

blank subsequent background noise data rate frames used to communicate the background noise,

receive the background noise, and

update the background noise.

62. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising transmit the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises:

receive a frame,

determine if said frame is a silence frame,

transition to an active state and transmit said frame if said frame is not a said silence frame,

determine if said state is a silence state if said frame is said silence frame,

transition to said silence state and send said silence frame to a receiver if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not in said silence state,

determine if said frame is stable, if said frame is said silence frame and said state in said silence state,

update statistics and determine if an update was triggered if said frame is stable, and

build and send a prototype frame if said update was triggered; and

wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising receive the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises;

receive said frame,

determine if said frame is a voice frame,

determine if said state is a voice state if said frame is said voice frame,

play said frame if said state is said voice state and said frame is said voice frame,

check if said frame is said silence frame if said frame is not said voice frame,

check if said state is said silence state if said frame is said silence frame, transition to said silence state and play said frame if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not said silence state,

generate an update and play said update if said frame is said silence frame and said state is said silence state,

check if said state is said silence state if said frame not said voice frame or said silence frame,

play said prototype frame if said state is said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame,

check if N consecutive erasures have been sent if said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame,

play an erasure if N consecutive erasures have not been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame, and

transition to said silence state and play said prototype frame if N consecutive erasures have been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame.

63. The apparatus for communicating background noise, according to claim 61, wherein said memory further comprises:

codebooks comprising codebook entries having background energy codebook entries and background spectrum codebook entries; and

wherein the smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising update the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises transmit an update background noise data rate frame having at least one codebook entry.

64. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a trigger instruction stored in said memory.

65. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a play background noise instruction stored in said memory, wherein said play background noise instruction comprises:

output white noise in the form of a random sequence of numbers, and

extract a frequency characteristics of said white noise.

66. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising:

wait until at least one of said background noise data rate frames before sending an update background noise data rate frame, whereby a stable background noise data rate frame is transmitted.

67. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising:

wait until 40 to 100 ms after last transitory background noise data rate frames have been sent before sending an update background noise data rate frame, whereby a stable background noise data rate frame is transmitted.

68. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising:

transmit a keep alive packet before a threshold time has expired.

69. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising initialize an encoder and a decoder, wherein said initialize an encoder and a decoder instruction comprises:

set a state of said encoder to voice;

set a state of said decoder to silence; and

set a prototype to a ⅛

data rate frame.

70. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising blend said background noise.

71. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising play an erasure if said background noise data rate frame is not received.

72. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising transmit the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises:

receive a frame;

determine if said frame is a silence frame;

transition to an active state and transmit said frame if said frame is not said silence frame;

determine if state is silence state if said frame is silence frame;

transition to said silence state and send said silence frame to receiver if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not in said silence state;

determine if said frame is stable, if said frame is said silence frame and said state in said silence state;

update statistics and determine if an update was triggered if said frame is stable; and

build and send a prototype frame if said update triggered.

73. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 61, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising receive the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises:

receive a frame;

determine if said frame is a voice frame;

determine if a state is a voice state if said frame is said voice frame;

play said frame if said state is said voice state and said frame is said voice frame;

check if said frame is a silence frame if said frame is not a voice frame;

check if said state is a silence state if said frame is said silence frame;

transition to silence state and play said frame if said frame is said silence frame and said state is not said silence state;

generate an update and play said update if said frame is said silence frame and said state is said silence state;

check if said state is said silence state if said frame not said voice frame or said silence frame;

play a prototype frame if said state is said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame;

check if N consecutive erasures have been sent if said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame;

play an erasure if N consecutive erasures have not been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame; and

transition to said silence state and play said prototype frame if N consecutive erasures have been sent, said state is not said silence state and said frame is not said voice frame or said silence frame.

74. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 63, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter background noise rate frames;

compare an energy of said background noise data rate frame to an average energy of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold, wherein said update background noise data rate frame comprises at least one of said codebook entries.

75. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 63, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute a trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter background noise data rate frames;

compare a spectrum of said background noise data rate frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold, wherein said update background noise data rate frame comprises at least one of said codebook entries.

76. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 64, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter said background noise data rate frames;

compare an energy of said background noise data rate frame to an average energy of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold.

77. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 64, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said trigger instruction stored in said memory, wherein said trigger instruction comprises:

filter background noise rate frames;

compare a spectrum of said background noise data frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames; and

transmit an update background noise data rate frame if a difference exceeds a threshold.

78. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 64, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute an instruction stored in said memory comprising play an erasure if no frame is received.

79. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 70, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said blend instruction stored in said memory, wherein said blend instruction further comprises change background gradually from a prior update value to a new update value.

80. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 71, wherein said erasure is played less than or equal to 50 percent of the time.

81. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 72, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said instruction stored in said memory comprising transmit the background noise, wherein said instruction further comprises:

transmit transitory background noise data rate frames if said frame is not stable.

83. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 76, wherein said threshold is equal to or greater than 1 db.

84. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 77, wherein said smart blanking apparatus is further adapted to execute said compare a spectrum of said background noise data rate frame to an average spectrum of said background noise data rate frames instruction by taking a sum of absolute differences of elements of codebook entries for said background noise data rate frames.

85. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 77, wherein said threshold is equal to or greater than 40 percent.

87. The apparatus for communicating background noise according to claim 84, wherein said update background noise data rate frame comprises a most frequently used codebook entry.