SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR HALF-DUPLEX SPEAKERPHONES AND OTHER TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20100119055A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 05/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beken Corporation
• Original Assignee: Beken Corporation
• Inventors: Zhang, Pengfei, Yu, Caogang
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/406.70
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic

Abstract

An apparatus to enable half-duplexing capabilities in a two-way communication device is disclosed. The apparatus estimates the signal power and background noise of a first input signal and a second input signal during approximately the same period. The apparatus further provides at least one control signal based on the result of one or more determinations. These determinations may include whether the estimated signal power of at least one of the first and second input signals exceeds a threshold value; whether the estimated signal power of the first input signal exceeds the sum of a first threshold value and the estimated background noise of the first input signal; and whether the estimated signal power of the second input signal exceeds the sum of a second threshold value and the estimated background noise of the second input signal. Other embodiments for use with two-way communication devices and related methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with a two-way communication device, comprising:

a half-duplexer comprising;

a receive attenuator configured to provide a first output signal by scaling a first input signal received from a first input;

a transmit attenuator configured to provide a second output signal by scaling a second input signal received from a second input; and

a digital logic module configured to provide a first control signal to the receive attenuator to control a manner in which the receive attenuator scales the first input signal, and configured to provide a second control signal to the transmit attenuator to control a manner in which the transmit attenuator scales the second input signal; and

a calibration module configured to send a test signal on an output connection, to measure an echo signal received on an input connection in response to the test signal, and to adjust a threshold value based on the measured echo signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receive attenuator comprises a negative feedback operational amplifier circuit.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmit attenuator comprises a digital multiplier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital logic module is implemented as digital signal processor (DSP) code to be executed on a DSP.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the half-duplexer further comprises:

a first analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the first input signal into a first digital input signal; and

a second analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the second input signal into a second digital input signal,

wherein the digital logic module is further configured to receive the first and second digital input signals and to estimate the noise and signal power of the first and second input signals during a period using the first and second digital input signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital logic module is further configured to estimate the noise and signal power of the first and second input signals during a period.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the digital logic module is further configured to:

estimate the noise of the first input signal during a period by averaging a first set of Nn samples of the first input signal, wherein Nn is an integer and the first set of Nn samples includes those samples having the lowest values of the first input signal during the period;

estimate the signal power of the first input signal during a period by averaging a first set of Nx samples of the first input signal, wherein Nx is an integer and the first set of Nx samples includes those samples having the highest values of the first input signal during the period;

estimate the noise of the second input signal during a period by averaging a second set of Nn samples of the second input signal, wherein the second set of Nn samples includes those samples having the lowest values of the second input signal during the period; and

estimate the signal power of the second input signal during a period by averaging a second set of Nx samples of the second input signal, wherein the second set of Nx samples includes those samples having the highest values of the second input signal during the period.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital logic module is further configured to:

estimate the noise and signal power of the first and second input signals; and

regulate the first and second control signals based on at least one of the following determinations;

whether the estimated signal power of the first input signal exceeds the estimated noise of the first input signal plus a first threshold value; and

whether the estimated signal power of the second input signal exceeds the estimated noise of the second input signal plus a second threshold value.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

an exclusive-OR (XOR) gate configured to regulate the first and second control signals.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a serial peripheral interface configured to enable programming of the first and second threshold values.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the calibration module is configured to send a test signal having a frequency of approximately 1 kilohertz and to adjust at least one of the first and second threshold values based on the measured echo signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital logic module is further configured to estimate the noise and signal power of the first and second input signals, and to regulate the first and second control signals based on whether the estimated signal power of at least one of the first and second input signals exceeds a threshold value.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second input signals are both analog signals and the digital logic module is configured to provide at least one of a first control signal to the receive attenuator to attenuate the first input signal and a second control signal to the transmit attenuator to attenuate the second input signal.

14. A processor readable medium comprising instructions that when executed on a processor perform a method for providing half-duplex functionality in a two-way communication device, wherein the method comprises:

estimating the signal power and background noise of a first input signal during a period;

estimating the signal power and background noise of a second input signal during approximately the same period;

providing at least one control signal based on the result of at least one of the following determinations;

whether the estimated signal power of at least one of the first and second input signals exceeds a threshold value;

whether the estimated signal power of the first input signals exceeds the sum of a first threshold value and the estimated background noise of the first input signal; and

whether the estimated signal power of the second input signal exceeds the sum of a second threshold value and the estimated background noise of the second input signal,

and wherein the steps of estimating signal power and background noise and providing at least one control signal based on the result of at least one determination are performed by a digital signal processor.

15. The processor readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

converting the first input signal from an analog signal to a digital signal; and

converting the second input signal from an analog signal to a digital signal; and

attenuating at least one input signal based upon the at least one control signal provided.

16. The processor readable medium of claim 14, wherein:

estimating the background noise of the first input signal during a period comprises averaging a first set of Nn samples of the first input signal, wherein Nn is an integer and the first set of Nn samples includes those samples having the lowest values of the first input signal during the period;

estimating the signal power of the first input signal during a period comprises averaging a first set of Nx samples of the first input signal, wherein Nx is an integer and the first set of Nx samples includes those samples having the highest values of the first input signal during the period;

estimating the background noise of the second input signal during a period comprises averaging a second set of Nn samples of the second input signal, wherein the second set of Nn samples includes those samples having the lowest values of the second input signal during the period; and

estimating the signal power of the second input signal during a period comprises averaging a second set of Nx samples of the second input signal, wherein the second set of Nx samples includes those samples having the highest values of the second input signal during the period.

17. The processor readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

sending a test signal on an output connection;

measuring an echo signal received on an input connection in response to the test signal; and

adjusting at least one of the first and second threshold values based on the measured echo signal.

18. An apparatus for use with a two-way communication device, comprising:

means for estimating the signal power and background noise of a first input signal during a period;

means for estimating the signal power and background noise of a second input signal during approximately the same period;

means for providing at least one control signal based on the result of at least one of the following determinations;

whether the estimated signal power of at least one of the first and second input signals exceeds a threshold value;

whether the estimated signal power of the first input signal exceeds the sum of a first threshold value and the estimated background noise of the first input signal; and

whether the estimated signal power of the second input signal exceeds the sum of a second threshold value and the estimated background noise of the second input signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the means for estimating the background noise of the first input signal during a period comprises means for averaging a first set of Nn samples of the first input signal, wherein Nn is an integer and the first set of Nn samples includes those samples having the lowest values of the first input signal during the period,

the means for estimating the signal power of the first input signal during a period comprises means for averaging a first set of Nx samples of the first input signal, wherein Nx is an integer and the first set of Nx samples includes those samples having the highest values of the first input signal during the period;

the means for estimating the background noise of the second input signal during a period comprises means for averaging a second set of Nn samples of the second input signal, wherein the second set of Nn samples includes those samples having the lowest values of the second input signal during the period; and

the means for estimating the signal power of the second input signal during a period comprises means for averaging a second set of Nx samples of the second input signal, wherein the second set of Nx samples includes those samples having the highest values of the second input signal during the period.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising

means for sending a test signal having a frequency of approximately 1 kilohertz on an output connection;

means for measuring an echo signal received in response to the test signal; and

means for adjusting at least one of the first and second threshold values based on the measured echo signal.