Hands-free speech communication apparatus

• US 6,097,971 A
• Filed: 04/21/1997
• Issued: 08/01/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hosoi, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fuller, Greta J.
• Application Number:
  US08/844,656
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550, 455/560, 455/570, 455/569, 379/406, 379/410, 379/411, 379/3, 379/407, 379/408, 379/409
• US Class Current: 455/570
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23

Abstract

In a hands-free speech communication apparatus incorporating an echo canceler in a mobile telephone, a howling prevention unit for preventing howling caused due to leakage of a mobile-side loudspeaker output voice into a mobile-side microphone input during hands-free speech communication and an echo canceler for canceling an echo generated due to leakage of a transmission voice signal from a self line output terminal into a reception voice signal input to a self line input terminal are constituted by a one-chip digital signal processor. The digital signal processor is controlled by a microprocessor incorporated in an external cellular phone, thereby controlling/processing operation parameters of the howling prevention unit and the echo canceler on the basis of software.

Claims

1. A hands-free speech communication apparatus incorporating an echo canceler in a mobile telephone, said communication apparatus comprising:

howling prevention means for preventing howling caused due to leakage of a mobile-side loudspeaker output into a mobile-side microphone input during hands-free speech communication;

echo cancel means for canceling an echo generated due to leakage of a transmission voice signal from a self line output terminal into a reception voice signal input to a self line input terminal,

wherein said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means are constituted by a one-chip digital signal processor, and said digital signal processor is controlled by a microprocessor incorporated in an external cellular phone, thereby controlling operation parameters of said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means on the basis of software; and

a parameter reception processing interface to provide operating parameters to said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means from said external microprocessor.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a voice switch,

wherein said voice switch is disposed between said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means and receives data from and outputs data to said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means, and

wherein said voice switch is constituted of said one-chip digital signal processor and controlled on the basis of the software of said microprocessor of said external cellular phone.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an echo cancel amount detection processing circuit for determining an echo cancel amount based on a first transmission signal input to said echo cancel means and a second transmission signal output from said echo cancel means, wherein said echo cancel amount detection processing circuit provides a control signal to the voice switch to attenuate data output to said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means.

4. A hands-free speech communication apparatus comprises:

a line-side echo canceler having;

first addition means for adding, to a first reception voice signal input from a line side to a reception input terminal, a second hands-free transmission signal in which a first hands-free transmission signal sent from a transmission output terminal to said line side is adaptively controlled to cancel a component leaking from the first hands-free transmission signal into the first reception voice signal, and outputting a second reception voice signal, and

a first adaptive filter for adaptively controlling the first hands-free transmission signal in accordance with the second reception voice signal output from said first addition means and outputting and supplying the second hands-free transmission signal to said first addition means;

a voice switch having.

a first attenuation means, controlled by a first control signal, for applying a predetermined attenuation amount for preventing howling in the second reception voice signal output from said first addition means of said line-side echo canceler and outputting a third reception voice signal to a mobile-side loudspeaker output terminal,

a second attenuation means, controlled by a second control signal and a third control signal, for applying a predetermined attenuation amount to a third hands-free transmission signal in which a component of the third reception voice signal which leaks from said mobile-side loud-speaker output terminal into a mobile-side microphone input terminal is canceled to cancel an echo, and outputting the first hands-free transmission signal, and

first attenuation amount control means for outputting the second control signal in accordance with a level of the first hands-free transmission signal and outputting the first control signal in accordance with a level of the second reception voice signal;

a mobile-side echo canceler having;

second addition means for adding, to a fourth hands-free transmission signal input to said mobile-side microphone input terminal, a fourth reception voice signal in which the third reception voice signal output to said mobile-side loudspeaker output terminal is adaptively controlled to cancel a component which leaks from the third reception voice signal into the fourth hands-free transmission signal and outputting the third hands-free transmission signal, and

a second adaptive filter for adaptively controlling the third reception voice signal in accordance with the third hands-free transmission signal output from said second addition means and outputting and supplying the fourth reception voice signal to said second addition means; and

echo cancel amount detection processing means for comparing the fourth hands-free transmission signal with the third hands-free transmission signal to detect an echo cancel amount of said mobile-side echo canceler and outputting the third control signal corresponding to the echo cancel amount to said second attenuation means,

wherein said line-side echo canceler, said voice switch, said mobile-side echo canceler, and said echo cancel amount detection processing means are constituted by a one-chip digital signal processor, and operation parameters of said line-side echo canceler, said voice switch, said mobile-side echo canceler, and said echo cancel amount detection processing means are controlled on the basis of software by a microprocessor incorporated in an external cellular phone.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising line gain correction processing means having:

third attenuation means, controlled by a fourth control signal, for applying a predetermined attenuation amount for downlink line gain correction to the second reception voice signal output from said first addition means of said line-side echo canceler, and outputting a corrected reception voice signal to said first attenuation means of said voice switch,

fourth attenuation means, controlled by a fifth control signal, for applying a predetermined attenuation amount for uplink line gain correction to the first hands-free transmission signal output from said second attenuation means of said voice switch, and outputting a corrected transmission signal to a transmission output terminal and said first adaptive filter of said line-side echo canceler, and

second attenuation amount control means for outputting the fourth control signal in accordance with the level of the second reception voice signal output from said first addition means and outputting the fifth control signal in accordance with a level of the first hands-free transmission signal output from said second attenuation means of said voice switch, and wherein said line gain correction processing means is constituted in said one-chip digital signal processor, and operation parameters of said third attenuation means, said fourth attenuation means, and said second attenuation amount control means are controlled on the basis of software by said microprocessor incorporated in said external cellular phone.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a parameter reception processing interface between said microprocessor of said external cellular phone and said digital signal processor to provide operating parameters to said line gain correction processing means.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a parameter reception processing interface between said microprocessor of said external cellular phone and said digital signal processor to provide operating parameters to said line side echo canceler, said mobile-side echo canceler, said voice switch, and said echo cancel amount detection processing means.

8. A hands-free speech communication apparatus incorporating an echo canceler in a mobile telephone, said communication apparatus comprising:

howling prevention means for preventing howling caused due to leakage of a mobile-side loudspeaker output into a mobile-side microphone input during hands-free speech communication;

echo cancel means for canceling an echo generated due to leakage of a transmission voice signal from a self line output terminal into a reception voice signal input to a self line input terminal,

wherein said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means are constituted by a one-chip digital signal processor, and said digital signal processor is controlled by a microprocessor incorporated in an external cellular phone, thereby controlling operation parameters of said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means on the basis of software;

a voice switch, wherein said voice switch is disposed between said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means and receives data from and outputs data to said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means, and wherein said voice switch is constituted of said one-chip digital signal processor and controlled on the basis of the software of said microprocessor of said external cellular phone;

an echo cancel amount detection processing circuit for determining an echo cancel amount based on a first transmission signal input to said echo cancel means and a second transmission signal output from said echo cancel means, wherein said echo cancel amount detection processing circuit provides a control signal to the voice switch to attenuate data output to said howling prevention means and said echo cancel means; and

a parameter reception processing interface between said microprocessor of said external cellular phone and said digital signal processor to provide operating parameters to said howling prevention means, said echo cancel means, and said voice switch.