Noise reduction techniques and apparatus for enhancing wireless data network telephony

• US 6,560,214 B1
• Filed: 07/13/1999
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kikinis, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US09/352,493
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 370/278, 370/280, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370/341, 370/349, 370/477, 379/88.17, 379/93.08, 379/88.16, 455/445, 455/450, 455/451, 455/452, 455/453, 455/509, 455/517, 455/67.1, 455/67.3, 704/201, 704/226, 704/231, 704/233
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/026 Details of the structure or mounting of specific components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/18 with means for reducing interference or noise; with means for reducing effects due to line faults with means for protecting lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/24 Connectivity information management, e.g. connectivity discovery or connectivity update
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0825 with collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

A system for wireless communication comprises an architecture of routers connected to a network and having connected transceivers for wireless transmission and reception of data, and a plurality of hand-held communicators adapted for users to communicate with the network through the routers. The system is configured for data network telephony (DNT) in the wireless portion, wherein voice data is encoded and transmitted in real time in data packets, and also provides data exchange for document-type entities. In one aspect a unique mirroring of channels from the wireless portion to a hard-wired link provides for mutual access and sharing of overall bandwidth from and to individual transceivers.

Claims

1. In a system providing wireless communication between a portable communication unit and a base station over a dedicated channel, wherein the portable communication unit is adapted for Data Network Telephony, (DNT) a method for minimizing data traffic in the channel, comprising steps of:

(a) accepting speech for DNT call at a single microphone at the portable communication unit;

(b) processing the speech by a digital signal processing (DSP) system configured to distinguish between human speech and background noise; and

(c) preparing DNT data packets by the DSP system and transmitting the DNT data packets in response to substantially only the human speech, preparing no data packets during pauses in the human speech.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the DSP function is provided by a specific chip or chip set coupled to an internal bus of the portable device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the DSP function is provided by a CPU of the portable communication unit.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (b) the processing of speech by a DSP system includes a voice recognition function programmed or trained to recognize different languages.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein in step (b) distinguishing between human speech and background noise includes a function wherein other verbal non-descriptive human speech may be ignored as non-speech.