System and method for improved use of voice activity detection

• US 7,230,955 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2002
• Issued: 06/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nuance Communications, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosenbluth, Joshua Hal, James, James H
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): JONES, PRENELL P
• Application Number:
  US10/331,013
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 370/466, 370/467, 370/395, 370/474, 370/401, 370/352, 455/570, 704/201, 704/226, 704/228, 704/210, 709/227, 709/230
• US Class Current: 370/466
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/012 Comfort noise or silence coding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0272 Voice signal separating
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method for packetizing actual noise signals, typically background noise, received by an access gateway from a speaking party and transmitting these packetized noise signals via a network to an egress gateway. The egress gateway converts the packetized noise signal into noise signals suitable for output and transmits the output noise signals to a listening party. When the access gateway detects that no voice signal is being received and only a noise signal is being received for a predetermined period of time, the access gateway instructs the egress network to continually transmit output noise signals to the listening party and ceases to transmit packetized noise signals to the egress gateway.

Claims

1. A silence suppression system, comprising:

an access gateway, wherein the access gateway receives an input voice signal and converts the input voice signal into a packetized voice signal, receives an input noise signal and converts the input noise signal into a packetized noise signal, and includes an access silence suppressor;

a network over which the packetized voice signal and packetized noise signal are transmitted; and

an egress gateway, wherein the egress gateway receives the packetized voice signal and converts the packetized voice signal into an output voice signal and outputs the output voice signal, receives the packetized noise signal and converts the packetized noise signal into an output noise signal and outputs the output noise signal, and includes an egress silence suppressor,

wherein when the access gateway continually receives the input noise signal, the access gateway ceases to transmit the packetized noise signal through the network and instructs the egress gateway to continually output the output noise signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the access gateway receives the input noise signal for a predefined hang-over time prior to ceasing transmission of the packetized noise signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system uses Voice over Frame technology.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system uses Voice over ATM technology.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the input voice signal is received from a speaking party and the output voice signal is output to a listening party.

7. A silence suppression system, comprising:

an access gateway including an access silence suppressor, wherein the access gateway receives an input noise signal, and converts the input noise signal into a packetized noise signal;

a network over which the packetized noise signal is transmitted; and

an egress gateway including an egress silence suppressor, wherein the egress gateway receives the packetized noise signal and converts the packetized noise signal into an output noise signal and outputs the output noise signal,

wherein when the access gateway receives the input noise signal for a predefined hang-over time, the access gateway ceases to transmit the packetized noise signal through the network and instructs the egress gateway to continually output the output noise signal.

8. A silence suppression system, comprising:

an access gateway including an access silence suppressor, wherein the access gateway receives and transmits an input noise signal;

a network over which the packetized noise signal is transmitted; and

an egress gateway including an egress silence suppressor, wherein the egress gateway receives and outputs the output noise signal,

wherein when the access gateway receives the input noise signal for a predefined hang-over time, the access gateway ceases to transmit the input noise signal through the network and instructs the egress gateway to continually output the output noise signal.

9. A method for silence suppression of a telephone call, the method comprising:

receiving an input voice signal at an access network and converting the input voice signal into a packetized voice signal;

receiving an input noise signal at the access network and converting the input noise signal into a packetized noise signal;

transmitting the packetized voice signal and packetized noise signal through a network;

receiving the packetized voice signal at an egress network, converting the packetized voice signal into an output voice signal, and outputting the output voice signal;

receiving the packetized noise signal at the egress network, converting the packetized noise signal into an output noise signal, and outputting the output noise signal; and

ceasing to transmit the packetized noise signal by the access network, when the access network continually receives the input noise signal, and instructing the egress network to continually output the output noise signal,

wherein the access network includes an access silence suppressor and the egress network includes and egress silence suppressor.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the ceasing step occurs when the access gateway receives the input noise signal for a predefined hang-over time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the input voice signal is received from a speaking party and the output voice signal is output to a listening party.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the method uses Voice over Frame technology.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the method uses Voice over ATM technology.

15. A silence suppression system comprising:

an access network means for receiving an input voice signal and converting the input voice signal into a packetized voice signal, receiving an input noise signal and converting the input noise signal into a packetized noise signal, and transmitting the packetized voice signal and packetized noise signal through a network;

a network means for transmitting the packetized voice signal and packetized noise signal; and

an egress network means for receiving the packetized voice signal, converting the packetized voice signal into an output voice signal, and outputting the output voice signal, receiving the packetized noise signal, converting the packetized noise signal into an output noise signal, and outputting the output noise signal,

wherein the access network means includes a logic means for ceasing to transmit the packetized noise signal when the access network continually receives the input noise signal and instructing the egress network means to continually output the output noise signal,

wherein the access network means includes an access silence suppressor and the egress network means includes and egress silence suppressor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the access gateway receives the input noise signal for a predefined hang-over time prior to ceasing transmission of the packetized noise signal.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the system uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the system uses Voice over Frame technology.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the system uses Voice over ATM technology.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the input voice signal is received from a speaking party and the output voice signal is output to a listening party.