Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
199 words
An echo canceller for use with a circuit, the circuit extending from a near end to a far end including a send path and a receive path, the echo canceller comprising: an adaptive filter (3) disposed between the receive path (r) and the send path (s) ; a activatable non-linear filter (2) in the send path (s), an evaluation circuit (12) coupled to the receive path and the send path for detecting states of double talk (d) and non double talk (a,b,c) and far end speech (c); and an up/down counter (11) connected to the evaluation circuit (12) for counting in a first direction with a first value (Z U ) when the state of doubletalk (d) occurs and for counting in a reverse direction with a smaller second value (Z D ) relative to the first value (Z U ) when the states of non doubletalk (a,b,c) occur, the non-linear filter (2) being activated only when the state of far end speech (c) occurs and when the up/down counter (11) reaches a predeterminable small value (Z N ), whereby echo cancellation errors resulting from activation of the non-linear filter (2) in the state of doubletalk (d) are reduced.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
199 words
An echo canceller for use with a circuit, the circuit extending from a near end to a far end including a send path and a receive path, the echo canceller comprising: an adaptive filter (3) disposed between the receive path (r) and the send path (s) ; a activatable non-linear filter (2) in the send path (s), an evaluation circuit (12) coupled to the receive path and the send path for detecting states of double talk (d) and non double talk (a,b,c) and far end speech (c); and an up/down counter (11) connected to the evaluation circuit (12) for counting in a first direction with a first value (Z U ) when the state of doubletalk (d) occurs and for counting in a reverse direction with a smaller second value (Z D ) relative to the first value (Z U ) when the states of non doubletalk (a,b,c) occur, the non-linear filter (2) being activated only when the state of far end speech (c) occurs and when the up/down counter (11) reaches a predeterminable small value (Z N ), whereby echo cancellation errors resulting from activation of the non-linear filter (2) in the state of doubletalk (d) are reduced.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
72 words
An echo canceller as claimed in claim 1, in which the evaluation circuit (12), in addition to detecting the states of doubletalk (d) and far-end speech (c), also detects the states of rest (a) and near-end speech (b) , and the non-linear filter (2) is activated when the state of far-end speech (c) is detected and inactivated when the states of near-end speech (b), double talk (d) and rest (a) are detected.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
95 words
An echo canceller as claimed in claim 2 in which a countup input (U) of the up/down counter (11) is coupled to an output of the evaluation circuit (12) indicating the state of doubletalk (d) and a countdown input (D) of the up/down counter (11) is coupled to outputs of the evaluation circuit (12) indicating the states of non-double talk (a,b,c) and further comprising an AND gate (14) for combining an output of the evaluation circuit (12) indicating the state of far-end speech (c) with an output (Z N ) of the up/down counter (ii).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
An echo canceller as claimed in claim 2 further comprising an OR gate (13) for combining outputs of the evaluation circuit (12), which outputs correspond to the states of non-doubletalk (a,b,c), an output of the OR gate (13) being connected to a countdown input (D) of the up/down counter (11).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
An echo canceller as claimed in claim 1, in which a maximum value (Z M ) of the up/down counter (11) is determined adaptively in response to attenuation of the adaptive filter (3).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
An echo canceller as claimed in claim 5, wherein the maximum value (Z M ) of the counter (11) decreases with increasing attenuation of the adaptive filter (3) and increases with decreasing attenuation of the adaptive filter (3).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
80 words
Echo canceller as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the non-linear filter (2) is provided for a) i) suppressing an input signal (24) to the non-linear filter when the input signal (24) is less than a predetermined threshold value, and ii) reducing the input signal (24) by the predetermined threshold value, when the input signal (24) exceeds the predetermined threshold value, or b) switching the input signal (24) through when the input signal (24) exceeds the predetermined threshold value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
Video conference system or satellite transmission system comprising an echo canceller as claimed in claim 1.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
186 words
Echo canceller (1, 2, 3, 6) comprising an activatable adaptive filter (3) disposed between a receive path (r) and a send path (s), an activatable non-linear filter (2) in the send path (s) for cancellation of a state of doubletalk (d), an evaluation circuit for detecting the state of doubletalk (d) and states of non-doubletalk (a, b, c), a control unit (11) for determining a control value based on which state is detected from amongst the states of doubletalk (d) and non-doubletalk (a, b, c), and for controlling activation of the non-linear filter (2); the control value changing with a first velocity in a first direction in the state of doubletalk (d) and changing with a second velocity lower than the first velocity in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, in the states of non-doubletalk (a,b,c); the non-linear filter (2) being activated only when a state of far end speech (c) occurs and when the control value reaches a predeterminable value range (Z N ), whereby echo cancellation errors resulting from activation of the non-linear filter (2) in the state of doubletalk are reduced.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
186 words
Echo canceller (1, 2, 3, 6) comprising an activatable adaptive filter (3) disposed between a receive path (r) and a send path (s), an activatable non-linear filter (2) in the send path (s) for cancellation of a state of doubletalk (d), an evaluation circuit for detecting the state of doubletalk (d) and states of non-doubletalk (a, b, c), a control unit (11) for determining a control value based on which state is detected from amongst the states of doubletalk (d) and non-doubletalk (a, b, c), and for controlling activation of the non-linear filter (2); the control value changing with a first velocity in a first direction in the state of doubletalk (d) and changing with a second velocity lower than the first velocity in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, in the states of non-doubletalk (a,b,c); the non-linear filter (2) being activated only when a state of far end speech (c) occurs and when the control value reaches a predeterminable value range (Z N ), whereby echo cancellation errors resulting from activation of the non-linear filter (2) in the state of doubletalk are reduced.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
Echo canceller as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the control unit (11 ) is a counter or a filter.