Flash-cut of speech processing features in a telephone call

US6021194A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• AT&T CORP. · US

Inventors

• Lee Begeja · Gillette, US
• Carroll W. Creswell · Berkeley Heights, US
• Daniel Furman · San Francisco, US
• Michael Joseph Haller · Summit, US
• John A. McMaster · Berkeley Heights, US
• John C. Songrady · Washington Crossing, US
• Thomas Wasilewski · Marlboro, US
• Donald Joseph Youtkus · Scotch Plains, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 18, 1996
• Grant date: Feb 1, 2000
• Expiry date: Dec 18, 2016

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04M3/40
• WIPO field: Telecommunications
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A speech processor uses at least two speech processing features to enhance the quality of speech signals received by a user during a telephone call. The speech processing features are applied to the speech signals. However, the user only hears speech signals affected by one speech processing feature until both features have fully converged or ramped-up, and the two features are no longer interfering with each other. At that point, a "flash-cut" of the second speech processing feature is activated. The flash-cut instantaneously switches to speech signals affected by both features. This quick transition makes the speech processing features more noticeable to the user, and the user is not subjected to the period where the features interfere. Further, an optional audio indicator is generated before implementing the flash-cut, so the user is alerted to the flash-cut, and the speech processing features are even more noticeable.