|Publication number||US6111862 A|
|Application number||US 08/879,844|
|Publication date||Aug 29, 2000|
|Filing date||Jun 19, 1997|
|Priority date||Jun 19, 1997|
|Publication number||08879844, 879844, US 6111862 A, US 6111862A, US-A-6111862, US6111862 A, US6111862A|
|Inventors||Thomas M. Kaplan|
|Original Assignee||Alcatel Usa Sourcing, L.P.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (3), Classifications (5), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
The present invention relates in general to telecommunications signal processing and more particularly to an idle code density detector.
In SS-7 or Clear Channel signaling networks, idle codes are issued by a central office switch over inter-machine trunks to indicate no connection or no voice frequency energy present. Since no signaling bits are available in SS-7 or Clear Channel signaling networks, idle codes are used by an echo canceler to detect off-hook and end of call conditions. However, when the inter-machine trunk is not in an idle state, i.e. such as when an off-hook condition exists, but the input line of the trunk has no voice frequency energy present, idle codes are interspersed with quiet/low noise and other non-idle codes. Typically, idle codes differ from non-idle codes by only the least significant bit. Conventional echo cancelers typically detect for idle codes only and, thus, false detection may occur on non-idle silent lines to force the echo canceler to re-enable.
An example of false detection and undesirable re-enable of the echo canceler may occur during facsimile data transmission when multiple pages are sent. During inter-page gaps, idle codes are interspersed with the non-idle codes. The echo canceler will detect the idle codes and re-enable, resulting in interference with the facsimile data transmission. Similar circumstances may occur during half duplex low speed modem data transfers. Therefore, it is desirable to have an echo canceler that does not falsely detect idle codes during non-idle operation.
From the foregoing, it may be appreciated that a need has arisen for an echo canceler to accurately detect for proper idle code presence without falsely detecting idle codes during non-idle operation. In accordance with the present invention, an idle code density detector and method are provided that substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages and problems associated with conventional echo cancelers.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an idle code density detector that includes an idle code detector operable to identify idle codes on an input line. An idle code integrator maintains an idle code count of identified idle codes. A threshold detector compares the idle code count to a threshold value. When the idle code count exceeds the threshold value, the threshold detector generates a control signal that may be used to disable an echo canceler. The idle code count may be incremented for each idle code identified and decremented for each non-idle code identified. Different weight factors may be implemented for the increment and decrement operations.
The present invention provides various technical advantages over conventional echo cancelers. For example, one technical advantage is the disablement of an echo canceler only when an idle code count has exceeded a threshold value. Another technical advantage is in preventing false idle code detection during non-idle operations. Other technical advantages may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, description, and claims.
For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an echo canceler;
FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified block diagram of an idle code density detector within the echo canceler.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an echo canceler 10. Echo canceler 10 includes an idle code density detector 12, an adaptive filter 14, a combiner 16, and a processor 18. Idle code density detector 12 receives the initial voice frequency signals over input line 20. Idle code density detector 12 identifies idle codes and non-idle codes on input line 20. In response to identification of idle codes and non-idle codes, idle code density detector 12 generates a control signal 22. Control signal 22 may be used to disable adaptive filter 14 and processor 18 in order to halt the echo canceling function of echo canceler 10.
During echo canceling operation, adaptive filter 14 receives initial voice frequency signals over an input line 20 in response to origination of a call. Adaptive filter 14 performs a mapping function on the initial voice frequency signals. Adaptive filter 14 provides the mapped initial voice frequency signals to combiner 16. Combiner 16 receives responsive voice frequency signals on a return line 24 that includes an echo of the initial voice frequency signals. Combiner 16 uses the mapped initial voice frequency signals from adaptive filter 16 to eliminate the echo of the initial voice frequency signals from the response voice frequency signals on return line 24. Processor 18, which may be a non-linear processor, removes residual low level echo from the response voice frequency signals provided by combiner 16 prior to transfer to the origination of the call.
Idle codes, which typically indicate an on-hook condition, may have the form of hexadecimal 7F and/or FF. Quiet line codes, or non-idle codes, indicate an off-hook condition but without any voice frequency energy present. Non-idle codes may have the form of hexadecimal 7E and/or FE. Idle codes may be interspersed with the non-idle codes during this off-hook condition without the presence of voice frequency energy. Idle code density detector 12 prevents disablement of adaptive filter 14 and processor 18 by ensuring that idle codes identified during off-hook conditions do not trigger a disable signal for adaptive filter 14 and processor 18.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of idle code density detector 12. Idle code density detector 12 includes an idle code detector 30, an idle code integrator 32, and a threshold detector 34. Idle code detector 30 identifies idle codes and non-idle codes present on input line 20. Idle code integrator 32 maintains an idle code count 36 in response to idle codes and non-idle codes identified by idle code detector 30. Idle code integrator 32 increments the idle code count 36 by a first weight factor 38 for each idle code identified by idle code detector 30. Idle code integrator 32 decrements the idle code count 36 by a second weight factor 40 for each non-idle code identified by idle code detector 30. To prevent detection of false idle codes, the second weight factor 40 is greater than the first weight factor 38. For an example of weight factors to ensure proper operation, the first weight factor 38 may have a value of one and the second weight factor 40 may have a value of ten. Other weight factor values may also be used with equal effectiveness. Threshold detector 34 compares the idle code count 36 to a threshold value 42 at a comparator 44. When the idle code count 36 exceeds the threshold value 42, threshold detector 34 generates control signal 22 to disable adaptive filter 14 and indicate to processor 18 that input line 20 is in an idle on-hook state. Idle code integrator 32 continues to increment and decrement throughout a duration of a call. Idle code integrator 32 may reset the idle code count 36 in response to an idle on-hook state determined by threshold detector 34 or upon initial detection of an off-hook condition on input line 20. In this manner, idle code densities over a specified time interval are measured to ensure that an on-hook condition occurs before echo canceler 10 is disabled.
Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the present invention, an idle code density detector that satisfies the advantages set forth above. Although the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations may be readily ascertainable by those skilled in the art may be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US5235634 *||Dec 14, 1990||Aug 10, 1993||Telegenics, Inc.||Apparatus and method for activating an inbound telemetry device|
|US5361251 *||Mar 17, 1992||Nov 1, 1994||Fujitsu Limited||Passing cell monitoring device operated using an ATM switching unit|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US6891847 *||Sep 24, 1999||May 10, 2005||Share Wave, Inc.||Method and apparatus for accommodating asynchronous data transmissions in a wireless computer network|
|US7496788 *||Aug 17, 2006||Feb 24, 2009||Nvidia Corporation||Watchdog monitoring for unit status reporting|
|US20060209838 *||Mar 17, 2006||Sep 21, 2006||Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.||Method and system for estimating average bandwidth in a communication network based on transmission control protocol|
|U.S. Classification||370/287, 379/406.08|
|Jun 20, 1997||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: DSC TELECOM L.P., TEXAS
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:KAPLAN, THOMAS M.;REEL/FRAME:008615/0742
Effective date: 19970617
|Nov 27, 1998||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: ALCATEL USA SOURCING, L.P., TEXAS
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:DSC TELECOM L.P.;REEL/FRAME:009596/0527
Effective date: 19980909
|Mar 17, 2004||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Aug 30, 2004||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Oct 26, 2004||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20040829