Patent ID: 6125343
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
A method for selecting a loudest speech signal from a plurality of speech signals from a plurality of speakers, said method comprising, in combination the steps of:(a) receiving a given speech signal from a given speaker, said given speech signal being encoded in a given bit stream by a code excited linear predictive vocoder, said given bit stream defining frames, each one of said frames representing a segment of said given speech signal;(b) extracting an excitation gain parameter from a current frame of said given bit stream, said current frame of said given bit stream representing a current segment of said given speech signal, said excitation gain parameter defining an excitation energy;(c) computing a frame gain from said excitation gain parameter, said frame gain being associated with said current frame of said given bit stream, said frame gain being correlated with the total energy in said current segment of said given speech signal;(d) computing an average frame gain over time for said given bit stream;(e) determining if said average frame gain over time for said given bit stream from said given speaker exceeds the average frame gain over time for another bit stream from another speaker, and, if so, selecting as a loudest speech signal the signal encoded in said given bit stream; and(f) transmitting said loudest speech signal to said plurality of speakers.