Patent ID: 8346543

Claim:
A method of controlling a communication channel, the method comprising: determining, using a processing device, whether there is an absence of voice energy associated with the communication channel; determining, using the processing device, whether noise energy associated with the communication channel is constant based on a spectrum constancy criterion by analyzing fluctuations in a power frequency spectrum associated with the noise energy, analyzing fluctuations in the power frequency spectrum associated with the noise energy comprising determining a peak/average energy ratio over a duration of the power frequency spectrum to define a peak/average energy result associated with the power frequency spectrum, determining a sum of squares associated with an energy differential between adjacent sub-bands of the power frequency spectrum to define a sum result associated with the power frequency spectrum, and comparing the peak/average energy result to the sum result to define the spectrum constancy criterion; and activating, using the processing device, silence suppression in response to the noise energy associated with the communication channel being constant based on the spectrum constancy criterion and the voice energy associated with the communication channel being absent, activating silence suppression comprising associating rerouted voice energy with the communication channel.