Patent ID: 7424424

Claim:
In a communication system for processing a communication signal including a speech component derived from speech and a noise component derived from noise, a method for enhancing the quality of the communication signal comprising: dividing the communication signal into a plurality of frequency band signals representing the communication signal in a plurality of frequency bands representing a plurality of ranges of frequencies; generating in response to the speech component a control signal indicating at least an approximation of the spectrum shape of the speech component within a plurality of the frequency bands; assigning weighting values by calculating weighting values that vary with frequency within the ranges of frequencies of the frequency band signals in response to the control signal, the weighting values representing a weighting curve at least approximating inverse proportionality to the spectrum shape; altering the frequency band signals in response to the weighting values to generate weighted frequency band signals; and combining the weighted frequency band signals to generate a communication signal with enhanced quality.