Far-end sound quality indication for telephone devices

Abstract

A sound quality metric may be determined at a near-end telephone system, the sound quality metric associated with far-end sound quality received at a far-end telephone system. A signal adjustment may be determined, based on the sound quality metric. The signal adjustment may thus be provided at an earpiece of the near-end telephone system. In this way, a user of the near-end telephone system may be alerted that the sound quality of a far-end user is unacceptably low, so that the near-end user may take corrective action at the near end to improve the far-end sound quality.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A device comprising:
 at least one processor circuit configured to:
 determine a sound quality metric of an input signal from an input device; 
 determine a severity level corresponding to the sound quality metric; 
 apply gain and filter parameters to the input signal to form a modified input signal, the gain and filter parameters corresponding to the severity level; and 
 combine the modified input signal with a received signal from a far-end telephone system for output via an output device. 
   
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the input signal includes one or more of speech or noise, and the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine a speech level in the input signal based on the received signal;   determine a noise level in the input signal based on the received signal; and   determine whether the sound quality metric has a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value corresponding to at least one of a plurality of predetermined severity values, the SNR value being a ratio of the speech level to the noise level.   
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 22 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine that the speech level is greater than a first decibel threshold;   determine that the noise level is associated with a first decibel value representing wind speed smaller than a first wind speed threshold; and   determine that the sound quality metric includes a first SNR value corresponding to a first severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the speech level determined to be greater than the first decibel threshold and the noise level determined to be associated with the first decibel value representing wind speed smaller than the first wind speed threshold, the first severity value identified as non-severe.   
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine that the speech level is smaller than a second decibel threshold;   determine that the noise level is associated with the first decibel value representing wind speed greater than the first wind speed threshold; and   determine that the sound quality metric includes a second SNR value corresponding to a second severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the speech level determined to be smaller than the second decibel threshold and the noise level determined to be associated with the first decibel value representing wind speed greater than the first wind speed threshold, the second severity value identified as low severity.   
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine that the noise level is associated with a second decibel value representing wind speed greater than a second wind speed threshold irrespective of the speech level; and   determine that the sound quality metric includes a third SNR value corresponding to a third severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the noise level determined to be associated with the second decibel value representing wind speed greater than the second wind speed threshold irrespective of the speech level, the third severity value identified as high severity.   
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine that the noise level is associated with a third decibel value representing stationary wind speed;   determine that the SNR value is smaller than a third decibel threshold; and   determine that the sound quality metric corresponds to a fourth severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the noise level determined to be associated with the third decibel value representing stationary wind speed and the SNR value determined to be smaller than the third decibel threshold, the fourth severity value identified as medium severity.   
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine that the noise level is associated with a fourth decibel value representing large number of variations in time and frequency;   determine that the SNR value is smaller than a fourth decibel threshold; and   determine that the sound quality metric corresponds to a fifth severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the noise level determined to be associated with the fourth decibel value representing large number of variations in time and frequency and the SNR value determined to be smaller than the fourth decibel threshold, the fifth severity value identified as high severity.   
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 generate a sidetone signal based on the input signal; and   modify the sidetone signal using the applied gain and filter parameters and the modified input signal to firm a modified sidetone signal, the modified sidetone signal including instructions to adjust the input signal at the input device based on a level of adjustment corresponding to the severity level.   
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor circuit is further configured to:
 determine one or more of a distortion level in the input signal, a signal-to-noise ratio level of the input signal, a noise reduction efficacy or a noise reduction operating range as part of the determination of the sound quality metric.   
     
     
         30 . A method, comprising:
 generating a sidetone signal based on an input signal from an input device of a near-end telephone system;   determining an amount of distortion in the input signal;   determining a severity level of the amount of distortion;   mapping the severity level to corresponding gain and filter parameters;   applying the gain and filter parameters to the sidetone signal based on the severity level to form a modified sidetone signal; and   combining the modified sidetone signal with a received signal from a far-end telephone system for output via an output device of the near-end telephone system.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein determining the amount of distortion comprises:
 determining a speech level in the input signal;   determining a noise level in the input signal; and   determining whether the amount of distortion has a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value corresponding to at least one of a plurality of predetermined severity values, the SNR value being a ratio of the speech level to the noise level.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein:
 the speech level is determined to be greater than a first decibel threshold;   the noise level is determined to be associated with a first decibel value representing wind speed smaller than a first wind speed threshold; and   the amount of distortion is determined to include a first SNR value corresponding to a first severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the speech level determined to be greater than the first decibel threshold and the noise level determined to be associated with the first decibel value representing wind speed smaller than the first wind speed threshold, the first severity value identified as non-severe.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein:
 the speech level is determined to be smaller than a second decibel threshold;   the noise level is determined to be associated with a second decibel value representing wind speed greater than the first wind speed threshold; and   the amount of distortion is determined to include a second SNR value corresponding to a second severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the speech level determined to be smaller than the second decibel threshold and the noise level determined to be associated with the second decibel value representing wind speed greater than the first wind speed threshold, the second severity value identified as low severity.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein:
 the noise level is determined to be associated with a third decibel value representing wind speed greater than a second wind speed threshold irrespective of the speech level; and   the amount of distortion is determined to include a third SNR value corresponding to a third severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the noise level determined to be associated with the third decibel value representing wind speed greater than the second wind speed threshold irrespective of the speech level, the third severity value identified as high severity.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34 , wherein:
 the noise level is determined to be associated with a fourth decibel value representing stationary wind speed;   the SNR value is determined to be smaller than a third decibel threshold; and   the amount of distortion is determined to correspond to a fourth severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the noise level determined to be associated with the fourth decibel value representing stationary wind speed and the SNR value determined to be smaller than the third decibel threshold, the fourth severity value identified as medium severity.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the noise level is determined to be associated with a fifth decibel value representing large number of variations in time and frequency;   the SNR value is determined to be smaller than a fourth decibel threshold; and   the amount of distortion is determined to correspond to a fifth severity value of the plurality of predetermined severity values based on the noise level determined to be associated with the fifth decibel value representing large number of variations in time and frequency and the SNR value determined to be smaller than the fourth decibel threshold, the fifth severity value identified as high severity.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 modify the sidetone signal using the applied gain and filter parameters and a modified input signal to form the modified sidetone signal, the modified sidetone signal including instructions to adjust the input signal at the input device based on a level of adjustment corresponding to the severity level.   
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 determine a sound quality metric of the input signal, the sound quality metric comprising one or more of a distortion level of the input signal, a signal-to-noise ratio level of the input signal, a noise reduction efficacy or a noise reduction operating range as part of the determination of the sound quality metric.   
     
     
         39 . A computer program product comprising instructions stored in a tangible computer-readable storage medium, the instructions comprising:
 instructions to generate a sidetone signal based on an input signal from an input device of a near-end telephone system;   instructions to determine an amount of distortion in the input signal;   instructions to determine a severity level of the amount of distortion;   instructions to map the severity level to corresponding gain and filter parameters;   instructions to apply the gain and filter parameters to the sidetone signal based on the severity level to form a modified sidetone signal; and   instructions to combine the modified sidetone signal with a received signal from a far-end telephone system for output via an output device of the near-end telephone system.   
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 39 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
 instructions to determine a speech level in the input signal based on the received signal;   instructions to determine a noise level in the input signal based on the received signal; and   instructions to determine whether the amount of distortion has a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) value corresponding to one of a non-severity value, a low severity value, a medium severity value or a high severity value, the SNR value being a ratio of the speech level to the noise level.