BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Echo cancellation and suppression systems and methods therefor are known in the art. A speech transmission oriented system, such as a speech communication system, includes a sound production unit such as a speaker and a sound detection unit such as a microphone.

The speaker produces sounds received from a remote source and the microphone detects voice sounds which are provided by the user. It is noted that the microphone also detects sounds from other sources such as noise and sounds, which are produced by the speaker (echo), after traveling through and acoustic path therebetween.

Methods and systems for"emphasizing"the voice portion over the noise and echo are known in the art. The common approaches use adaptive filtering to derive a replica of an echo-signal, which is further subtracted from the microphone signal. As a result, a level of the echo- signal is decreased significantly. Speech communication systems,

especially hand-held devices, are limited in their processing and storage resources. This fact forces developers to search for new approaches for robust and high quality echo cancellation and echo suppression methods, which can function within these limited conditions.

In the article by A. Hirano et al."A noise-robust stochastic gradient algorithm with an adaptive step-size suitable for mobile hands- free telephones", Proc. ICASST-95, v. 5, pp. 1392-1395, 1995, an adaptive step-size algorithm is proposed. The algorithm controls the step size of the standard NLMS method, based on the reference input signal power and the noise power.

US Patent No 5, 608, 804 to Hirano, entitled"Method of and apparatus for identifying a system with adaptive filter"is directed to a method of and an apparatus for estimating characteristics of an unknown system, using an adaptive filter, in an echo canceller. A gradient step size, which is controlled dynamically, is a function of the power of the reference input signal. The gradient step size monotonously increases if the power of the reference input signal is smaller than a threshold and monotonously decreases if the power of the reference input signal is greater than the threshold.

US Patent No 5, 546, 459 to Sih, et al., entitled"Variable block size adaptation algorithm for noise-robust acoustic echo cancellation"is directed to an apparatus for acoustic echo cancellation using an adaptive

filter. The apparatus updates coefficients of the adaptive filter using a signal block of length L. The block size is adjusted in response to the instantaneous signal-to-noise ratio.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for echo suppression, which alleviates the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel method and system for echo canceling, which alleviates the disadvantages of the prior art.

In accordance with the present invention, there is thus provided an echo canceling apparatus, including a signal processor, an adaptation control unit, connected to the signal processor, an adaptive filter, connected to the signal processor and to the adaptation control unit, and a subtractor, connected to the signal processor, to the adaptation control unit and to the adaptive filter.

The signal processor determines an Euclidean norm of an echo- replica signal. The signal processor also determines an Euclidean norm of an input signal. The echo replica signal can be produced by processing a reference far-end signal with the adaptive filter. The adaptation control unit corrects the coefficients of the adaptive filter. The adaptive filter derives an updated echo-replica signal. The subtractor subtracts the updated echo- replica signal from the input signal and derives an updated error signal thereof.

The echo canceling apparatus can further include a digital-to- analog converter, connected to the signal processor, to the subtractor and to a source of the input signal such as a microphone. The analog-to-digital converter converts an analog input signal into a digital input signal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided a echo canceling method, including the steps of ; determining an Euclidean norm of an echo-replica signal, determining an Euclidean norm of an input signal, determining a gradient step size, correcting the coefficients of an adaptive filter, deriving an updated echo- replica signal, and determining an updated error signal by subtracting the updated echo-replica signal from the input signal. The echo replica signal can be produced by processing a reference far-end signal with an adaptive filter.

The input signal can include at least one of the list consisting of an echo-signal, a near-end speech signal, a noise signal and the iike. The gradient step size can be a function of the Euclidean norms of the echo- replica and the input signals. According to one aspect of the invention, the value of the function decreases when the values of the near-end speech and noise signals increase, and the value of the function increases when the values of the near-end speech and noise signals decrease.

The correction of the coefficients of the adaptive filter can be performed by employing the gradient step size, the reference far-end

signal and an error signal. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the error signal can be determined at the previous adaptation step.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided an echo suppression apparatus including a first amplitude estimation unit, a second amplitude estimation unit, a comparison unit, connected to the first amplitude estimation unit and to the second amplitude estimation unit, and a decision logic unit connected to the comparison unit.

The first amplitude estimation unit estimates an amplitude measure of a reference far-end signal. The second amplitude estimation unit estimates an amplitude measure of an error signal. The comparison unit compares between the values of the amplitude measure of the far-end signal and the amplitude measure of the error signal and produces a comparison result thereof.

The decision logic unit analyzes the comparison result and produces a control signal thereof. The error signal can be an output of an echo cancellation system, which is connected to the echo suppression apparatus. The far-end signal and the error signal are generally digital signal blocks, each containing at least one digital sample.

In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided an echo suppression method, including the steps of ;

estimating an amplitude measure of a reference far-end signal, estimating an amplitude measure of an error signal, comparing between the values of the amplitude measures of the far-end and the error signals, thereby producing a comparison value, and analyzing the comparison value, thereby producing a control signal. The error signal can be received from an echo cancellation system.

The far-end signal and the error signal, are generally digital signal blocks, where each of the digital signal blocks contains at least one digital sample.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided an echo suppression apparatus, including a first amplitude estimation unit, a second amplitude estimation unit, a comparison unit, connected to the first amplitude estimation unit and to the second amplitude estimation unit, a delay unit, connected to the comparison unit, and a decision logic unit connected to the delay unit.

The first amplitude estimation unit produces at least two far-end signal amplitude measure values by estimating an amplitude measure of a reference far-end signal. The reference far-end signal is a sequence of at least two digital signal blocks, where each of the digital signal blocks contains at least one digital sample. The second amplitude estimation unit produces at least two error signal amplitude measure values by estimating an amplitude measure of an error signal. The error signal is a sequence of

at least two digital signal blocks, where each of the digital signal blocks contains at least one digital sample.

The comparison unit determines a plurality of value pairs. Each of the pairs includes a selected one of the error signal amplitude measure values and a respective one of the far-end signal amplitude measure values. The comparison unit further compares between the far-end signal amplitude measure value and the error signal measure value, within each of the value pairs and produces at least two comparison results thereof.

The delay unit stores the comparison results. The decision logic unit analyzes the comparison results and produces a control signal thereof.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an echo suppression method including the steps of : Producing at least two far-end signal amplitude measure values by estimating an amplitude measure of a reference far-end signal. The reference far-end signal is a sequence of at least two digital signal blocks. Each of the digital signal blocks contains at least one digital sample.

* Producing at least two error signal amplitude measure values by estimating an amplitude measure of an error signal. The error signal includes a sequence of at least two digital signal blocks. Each of the digital signal blocks contains at least one digital sample.

* Determining a plurality of value pairs, where each pair includes a selected one of the error signal amplitude measure values and a respective one of the far-end signal amplitude measure values.

* Comparing between the far-end signal amplitude measure value and the error signal amplitude measure value, within each of the value pairs, thereby producing at least two comparison results.

* Analyzing the at least two comparison results, thereby producing a control signal.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is thus provided an echo suppression apparatus which includes a first amplitude estimation unit, a second amplitude estimation unit, a comparison unit, connected to the first amplitude estimation unit and to the second amplitude estimation unit, and a decision logic unit, connected to the comparison unit.

The first amplitude estimation unit estimates an amplitude measure of a reference far-end signal. The second amplitude estimation unit estimates an amplitude measure of an error signal. The comparison unit compares between the values of the amplitude measure of the far-end signal and the amplitude measure of the error signal and produces a comparison result thereof.

The decision logic unit analyzes the comparison result and produces a control signal thereof. The error signal can be the output of an

echo cancellation system, which is connected to the echo suppression apparatus of the invention.

In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided an echo suppression apparatus, including a first amplitude estimation unit, a second amplitude estimation unit, a comparison unit, connected to the first amplitude estimation unit and to the second amplitude estimation unit, a delay unit, connected to the comparison unit, and a decision logic unit connected to the delay unit. The first amplitude estimation unit produces at least two far-end signal amplitude measure values by estimating an amplitude measure of a reference far-end signal, wherein the reference far-end signal is a sequence of at least two digital signal blocks. Each of the digital signal blocks contains at least one digital sample.

The second amplitude estimation unit produces at least two error signal amplitude measure values by estimating an amplitude measure of an error signal, wherein the error signal is a sequence of at least two digital signal blocks. Each of the digital signal blocks contains at least one digital sample.

The comparison unit determines a plurality of value pairs. Each of the pairs includes a selected one of the error signal amplitude measure values and a respective one of the far-end signal amplitude measure values. The comparison unit compares between the far-end signal

amplitude measure value and the error signal measure value, within each of the value pairs and produces at least two comparison results thereof.

The delay unit stores the at least two comparison results. The decision logic unit analyzes the comparison results and produces a control signal thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which : Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a speech communication system, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 2 is a schematic illustration in detail of the echo- cancellation system of Figure 1, constructed and operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 3 is a schematic illustration of a method for operating the echo-cancellation system of Figure 2, operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention ; Figure 4 is a schematic illustration in detail of the echo- suppression system of Figure 1, constructed and operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention ; and Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of a method for operating the echo-suppression system of Figure 4, operative in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention alleviates the disadvantages of the prior art by providing better robustness of echo cancellation, whenever an additive background noise and/or near-end speech are present. It also provides a more accurate and computation-effective method of echo suppression.

Reference is now made to Figure 1, which is a schematic illustration of a speech communication system, generally referenced 10, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Speech communication system 10 includes a receiver 12, a loudspeaker 14, a switch 16, an echo-cancellation system 18, a transmitter 20, an echo-suppression system 22, a comfort noise generator 24, a digital-to-analog converter (D/A) 36 and a microphone 26.

Echo-cancellation system 18 is connected to receiver 12, to digital-to-analog converter 36, to echo-suppression system 22, and to microphone 26. Echo-suppression system 22 is connected to D/A 36, and to switch 16. Transmitter 20 and comfort noise generator 24 are connected to switch 16. Loudspeaker 14 is connected to D/A 36.

Receiver 12 receives an RF signal, extracts the audio information embedded therein and produces a digital audio stream Xk.

Receiver 12 further provides the digital audio stream Xk to D/A 36, to echo-

suppression system 22 and to echo-cancellation system 18. D/A 36 converts the digital audio stream Xk into an analog signal x (t) and provides it to loudspeaker 14. Loudspeaker 14 converts further the signal x (t) into an analog sound signal and provides it to a near-end speaker 30.

Microphone 26 detects an echo-signal y' (t), which is a combination of the sound, radiated by loudspeaker 14 and a sound, reflected from a reflector 32. Microphone 26 detects also a speech signal v' (t) from the near-end speaker 30 and a noise signal n' (t) from a noise source 28. Microphone 26 converts acoustic signals y' (t), v' (t), and nu () into electric signals y (t), v (t) and n (t), respectively. Microphone 26 provides a signal d (t), which is a combination of the signals y (t), v (t) and n (t) to echo-cancellation system 18.

Echo-cancellation system 18 analyzes the signals Xk and d (t), estimates an echo replica and performs echo cancellation. The echo replica estimation is performed by employing a novel adaptive filtering method, which will be described in detail hereinafter. Echo-cancellation system 18 provides an output digital signal Ek to echo-suppression system 22.

Echo-suppression system 22 analyzes the signals from the loudspeaker 14 and echo-cancellation system 18. Based on predetermined conditions, echo-suppression system 22 replaces, if necessary, the output signal Ek with an artificial noise signal 34, generated

by comfort noise generator 24. Echo-suppression system 22 controls switch 16, which performs the switching between the output signal Ek and the artificial noise signal. Switch 16 provides the output signal to transmitter 20.

Reference is now made to Figure 2, which is a schematic illustration in detail of echo-cancellation system 18 (Figure 1), constructed and operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Echo-cancellation system 18 includes analog-to-digital converter (A/D) 58, an adaptive filter 54, an adaptation control unit 62, a signal processor 60, and a summator 56. Adaptive filter 54 is connected to the first input of summator 56, to signal processor 60, and to adaptation control unit 62. A/D converter 58 is connected to the second input of summator 56, and to signal processor 60. Adaptation control unit 62 is further connected to the output of summator 56, and to signal processor 60.

A/D converter 58 converts an analog signal d (t) into a digital signal Dk. System 18 operates on digital signal blocks of length L, hence the signal Dk is a vector of length L, with components Dk D... DL- 1). Index k denotes a block number and has values 0, 1, 2,.... The signal d (t) is a sum of signals y (t), v (t) and n (t). Hence, signal Dk will be a sum of respective digital signals Yk, Vk and Nk, each of them being a vector of

length L. Accordingly, the signal Xk is a vector of length L, with components Xk (O), Xk(1)...Xk(L-1).

Signal processor 60 receives near-end signal Dk and echo- replica signal Yk, determines Euclidean norms of the signals Dk and Yk, and provides it to adaptation control unit 62. It is noted that the filter tap values, which are used for echo-replica signal Yk calculation, were determined during the previous iteration.

Adaptation control unit 62 receives far-end signal Xk, error (residual) signal Ek = Dk-Yk and the Euclidean norms of the signals Dk and Yk, and outputs filter tap correction values thereof. Adaptation control unit 62 provides further corrected filter tap values to adaptive filter 54.

Adaptive filter 54 receives the far-end signal Xk and the corrected filter tap values, and outputs echo-replica signal Yk. Adaptive filter 54 provides echo-replica signal Ykto summator 56.

Summator 56 sums signals Dk and Yk, produces an error signal Ek at the output, and provides signal Ek to echo-suppression system 22, and to adaptation control unit 62.

Reference is further made to Figure 3, which is a schematic illustration of a method for operating echo-cancellation system 18 (Figure 2), operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In step 70, a far-end signal Xk is received by adaptation control unit 62, and adaptive filter 54. With reference to Figure 2, a digital far-end signal Xk, is provided by a far-end speaker to adaptation control unit 62, and to adaptive filter 54.

In step 72, a near-end signal Dk is received by summator 56, and signal processor 60. With reference to Figure 2, A/D converter 58 converts an analog near-end signal d (t) into a digital near-end signal Dk, and provides it to summator 56, and to signal processor 60.

In step 74, Euclidean norms Dk (n) ll and Yk (n) ll of the signals Dk and Yk respectively, at time instance n, are calculated. With reference to Figure 2, signal processor 60 receives signals Dk and Yk, and determines Euclidean norms Dk (n) and Yk (n) according to the following expressions : Signal processor 60 provides further the Euclidean norms Dk (n) and Yk (n) to adaptation control unit 62.

In step 76, a gradient step size, u (n), at time instance n, is determined. With reference to Figure 2, adaptation control unit 62 receives far-end signal block Xk, residuai signal block Ek, and the Euclidean norms Dk (n) and Yk (n). Gradient step size µ(n) is further determined as :

where a and/3 are constants. The value of a depends on hardware and software implementation of the system, and can be determined experimentally. The optimal value of a will be the one which effects in a maximal echo cancellation. The value of ? can also be determined experimentally. The constant a is dimensionless, and the constant ? has dimensions of energy. It is noted, that constants a and ? can be multi- valued, i. e. they can be represented with vectors, having components a (i), ß(j) (i,j = 1, 2, 3,...). The most appropriate values of (i), ß6i) can be selected, depending on the working conditions, and HW and SW implementation. It is appreciated, that other expressions for the gradient step size can be used, such as that proposed in the article by A. Hirano, et al."A noise-robust stochastic gradient algorithm with an adaptive step-size suitable for mobile hands-free telephones", Proc. ICASST-95, v. 5, pp.

1392-1395, 1995.

It is noted, that the value of the gradient step size, u (n) is controlled dynamically. It follows from equation (2), that, u (n) decreases with a rise in the near-end signal Vk or the noise signal Nk. in other words, the adaptation process will be performed more accurately, and hence, the robustness of the system will improve. In an opposite case of low near-end

and noise signals, (n) will rise, causing, in turn, a rise in adaptation speed.

Based on the gradient step size (n), adaptation control unit 62 further determines an updated vector H (n+1), at a time n+1. The components Hq (n+1) of the vector H (n+1) represent filter tap coefficients and are determined according to the following recurrent expression : Hq (n + 1) = Hq (n) +, u(n). Ek(n). Xk(n-q), (3) where q = 0, 1, 2,... Q-1, and Q is the order of adaptive filter 54. It is noted that the length L of the signal block Xk, can be less than the order Q of adaptive filter 54. In this case, additional Q-L zero valued samples must be appended to the signal block Xk, so that the dimension of the signal block Xk, will be equal to dimension of the adaptive filter 54. Adaptation control unit 62 provides the updated vector H to adaptive filter 54.

In step 80, adaptive filter tap coefficients are updated and an echo-replica signal Yk is derived thereof. With reference to Figure 2, adaptive filter 54 receives near-end signal block Xk, and vector H, and derives the echo-replica signal Yk (n), at a time instance n, according to the following expression : The echo-replica signal Yk (n) is further provided to signal processor 60, and to summator 56.

In step 82, signals Yk (n) and Dk (n) are subtracted and an error signal Ek (n) is determined thereof. With reference to Figure 2, summator 56 receives signals Yk (n) and Dk (n) and derives the error signal Ek (n) =Dk (n)-Yk (n) at the output.

In step 84, error signal Ek at time n, is provided to echo- suppression system 22 (Figure 1), and to adaptation control unit 62. With reference to Figure 2, summator 56 provides the error signal Ek at time n, to adaptation control unit 62, for the next iteration, and to echo- suppression system 22.

Reference is now made to Figure 4, which is a schematic illustration in detail of echo-suppression system 22 (Figure 1), constructed and operative in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Echo-suppression system 22 includes amplitude estimation units 104 and 106, a comparison unit 108, a delay unit 110, and a decision logic unit 112.

Comparison unit 108 is connected to delay unit 110, and to amplitude estimation units 104 and 106. Decision logic unit 112 is connected to delay unit 110.

Amplitude estimation units 104 and 106 receive signals Ek and Xk, respectively. Each of the amplitude estimation units further determines

an amplitude estimation AE'and AX'of the respective signals, and provide the result to comparison unit 108.

Comparison unit 108 performs the comparison of amplitude estimations Akand A'k), and provides the result to delay unit 110. Delay unit 110 already contains the results of comparisons made for the previous M-1 pairs of signal blocks. The output of delay unit 110 is a vector jk with components dk (0), dk (1),... dk (M-1). Delay unit 110 provides vector Ak to decision logic unit 112.

Decision logic unit 112 analyzes vector Ak, and produces a control signal P. Decision logic unit 112 provides the control signal P to switch 16 (Figure 1).

Reference is further made to Figure 5, which is a schematic illustration of a method for operating echo-suppression system 22 (Figure 4), operative in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

In steps 150 and 152, the far-end signal Xk and error signal Ek are received. With reference to Figure 4, amplitude estimation unit 106 receives the far end signal Xk, and amplitude estimation unit 104 receives error signal Ek from echo-cancellation system 18 (Figure 1).

In step 154, amplitude measures of the far-end and residual signals are estimated. With reference to Figure 4, amplitude estimation

units 104 and 106 determine amplitude measures AE'and AX'for signals Ek and Xk, respectively, according to the following expressions where L is a length of signal blocks Ek and Xk. Amplitude measures Ae(k) and Ax(k0 are further provided to comparison unit 108.

It is appreciated that instead of amplitude measures AEkand AXk), it is possible to use other signal measures, for example energy estimate. It is noted, that in distinction to energy estimation, which is quadratic in signal amplitude, amplitude measures AEkand Axkvare linear functions of signal amplitudes Ek and Xk, respectively. The use of AE(k) and reduces the amount of the required calculations, and furthermore, increases their accuracy. In step 156, amplitude measures AEkand AXk) are compared. With reference to Figure 4, comparison unit 108 receives amplitude measures AE(k) and Ax(k), compares them, and produces a boolean output Ak (0), according to the following conditional expressions : k (0) == 1, if AX AE) > T (6) lAk (0) == 0, otherwise where T is a threshold value. The value of T is determined experimentally.

The value of Ak (0) is further provided to delay unit 110. Delay unit 110 already contains the results of comparisons made for the previous M-1

pairs of signal blocks. The output of delay unit 110 is a vector Ak with components Ak (°), ak (1), Ak (M-1). Delay unit 110 provides vector Ak to decision logic unit 112.

In step 158, the results of the current comparison, and previous M-1 comparisons of amplitude measures, are analyzed, and a respective control signal is derived thereof. With the reference to Figure 4, decision logic unit 112 receives comparison vector #k, analyzes comparison vector SkJ and derives appropriate control signal P for switch 16. The decision process is accomplished in accordance with the following logical scheme : if (#k(O)==1, #k(1)==1,...#k(M-1)==1) count= M <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> endif<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> count=count-1<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> if (count>O)<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> P== I else P==0 endif In step 160, control signal P is provided to switch 16. With reference to Figure 4, decision logic unit 112 provides control signal P to switch 16. In case P==1, switch 16 replaces signal Ek with comfort noise, otherwise signal Ek is provided to transmitter 20.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined only by the claims, which follow.