December 3, 2002
NTT Advanced Technology Corporation
NTT Advanced Technology Corporation
NTT-AT to sell echo canceller software with noise suppression capability
When incorporated into a hands-free device, the software enables comfortable, noise-free and echo-free speech
NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (hereafter referred to as NTT-AT, headquartered in Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan; President: Kimio Tazaki) is, starting Tuesday, December 3, 2002, selling echo canceller software with a noise suppression capability, which can be applied to a wide range of hands-free terminals and systems.
NTT-AT is marketing a software library*1 for digital signal processing (DSP*2) devices, which is based on the latest echo and noise cancellation technology developed by NTT Cyber Space Laboratories.
When used with a hands-free terminal in a vehicle or with a videoconference system, the software eliminates both the noise of the running vehicle and the surrounding environment and the echo generated by the sound from a loudspeaker, allowing clear and comfortable hands-free communication.
NTT-AT will target the manufacturers of car navigation systems, cellular phones, PDAs*3 and other mobile terminals, and videoconference or Web conference systems. It projects sales of 100 million yen during the first year.
Against this background, NTT Cyber Space Laboratories have exploited their massive experience in speech and acoustic fields as well as the latest signal processing technology to develop echo cancellation technology with noise suppression capability based on their original algorithm. This technology, developed in May 2002, has now been turned into a software library product by NTT-AT, in order to make it applicable to a wire range of purposes.
When used with a hands-free terminal in a vehicle or with a videoconference system, the software eliminates both the noise of the running vehicle and the surrounding environment and the echo generated by the sound from a loudspeaker, allowing clear and comfortable hands-free communication.
NTT-AT will target the manufacturers of car navigation systems, cellular phones, PDAs*3 and other mobile terminals, and videoconference or Web conference systems. It projects sales of 100 million yen during the first year.
Background and history
Traditionally, hands-free communication has been limited to use in specially designed videoconference rooms. However, as the ubiquitous information environment, such as broadband IP networks and cellular phones, is becoming widespread as a social infrastructure, hands-free communication is making its way into ordinary office rooms for videoconferences or into vehicles where cellular phones or car navigation systems are used. In these new environments, the noise in the office, the noise of air conditioners, or the noise of a running car can degrade the clarity of speech. In addition, the voice received from the loudspeaker can be picked up by the microphone, causing echo and interruptions in the speech signals. A variety of technologies have been developed and tried, but few have been effective in reducing both the surrounding noise and echo.Against this background, NTT Cyber Space Laboratories have exploited their massive experience in speech and acoustic fields as well as the latest signal processing technology to develop echo cancellation technology with noise suppression capability based on their original algorithm. This technology, developed in May 2002, has now been turned into a software library product by NTT-AT, in order to make it applicable to a wire range of purposes.
Outline
In order to facilitate its introduction into a variety of devices, the product comes as a library for the DSP "C54X series" by Texas Instruments (TI), a leading DSP manufacturer in the U.S. The echo canceller software library thus conforms to TI's standard interface. The library comes in two types: one for voice in a videoconference bandwidth and the other for voice in a telephony bandwidth. NTT-AT also offers an evaluation board and an echo canceller with the software library built in.Main features
- The NTT-developed echo cancellation technology and noise suppression function provide clear voice quality, almost free of noise or speech signal interruptions.
- Since the software library can be used with a widely available DSP, the user can develop a product with the latest echo cancellation capability at low cost.
- The user can develop such a product quickly because the library can be built into the product with a simple set-up procedure.
Future plans
Since this technology is applicable to any spoken language, NTT-AT plans to launch licensing sales overseas. It will also develop products that suppress circuit echo produced in the network (the echo that is present when a telephone is connected to the telephone network) with the aim of entering the echo canceller market for telecommunication providers.Price
NTT-AT will only provide license sales to manufacturers. The price will depend on individual licensing agreements. Please consult with us.Glossary
- *1:Library
- A file into which multiple programs are assembled, each performing a specific function and being treated as a software component.
- *2:DSP (Digital Signal Processor)
- A microprocessor specifically designed for processing voice or image signals. It may be built into the core of a mobile terminal, or used in a PC to relieve the CPU of certain processing tasks.
- *3:PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
- A palm-size mobile information terminal. It usually has a liquid crystal display and can perform some of the functions of a PC.
