3rd Generation Partnership Project;

Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects;

3GPP TS 22.076
Noise Suppression for the AMR Codec;
V11.0.0 (2012-09)
Service description;
Technical Specification
Stage 1
(Release 11)

The present document has been developed within the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP TM) and may be further elaborated for the purposes of 3GPP.
The present document has not been subject to any approval process by the 3GPP Organizational Partners and shall not be implemented.
This Specification is provided for future development work within 3GPP only. The Organizational Partners accept no liability for any use of this
Specification.
Specifications and reports for implementation of the 3GPP TM system should be obtained via the 3GPP Organizational Partners' Publications Offices.
Release 11 2 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

Keywords
GSM, UMTS, codec, stage 1, LTE

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The copyright and the foregoing restriction extend to reproduction in all media.

© 2012, 3GPP Organizational Partners (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TTA, TTC).
All rights reserved.

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LTE™ is a Trade Mark of ETSI currently being registered for the benefit of its Members and of the 3GPP
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GSM® and the GSM logo are registered and owned by the GSM Association

3GPP
Release 11 3 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

Contents
Foreword..........................................................................................................................................................4
1 Scope......................................................................................................................................................5
2 References..............................................................................................................................................5
3 Definitions and abbreviations.................................................................................................................5
4 Description.............................................................................................................................................5
4.1 Applicability of Noise Suppression to Basic Services........................................................................................5
4.2 Support in Mobile Stations (MS).........................................................................................................................6
4.3 Support in the Network........................................................................................................................................6
4.4 Parameters to be indicated and negotiated...........................................................................................................6
4.5 Provision of Service.............................................................................................................................................6
4.5.1 Location Independence..................................................................................................................................6
4.5.2 Provision of service within and between networks........................................................................................6
4.5.3 Subscription and Billing Information............................................................................................................6
4.6 Quality of Service (QoS).....................................................................................................................................6
4.6.1 Impact on Speech Quality..............................................................................................................................6
4.6.1.1 Initial Convergence Time.........................................................................................................................6
4.6.1.2 No Degradation in Clean Speech.............................................................................................................7
4.6.1.3 No Artefacts in Residual Noise................................................................................................................7
4.6.1.4 No Speech Clipping and no Reduction in Intelligibility..........................................................................7
4.6.1.5 Quality Impact compared to AMR...........................................................................................................7
4.6.2 Impact on Speech Path Delay........................................................................................................................7
4.7 Impact on Complexity.........................................................................................................................................7
4.8 Impact on Channel Activity.................................................................................................................................8
5 Interaction with supplementary services.................................................................................................8
5.1 General.................................................................................................................................................................8
5.2 Explicit Call Transfer (ECT)...............................................................................................................................8
5.3 Call wait/Call hold...............................................................................................................................................8
5.4 Multiparty............................................................................................................................................................8
5.5 Service Announcements......................................................................................................................................9
6 Interaction with Alternate and Followed by services..............................................................................9
7 Interaction with other speech services....................................................................................................9
8 Interaction with DTMF and other signalling tones.................................................................................9
9 Interaction with Lawful Intercept...........................................................................................................9
10 Interaction with TFO..............................................................................................................................9
Annex A (informative): Change Request History.................................................................................10

3GPP
Release 11 4 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

Foreword
This Technical Specification has been produced by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

The contents of the present document are subject to continuing work within the TSG and may change following formal
TSG approval. Should the TSG modify the contents of the present document, it will be re-released by the TSG with an
identifying change of release date and an increase in version number as follows:

Version x.y.z

where:

x the first digit:

1 presented to TSG for information;

2 presented to TSG for approval;

3 or greater indicates TSG approved document under change control.

y the second digit is incremented for all changes of substance, i.e. technical enhancements, corrections,
updates, etc.

z the third digit is incremented when editorial only changes have been incorporated in the document.

3GPP
Release 11 5 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

1 Scope
The present document specifies the stage 1 description for the Noise Suppression feature for the AMR codec which
enhances the input speech signal corrupted by acoustic noise. In analogy with ITU-T Recommendations I.130 [1], Stage
1 is an overall service description, from the service subscriber's and user's standpoints, that views the network as a
single entity which provides services to the user.

2 References
The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present
document.

 References are either specific (identified by date of publication, edition number, version number, etc.) or
non-specific.

 For a specific reference, subsequent revisions do not apply.

 For a non-specific reference, the latest version applies. In the case of a reference to a 3GPP document (including
a GSM document), a non-specific reference implicitly refers to the latest version of that document in the same
Release as the present document.

[1] ITU-T Recommendations I.130 (1988): "Method for the characterization of telecommunication
services supported by an ISDN and network capabilities of an ISDN".

[2] GSM 01.04 (ETR 350): "Digital cellular telecommunications system (Phase 2+); Abbreviations
and acronyms".

[3] GSM 03.50: "Digital cellular telecommunications system (Phase 2+); Transmission planning
aspects of the speech service in the GSM Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) system".

3 Definitions and abbreviations

GSM 01.04 [2] (ETR 350) provides a list of abbreviations and acronyms used in GSM specifications.

4 Description
Noise Suppression for the AMR codec is an optional feature designed to enhance speech quality in a range of
environments where there is significant (acoustic) background noise. The noise suppression function is a preprocessing
module that is used to improve the signal to noise ratio of a speech signal prior to voice coding. In so doing it may use
functions and/or data from the AMR speech encoding function. It shall be possible to implement AMR Noise
Suppression in the mobile station (operating on the uplink speech signal). The possibility to implement AMR Noise
Suppression in the network (operating on the downlink speech signal) is for further study. The noise suppression
specification shall be comprised of bit exact fixed point C code. Test vectors shall be defined to verify operation.

The AMR Speech decoder C-code should not be altered by the Noise Suppression.

It shall be possible for the network to disable the operation of the example noise suppression algorithm defined by this
feature, whether that operation is operational in the network, the mobile station, or both locations.

4.1 Applicability of Noise Suppression to Basic Services.

This feature shall be applicable (as an option) to all speech calls where the narrowband AMR codec is utilised.
Operation of noise suppression for wideband AMR is for further study.

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Release 11 6 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

4.2 Support in Mobile Stations (MS)

Support of the Noise Suppression feature shall require modifications to future mobile stations. Provision of the feature
in AMR-capable mobile stations is a manufacturer dependent option.

Use of the feature in the network during a call should not place any requirements on its use within the MS. Similarly,
use of the feature by the MS during a call shall not place any requirements on its use in the network.

The network shall be able to enable or disable this example optional noise suppression function both at call set-up and
in call [Signalling between network and mobile to allow this control is under study in SMG2 WPA].

4.3 Support in the Network

Provision of the feature in the network should be an option.

Use of the feature in the network during a call should not place any requirements on its use within the MS. Similarly,
use of the feature by the MS during a call should not place any requirements on its use in the network.

The network should be able to enable or disable this example optional noise suppression function both at call set-up and
in call.

4.4 Parameters to be indicated and negotiated

[TBD]

4.5 Provision of Service

4.5.1 Location Independence
The Noise suppression feature shall be location independent.

4.5.2 Provision of service within and between networks

Provision of the feature is the same whether or not the call is wholly contained within a network or between networks.

4.5.3 Subscription and Billing Information

This feature shall not be provisioned on a per-subscriber basis and no record of the application of Noise Suppression is
necessary for billing purposes.

4.6 Quality of Service (QoS)

4.6.1 Impact on Speech Quality
The following performance requirements are stated under the assumption that the noise suppressor is tested as an
integral part of the AMR speech codec with the speech codec operating at the following rates [TBD]. The performance
requirements must be met for all these stated speech codec rates.

4.6.1.1 Initial Convergence Time

The initial convergence time shall be a maximum of T seconds with T equal to 2s. The definition of this time interval
shall be understood strictly in accordance with its means of use in subjective listening experiments. Its use shall be
defined by a process whereby the first T seconds of each sample processed through the AMR speech codec with and
without noise suppression active, is deleted before presentation to listeners. It is assumed that this process does not
reduce intelligibility, or introduce clipping or similar effects into the resultant speech plus noise material.

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Release 11 7 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

To test the subjective effect of initial convergence, there will be a subset of subjective testing defined where this initial
period of T seconds is not removed from the processed samples. These tests should be representative of the full range of
noise conditions.

4.6.1.2 No Degradation in Clean Speech

The noise suppression function must not have a statistically significant distorting effect on clean speech, in comparison
with the performance of the AMR codec without noise suppression applied. This requirement also applies to the case
where tandeming of the standardised example noise suppression function occurs for mobile to mobile calls, in which
case the reference condition is the tandem condition without noise suppression activated.

This requirement also applies when VAD/DTX is active.

4.6.1.3 No Artefacts in Residual Noise

The noise suppression function must not introduce any subjectively objectionable artefacts in the residual noise. This
requirement also applies to the case where tandeming of the standardised example noise suppression function occurs for
mobile to mobile calls, in which case the reference condition is the tandem condition without noise suppression
activated.

This requirement also applies when VAD/DTX is active.

4.6.1.4 No Speech Clipping and no Reduction in Intelligibility

The noise suppression function should introduce no subjectively objectionable degradation such as clipping or
distortion in the speech, and no reduction in intelligibility. This requirement also applies to the case where tandeming of
the standardised example noise suppression function occurs for mobile to mobile calls, in which case the reference
condition is the tandem condition without noise suppression activated.

This requirement also applies when VAD/DTX is active.

4.6.1.5 Quality Impact compared to AMR

The AMR speech codec with noise suppression activated must produce an output in noisy speech which is preferred
amongst test listeners with statistical significance, compared to the case where noise suppression is not used. This
requirement also applies to the case where tandeming of the standardised example noise suppression function occurs for
mobile to mobile calls, in which case the reference condition is the tandem condition without noise suppression
activated.

This requirement also applies when VAD/DTX is active.

4.6.2 Impact on Speech Path Delay

The one way algorithmic delay due to the activation of AMR noise suppression shall be no more than 7 ms in excess of
the delay inserted by the AMR speech codec.

In handsfree case, this delay is part of the 39ms delay specified in GSM 03.50 [3].

4.7 Impact on Complexity

Table 4.1 defines complexity limits for AMR noise suppression.

3GPP
Release 11 8 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

Table 4.1 Complexity Requirements for AMR Noise Suppression

Quantity Complexity Limit (Upper Bound)

Number of weighted operations per second 5 WMOPS
Scratch pad RAM Re-use AMR speech encoder scratch pad RAM (or in the case of
implementation which does not reside in the same device as the
speech encoder, the available scratch pad RAM should be the
same as that defined for the AMR speech encoder)
Static RAM 1,5 kwords
Data ROM 1 kword
Program ROM 2000 basic ETSI operations

4.8 Impact on Channel Activity

The AMR speech codec with noise suppression activated should not significantly increase channel activity when used in
conjunction with DTX.

Channel activity increase will be measured thanks to the Voice Activity factor (VAF), defined as follows.

Let x be the VAF measured by the AMR VAD as an averaged value on all clean speech signals.

Let y be the VAF measured by the AMR VAD without AMR NS active as an averaged value on all clean speech + noise
signals (where the applicable clean speech signal is the speech signal used in the measure of x).

Let w be the VAF measured by the AMR VAD with AMR NS active as an averaged value on all clean speech +noise
signals (where the applicable clean speech signal is the speech signal used in the measure of x). w is required to be less
than the maximum of y and x. Any case where w is greater than y should be further investigated.

For real word signals, w is required not to be significantly greater than y. Any case where w is greater than y should be
further investigated.

These requirements shall apply to all standardized AMR VADs. (w,x,y) are determined using all VADs, and the
requirements are checked relatively to each AMR VAD independently.

5 Interaction with supplementary services

5.1 General
This clause defines the interactions between GSM supplementary services and the Noise Suppression Feature.

The application of Noise Suppression shall not interfere with the provision or invocation of any supplementary services.

5.2 Explicit Call Transfer (ECT)

No adverse interaction. If the new party is a mobile station with support for the Noise Suppression feature, the noise
suppression feature shall be invoked.

5.3 Call wait/Call hold.

No interaction.

5.4 Multiparty
No interaction.

3GPP
Release 11 9 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

5.5 Service Announcements

No interaction.

6 Interaction with Alternate and Followed by services

There shall be no impact on data transmission due the Noise Suppression Feature.

7 Interaction with other speech services

There is no requirement for Noise Suppression in ASCI services.

8 Interaction with DTMF and other signalling tones

DTMF and other signalling tones transmission performance during the application of Noise Suppression shall be no
worse than the case where Noise Suppression is turned off.

9 Interaction with Lawful Intercept

In the case where lawful intercept is required in a call where Noise Suppression is activated, the Noise Suppression
shall not cause any degradation in the speech quality received by the A and B parties.

10 Interaction with TFO

No interaction.

3GPP
Release 11 10 3GPP TS 22.076 V11.0.0 (2012-09)

Annex A (informative):
Change Request History
SMG# Tdoc Spec CR Cat PH Vers New Subject
SMG Vers
29 P-99-425 02.76 2+ 8.0.0 New version 8.0.0 for R99
Change history
Date TSG # TSG Doc. CR Rev Subject/Comment Old New
2001-03 11 New version 4.0.0 for Release 4 8.0.0 4.0.0
2001-08 Clean-up 4.0.0 4.0.1
2002-06 16 Version 5.0.0 for Release 5 4.0.1 5.0.0
2004-12 26 Version 6.0.0 for Release 6 5.0.0 6.0.0
2007-06 36 Version 7.0.0 for Release 7 6.0.0 7.0.0
2008-12 42 Version 8.0.0 for Release 8 7.0.0 8.0.0
2009-12 46 Version 9.0.0 for Release 9 8.0.0 9.0.0
2011-03 51 Version 10.0.0 for Release 10 9.0.0 10.0.0
2012-09 57 Version 11.0.0 for Release 11 10.0.0 11.0.0

3GPP