US Patent 7577563 Enhanced conversion of wideband signals to narrowband signals

Wideband speech signals must be converted to narrowband speech signals if the transmission medium or the destination terminal is constructed with narrowband constraints. A typical wideband-to-narrowband conversion method is the elimination of frequencies above 3400 Hz using a low pass filter and a down sampler. However, this method produces a muffled speech sound since the resulting narrowband signal has a flat frequency response. Methods and apparatus are presented herein to enhance the acoustic quality of a wideband-to-narrowband converted signal. A bandwidth switching filter is used to emphasize a mid-range frequency portion of the wideband signal so that the resulting narrowband signal has a non-flat frequency spectrum.