3GPP2 TSG-S (Seoul, Korea)

S00-20020121-006

W-VRM: Wideband Variable-Rate Multi-Mode Speech Codec for 3GPP2

Mitch Tseng, Ph.D. Nokia

January 21, 2002

Copyright 3GPP2 2002

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Topics
Wideband Speech Background Codec Evolution AMR-WB: Wideband Speech in 3GPP & ITU W-VRM: Wideband Speech in 3GPP2 Audio Demonstration

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WIDEBAND SPEECH: BACKGROUND MATERIAL

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WHAT IS WIDEBAND SPEECH?

The status quo narrowband speech codecs including PCM provide a voice bandwidth of 300 Hz~3.4 kHz. A wideband codec operates at a 16 kHz sampling rate and provides a voice bandwidth of 50 Hz~7 kHz. More bandwidth, both at the upper end and the lower end.

Status Quo (PCM)

Wideband

50 Hz 300 Hz
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3.4 kHz

7 kHz

WHY WIDEBAND SPEECH?

Current mobile systems and fixed line telephone networks offer only narrowband speech services (~300-3400 Hz) Recent advances in speech coding have made wideband coding feasible in bit-rates applicable to mobile systems Wideband provides superior quality over narrowband telephony

Increased naturalness (low end) Better fricative differentiation (high end) -> higher intelligibility Increased presence -> feeling of transparent communication Increased comfort Easier speaker recognition
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Wideband Speech 50-7000 Hz Narrowband Speech 300-3400 Hz

DEMONSTRATION: NARROWBAND VS WIDEBAND SPEECH

Voice Quality
50 Hz - 7 kHz
Wideband Female Speech Wideband Male Speech

300 Hz - 3.4 kHz

Narrowband Narrowband Female Male Speech Speech

Experiencing the Paradigm Shift in End-to-End Voice Quality

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WHY WIDEBAND SPEECH NOW?

Competitive Issues

A voice quality that is superior to the status quo and will sell in the future All narrowband codecs today provide near-landline quality (Squeezing the limit of PCM) Wideband codec voice quality far exceeds landline quality Challenge from Voice over IP ITU G.722 for Multimedia Applications 3GPP Wideband AMR, multi-rate, each rate fixed with VAD/DTX ITU-G.722.1: ITU Wideband Codec for Voice and Multimedia 3GPP AMR-WB = ITU-G.722.2 To standardize a Multi-mode, Variable Rate Bandwidth-Efficient Wideband Codec that fits in the CDMA2000 Rate Set 2 environment and can interoperate with other Wideband Codecs ITU, 3GPP
3GPP2 Wideband Codec Presentation

Worldwide Wideband Codec Efforts

Our Objective

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WIRELESS SPEECH CODEC EVOLUTION WITH A LOOK AT THE FUTURE

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3GPP2:

EVOLUTION OF WIRELESS SPEECH CODECS

3GPP:
2000-2001

Variable Rate Speech Coding W-VMR Rate-Set II

SMV Multimode Rate-Set I
1995 2001

3GPP/ITU AMR-WB Multi-Rate

1999

Fixed Rate Speech Coding With VAD/DTX

AMR-NB Multi-Rate EFR 12.2 kbps

1995

EVRC Rate-Set I QCELP13 Rate-Set II IS-96A Rate-Set I

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1996

1994

Common Mode Of Operation (Interoperable Mode)

HR 5.6 kbps
1989

1993

FR 13 kbps

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STATE-OF-THE-ART: VARIABLE RATE MULTI-MODE CODING

SMV
Mode 0

Narrowband Codecs

Quality/data rate curves

Increasing Voice Quality

Mode 1

Mode 2

EVRC
Mode 3

Increasing Average Data Rate

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VARIABLE RATE MULTI-MODE WIDEBAND SPEECH CODING

Wideband Codec
Mode 1 Mode 2 Mode 0

Quality/data rate curve

Increasing Voice Quality

Mode 3

QCELP13

Rate Set 2 Upper Limit

Increasing Average Data Rate

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3GPP2 CODECS: QUALITY AND CAPACITY

W-VRM W-VRM Mode 1 W-VRM Mode 2 Mode 3 W-VRM Mode 0

Increasing Voice Quality

SMV Mode 0 SMV Mode 2 SMV Mode 3 SMV Mode 1 EVRC QCELP13

Increasing ADR

Rate-Set I
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Rate-Set II

AMR-WB: WIDEBAND SPEECH FOR 3GPP AND ITU

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THE AMR WIDEBAND CODEC STANDARD

3GPP approved the Adaptive Multi Rate WideBand (AMR-WB) codec standard in March 2001 In July 2001 AMR-WB was adopted as the new ITU-T wideband standard First codec to be used both for wireless and wireline services: No transcoding between wireless and wireline systems -> no loss of quality in the interconnection Simplifies the implementation of global wideband speech services

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W-VRM: WIDEBAND VARIABLE-RATE MULTI-MODE SPEECH CODEC FOR 3GPP2

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W-VRM FOR 3GPP2: OVERVIEW

Proposed Codec is Ideal for 3GPP2 Applications:

Less Complex than SMV (Lower Complexity and Lower Memory) Same Algorithmic Delay as SMV with 20ms frame structure Multi-mode, Variable Rate Codec functionally similar to SMV Variable Rate to Provide Better Bandwidth Efficiency Comparable Voice Quality with ITU/3GPP Wideband Codec

Provides Superb End-to-End Voice Quality at Rate Set 2 and at QCELP13 Capacity Suitable for 3GPP2 TFO and VoIP Applications Interoperable with new ITU/3GPP Wideband Codec A Multi-mode Codec Functionally Similar to SMV

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W-VRM: PROPOSED REQUIREMENTS

Input sampling rate @ 16 kHz and audio bandwidth 507000 Hz Frame size 20 ms Multi-mode and variable-rate wideband coding system Full compliance with IS-95/cdma2000 rate-set II in all modes No physical layer changes required. Four modes of operation Mode 0: Worldwide Interoperable Mode Mode 1: Premium mode (Quality) Mode 2: Standard mode (IS-733 ADR equivalence) Mode 3: Economy mode (Capacity) Algorithmic delay less than 35 ms Computational complexity less than SMV
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W-VRM Interoperable Mode

Others

WCDMA
WB-AMR @12.65kbps WB-AMR @12.65kbps

Others

WB-AMR

WB-AMR

Interoperable
Mode 0 (12.65kbps) Mode 0 (12.65kbps) Other Modes

Other Modes

CDMA2000

WB-VRM
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WB-VRM

W-VRM Standardization

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W-VRM: APPLICATIONS

Tandem-Free Mobile-to-Mobile calls Wideband speech codec can be used for transparent-network
mobile-to-mobile calls.

Wideband telephony over packet networks (Mobile-to-IP) The intrinsic bandlimited nature of the current PSTN and wireless
systems can be overcome through the use of IP networks.

Teleconferencing Wideband coding can further improve the quality of service for

wireless/wireline teleconferencing systems beyond of what can be achieved through the use of narrowband codecs.

Wireless Multimedia There are a multitude of wireless multimedia applications such as

streaming and broadcasting that can benefit from the advantages offered by wideband speech coding. Rate Set 2, Tandem Free and IP are the Keys

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W-VRM: STANDARDIZATION ASPECTS

Proposed Schedule

1Q 2002:

Approval of the work item. Definition of the high-level requirements. approval of the test plan for the wideband speech codec. wideband codec and completion of the baseline specifications.

2Q 2002: Final definition of the requirements and

3Q 2002: Characterization and standardization of the

Recommend TSG-S to approve the work item and Stage 1

so that the Voice Services group (TSG-C WG1 SWG1) can start the work ASAP.
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 3GPP and ITU Have Standardized a Common Wideband Speech Codec

SUMMARY

wireless and wireline applications easily the best as the competition proved

3GPP2 Has the Opportunity to Harmonize Via Our Own Wideband Speech Codec with a Common Mode of Operation

AMR-WB 12.65 mode = W-VRM Mode 0 other modes use variable-rate coding to further enhance system capacity

Work Item Initially Supported by Bell Mobility, Sprint PCS, SK Telecom, KT Freetel, ALLTEL and Nokia.
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