A method and apparatus for eliminating popping sounds at the beginning of audio includes: examining audio frames within a pre-set time period at the beginning of audio to determine a popping residing section; applying popping elimination to audio frames in the popping residing section; calculating an average value of amplitudes of M audio frames preceding the popping residing section and an average value of amplitudes of K audio frames succeeding the popping residing section; setting the amplitudes of the audio frames in the popping residing section to zero in response to a determination that the two average values are both smaller than a pre-set sound reduction threshold; weakening the amplitudes of the audio frames in the popping residing section in response to a determination that both the two average values are not smaller than a pre-set sound reduction threshold; M and K are integers larger than one.

A system capable of self-adjusting both sound level and spectral content to improve audibility and intelligibility of electronic device audible cues. Audible cues are stored as sound files. Ambient noise is detected, and the output of the audible cues is altered based on the ambient noise. Various embodiments include processed sound files that are more robust in noisy environments.

Technologies are disclosed for improving the efficiency of real-time audio processing, and specifically for improving the efficiency of continuously modifying a real-time audio signal. Efficiency is improved by reducing memory bandwidth requirements and by reducing the amount of processing used to modify the real-time audio signal. In some configurations, memory bandwidth requirements are reduced by selectively transferring active samples in the frequency domain—e.g. avoiding the transfer samples with amplitudes of zero or near-zero. This has particular importance when the specialized hardware retrieves samples from main memory in real-time. In some configurations, the amount of processing needed to modify the audio signal is reduced by omitting operations that do not meaningfully affect the output audio signal. For example, a multiplication of samples may be avoided when at least one of the samples has an amplitude of zero or near-zero.

Technologies are disclosed for improving the efficiency of real-time audio processing, and specifically for improving the efficiency of continuously modifying a real-time audio signal. Efficiency is improved by reducing memory bandwidth requirements and by reducing the amount of processing used to modify the real-time audio signal. In some configurations, memory bandwidth requirements are reduced by selectively transferring active samples in the frequency domain—e.g. avoiding the transfer samples with amplitudes of zero or near-zero. This has particular importance when the specialized hardware retrieves samples from main memory in real-time. In some configurations, the amount of processing needed to modify the audio signal is reduced by omitting operations that do not meaningfully affect the output audio signal. For example, a multiplication of samples may be avoided when at least one of the samples has an amplitude of zero or near-zero.

Technologies are disclosed for improving the efficiency of real-time audio processing, and specifically for improving the efficiency of continuously modifying a real-time audio signal. Efficiency is improved by reducing memory bandwidth requirements and by reducing the amount of processing used to modify the real-time audio signal. In some configurations, memory bandwidth requirements are reduced by selectively transferring active samples in the frequency domain—e.g. avoiding the transfer samples with amplitudes of zero or near-zero. This has particular importance when the specialized hardware retrieves samples from main memory in real-time. In some configurations, the amount of processing needed to modify the audio signal is reduced by omitting operations that do not meaningfully affect the output audio signal. For example, a multiplication of samples may be avoided when at least one of the samples has an amplitude of zero or near-zero.

Technologies are disclosed for improving the efficiency of real-time audio processing, and specifically for improving the efficiency of continuously modifying a real-time audio signal. Efficiency is improved by reducing memory bandwidth requirements and by reducing the amount of processing used to modify the real-time audio signal. In some configurations, memory bandwidth requirements are reduced by selectively transferring active samples in the frequency domain—e.g. avoiding the transfer samples with amplitudes of zero or near-zero. This has particular importance when the specialized hardware retrieves samples from main memory in real-time. In some configurations, the amount of processing needed to modify the audio signal is reduced by omitting operations that do not meaningfully affect the output audio signal. For example, a multiplication of samples may be avoided when at least one of the samples has an amplitude of zero or near-zero.

Provided is pitch enhancement processing having little unnaturalness even in time segments for consonants, and having little unnaturalness to listeners caused by discontinuities even when time segments for consonants and other time segments switch frequently. A pitch emphasis apparatus carries out the following as the pitch enhancement processing: for a time segment in which a spectral envelope of a signal has been determined to be flat, obtaining an output signal for each of times in the time segment, the output signal being a signal including a signal obtained by adding (1) a signal obtained by multiplying the signal of a time, further in the past than the time by a number of samples T.sub.0 corresponding to a pitch period of the time segment, a pitch gain σ.sub.0 of the time segment, a predetermined constant B.sub.0, and a value greater than 0 and less than 1, to (2) the signal of the time.

Provided is pitch enhancement processing having little unnaturalness even in time segments for consonants, and having little unnaturalness to listeners caused by discontinuities even when time segments for consonants and other time segments switch frequently. A pitch emphasis apparatus carries out the following as the pitch enhancement processing: for a time segment in which a spectral envelope of a signal has been determined to be flat, obtaining an output signal for each of times in the time segment, the output signal being a signal including a signal obtained by adding (1) a signal obtained by multiplying the signal of a time, further in the past than the time by a number of samples T.sub.0 corresponding to a pitch period of the time segment, a pitch gain σ.sub.0 of the time segment, a predetermined constant B.sub.0, and a value greater than 0 and less than 1, to (2) the signal of the time.

Methods and systems for controlling audio quality of a real-time communication are provided. A system may receive first and second data from a first endpoint device, the first and second data being audible input from a same user, the first data satisfies a threshold indicative of a level of quality in output of audio data by a second endpoint device, and the second data being input for a computing session between the first endpoint device and a plurality of devices including the second endpoint device, compare the first and second data to one another to determine whether the second data satisfies the threshold, responsive to a failure of the second data to meet the threshold, modify the second data, and provide the modified second data to the second endpoint device, wherein the second endpoint device outputs the modified second data at the level of quality.

Methods and systems for controlling audio quality of a real-time communication are provided. A system may receive first and second data from a first endpoint device, the first and second data being audible input from a same user, the first data satisfies a threshold indicative of a level of quality in output of audio data by a second endpoint device, and the second data being input for a computing session between the first endpoint device and a plurality of devices including the second endpoint device, compare the first and second data to one another to determine whether the second data satisfies the threshold, responsive to a failure of the second data to meet the threshold, modify the second data, and provide the modified second data to the second endpoint device, wherein the second endpoint device outputs the modified second data at the level of quality.