TECHNIQUE FOR IMPROVED SUBJECTIVE PERFORMANCE IN A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM USING ATTENUATED NOISE-FILL

The present invention relates to a method for providing noise-fill in a communication system. The method comprises the detecting of active and inactive information signal transmission periods to a destined end user, and the measuring of background noise normally found in the transmission of the information signals to the destined end user. A noise-fill signal is generated and transmitted to the destined end user during information signal transmission gaps to that end user, which noise-fill signal is at level below that of the measured background noise. Such attenuated noise-fill level was found to provide improved subjective performance in, for example, speech transmissions when the noise-fill is between -1 dB and -6 dB of the measured background noise level, with best subjective performance noted between the -3 and -6 dB noise match levels. During inactive information signal transmission periods to the end user, the transmission channel can be used to transmit second signal transmissions to a second end user using a speech interpolation technique.