On the Use of Discrete Wavelet Transform for Robust Scalable Speech Coding

We developed scalable narrowband and wideband speech coding schemes based on the internet low bitrate codec (iLBC). Some of these newer codecs used the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) instead of the Modified Discrete Cosine Transform (MDCT). This paper explores the choice of wavelet packet transform (WPT) for an application for a new scalable speech codec for IP networks using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to encode the core-layer coding error in the enhancement layer. The issues regarding the design and in particular the choice of wavelet for the wideband codec are discussed. Experimental simulation results show that the DWT is a promising technique to use for encoding highly non-stationary signals such as the speech coding error. The wideband codec achieved speech quality equivalent to ITU-G.718 and similar codecs and is more robust. We also show that the best choice of wavelet depends on many factors including the order and number of levels of the wavelet tree, delay and how well it approximates the human auditory system.