Advances in adaptive filtering theory and applications to acoustic and speech signal processing
The advancement of adaptive digital systems, in particular adaptive filters with applications to acoustic echo and noise control, but also to digital transmission systems, has been influenced by the work of Eberhard Hansler and his research group members who contributed to this area over several decades. On the occasion of his 80th birthday, this issue of the EURASIP Journal of Advances in Signal Processing (JASP) is dedicated to Dr. Hansler to acknowledge his outstanding contributions, both as an eminent researcher and as a gifted educator. Eberhard Hansler studied electrical engineering at Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Germany (now Technische Universitat Darmstadt) from 1956 to 1961, specializing in control theory. From 1961 to 1963, he was with the Research Institute of the German Post Administration, where he worked on problems of information storage. From 1963 to 1968, he was a research and teaching assistant at the Department of Electrical Engineering of Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, where he received the doctoral degree for his work on optimal filtering in 1968. From 1968 to 1974, he was with IBM Research, both in Zurich, Switzerland, and in Yorktown Heights (IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center) NY, USA, working on reliability problems of communication networks. In 1974, he became a full professor at Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Germany. In 1989, Eberhard Hansler organized the first International Workshop on Acoustic Echo Control in Berlin, Germany. This biennial workshop became the leading forum in the field and developed into a global event with venues in the USA, Israel, and Japan, in addition to many places throughout Europe. In 2001, the seventh edition, now called IWAENC (International Workshop on Acoustic Echo and Noise Control) returned to Germany again organized by its initiator, Eberhard Hansler. The last one was held in Antibes, France, in 2014 and the next one is planned in 2016 in Xi'an, China, (see http:/www.iwaenc2016.org/ During his time at Technische Universitat Darmstadt, Professor Hansler authored and co authored several books. One of the early books, entitled Statistische Signale: Grundlagen und Anwendungen, printed by Springer in 1991, 1997, and 2001, demonstrates the dedication of Eberhard Hansler to education. His latest research book, entitled Acoustic Echo and Noise Control, printed by Wiley in 2004, covers those topics of speech and audio processing on which he and his research group have been working for the last thirty years. Especially on the acoustic research topics of echo and noise reduction both in terms of academic research and in terms of its industrial applications Eberhard Hansler was one of the leading researchers worldwide. Many of the algorithms developed in his group found their way into applications and products. A key recipe for this success is certainly his emphasis on experimental work, alongside with sound theoretical analysis. While many others in this field were satisfied with measuring improvements in form of MATLAB simulations, he always pushed his group to implement new ideas in the form of real time demonstrators and prototypes so that the acoustic sensation was perceivable. Eberhard Hansler received many awards, including the EURASIP Technical Group Award in the year 2000. On this special occasion of his 80th birthday, we are also proud to present the following greetings by Simon Haykin:
EURASIP J. Adv. Signal Process.