Encoding apparatus and method, recording medium, and decoding apparatus and method

• US 20020059063A1
• Filed: 12/04/2000
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Honma, Hiroyuki, Miyazaki, Satoshi, Shimoyoshi, Osamu, Tsutsui, Kyota
• Granted Patent: US 6,518,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/210
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes

Abstract

The first codec-based dummy string generator 132 generates a first codec-based dummy string in a first code string conforming to a first format based on the first coding method. The second codec encoder 131 generates a second code string having been encoded with a higher efficiency than the first code string and conforming to a second format different from the first format. The code string generator 133 generates a synthetic code string by embedding the second codec-based code string generated by the second codec encode block 131 in a blank area formed in the first code string based on the first codec-based dummy string generated by the first code dummy string generator 132.

Claims

1. An encoder comprising:

means for generating a dummy string;

a first encoding means for generating a first code string by forming a blank area in a frame based on the dummy string;

a second encoding means for generating a second code string by encoding an input signal; and

a code string synthesizing means for generating a synthetic code string by embedding the second code string generated by the second encoding means in the blank area in the first code string.

2. The encoder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first encoding means generates a first code string conforming to a first format and a second encoding means generates the second code string conforming to a second format different from the first format.

3. The encoder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the dummy string generating means generates a dummy string of data indicating a silent signal in the first code string.

4. The encoder as set forth in claim 3, wherein the first code string has quantizing precision data for each encoding unit being a collection of a plurality of spectrum signals and the dummy string generating means generate a dummy string having quantizing precision data indicating zero bit.

5. The encoder as set forth in claim 3, wherein the dummy string generating means generates a dummy string which minimizes an encoded data area in the first code string.

6. The encoder as set forth in claim 5, wherein the first code string has data indicating the number of encoding units in the header of the encoding frame and the dummy string generating means minimizes the number of encoding units to minimize the encoded data area in the first code string.

7. The encoder as set forth in claim 1, wherein the code string synthesizing means records the second code string generated by the second encoding means in the blank area in a direction from the end of the encoding frame towards the top of the encoding frame.

8. An encoding method comprising:

a step of generating a dummy string;

a first encoding step of generating a first code string by forming a blank area in a frame based on the dummy string;

a second encoding step of generating a second code string by encoding an input signal; and

a code string synthesizing step of generating a synthetic code string by embedding the second code string generated by the second encoding means in the blank area in the first code string.

9. An encoder comprising:

a first encoding means for generating a first code string;

a second encoding means for generating a second code string; and

a code string synthesizing means for generating a synthetic code string in such a manner that a part of the second code string generated by the second encoding means forms a part of the first code string.

10. The encoder as set forth in claim 9, wherein the first code string consists of encoded data obtained by making a predetermined number of encoding units each being a collection of a plurality of spectrum data and determining quantizing precision data and normalizing coefficient data for each encoding unit and the code string synthesizing means embeds a part of the second code string in a recording area of the normalizing coefficient data in the first code string.

11. The encoder as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first encoding means allocates zero to the quantizing precision data.

12. The encoder as set forth in claim 10, wherein the first encoding means minimizes the data area in an encoded frame in the first code string.

13. The encoder as set forth in claim 12, wherein the first encoding means minimizes the number of the encoding units written in a header in the encoded frame in the first code string to minimize the data area.

14. The encoder as set forth in claim 9, wherein the code string synthesizing means records the second code string generated by the second encoding means in a partial area formed by the first encoding means and blank area in the first encoding means in a direction from the end of the encoding frame towards the top of the encoding frame

19. The decoder as set forth in claim 18, wherein the output controlling means provides a predetermined sound when the dummy string detecting means detects no predetermined dummy string.

20. The decoder as set forth in claim 19, wherein the predetermined sound provided when the predetermined dummy string is not detected is silent.

21. The decoder as set forth in claim 18, wherein the synthetic code string receiving means receives a synthetic code string obtained by embedding the second code string in the blank area formed in the first code string based on the dummy string generated in the first code string in a direction from the trailing end towards the leading end of an encoded frame.

15. An encoding method comprising:

a first encoding step of generating a first code string;

a second encoding step of generating a second code string; and

a code string synthesizing step of generating a synthetic code string in such a manner that a part of the second code string generated by the second encoding means forms a part of the first code string.

16. A recording medium having a synthetic code string obtained by embedding a second code string recorded in a blank area formed in a first code string based on a dummy string formed in the first code string.

17. A recording medium having recorded a code string synthesized so that a part of a second code string forms a part of a first code string.

18. A decoder comprising:

means for receiving a code string obtained by embedding a second code string in a blank area formed in a first code string based on a dummy string generated in the first code string;

means for detecting the dummy string from the synthetic code string received by the synthetic code string receiving means;

means for decoding the second code string; and

means for controlling output of a signal generated by decoding the second code string according to whether the dummy string detecting means has detected a predetermined dummy string.

22. A decoding method comprising steps of:

receiving a synthetic code string obtained by embedding a second code string in a blank area formed in a first code string based on a dummy string generated in the first code string;

detecting the dummy string from the synthetic code string received at the synthetic code string receiving step;

decoding the second code string; and

controlling output of a signal generated by decoding the second code string depending upon whether the dummy string detecting means has detected a predetermined dummy string.

24. The decoder as set forth in claim 23, wherein the output controlling means provides a predetermined sound when the dummy string detecting means detects no predetermined dummy string.

25. The decoder as set forth in claim 24, wherein the predetermined sound provided when the predetermined dummy string is not detected is silent.

26. The decoder as set forth in claim 23, wherein the synthetic code string receiving means receives a synthetic code string obtained by embedding the second code string in a blank area formed in the first code string based on the dummy string generated in the first code string and a partial area of the first code string in a direction from the trailing end towards the leading end of an encoded frame.

23. A decoder comprising:

means for receiving a code string synthesized so that a part of a second code string forms a part of a first code string;

means for detecting a predetermined dummy string from the synthetic code string received by the synthetic code string receiving means;

means for decoding the second code string; and

means for controlling output of a signal generated by decoding the second code string depending upon whether the dummy string detecting means has detected the predetermined string.

27. A decoding method comprising steps of:

receiving a code string synthesized so that a part of a second code string forms a part of a first code string;

detecting a predetermined dummy string from the synthetic code string received at the synthetic code string receiving step;

decoding the second code string; and

controlling output of a signal generated by decoding the second code string depending upon whether the dummy string detecting means has detected the predetermined string.