Scalable audio encoding and decoding apparatus, method, and medium

• US 20070071089A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Miyoung, Lee, Shihwa, Kim, Dohyung, Kim, Sangwook
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,048 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.100
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/24 Variable rate codecs, e.g. for generating different qualities using a scalable representation such as hierarchical encoding or layered encoding

Abstract

Provided is a scalable encoding method, apparatus, and medium. The method includes: encoding a base layer and encoding a first enhancement layer and a second enhancement layer in a frame having the base layer; and generating an encoded frame by synthesizing the encoded results. Accordingly, only if the loss of the encoding frame is not as great as the encoded first enhancement layer is damaged, a case where speech restoration with respect to partial frequency bands must be given up does not occur. Furthermore, since an encoder divides the second enhancement layer into a plurality of layers considering a distribution pattern of data belonging to the second enhancement layer and first encodes a layer in which lots of data are distributed among the divided layers, loss of audio information can be minimized even if a portion of the encoded second enhancement layer is damaged.

Claims

1. A scalable encoding apparatus comprising:

a scalable encoder to encode a base layer, a first enhancement layer, and a second enhancement layer in a frame having the base layer; and

an encoding frame generator to generate an encoded frame by synthesizing the encoded results,

wherein the base layer is a layer to be encoded using a predetermined encoding method, a low frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the base layer, and a high frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the first enhancement layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scalable encoder encodes the first enhancement layer after encoding the base layer, and encodes the second enhancement layer after encoding the first enhancement layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scalable encoder comprises an examiner to examine similarity between a frequency distribution of the base layer and a frequency distribution of the first enhancement layer and outputs the encoded result of the base layer as the encoded result of the first enhancement layer in response to the examined result.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scalable encoder comprises:

an analyzer to analyze the second enhancement layer and outputting the analyzed result as a layer generation signal; and

a layer generator to divide the second enhancement layer into a plurality of layers in response to the layer generation signal,

wherein encoding of the plurality of divided layers is encoding of the second enhancement layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the scalable encoder encodes the plurality of divided layers in response to the layer generation signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the analyzer analyzes a distribution pattern in the frame of data belonging to the second enhancement layer and outputs the layer generation signal corresponding to the analyzed result.

7. A scalable encoding method comprising:

encoding a base layer, a first enhancement layer, and a second enhancement layer in a frame having the base layer; and

generating an encoded frame by synthesizing the encoded results,

wherein the base layer is a layer to be encoded using a predetermined encoding method, a low frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the base layer, a high frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the first enhancement layer, and the size of data belonging to the first enhancement layer is a result obtained by summing the size of data belonging to the base layer and the size of data belonging to the second enhancement layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the encoding comprises:

encoding the base layer;

encoding the first enhancement layer after encoding the base layer; and

encoding the second enhancement layer after encoding the first enhancement layer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the encoding of the first enhancement layer comprises:

determining whether similarity between a frequency distribution of the base layer and a frequency distribution of the first enhancement layer is greater than a predetermined threshold; and

if it is determined that the similarity is greater than the threshold, generating the encoded result of the base layer as the encoded result of the first enhancement layer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the encoding of the second enhancement layer comprises:

analyzing the second enhancement layer;

dividing the second enhancement layer into a plurality of layers according to the analyzed result; and

encoding the plurality of divided layers.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in the analyzing, a distribution pattern in the frame of the data belonging to the second enhancement layer is analyzed.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein in the encoding of the plurality of divided layers, the plurality of divided layers are encoded according to the analyzed result.

13. A scalable decoding apparatus comprising:

an encoding frame divider to divide an encoded frame into a base layer, a first enhancement layer, and a second enhancement layer; and

a scalable decoder to decode the base layer, the first enhancement layer, and the second enhancement layer,

wherein the base layer is a layer to be decoded using a predetermined decoding method, a low frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the base layer, and a high frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the first enhancement layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the encoded frame is generated by sequentially synthesizing an encoded base layer, an encoded first enhancement layer, and an encoded second enhancement layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second enhancement layer of the encoded frame comprises a plurality of divided layers, and the division is performed in response to a result obtained by analyzing a distribution pattern in the frame of data belonging to the second enhancement layer.

16. A scalable decoding method comprising:

dividing an encoded frame into a base layer, a first enhancement layer, and a second enhancement layer; and

decoding the base layer, the first enhancement layer, and the second enhancement layer,

wherein the base layer is a layer to be decoded using a predetermined decoding method, a low frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the base layer, and a high frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the first enhancement layer.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the encoded frame is generated by sequentially synthesizing an encoded base layer, an encoded first enhancement layer, and an encoded second enhancement layer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the second enhancement layer of the encoded frame comprises a plurality of divided layers, and the division is performed in response to a result obtained by analyzing a distribution pattern in the frame of data belonging to the second enhancement layer.

19. At least one computer readable medium storing instructions that control at least one processor to perform a scalable encoding method comprising:

encoding a base layer, a first enhancement layer, and a second enhancement layer in a frame having the base layer; and

generating an encoded frame by synthesizing the encoded results,

wherein the base layer is a layer to be encoded using a predetermined encoding method, a low frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the base layer, a high frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the first enhancement layer, and the size of data belonging to the first enhancement layer is a result obtained by summing the size of data belonging to the base layer and the size of data belonging to the second enhancement layer.

20. At least one computer readable medium storing instructions that control at least one processor to perform a scalable decoding method comprising:

dividing an encoded frame into a base layer, a first enhancement layer, and a second enhancement layer; and

decoding the base layer, the first enhancement layer, and the second enhancement layer,

wherein the base layer is a layer to be decoded using a predetermined decoding method, a low frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the base layer, and a high frequency band of the frame is a frequency band of the first enhancement layer.