Signal encoding method and apparatus using selected predetermined code tables

• US 5,835,030 A
• Filed: 01/26/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tsutsui, Kyoya, Shimoyoshi, Osamu, Sonohara, Mito
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JEAN PIERRE, PEGUY
• Application Number:
  US08/535,217
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: 341/106, 341/67, 341/58, 341/59, 341/68, 341/51
• US Class Current: 341/51
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 7/3053 Block-companding PCM systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/667 using a division in frequency subbands for TV signals H04N19/63

Abstract

An apparatus for encoding data includes adaptive bit allocation encoding circuitry that normalizes frames of input spectrum data into transform frames in accordance with normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information. Quantized data encoding circuitry encodes each transform frame of normalized spectrum data with at least one selected code table of a plurality of code tables in accordance with a code table selection signal. Code train generation circuitry generates a code train that includes the encoded normalized spectrum data and information indicative of the at least one selected code table and of the normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information in accordance with which the encoding circuitry normalizes each frame of input spectrum data. Control circuitry generates the code table selection signal, the number of quantization step information, and the normalization coefficients in response to the input spectrum data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for encoding data, comprising:

adaptive bit allocation encoding circuitry that normalizes frames of input spectrum data into transform frames in accordance with normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information;

quantized data encoding circuitry that encodes each transform frame of normalized spectrum data with at least one selected code table of a plurality of code tables in accordance with a code table selection signal;

code train generation circuitry that generates a code train that includes the encoded normalized spectrum data and information indicative of the at least one selected code table and of the normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information in accordance with which the encoding circuitry normalizes each frame of input spectrum data; and

control circuitry that generates the code table selection signal, the number of quantization step information, and the normalization coefficients in response to the input spectrum data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adaptive bit allocation encoding means is first adaptive bit allocation encoding means, and wherein the control circuitry includes:

means for calculating the normalization coefficients from the frame of input spectrum data; and

means for determining a combination of number of quantization steps and one of the plurality of code tables with which encoding the transform frame generated in accordance with the calculated normalization coefficients is such to satisfy a desired bit rate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the adaptive bit allocation encoding means is first adaptive bit allocation encoding means, and wherein the combination determining means includes:

number of quantization step setting means for setting the number of quantization steps;

second adaptive bit allocation encoding means for adaptively allocating bits of the input spectrum data in response to the determined normalization coefficients and the set number of quantization steps;

a plurality of encoders, each encoder encoding the bits of the input spectrum data, adaptively allocated, using a separate code table to generate a separate stream of encoded spectrum data;

minimum data selecting circuitry that determines which of the separate streams of encoded spectrum data has a minimum number of bits, wherein the selected code table indicated by the code train generation circuitry corresponds to the determined separate stream;

number of bit judging circuitry that determines whether the minimum number of bits is such to satisfy a desired bit rate and, if the minimum number of bits is not such to satisfy a desired bit rate, causes the number of quantization steps setting means to reset the number of quantization steps.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

when the quantized data encoding circuitry encodes a particular frame of normalized spectrum data with more than one selected code table, the code train generation circuitry includes in the code train, for the frame, a flag indicative thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the normalized spectrum data includes frames, and wherein

each frame of normalized spectrum data includes a plurality of compression units,

when the quantized data encoding circuitry encodes a particular frame of normalized spectrum data with more than one selected code table, the quantized data encoding circuitry separately encodes each compression unit with one of said at least one selected code tables.

6. A method for encoding data, comprising the steps of:

adaptively allocating bits to normalize frames of input spectrum data into transform frames in accordance with normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information;

encoding each transform frame of normalized spectrum data with at least one selected code table of a plurality of code tables in accordance with a code table selection signal;

generating a code train that includes the encoded normalized spectrum data and information indicative of the at least one selected code table and of the normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information in accordance with which the each frame of input spectrum data is normalized;

generating the code table selection signal, the number of quantization step information, and the normalization coefficients in response to the input spectrum data.

7. The encoding method of claim 6, wherein the step of adaptively allocating bits is a first step of adaptively allocating bits, and wherein the control step includes:

calculating the normalization coefficients from the frame of input spectrum data; and

determining a combination of number of quantization steps and one of the plurality of code tables with which encoding the transform frame generated in accordance with the calculated normalization coefficients is such to satisfy a desired bit rate.

8. The encoding method of claim 6, wherein the step of adaptively allocating bits is a first step of adaptively allocating bits, and wherein the combination determining step includes:

setting the number of quantization steps;

a second step of adaptively allocating bits, for allocating bits of the input spectrum data in response to the set normalization coefficients and the set number of quantization steps;

encoding the bits of the input spectrum data with separate ones of a plurality of encoders, adaptively allocated by the second set of adaptively allocating bits, each encoder using a separate code table to generate a separate stream of encoded spectrum data;

determining which of the separate streams of encoded spectrum data has a minimum number of bits, wherein the selected code table corresponds to the determined separate stream;

determining whether the minimum number of bits is such to satisfy a desired bit rate and, if the minimum number of bits is not such to satisfy a desired bit rate, resetting the number of quantization steps in the second step of adaptively allocating bits.

9. The encoding method of claim 6, wherein

when the quantized data encoding step encodes a particular frame of normalized spectrum data with more than one selected code table, the code train generation step includes in the code train, for the frame, a flag indicative thereof.

10. The encoding method of claim 6, wherein the normalized spectrum data includes frames, and wherein

each frame of normalized spectrum data includes a plurality of compression units,

when a particular frame of normalized spectrum data is encoded with more than one selected code table, each compression unit is separately encoded with one of said at least one selected code tables.

11. A signal recording medium having encoded signals recorded thereon, wherein the encoded signals recorded thereon are encoded by a method comprising:

adaptively allocating bits to normalize frames of input spectrum data into transform frames in accordance with normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information;

encoding each transform frame of normalized spectrum data with at least one selected code table of a plurality of code tables in accordance with a code table selection signal;

generating a code train that includes the encoded normalized spectrum data and information indicative of the at least one selected code table and of the normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information in accordance with which the each frame of input spectrum data is normalized;

generating the code table selection signal, the number of quantization step information, and the normalization coefficients in response to the input spectrum data.

12. The signal recording medium of claim 11, wherein the step of adaptively allocating bits is a first step of adaptively allocating bits, and wherein the control step includes:

calculating the normalization coefficients from the frame of input spectrum data; and

determining a combination of number of quantization steps and one of the plurality of code tables with which encoding the transform frame generated in accordance with the calculated normalization coefficients is such to satisfy a desired bit rate.

13. The signal recording medium of claim 11, wherein the step of adaptively allocating bits is a first step of adaptively allocating bits, and wherein the combination determining step includes:

setting the number of quantization steps;

a second step of adaptively allocating bits, for allocating bits of the input spectrum data in response to the set normalization coefficients and the set number of quantization steps;

encoding the bits of the input spectrum data with separate ones of a plurality of encoders, adaptively allocated by the second set of adaptively allocating bits, each encoder using a separate code table to generate a separate stream of encoded spectrum data;

determining which of the separate streams of encoded spectrum data has a minimum number of bits, wherein the selected code table corresponds to the determined separate stream;

determining whether the minimum number of bits is such to satisfy a desired bit rate and, if the minimum number of bits is not such to satisfy a desired bit rate, resetting the number of quantization steps in the second step of adaptively allocating bits.

14. The signal recording medium of claim 13, wherein

when the quantized data encoding step encodes a particular frame of normalized spectrum data with more than one selected code table, the code train generation step includes in the code train, for the frame, a flag indicative thereof.

15. The signal recording medium of claim 11, wherein the normalized spectrum data includes frames, and wherein

each frame of normalized spectrum data includes a plurality of compression units,

when a particular frame of normalized spectrum data is encoded with more than one selected code table, each compression unit is separately encoded with one of said at least one selected code tables.

16. A method for decoding encoded signal data, comprising:

selecting at least one code table as indicated by an identification signal in the encoded signal data;

decoding frames of the encoded signal data in accordance with the selected at least one code table;

expanding the decoded frames to generate spectrum signals; and

inverse transforming the decoded signal to restore the signal data in an unencoded form, wherein the selecting step includes;

determining if the identification signal indicates that a particular frame has been encoded with more than one code table and, if the determination is affirmative, determining the more than one code table with which the particular frame has been encoded.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the frames each include a plurality of compression steps, and wherein if the determination is affirmative, the decoding step decodes each compression step in accordance with a separate one of the determined more than one code table.

18. A decoding apparatus for decoding encoded signal data, comprising:

means for selecting at least one code table as indicated by an identification signal in the encoded signal data;

means for decoding frames of the encoded signal data in accordance with the selected at least one code table;

means for expanding the decoded frames to generate spectrum signals; and

means for inverse transforming the decoded signal to restore the signal data in an unencoded form, wherein the selecting means includes;

determining means for determining if the identification signal indicates that a particular frame has been encoded with more than one code table and, if the determination is affirmative, determining the more than one code table with which the particular frame has been encoded.

19. The decoding apparatus of claim 18, wherein the frames each include a plurality of compression steps, and wherein if the determination is affirmative, the decoding step means is for decoding each compression step in accordance with a separate one of the determined more than one code table.