Signal coder for wide-band signals

• US 5,873,060 A
• Filed: 05/27/1997
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Ozawa, Kazunori
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland, Susan
• Application Number:
  US08/863,785
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 704/230, 704/229, 704/228, 704/222, 704/221, 704/223, 704/220, 704/219
• US Class Current: 704/230
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/0208 Subband vocoders
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/06 Determination or coding of the spectral characteristics, e.g. of the short-term prediction coefficients
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/18 Vocoders using multiple modes
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2019/0011 Long term prediction filters, i.e. pitch estimation

Abstract

Wide-band speech signals and also music signals are coded with relatively less computational efforts and less sound quality deterioration even at low bit rates. A spectral parameter calculator obtains a spectral parameter from sub-frames of an input signal from a sub-frame divider, and quantizes the obtained spectral parameter. A divider divides the difference result from a subcontractor into a plurality of sub-bands. Adaptive codebook circuits obtain a pitch prediction signal by obtaining pitch data in at least one of the sub-bands. Judging circuits execute pitch prediction judgment by using the pitch data in at least one of the sub-bands. A synthesizer synthesizes a pitch prediction signal. A subtractor subtracts the pitch prediction signal from the difference result obtained from a subtractor and thus obtains an excitation signal. An excitation quantizer quantizes the excitation signal with reference to an excitation codebook.

Claims

1. A signal coder comprising:

a spectral parameter calculator for obtaining a spectral parameter from an input signal and quantizing the spectral parameter thus obtained;

a divider for dividing the input signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands;

a pitch calculator for obtaining pitch data in at least one of the frequency sub-bands and obtaining a pitch prediction signal;

a judging unit for obtaining the pitch prediction signal in at least one of the frequency sub-bands and executing pitch prediction judgment; and

an excitation quantizer for synthesizing the pitch prediction signal, subtracting the obtained pitch prediction signal from the input signal to obtain an excitation signal, and quantizing the obtained excitation signal.

2. The signal coder according to claim 1, wherein the excitation signal of the input signal is quantized by expressing it as a plurality of non-zero amplitude pulses.

3. A signal coder comprising:

a spectral parameter calculator for obtaining a spectral parameter from an input signal and quantizing the spectral parameter thus obtained;

a mode judging unit for judging the mode of the input signal by extracting a feature quantity therefrom;

a divider for dividing the input signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands in a predetermined mode;

a pitch calculator for obtaining pitch data in at least one of the frequency sub-bands and obtaining a pitch prediction signal;

a judging unit for making pitch prediction judgment using the pitch prediction signal in at least one of the frequency sub-bands; and

an excitation quantizer operable in a predetermined mode to synthesize the pitch prediction signal, obtaining an excitation signal by subtracting the synthesized pitch prediction signal from the input signal, and quantizing the obtained excitation signal.

4. The signal coder according to claim 3, wherein the excitation signal of the input signal is quantized by expressing it as a plurality of non-zero amplitude pulses.

5. A signal coder comprising:

a spectral parameter calculator for obtaining a spectral parameter from an input signal and quantizing the spectral parameter thus obtained;

a divider for dividing the input signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands;

a pitch calculator for obtaining a plurality of pitch data candidates in at least one of the frequency sub-bands and obtaining a pitch prediction signal for each pitch data candidate;

a selector for synthesizing the pitch prediction signal for a combination of pitch data candidates and selecting the best pitch data by using the error signal between the input signal and the pitch prediction signal; and

an excitation quantizer for quantizing the error signal.

6. The signal coder according to claim 5, wherein the error signal is quantized by using a plurality of non-zero amplitude pulses.

7. A signal coder comprising:

a spectral parameter calculator for obtaining a spectral parameter from an input signal and quantizing the spectral parameter thus obtained;

a mode judging unit for judging the mode of the input signal by extracting a feature quantity therefrom;

a divider for dividing the input signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands in a predetermined mode;

a pitch calculator for obtaining a plurality of pitch data candidates in at least one of the frequency sub-bands and obtaining a pitch prediction signal for each pitch data candidate;

a selector operable in a predetermined mode to synthesize the pitch prediction signal for a combination of pitch data candidates and selecting the best pitch data by using the error signal between the input signal and the pitch prediction signal; and

an excitation quantizer for quantizing the error signal.

8. The signal coder according to claim 7, wherein the error signal is quantized by expressing it using a plurality of non-zero amplitude pulses.