Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding audio information representing three-dimensional sound fields
First Claim
1. An encoder for encoding two or more channels of audio information, said coder comprising:
- means receiving said channels of audio information,means for generating a plurality of subband signals in response to said channels of audio information, each subband signal representing a respective frequency subband of a respective one of said channels of audio information,means for generating a composite signal representing subband signals in a respective frequency subband, and for generating control information conveying localization characteristics of represented subband signals in said respective frequency subband with respect to a listener location,means for generating encoded information by allocating bits to said composite signal and said control information, andmeans for assembling said encoded information into an output signal.
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Abstract
In an encoder, multiple channels of audio information representing multidimensional sound fields are split into subband signals and the subband signals in one or more subbands are combined to form composite signals. The composite signals, the subband signals not combined into a composite signal and information describing the spectral levels of subband signals combined into composite signals are assembled into an encoded output signal. The spectral level information conveys either the amplitude or power of the combined subband signals or the apparent direction of the sound field represented by the combined subband signals. In digital implementations, adaptive bit allocation may be used to reduce the informational requirements of the encoded signal.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. An encoder for encoding two or more channels of audio information, said coder comprising:
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means receiving said channels of audio information, means for generating a plurality of subband signals in response to said channels of audio information, each subband signal representing a respective frequency subband of a respective one of said channels of audio information, means for generating a composite signal representing subband signals in a respective frequency subband, and for generating control information conveying localization characteristics of represented subband signals in said respective frequency subband with respect to a listener location, means for generating encoded information by allocating bits to said composite signal and said control information, and means for assembling said encoded information into an output signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A decoder for decoding an encoded signal conveying information representing frequency subbands of two or more channels of audio information, each frequency subband corresponding to a portion of the spectrum of said channels of audio information, said decoder comprising:
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means for obtaining subband information from said encoded signal, means for generating a composite signal and control information by allocating bits to a portion of said subband information, wherein said composite signal represents subband signals in a respective frequency subband of said channels of audio information and said control information conveys localization characteristics of said subband signals with respect to a listener location, means for reconstructing a representation of said subband signals from said composite signal according to said control information, and means for generating a plurality of output signals in response to said reconstructed representations of subband signals. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An encoding method for encoding two or more channels of audio information, said encoding method comprising:
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receiving said channels of audio information, generating a plurality of subband signals in response to said channels of audio information, each subband signal representing a respective frequency subband of a respective one of said channels of audio information, generating a composite signal representing subband signals in a respective frequency subband, and generating control information conveying localization characteristics of represented subband signals in said respective frequency subband with respect to a listener location, generating encoded information by allocating bits to said composite signal and said control information, and assembling said encoded information into an output signal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A decoding method for decoding an encoded signal conveying information representing frequency subbands of two or more channels of audio information, each frequency subband corresponding to a portion of the spectrum of said channels of audio information, said decoding method comprising:
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obtaining subband information from said encoded signal, generating a composite signal and control information by allocating bits to a portion of said subband information, wherein said composite signal represents subband signals in a respective frequency subband of said channels of audio information and said control information conveys localization characteristics of said subband signals with respect to a listener location, reconstructing a representation of said subband signals from said composite signal according to said control information, and generating a plurality of output signals in response to said reconstructed representations of subband signals. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification