Audio CODEC with programmable psycho-acoustic parameters

• US 6,473,731 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Corporate Computer Systems
• Inventors: Hinderks, Larry W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knepper, David D.
• Application Number:
  US09/725,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20010010040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 704/200, 704/200.1, 704/206, 381/27, 381/60
• US Class Current: 704/200.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/665 using psychoacoustic properties of the ear, e.g. masking effect

Abstract

A system for recognizing the existence of and adjusting the psycho-acoustic parameters present in an audio digital CODEC. A audio digital CODEC is provided with various parameters that when changed affect the quality of the resultant audio. These psycho-acoustic parameters include the standard ISO parameters and additional parameters to aid in effecting a pure resulting audio quality. The psycho-acoustic parameters located in the audio digital CODEC can be monitored and controlled by the user. The parameters can be monitored by a speaker associated with the CODEC or headphones. The user can control the adjustment of the psycho-acoustic parameters through the use of knobs present on the front panel of the CODEC or graphic or digital representations. Adjustment of the parameters will provide real time change of the resulting audio sound that the user can monitor through the speaker or the headphones. Dynamic Psycho-acoustic parameter Adjustment (DPPA) permits the user to dynamically change the values of different parameters. The ability to change the parameters can be embodied in front panel knobs or in the action of computer software as instructed by the user.

Claims

1. An audio CODEC for providing high quality digital audio comprising:

an analog to digital converter for converting an analog audio signal to a digital audio bit stream;

an encoder having a plurality of conventional ISO/MPEG layer-II psycho-acoustic parameters, and a plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters, other than said conventional ISO/MPEG layer-II psycho-acoustic parameters, each of said further psycho-acoustic parameters being selectively programably adjustable by a user, for compressing said digital audio bit stream;

a decoder for decompressing said compressed digital audio bit stream into a digital audio output.

2. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a joint stereo sub-band minimum value parameter.

3. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 2 wherein said joint stereo sub-band minimum value parameter has a value from 1 to 31.

4. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises an anti-correlation joint stereo factor parameter.

5. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a limit sub-bands parameter.

6. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 5 wherein said limit sub-bands parameter has a value from 0 to 31.

7. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a demand/constant bit rate parameter.

8. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 7 wherein said demand/constant bit rate parameter is binary.

9. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality, of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a safety margin parameter.

10. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 9 wherein said safety margin parameter has a value from −

30 dB to +30 dB.

11. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a joint stereo scale factor mode parameter.

12. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 11 wherein said joint stereo scale factor mode parameter has a value from 0 to 0.999999.

13. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a joint stereo boundary adjustment parameter.

14. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 13 wherein said joint stereo boundary adjustment parameter has a value from −

7 to +7.

15. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a demand minimum factor parameter.

16. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 15 wherein said demand minimum factor parameter has a value from 0 to 1.

17. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a stereo used sub-bands parameter.

18. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 17 wherein said stereo used sub-bands parameter has a value from 0 to 31.

19. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a joint frame count parameter.

20. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 19 wherein said joint frame count parameter has a value from 0 to 24.

21. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a peak/rms selection parameter.

22. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 21 wherein said peak/rms selection parameter is binary.

23. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a tonal masker addition parameter.

24. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 23 wherein said tonal masker addition parameter is binary.

25. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a sub-band3 adjustment parameter.

26. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 25 herein said sub-band3 adjustment parameter has a value from 0 dB to 15 dB.

27. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a sub-band2 adjustment parameter.

28. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 27 wherein said sub-band2 adjustment parameter has a value from 0 dB to 15 dB.

29. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a sub-band1 adjustment parameter.

30. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 29 wherein said sub-band1 adjustment parameter has a value from 0 dB to 15 dB.

31. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a sub-band0 adjustment parameter.

32. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 31 wherein said sub-band0 adjustment parameter has a value from 0 dB to 15 dB.

33. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a sub-band hang time parameter.

34. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a joint stereo scale factor adjustment parameter.

35. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a mono used sub-bands parameter.

36. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 35 wherein said mono used sub-bands parameter has a value from 0 to 31.

37. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a joint stereo used parameter.

38. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 37 wherein said joint stereo used parameter has a value from 0 to 31.

39. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least two of said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a smart group whereby a change in a value of a first one of said at least two psycho-acoustic parameters in said smart group changes a corresponding value of a second one of said at least two psycho-acoustic parameters in said smart group.

40. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters has a default value.

41. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 40 wherein said default value is stored in a memory in said CODEC.

42. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality, of further psycho-acoustic parameters is a type selected from the group, consisting of:

Db, bark, floating point and integer.

43. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of compressed digital and bit values.

44. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of sampling rates.

45. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of user modifiable psycho-acoustic parameter tables equal to a product of number of a plurality of compressed digital and bit values multiplied by a number, of a plurality of sampling rates.

46. An audio CODEC for providing high quality digital audio comprising:

an analog to digital converter for converting an analog audio signal to a digital audio bit stream;

an encoder having a plurality of conventional ISOIMPEG layer-II psycho-acoustic parameters, and a plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters, other than said conventional ISO/MPEG layer-II psycho-acoustic parameters, each of said further psycho-acoustic parameters being selectively programably adjustable by a user, for compressing said digital audio bit stream;

a decoder for decompressing said compressed digital audio bit stream into a digital audio output;

at least one control for adjusting at least one of said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters to adjust said digital audio output.

47. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 wherein at least two of said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters further comprises a smart group whereby a change in a value of a first one of said at least two psycho-acoustic parameters in said smart group changes a corresponding value of a second one of said at least-two psycho-acoustic parameters in said smart group.

48. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 wherein at least one of said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters has a default value.

49. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 48 wherein said default value is stored in a memory in said CODEC.

50. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 wherein said at least one control can be adjusted by a user.

51. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 wherein said at least one control can be adjusted by a dynamic psycho-acoustic parameter adjustment.

52. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 51 wherein said dynamic psycho-acoustic parameter adjustment further comprises a definition of at least one controllable psycho-acoustic parameter and a corresponding effect of said at least one controllable psycho-acoustic parameter on a coding and compression scheme of said encoder.

53. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 51 wherein said at least one control can be adjusted in real time.

54. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 51 wherein a result of an experimental change in said at least one controllable psycho-acoustic parameter can be heard by a user.

55. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 further comprising an RS232 port whereby said CODEC is connected to a computer by a cable connected to said RS232 port, said computer having values for said psycho-acoustic parameters, said parameter values being transmitted from said computer to said CODEC by said cable.

56. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 wherein at least one of said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters is a type selected from the group consisting of:

Db, bark, floating point and integer.

57. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 further comprising a plurality of compressed digital and bit values.

58. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 further comprising a plurality of sampling rates.

59. The audio CODEC as claimed in claim 46 further comprising a plurality of user modifiable psycho-acoustic parameter tables equal to a product of number of a plurality of compressed digital and-bit values multiplied by a number of a plurality of sampling rates.

60. A method for providing high quality digital audio comprising the steps of:

providing an input analog audio signal;

providing a plurality of conventional ISO/MPEG layer-II psycho-acoustic parameters, and a plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters, other than said conventional ISO/MPEG layer-II psycho-acoustic parameters, each of said further psycho-acoustic parameters being selectively programably adjustable by a user;

converting said input analog audio signal into a digital signal;

compressing said digital signal in accordance with said plurality of conventional ISO/MPEG layer-II psycho-acoustic parameters and said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters;

decompressing said digital signal to provide an output audio signal.

61. The method of claim 60 further comprising the step of transmitting said compressed digital signal through a transmission channel.

62. The method as claimed in claim 60 further comprising providing an adjustment means for allowing a user to adjust at least one of said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters.

63. The method as claimed in claim 61 further comprising providing said plurality of further psycho-acoustic parameters to a remote location.