Slot position coding of OTT syntax of spatial audio coding application

• US 7,831,435 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Pang, Hee Suk, Oh, Hyen O., Lim, Jae Hyun, Jung, Yang Won, Kim, Dong Soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dorvil; Richemond
• Assistant Examiner(s): GODBOLD, DOUGLAS
• Application Number:
  US11/514,284
• Publication Number:
  US 20070078550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 704/200, 704/200.1, 704/201, 704/500, 704/501
• US Class Current: 704/500
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/008 Multichannel audio signal coding or decoding using interchannel correlation to reduce redundancy, e.g. joint-stereo, intensity-coding or matrixing
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/167 Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/03 Application of parametric coding in stereophonic audio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/002 Non-adaptive circuits, e.g. manually adjustable or static, for enhancing the sound image or the spatial distribution control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field H04S7/30

Abstract

Spatial information associated with an audio signal is encoded into a bitstream, which can be transmitted to a decoder or recorded to a storage media. The bitstream can include different syntax related to time, frequency and spatial domains. In some embodiments, the bitstream includes one or more data structures (e.g., frames) that contain ordered sets of slots for which parameters can be applied. The data structures can be fixed or variable. The data structure can include position information that can be used by a decoder to identify the correct slot for which a given parameter set is applied. The slot position information can be encoded with either a fixed number of bits or a variable number of bits based on the data structure type.

Claims

1. A method of decoding an audio signal performed by a broadcast playback system, comprising:

receiving an audio signal including a downmix signal and spatial information, the spatial information including at least one frame having at least one time slot and at least one parameter set, the parameter set including at least one parameter;

extracting time slot information in variable bit length, the time slot information indicating a time slot to which a parameter set is applied;

determining that a dual mode is selected, the dual mode indicating two modes for a low band range and a high band range;

extracting mode information for the low band range and the high band range, the mode information determining a type of parameter being used for the low band range or the high band range;

extracting dual mode parameter band information indicating a number of parameter bands for the low band range; and

converting the audio signal into a multi-channel audio signal by applying the parameter to the downmix signal based on the time slot information and the dual mode parameter band information,

wherein the process of extracting time slot information comprises;

extracting a number of time slots and a number of parameter sets from the audio signal to identify time slot information,

determining a bit length of the time slot information, the bit length being variable according to the number of time slots, the number of parameter sets and previous time slot information associated with a previous parameter set, and

extracting the time slot information based on the bit length,

wherein the extracted number of time slot information is equal to the number of parameter sets;

displaying information regarding the multi-channel audio signal;

transmitting the multi-channel audio signal or the audio signal to an external unit;

converting the multi-channel audio signal into multi-channel analog output signal; and

outputting at least one channel of the multi-channel analog output signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time slot information is position information indicating a position of the time slot to which the parameter set is applied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the time slot information includes an absolute value for indicating a time slot to which a first parameter set is applied or a difference value for indicating a time slot to which a following parameter set of the first parameter set is applied, and

wherein the time slot to which the following parameter set is applied is determined by adding the difference value to the previous time slot information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the absolute value is determined within a first maximum range, the first maximum range being calculated using the number of parameter sets and the number of time slots, and

wherein the difference value is determined within a second maximum range, the second maximum range being calculated according to the previous time slot information.

5. A broadcast playback system, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a broadcast signal including an audio signal generated by downmixing a multi-channel audio signal;

a processor configured to generate the multi-channel audio signal from the audio signal, comprising the steps of;

receiving the audio signal including a downmix signal and spatial information, the spatial information including at least one frame having at least one time slot and at least one parameter set, the parameter set including at least one parameter;

extracting time slot information in variable bit length, the time slot information indicating a time slot to which a parameter set is applied;

determining that a dual mode is selected, the dual mode indicating two modes for a low band range and a high band range;

extracting mode information for the low band range and the high band range, the mode information determining a type of parameter being used for the low band range or the high band range;

extracting dual mode parameter band information indicating a number of parameter bands for the low band range; and

converting the audio signal into a multi-channel audio signal by applying the parameter to the downmix signal based on the time slot information and the dual mode parameter band information,

wherein the process of extracting time slot information comprises;

extracting a number of time slots and a number of parameter sets from the audio signal to identify time slot information;

determining a bit length of the time slot information, the bit length being variable according to the number of time slots, the number of parameter sets and previous time slot information associated with a previous parameter set; and

extracting the time slot information based on the bit length,

wherein the extracted number of time slot information is equal to the number of parameter sets;

a display unit configured to display information regarding the multi-channel audio signal;

a network interface configured to transmit the multi-channel audio signal or the audio signal to an external unit;

an audio subsystem configured to convert the multi-channel audio signal into a multi-channel analog output signal; and

a speaker configured to output at least one channel of the multi-channel analog output signal.

6. The broadcast playback system of claim 5, wherein the time slot information is position information indicating a position of the time slot to which the parameter set is applied.

7. The broadcast playback system of claim 5, wherein the time slot information includes an absolute value for indicating a time slot to which a first parameter set is applied or a difference value for indicating a time slot of a following parameter set of the first parameter set to which the parameter set is applied, and

wherein the time slot to which the following parameter set is applied is determined by adding the difference value to the previous time slot information.

8. The broadcast playback system of claim 7, wherein the absolute value is determined within a first maximum range, the first maximum range being calculated using the number of parameter sets and the number of time slots, and

wherein the difference value is determined within a second maximum range, the second maximum range being calculated according to the previous time slot information.

9. The broadcast playback system of claim 5, wherein at least two of the receiver, the processor, the display unit, the network interface, the audio subsystem, and the speaker exchange data via one or more buses.

10. A music player, comprising:

a network communication unit configured to search audio related information, when a network connection is established;

a processor configured to generate a multi-channel audio signal from an audio signal, comprising the steps of;

receiving the audio signal including a downmix signal and spatial information, the spatial information including at least one frame having at least one time slot and at least one parameter set, the parameter set including at least one parameter;

extracting time slot information in variable bit length, the time slot information indicating a time slot to which a parameter set is applied;

determining that a dual mode is selected, the dual mode indicating two modes for a low band range and a high band range;

extracting mode information for each a low band range and a high band range, the mode information determining a type of parameter being used for the low band range or the high band range;

extracting dual mode parameter band information indicating a number of parameter bands for the low band range; and

converting the audio signal into a multi-channel audio signal by applying the parameter to the downmix signal based on the sime slot information and the dual mode parameter band information,

wherein the process of extracting time slot information comprises;

extracting a number of time slots and a number of parameter sets from the audio signal to identify time slot information;

determining a bit length of the time slot information, the bit length being variable according to the number of time slots, the number of parameter sets and previous time slot information associated with a previous parameter set; and

extracting the time slot information based on the bit length,

wherein the extracted number of time slot information is equal to the number of parameter sets;

a display unit configured to display information regarding the multi-channel audio signal;

an audio subsystem configured to convert the multi-channel audio signal into a multi-channel analog output signal; and

a speaker configured to output at least one channel of the multi-channel analog output signal.

11. The music player of claim 10, wherein at least two of the network communication unit, the processor, the display unit, the audio subsystem, and the speaker exchange data via one or more buses.

12. The music player of claim 10, wherein the time slot information is position information indicating a position of the time slot to which a parameter set is applied.

13. The music player of claim 10, wherein the time slot information includes an absolute value for indicating a time slot to which a first parameter set is applied or a difference value for indicating a time slot of following parameter set of the first parameter set to which parameter set is applied, and

wherein the time slot to which the following parameter set is applied is determined by adding the difference value to the previous time slot information.

14. The music player of claim 13, wherein the absolute value is determined within a first maximum range, the first maximum range being calculated using the number of parameter sets and the number of time slots, and

wherein the difference value is determined within a second maximum range, the second maximum range being calculated according to the previous time slot information.

15. A method of decoding an audio signal performed by a music player, comprising:

receiving an audio signal including a downmix signal and spatial information, the spatial information including at least one frame having at least one time slot and at least one parameter set, the parameter set including at least one parameter;

extracting time slot information in variable bit length, the time slot information indicating a time slot to which a parameter set is applied;

determining that a dual mode is selected, the dual mode indicating two modes for a low band range and a high band range;

extracting mode information for each a low band range and a high band range, the mode information determining a type of parameter being used for the low band range or the high band range;

extracting dual mode parameter band information indicating a number of parameter bands for the low band range; and

converting the audio signal into the multi-channel audio signal by applying the parameter to the downmix signal based on the time slot information and the dual mode parameter band information,

wherein the process of extracting time slot information comprises;

extracting a number of time slots and a number of parameter sets from the audio signal to identify time slot information,

determining a bit length of the time slot information, the bit length being variable according to the number of time slots, the number of parameter sets and previous time slot information associated with a previous parameter set, and

extracting the time slot information based on the bit length,

wherein the extracted number of time slot information is equal to the number of parameter sets;

displaying information regarding the multi-channel audio signal;

converting the multi-channel audio signal into a multi-channel analog output signal; and

outputting at least one channel of the multi-channel analog output signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the time slot information is position information indicating a position of time slot to which a parameter set is applied.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the time slot information includes an absolute value for indicating a time slot to which a first parameter set is applied or a difference value for indicating a time slot to which a following parameter set of the first parameter set is applied, and

wherein the time slot to which the following parameter set is applied is determined by adding the difference value to the previous time slot information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the absolute value is determined within a first maximum range, the first maximum range being calculated using the number of parameter sets and the number of time slots, and

wherein the difference value is determined within a second maximum range, the second maximum range being calculated according to the previous time slot information.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

searching audio related information, when a network is established.