Abstract: A method and a transmitting node for supporting generation of comfort noise for at least two audio channels at a receiving node. The method is performed by a transmitting node. The method comprises determining spectral characteristics of audio signals on at least two input audio channels and determining a spatial coherence between the audio signals. The spatial coherence is associated with perceptual importance measures. A compressed representation of the spatial coherence is determined per frequency band by weighting the spatial coherence within each frequency band according to the perceptual importance measures. Information about the spectral characteristics and the compressed representation of the spatial coherence per frequency band is signaled to the receiving node for enabling the generation of the comfort noise at the receiving node.

Abstract: A method for increasing stability of an inter-channel time difference (ICTD) parameter in parametric audio coding, wherein a multi-channel audio input signal comprising at least two channels is received. The method comprises obtaining an ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), for an audio frame m and a stability estimate of said ICTD estimate, and determining whether the obtained ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), is valid. If the ICTDest(m) is not found valid, and a determined sufficient number of valid ICTD estimates have been found in preceding frames, a hang-over time is determined using the stability estimate and a previously obtained valid ICTD parameter, ICTD(m?1), is selected as an output parameter, ICTD(m), during the hang-over time. The output parameter, ICTD(m), is set to zero if valid ICTDest(m) is not found during the hang-over time.

Abstract: Methods, apparatuses, decoders, and computer programs for replacing decoded parameters in a received multichannel signal are provided. Multichannel parameters of a frame of the signal are decoded. Responsive to a bad frame being indicated, it is determined that a parameter memory is corrupted. Responsive to a bad frame not being indicated: responsive to the parameter memory not being corrupted, a location measure is derived of a reconstructed sound source based on decoded multichannel parameters. Responsive to the parameter memory being corrupted, it is determined, based on the location measure, whether the reconstructed sound source is stable and predominantly concentrated in a subset of channels of multichannels of the received multichannel signal. Responsive to the reconstructed sound source being concentrated in the subset of channels of the multichannels and being stable, parameter recovery is activated to replace decoded multichannel parameters with stored multichannel parameters.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and decoder for replacing decoded parameters in a received multichannel signal in which a frame of consecutive frames of the received multichannel signal is decoded and responsive to receiving a previous frame bad frame indicator while operating in a predictive decoding mode with a current frame of the consecutive frames, it is determined whether a parameter stability measure is below a threshold. Responsive to the parameter stability measure being below the threshold a parameter recovery is activated by retrieving the estimated parameters and replacing decoded parameters of the current frame with the estimated parameters. Otherwise, it is detected whether a source is an active source and responsive to the source being an active source, decoded parameters of the current frame are stored as estimated parameters and the parameter stability measure is determined.

Abstract: A method of approximating a lost or corrupted multichannel audio frame of a multichannel audio signal in a decoding device is provided. The device may generate a down-mix error concealment frame and transform the frame into a frequency domain to generate a transformed down-mix error concealment frame. The device may decorrelate the transformed frame to generate a decorrelated concealment frame. The device may obtain a residual signal spectrum of a stored residual signal of a previously received multichannel audio signal frame and generate an energy adjusted decorrelated residual signal concealment frame using the residual signal spectrum. The device may obtain a set of multi-channel audio substitution parameters and provide the frames and substitution parameters to an audio synthesis component to generate a synthesized multichannel audio frame. The device performs an inverse frequency domain transformation of the audio frame to generate a substitution frame for the lost or corrupted audio frame.

Abstract: A gain adjustment apparatus for use in decoding of audio that has been encoded with separate gain and shape representations includes an accuracy meter configured to estimate an accuracy measure of the shape representation, and to determine a gain correction based on the estimated accuracy measure. An envelope adjuster further included in the apparatus is configured to adjust the gain representation based on the determined gain correction.

Abstract: A gain adjustment apparatus for use in decoding of audio that has been encoded with separate gain and shape representations includes an accuracy meter configured to estimate an accuracy measure of the shape representation, and to determine a gain correction based on the estimated accuracy measure. An envelope adjuster further included in the apparatus is configured to adjust the gain representation based on the determined gain correction.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program to encode and decode a channel coherence parameter applied on a frequency band basis, where the coherence parameters of each frequency band form a coherence vector. The coherence vector is encoded and decoded using a predictive scheme followed by a variable bit rate entropy coding.

Abstract: A method and a transmitting node for supporting generation of comfort noise for at least two audio channels at a receiving node. The method is performed by a transmitting node. The method comprises determining spectral characteristics of audio signals on at least two input audio channels and determining a spatial coherence between the audio signals. The spatial coherence is associated with perceptual importance measures. A compressed representation of the spatial coherence is determined per frequency band by weighting the spatial coherence within each frequency band according to the perceptual importance measures. Information about the spectral characteristics and the compressed representation of the spatial coherence per frequency band is signaled to the receiving node for enabling the generation of the comfort noise at the receiving node.

Abstract: The invention relates to a codec and a discriminator and methods therein for audio signal discrimination and coding. Embodiments of a method performed by an encoder comprises, for a segment of the audio signal: identifying a set of spectral peaks; determining a mean distance S between peaks in the set; and determining a ratio, PNR, between a peak envelope and a noise floor envelope. The method further comprises selecting a coding mode, out of a plurality of coding modes, based at least on the mean distance S and the ratio PNR; and applying the selected coding mode for coding of the segment of the audio signal.

Abstract: A method for generation of comfort noise for at least two audio channels. The method comprises determining a spatial coherence between audio signals on the respective audio channels, wherein at least one spatial coherence value per frame and frequency band is determined to form a vector of spatial coherence values. A vector of predicted spatial coherence values is formed by a weighted combination of a first coherence prediction and a second coherence prediction that are combined using a weight factor a. The method comprises signaling information about the weight factor a to the receiving node, for enabling the generation of the comfort noise for the at least two audio channels at the receiving node.

Abstract: A method for increasing stability of an inter-channel time difference (ICTD) parameter in parametric audio coding, wherein a multi-channel audio input signal comprising at least two channels is received. The method comprises obtaining an ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), for an audio frame m and a stability estimate of said ICTD estimate, and determining whether the obtained ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), is valid. If the ICTDest(m) is not found valid, and a determined sufficient number of valid ICTD estimates have been found in preceding frames, a hang-over time is determined using the stability estimate and a previously obtained valid ICTD parameter, ICTD(m?1), is selected as an output parameter, ICTD(m), during the hang-over time. The output parameter, ICTD(m), is set to zero if valid ICTDest(m) is not found during the hang-over time.

Abstract: An improved gain-shape vector quantization is achieved by determining a number of bits to be allocated to a gain adjustment- and shape-quantizer for a plurality of combinations of a current bit rate and a first signal property. The bit allocation is derived by using an average of optimal bit allocations for a training data set. A number of bits to the gain adjustment and the shape quantizers for a plurality of combinations of the bit rate and a first signal are pre-calculated, and a table indicating the number of bits to be allocated to the gain adjustment- and the shape-quantizers for a plurality of combinations of the bit rate and a first signal property is created. In this way, the table can be used for achieving an improved bit allocation.

Abstract: A method for increasing stability of an inter-channel time difference (ICTD) parameter in parametric audio coding, wherein a multi-channel audio input signal comprising at least two channels is received. The method comprises obtaining an ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), for an audio frame m and a stability estimate of said ICTD estimate, and determining whether the obtained ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), is valid. If the ICTDest(m) is not found valid, and a determined sufficient number of valid ICTD estimates have been found in preceding frames, a hang-over time is determined using the stability estimate and a previously obtained valid ICTD parameter, ICTD (m?1), is selected as an output parameter, ICTD (m), during the hang-over time. The output parameter, ICTD (m), is set to zero if valid ICTDest(m) is not found during the hang-over time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for voice or sound activity detection for spatial audio. The method comprises receiving direct source information source detection decision and a primary voice/sound activity decision, and producing a spatial voice/sound activity decision based on the direct source detection decision and the primary voice/sound activity decision.

Abstract: A method for increasing stability of an inter-channel time difference (ICTD) parameter in parametric audio coding, wherein a multi-channel audio input signal comprising at least two channels is received. The method comprises obtaining an ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), for an audio frame m and a stability estimate of said ICTD estimate, and determining whether the obtained ICTD estimate, ICTDest(m), is valid. If the ICTDest(m) is not found valid, and a determined sufficient number of valid ICTD estimates have been found in preceding frames, a hang-over time is determined using the stability estimate and a previously obtained valid ICTD parameter, ICTD (m?1), is selected as an output parameter, ICTD (m), during the hang-over time. The output parameter, ICTD (m), is set to zero if valid ICTDest(m) is not found during the hang-over time.

Abstract: An improved gain-shape vector quantization is achieved by determining a number of bits to be allocated to a gain adjustment- and shape-quantizer for a plurality of combinations of a current bit rate and a first signal property. The bit allocation is derived by using an average of optimal bit allocations for a training data set. A number of bits to the gain adjustment and the shape quantizers for a plurality of combinations of the bit rate and a first signal are pre-calculated, and a table indicating the number of bits to be allocated to the gain adjustment- and the shape-quantizers for a plurality of combinations of the bit rate and a first signal property is created. In this way, the table can be used for achieving an improved bit allocation.

Abstract: An audio signal, having first and second regions of frequency spectrum, is coded. Spectral peaks in the first region are encoded by a first coding method. For a segment of the audio signal, a relation between energy of bands in the first and second regions is determined. A relation between the energy of the band in the second region and energy of neighboring bands in the second region is determined. A determination is made whether available bits are sufficient for encoding at least one non-peak segment of the first region and the band in the second region. Responsive to first and second relations fulfilling a respective predetermined criterion and a sufficient number of bits, encoding the band in the second region using a second coding method different from the first coding method, and otherwise, subjecting the band in the second region to BandWidth Extension BWE or noise fill.

Abstract: An audio signal, having first and second regions of frequency spectrum, is coded. Spectral peaks in the first region are encoded by a first coding method. For a segment of the audio signal, a relation between energy of bands in the first and second regions is determined. A relation between the energy of the band in the second region and energy of neighboring bands in the second region is determined. A determination is made whether available bits are sufficient for encoding at least one non-peak segment of the first region and the band in the second region. Responsive to first and second relations fulfilling a respective predetermined criterion and a sufficient number of bits, encoding the band in the second region using a second coding method different from the first coding method, and otherwise, subjecting the band in the second region to BandWidth Extension (BWE) or noise fill.

Abstract: A gain adjustment apparatus for use in decoding of audio that has been encoded with separate gain and shape representations includes an accuracy meter configured to estimate an accuracy measure of the shape representation, and to determine a gain correction based on the estimated accuracy measure. An envelope adjuster further included in the apparatus is configured to adjust the gain representation based on the determined gain correction.