Abstract: The present document relates to audio encoding/decoding. In particular, the present document relates to a method and system for reducing the complexity of a bit allocation process used in the context of audio encoding/decoding. An audio encoder (300) configured to encode an audio signal according to a first audio codec system is described. The audio encoder (300) comprises a transform unit (302) configured to determine a set of spectral coefficients (312) based on the audio signal. Furthermore, the encoder (300) comprises a floating-point encoding unit (304) configured to determine a set of scale factors and a set of scaled values (314), based on the set of spectral coefficients (312); and to encode the set of scale factors to yield a set of encoded scale factors (313).

Abstract: In a class of embodiments, an audio encoding system (typically, a perceptual encoding system that is configured to generate a single (“unified”) bitstream that is compatible with (i.e., decodable by) a first decoder configured to decode audio data encoded in accordance with a first encoding protocol (e.g., the multichannel Dolby Digital Plus, or DD+, protocol) and a second decoder configured to decode audio data encoded in accordance with a second encoding protocol (e.g., the stereo AAC, HE AAC v1, or HE AAC v2 protocol). The unified bitstream can include both encoded data (e.g., bursts of data) decodable by the first decoder (and ignored by the second decoder) and encoded data (e.g., other bursts of data) decodable by the second decoder (and ignored by the first decoder).

Abstract: A method for embedding subtitles and/or graphic overlays in a 3D or multi-view video application is described. The subtitles and/or graphic overlays are provided separately for each view of the 3D or multi-view video application. The views with the subtitles and/or graphic overlays are then processed to form a subtitled and/or graphic overlaid 3D or multi-view video application.

Abstract: Quantized energy values are accessed to initially represent a temporally related group of content elements in a media sequence. The values are accessed over a matrix of regions into which the initial representation is partitioned. The initial representation may be downsampled and/or cropped from the content. A basis vector set is estimated in a dimensional space from the values. The initial representation is transformed into a subsequent representation, which is in another dimensional space. The subsequent representation projects the initial representation, based on the basis vectors. The subsequent representation reliably corresponds to the media content portion over a change in a geometric orientation thereof. Repeated for other media content portions of the group, subsequent representations of the first and other portions are averaged or transformed over time. The averaged/transformed values reliably correspond to the content portion over speed changes.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, a stream is divided into two substreams, the first substream providing information relating to a ‘downmix’ signal obtained by matrixing and containing fewer channels than an original multichannel digital signal, and the second substream providing additional information allowing the original multichannel digital signal to be losslessly recovered by a decoder. In a preferred implementation, an encoder furnishes the downmix signal using a cascade of one or more primitive matrix quantizers, each of which implements an n-by-n matrix, followed by selection of the m channels required for the downnix. In a second aspect, a lossless compression system includes a dither seed in the encoded bitstream. The dither seed is used to synchronize a pseudo-random sequence generator in the decoder with a functionally identical generator in an encoder.

Abstract: A method of encoding time-discrete audio signals comprises the steps of weighting the time-discrete audio signal by means of window functions overlapping each other so as to form blocks, the window functions producing blocks of a first length for signals varying weakly with time and blocks of a second length for signals varying strongly with time. A start window sequence is selected for the transition from windowing with blocks of the first length to windowing with blocks of the second length, whereas a stop window sequence is selected for the opposite transition. The start window sequence is selected from at least two different start window sequences having different lengths, whereas the stop window sequence is selected from at least two different stop window sequences having different lengths. A method of decoding blocks of encoded audio signals selects a suitable inverse transformation as well as a suitable synthesis window as a reaction to side information associated with each block.