Dolby Labs Patents

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. licenses its audio technologies, including its noise-reduction systems, to the media industry. Its product portfolio includes Dolby Digital Plus (DD+), Dolby Digital (DD), AAC and HE-AAC, Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, Dolby AC-4, Dolby Voice and Dolby Vision. Products that incorporate Dolby technologies include televisions, set-top boxes, computers, DVD and Blu-ray devices, soundbars, smartphones, tablets, video game consoles, and automobile entertainment systems.

Dolby Labs Patents by Type
  • Publication number: 20240021210
    Abstract: Described herein is a method of processing an audio signal using a deep-learning-based generator, wherein the method includes the steps of: (a) inputting the audio signal into the generator for processing the audio signal; (b) mapping a time segment of the audio signal to a latent feature space representation, using an encoder stage of the generator; (c) upsampling the latent feature space representation using a decoder stage of the generator, wherein at least one layer of the decoder stage applies sinusoidal activation; and (d) obtaining, as an output from the decoder stage of the generator, a processed audio signal. Described are further a method for training said generator and respective apparatus, systems and computer program products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventor: Arijit BISWAS
  • Publication number: 20240022868
    Abstract: Described herein is a method for training a machine learning algorithm. The method may comprise receiving a first input multichannel audio signal. The method may comprise generating, using the machine learning algorithm, an intermediate audio signal based on the first input multichannel audio signal. The method may comprise rendering the intermediate audio signal into a first output multichannel audio signal. Further, the method may comprise improving the machine learning algorithm based on a difference between the first input multichannel audio signal and the first output multichannel audio signal. Described herein are further an apparatus for generating an intermediate audio format from an input multichannel audio signal as well as a respective computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium with instructions adapted to carry out said method when executed by a device having processing capability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Daniel Arteaga, Jordi Pons Puig
  • Publication number: 20240022869
    Abstract: A method may involve: receiving direction of arrival (DOA) data corresponding to sound emitted by at least a first smart audio device of the audio environment that includes a first audio transmitter and a first audio receiver, the DOA data corresponding to sound received by at least a second smart audio device of the audio environment that includes a second audio transmitter and a second audio receiver, the DOA data corresponding to sound emitted by at least the second smart audio device and received by at least the first smart audio device; receiving one or more configuration parameters corresponding to the audio environment, to one or more audio devices, or both; and minimizing a cost function based at least in part on the DOA data and the configuration parameter(s), to estimate a position and an orientation of at least the first smart audio device and the second smart audio device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Daniel ARTEAGA, Davide SCAINI, Mark R.P. THOMAS, Avery BRUNI, Olha Michelle TOWNSEND
  • Publication number: 20240022224
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises: filtering reference audio content items to separate the reference audio content items into different frequency bands; for each frequency band, extracting a first feature vector from at least a portion of each of the reference audio content items, wherein the first feature vector includes at least one audio characteristic of the reference audio content items; obtaining at least one semantic label from at least a portion of each of the reference audio content items; obtaining a second feature vector consisting of the first feature vectors per frequency band and the at least one semantic label; generating, based on the second feature vector, cluster feature vectors representing centroids of clusters; separating the reference audio content items according to the cluster feature vectors; and computing an average target profile for each cluster based on the reference audio content items in the cluster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: January 18, 2024
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Giulio CENGARLE, Nicholas Laurence ENGEL, Patrick Winfrey SCANNELL, Davide SCAINI
  • Patent number: 11875803
    Abstract: When compressing an HOA data frame representation, a gain control (15, 151) is applied for each channel signal before it is perceptually encoded (16). The gain values are transferred in a differential manner as side information. However, for starting decoding of such streamed compressed HOA data frame representation absolute gain values are required, which should be coded with a minimum number of bits. For determining such lowest integer number (?e) of bits the HOA data frame representation (C(k)) is rendered in spatial domain to virtual loudspeaker signals lying on a unit sphere, followed by normalisation of the HOA data frame representation (C(k)). Then the lowest integer number of bits is set to ?e=?log2(?log2(?{square root over (KMAX)}·O)?+1)?.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger
  • Patent number: 11877000
    Abstract: Methods and systems for canvas size scalability across the same or different bitstream layers of a video coded bitstream are described. Offset parameters for a conformance window, a reference region of interest (ROI) in a reference layer, and a current ROI in a current layer are received. The width and height of a current ROI and a reference ROI are computed based on the offset parameters and they are used to generate a width and height scaling factor to be used by a reference picture resampling unit to generate an output picture based on the current ROI and the reference ROI.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Taoran Lu, Fangjun Pu, Peng Yin, Sean Thomas McCarthy, Tao Chen
  • Patent number: 11877140
    Abstract: An audio processing system and method which calculates, based on spatial metadata of the audio object, a panning coefficient for each of the audio objects in relation to each of a plurality of predefined channel coverage zones. Converts the audio signal into submixes in relation to the predefined channel coverage zones based on the calculated panning coefficients and the audio objects. Each of the submixes indicating a sum of components of the plurality of the audio objects in relation to one of the predefined channel coverage zones. Generating a submix gain by applying an audio processing to each of the submix and controls an object gain applied to each of the audio objects. The object gain being as a function of the panning coefficients for each of the audio objects and the submix gains in relation to each of the predefined channel coverage zones.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alan J. Seefeldt, Lie Lu, Chen Zhang
  • Patent number: 11875719
    Abstract: Two corresponding color patches are displayed on two image displays until adjusted by a viewer to match visually to a common color. Two sets of code values rendered on the two corresponding color patches on the two image displays are identified. Two sets of tristimulus values for the viewer are determined based on the two sets of code values rendered on the two corresponding color patches on the two image displays. The viewer's color matching function are generated based on the two sets of tristimulus values. The viewer's CMF is used in image rendering operations on a target image display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jaclyn Anne Pytlarz, Elizabeth G. Pieri, Robin Atkins
  • Patent number: 11876987
    Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel belonging to one of N subframes each characterized by (a) a same exposure-time sequence that includes a short exposure-time alternating with a long exposure-time, and (b) a respective temporal offset equal to a multiple of the short exposure-time. A method for encoding a video stream captured by the image sensor includes (i) for each subframe, linearly combining a long-exposure image, captured at the long exposure-time, and a short-exposure image, captured at the short exposure-time, to yield a residual image, (ii) combining at least some of the long-exposure images from the N subframes to yield a full-frame image having a higher resolution than any long-exposure image, (iii) encoding the full-frame image into a base layer of the video stream, and (iv) encoding at least some of the residual images from the N subframes into an enhancement layer of the video stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gregory John Ward
  • Patent number: 11877142
    Abstract: Described is a method of processing position information indicative of an object position of an audio object, wherein the object position is usable for rendering of the audio object, that comprises: obtaining listener orientation information indicative of an orientation of a listener's head; obtaining listener displacement information indicative of a displacement of the listener's head; determining the object position from the position information; modifying the object position based on the listener displacement information by applying a translation to the object position; and further modifying the modified object position based on the listener orientation information. Further described is a corresponding apparatus for processing position information indicative of an object position of an audio object, wherein the object position is usable for rendering of the audio object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Christof Fersch, Leon Terentiv, Daniel Fischer
  • Patent number: 11875805
    Abstract: There is provided methods and apparatuses for decoding and encoding of audio signals. In particular, a method for decoding includes receiving a waveform-coded signal having a spectral content corresponding to a subset of the frequency range above a cross-over frequency. The waveform-coded signal is interleaved with a parametric high frequency reconstruction of the audio signal above the cross-over frequency. In this way an improved reconstruction of the high frequency bands of the audio signal is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer Kjoerling, Robin Thesing, Harald Mundt, Heiko Purnhagen, Karl Jonas Roeden
  • Publication number: 20240013793
    Abstract: Method for encoding scene-based audio is provided. In some implementations, the method involves determining, by an encoder, a spatial direction of a dominant sound component in a frame of an input audio signal. In some implementations, the method involves determining rotation parameters based on the determined spatial direction and a direction preference of a coding scheme to be used to encode the input audio signal. In some implementations, the method involves rotating sound components of the frame based on the rotation parameters such that, after being rotated, the dominant sound component has a spatial direction that aligns with the direction preference of the coding scheme. In some implementations, the method involves encoding the rotated sound components of the frame of the input audio signal using the coding scheme in connection with an indication of the rotation parameters or an indication of the spatial direction of the dominant sound component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Stefan BRUHN, Harald MUNDT, David S. MCGRATH, Stefanie BROWN
  • Publication number: 20240013799
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a method, comprises: dividing, using at least one processor, an audio input into speech and non-speech segments; for each frame in each non-speech segment, estimating, using the at least one processor, a time-varying noise spectrum of the non-speech segment; for each frame in each speech segment, estimating, using the at least one processor, speech spectrum of the speech segment; for each frame in each speech segment, identifying one or more non-speech frequency components in the speech spectrum; comparing the one or more non-speech frequency components with one or more corresponding frequency components in a plurality of estimated noise spectra and selecting the estimated noise spectrum from the plurality of estimated noise spectra based on a result of the comparing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Davide Scaini, Chunghsin Yeh, Giulio Cengarle, Mark David de Burgh
  • Publication number: 20240013797
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a decoder configured to receive a finite bitrate stream that includes a quantized latent frame, where the quantized latent frame includes a quantized representation of a current frame of a signal in a latent domain different from a first domain; to generate a reconstructed latent frame from the quantized latent frame; to use a generative neural network model to perform a task for which the general neural network model has been trained, wherein the task includes to generate parameters for an invertible mapping from the latent domain to the first domain; to reconstruct a current frame of the signal in the first domain, which includes to map the reconstructed latent frame to the first domain by use of the invertible mapping, and to use the reconstructed current frame of the signal in the first domain to update a state of the generative neural network model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Janusz KLEJSA, Lars VILLEMOES, Per HEDELIN
  • Publication number: 20240015315
    Abstract: Methods and systems for frame rate scalability are described. Support is provided for input and output video sequences with variable frame rate and variable shutter angle across scenes, or for input video sequences with fixed input frame rate and input shutter angle, but allowing a decoder to generate a video output at a different output frame rate and shutter angle than the corresponding input values. Techniques allowing a decoder to decode more computationally-efficiently a specific backward compatible target frame rate and shutter angle among those allowed are also presented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng Yin, Taoran Lu, Fangjun Pu, Sean Thomas McCarthy, Walter J. Husak, Tao Chen, Guan-Ming Su
  • Publication number: 20240015434
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems which convert a multi-microphone input signal to a multichannel output signal making use of a time- and frequency-varying matrix. For each time and frequency tile, the matrix is derived as a function of a dominant direction of arrival and a steering strength parameter. Likewise, the dominant direction and steering strength parameter are derived from characteristics of the multi-microphone signals, where those characteristics include values representative of the inter-channel amplitude and group-delay differences.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2023
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventor: David S. MCGRATH
  • Patent number: 11869455
    Abstract: Novel methods and systems for compensating for ambient light around displays are disclosed. A shift in the PQ curve applied to an image can compensate for sub-optimal ambient light conditions for a display, with the PQ shift being either an addition to a compensation value in PQ space followed by a subtraction of the compensation value in linear space, or an addition to the compensation value in linear space followed by a subtraction of the compensation value in PQ space. Further adjustments to the PQ curve can also be made to provide an improved image quality with respect to image luminance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Elizabeth G. Pieri, Jaclyn Anne Pytlarz, Jake William Zuena
  • Patent number: 11871000
    Abstract: Described are techniques in video coding and/or decoding that allow for selectively breaking prediction and/or in loop filtering across segment boundaries between different segments of a video picture. A high layer syntax element, such as a parameter set or a slice header, may contain one or more indications signalling to an encoder and/or decoder whether an associated prediction or loop filtering tool may be applied across the segment boundary. In response to such one or more indications, the encoder and/or decoder may then control the prediction or loop filtering tool accordingly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Michael Horowitz
  • Patent number: 11869523
    Abstract: Higher Order Ambisonics represents three-dimensional sound independent of a specific loudspeaker set-up. However, transmission of an HOA representation results in a very high bit rate. Therefore compression with a fixed number of channels is used, in which directional and ambient signal components are processed differently. For coding, portions of the original HOA representation are predicted from the directional signal components. This prediction provides side information which is required for a corresponding decoding. By using some additional specific purpose bits, a known side information coding processing is improved in that the required number of bits for coding that side information is reduced on average.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger, Oliver Wuebbolt
  • Patent number: 11868032
    Abstract: A projector includes a light source, an integrating rod, an image panel, a beam shaper, and an actuator mechanically connected to the beam shaper. The image panel is configured to display an image at a displayed aspect ratio. The beam shaper includes multiple prisms shaped and oriented such that when the beam shaper intersects an optical path of the illumination between the integrating rod and the image panel, the illumination transmitted by the beam shaper is collinear with the illumination incident on the beam shaper. The actuator is configured to switch the projector between (i) a first configuration, in which the beam shaper does not change an aspect ratio of the illumination, and (ii) a second configuration, in which the beam shaper intersects the optical path between the integrating rod and the image panel and changes the aspect ratio of the illumination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dzhakhangir V. Khaydarov, Douglas J. Gorny
  • Patent number: 11870990
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a block partitioning structure in video coding technology, and a video encoding and decoding method and apparatus using the same, wherein the video encoding and decoding method includes the steps of: acquiring quad-partitioning information of a block; acquiring bi-partitioning information of the block when the acquired quad-partitioning information of the block does not indicate four partitions; acquiring partitioning direction information for bi-partitioning of the block when the acquired bi-partitioning information of the block indicates two partitions; acquiring information on whether to perform any other type of partitioning, when the acquired bi-partitioning information of the block does not indicate two partitions; and acquiring additional information required for the any other type of partitioning, when the acquired information on whether to perform any other type of partitioning indicates that the any other type of partitioning is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Ho Chan Ryu, Yong Jo Ahn
  • Patent number: 11871015
    Abstract: Methods and systems for frame rate scalability are described. Support is provided for input and output video sequences with variable frame rate and variable shutter angle across scenes, or for input video sequences with fixed input frame rate and input shutter angle, but allowing a decoder to generate a video output at a different output frame rate and shutter angle than the corresponding input values. Techniques allowing a decoder to decode more computationally-efficiently a specific backward compatible target frame rate and shutter angle among those allowed are also presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Peng Yin, Taoran Lu, Fangjun Pu, Sean Thomas McCarthy, Walter J. Husak, Tao Chen, Guan-Ming Su
  • Patent number: 11871014
    Abstract: An electronic device for encoding a picture is described. The electronic device includes a processor and instructions stored in memory that are in electronic communication with the processor. The instructions are executable to encode a step-wise temporal sub-layer access (STSA) sample grouping. The instructions are further executable to send and/or store the STSA sample grouping.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventor: Sachin G. Deshpande
  • Patent number: 11870948
    Abstract: Metadata and methods for variable-frame rate (VFR) video playback are presented. Proposed metadata include syntax parameters related to the presentation time duration, picture source type (e.g., original, duplicate, or interpolated), picture position in a scene (e.g., first, last, or in the middle), and motion-related information with respect to a previous picture. A decoder may use these metadata to apply appropriate frame-rate conversion techniques to reduce artifacts during VFR playback.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Atkins, Ian Godin, Peng Yin
  • Publication number: 20240007678
    Abstract: In a method to improve the coding efficiency of high-dynamic range (HDR) images, a decoder parses sequence processing set (SPS) data from an input coded bitstream to detect that an HDR extension syntax structure is present in the parsed SPS data. It extracts from the HDR extension syntax structure post-processing information that includes one or more of a color space enabled flag, a color enhancement enabled flag, an adaptive_reshaping_enabled_flag, a dynamic range conversion flag, a color correction enabled flag, or an SDR_viewable_flag. It decodes the input bitstream to generate a preliminary output decoded signal, and generates a second output signal based on the preliminary output signal and the post-processing information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Peng YIN, Taoran LU, Fangjun PU, Tao CHEN, Walter J. HUSAK
  • Publication number: 20240007682
    Abstract: An input image of a first bit depth in an input domain is received. Forward reshaping operations are performed on the input image to generate a forward reshaped image of a second bit depth in a reshaping domain. An image container containing image data derived from the forward reshaped image is encoded into an output video signal of the second bit depth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Janos HORVATH, Harshad KADU, Guan-Ming SU
  • Publication number: 20240007813
    Abstract: A method for compressing a HOA signal being an input HOA representation with input time frames (C(k)) of HOA coefficient sequences comprises spatial HOA encoding of the input time frames and subsequent perceptual encoding and source encoding. Each input time frame is decomposed (802) into a frame of predominant sound signals (XPS(k?1)) and a frame of an ambient HOA component ({tilde over (C)}AMB(k?1)). The ambient HOA component ({tilde over (C)}AMB(k?1)) comprises, in a layered mode, first HOA coefficient sequences of the input HOA representation (cn(k?1)) in lower positions and second HOA coefficient sequences (cAMB,n(k?1)) in remaining higher positions. The second HOA coefficient sequences are part of an HOA representation of a residual between the input HOA representation and the HOA representation of the predominant sound signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven KORDON, Alexander KRUEGER, Oliver WUEBBOLT
  • Publication number: 20240005942
    Abstract: Described is a method of training a deep-learning-based system for sound source separation. The system comprises a separation stage for frame-wise extraction of representations of sound sources from a representation of an audio signal, and a clustering stage for generating, for each frame, a vector indicative of an assignment permutation of extracted frames of representations of sound sources to respective sound sources. The representation of the audio signal is a waveform-based representation. The separation stage is trained using frame-level permutation invariant training. Further, the clustering stage is trained to generate embedding vectors for the frames of the audio signal that allow to determine estimates of respective assignment permutations between extracted sound signals and labels of sound sources that had been used for the frames. Also described is a method of using the deep-learning-based system for sound source separation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Xiaoyu LIU, Jordi PONS PUIG
  • Publication number: 20240005933
    Abstract: The present document describes a method (700) for encoding a multi-channel input signal (201). The method (700) comprises determining (701) a plurality of downmix channel signals (203) from the multi-channel input signal (201) and performing (702) energy compaction of the plurality of downmix channel signals (203) to provide a plurality of compacted channel signals (404). Furthermore, the method (700) comprises determining (703) joint coding metadata (205) based on the plurality of compacted channel signals (404) and based on the multi-channel input signal (201), wherein the joint coding metadata (205) is such that it allows upmixing of the plurality of compacted channel signals (404) to an approximation of the multi-channel input signal (201). In addition, the method (700) comprises encoding (704) the plurality of compacted channel signals (404) and the joint coding metadata (205).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2023
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Applicants: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: David S. MCGRATH, Michael ECKERT, Heiko PURNHAGEN, Stefan BRUHN
  • Patent number: 11863952
    Abstract: Audio signals from microphones of a mobile device are received. Each audio signal is generated by a respective microphone of the microphones. First microphones are selected from among the microphones to generate a front audio signal. Second microphones are selected from among the microphones to generate a back audio signal. A first audio signal portion, which is determined based at least in part on the back audio signal, is removed from the front audio signal to generate a modified front audio signal. A second audio signal portion is removed from the modified front audio signal to generate a left-front audio signal. A third audio signal portion is removed from the modified front audio signal to generate a right-front audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventor: Chunjian Li
  • Patent number: 11863750
    Abstract: According to the present invention, an adaptive scheme is applied to an image encoding apparatus that includes an inter-predictor, an intra-predictor, a transformer, a quantizer, an inverse quantizer, and an inverse transformer, wherein input images are classified into two or more different categories, and two or more modules from among the inter-predictor, the intra-predictor, the transformer, the quantizer, and the inverse quantizer are implemented to perform respective operations in different schemes according to the category to which an input image belongs. Thus, the invention has the advantage of efficiently encoding an image without the loss of important information as compared to a conventional image encoding apparatus which adopts a packaged scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Jong Ki Han, Chan Won Seo, Kwang Hyun Choi
  • Patent number: 11862185
    Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream is disclosed. The method includes receiving the encoded audio bitstream and decoding the audio data to generate a decoded lowband audio signal. The method further includes extracting high frequency reconstruction metadata and filtering the decoded lowband audio signal with an analysis filterbank to generate a filtered lowband audio signal. The method also includes extracting a flag indicating whether either spectral translation or harmonic transposition is to be performed on the audio data and regenerating a highband portion of the audio signal using the filtered lowband audio signal and the high frequency reconstruction metadata in accordance with the flag. The high frequency regeneration is performed as a post-processing operation with a delay of 3010 samples per audio channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer Kjoerling, Lars Villemoes, Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand
  • Patent number: 11863839
    Abstract: A method for delivering media to a playback device including outputting first test media to be viewed by a first user. The method further includes receiving a first user input related to a first perception of the first test media by the first user and indicating a first personalized quality of experience of the first user with respect to the first test media. The method further includes generating a first personalized sensitivity profile including one or more viewing characteristics of the first user based on the first user input, and determining, based at least in part on the first personalized sensitivity profile, a first media parameter. The first media parameter is determined in order to increase an efficiency of media delivery to the first playback device over a network while preserving the first personalized quality of experience of the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Doh-Suk Kim, Sean Thomas McCarthy, Scott Daly, Jeffrey Riedmiller, Ludovic Christophe Malfait, Raphael Marc Ullmann, Jason Michael Cloud
  • Patent number: 11863958
    Abstract: There are two representations for Higher Order Ambisonics denoted HOA: spatial domain and coefficient domain. The invention generates from a coefficient domain representation a mixed spatial/coefficient domain representation, wherein the number of said HOA signals can be variable. An aspect of the invention further relates to methods and apparatus decoding multiplexed and perceptually encoded HOA signals, including transforming a vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals of the HOA representation to a corresponding vector of coefficient domain signals by multiplying the vector of PCM encoded spatial domain signals with a transform matrix and de-normalizing the vector of PCM encoded and normalized coefficient domain signals, wherein said de-normalizing comprises.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven Kordon, Alexander Krueger
  • Publication number: 20230421507
    Abstract: Embodiments are disclosed for timestamp smoothing to remove jitter. In some embodiments, a method of smoothing timestamps associated with audio packets comprises: receiving, using at least one processor, a series of input timestamps for audio packets and their respective packet lengths; estimating, using the at least one processor, an initial timestamp based on the series of input timestamps, the packet lengths and a sample time; calculating, using the at least one processor, a predicted timestamp based on the estimated initial timestamp; and smoothing, using the at least one processor, the predicted timestamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Shanush PREMA THASARATHAN, Ning WANG, Senaka Chandranath SAMARASEKERA
  • Publication number: 20230419973
    Abstract: Methods for generating an object based audio program which is renderable in a personalizable manner, e.g., to provide an immersive, perception of audio content of the program. Other embodiments include steps of delivering (e.g., broadcasting), decoding, and/or rendering such a program. Rendering of audio objects indicated by the program may provide an immersive experience. The audio content of the program may be indicative of multiple object channels (e.g., object channels indicative of user-selectable and user-configurable objects, and typically also a default set of objects which will be rendered in the absence of a selection by a user) and a bed of speaker channels. Another aspect is an audio processing unit (e.g., encoder or decoder) configured to perform, or which includes a buffer memory which stores at least one frame (or other segment) of an object based audio program (or bitstream thereof) generated in accordance with, any embodiment of the method.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicants: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Robert Andrew France, Thomas ZIEGLER, Sripal S. Mehta, Andrew Jonathan DOWELL, Prinyar SAUNGSOMBOON, Michael David DWYER, Farhad FARAHANI, Nicolas R. TSINGOS, Freddie SANCHEZ
  • Publication number: 20230421952
    Abstract: Some implementations involve receiving, from a first subband domain acoustic echo canceller (AEC) of a first audio device in an audio environment, first adaptive filter management data from each of a plurality of first adaptive filter management modules, each first adaptive filter management module corresponding to a subband of the first subband domain AEC, each first adaptive filter management module being configured to control a first plurality of adaptive filters. The first plurality of adaptive filters may include at least a first adaptive filter type and a second adaptive filter type. Some implementations involve extracting, from the first adaptive filter management data, a first plurality of extracted features corresponding to a plurality of subbands of the first subband domain AEC and estimating a current local acoustic state based, at least in part, on the first plurality of extracted features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Benjamin John Southwell, David Gunawan, Christopher Graham Hines
  • Publication number: 20230419975
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for decoding a compressed Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) representation of a sound or soundfield. The method may include receiving a bit stream containing the compressed HOA representation and decoding, based on a determination that there are multiple layers, the compressed HOA representation from the bitstream to obtain a sequence of decoded HOA representations. A first subset of the sequence of decoded HOA representations is determined based only on corresponding ambient HOA components. A second subset of the sequence of decoded HOA representations is determined based on corresponding ambient HOA components and corresponding predominant sound components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Sven KORDON, Alexander KRUEGER, Oliver WUEBBOLT
  • Publication number: 20230421812
    Abstract: An encoding device evaluates a plurality of processing and/or post-processing algorithms and/or methods to be applied to a video stream, and signals a selected method, algorithm, class or category of methods/algorithms either in an encoded bitstream or as side information related to the encoded bitstream. A decoding device or post-processor utilizes the signaled algorithm or selects an algorithm/method based on the signaled method or algorithm. The selection is based, for example, on availability of the algorithm/method at the decoder/post-processor and/or cost of implementation. The video stream may comprise, for example, downsampled multiplexed stereoscopic images and the selected algorithm may include any of upconversion and/or error correction techniques that contribute to a restoration of the downsampled images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexandros TOURAPIS, Athanasios LEONTARIS, Peshala V. PAHALAWATTA, Kevin J. STEC
  • Publication number: 20230421813
    Abstract: An encoding device evaluates a plurality of processing and/or post-processing algorithms and/or methods to be applied to a video stream, and signals a selected method, algorithm, class or category of methods/algorithms either in an encoded bitstream or as side information related to the encoded bitstream. A decoding device or post-processor utilizes the signaled algorithm or selects an algorithm/method based on the signaled method or algorithm. The selection is based, for example, on availability of the algorithm/method at the decoder/post-processor and/or cost of implementation. The video stream may comprise, for example, downsampled multiplexed stereoscopic images and the selected algorithm may include any of upconversion and/or error correction techniques that contribute to a restoration of the downsampled images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexandros TOURAPIS, Athanasios LEONTARIS, Peshala V. PAHALAWATTA, Kevin J. STEC
  • Publication number: 20230421734
    Abstract: Smaller halftone tiles are implemented on a first modulator of a dual modulation projection system. This techniques uses multiple halftones per frame in the pre-modulator synchronized with a modified bit sequence in the primary modulator to effectively increase the number of levels provided by a given tile size in the halftone modulator. It addresses the issue of reduced contrast ratio at low light levels for small tile sizes and allows the use of smaller PSFs which reduce halo artifacts in the projected image and may be utilized in 3D projecting and viewing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin J. RICHARDS, Jerome SHIELDS
  • Publication number: 20230421174
    Abstract: The invention proposes a method and a device for arithmetic encoding of a current spectral coefficient using preceding spectral coefficients. Said preceding spectral coefficients are already encoded and both, said preceding and current spectral coefficients, are comprised in one or more quantized spectra resulting from quantizing time-frequency-transform of video, audio or speech signal sample values.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventor: Oliver WUEBBOLT
  • Publication number: 20230421953
    Abstract: Methods and systems of improving bass response for a speaker in a portable computing device are described. One portable computing device includes first and second cover parts that are joined together to form a casing of the portable computing device, wherein a speaker volume is formed between portions of the first and second cover parts; a speaker arranged within the speaker volume; and one or more elastic spacers arranged between the first and second cover parts. The one or more elastic spacers are arranged to counteract, by their elastic recoil forces, a compression of the speaker volume when the first and second cover parts are under external compressing forces. The one or more elastic spacers are arranged between the first and second cover parts to be partially compressed by the first and second cover parts in the absence of external compressing forces on the first and second cover parts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xiaojun Xu, Tiezhong Liu
  • Publication number: 20230419983
    Abstract: A method, an apparatus, and logic to post-process raw gains determined by input processing to generate post-processed gains, comprising using one or both of delta gain smoothing and decision-directed gain smoothing. The delta gain smoothing comprises applying a smoothing filter to the raw gain with a smoothing factor that depends on the gain delta: the absolute value of the difference between the raw gain for the current frame and the post-processed gain for a previous frame. The decision-directed gain smoothing comprises converting the raw gain to a signal-to-noise ratio, applying a smoothing filter with a smoothing factor to the signal-to-noise ratio to calculate a smoothed signal-to-noise ratio, and converting the smoothed signal-to-noise ratio to determine the second smoothed gain, with smoothing factor possibly dependent on the gain delta.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Xuejing SUN, Glenn N. DICKINS
  • Publication number: 20230421811
    Abstract: An encoding device evaluates a plurality of processing and/or post-processing algorithms and/or methods to be applied to a video stream, and signals a selected method, algorithm, class or category of methods/algorithms either in an encoded bitstream or as side information related to the encoded bitstream. A decoding device or post-processor utilizes the signaled algorithm or selects an algorithm/method based on the signaled method or algorithm. The selection is based, for example, on availability of the algorithm/method at the decoder/post-processor and/or cost of implementation. The video stream may comprise, for example, downsampled multiplexed stereoscopic images and the selected algorithm may include any of upconversion and/or error correction techniques that contribute to a restoration of the downsampled images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Alexandros TOURAPIS, Athanasios LEONTARIS, Peshala V. PAHALAWATTA, Kevin J. STEC
  • Patent number: 11856232
    Abstract: A quantization parameter signalling mechanism for both SDR and HDR content in video coding is described using two approaches. The first approach is to send the user-defined QpC table directly in high level syntax. This leads to more flexible and efficient QP control for future codec development and video content coding. The second approach is to signal luma and chroma QPs independently. This approach eliminates the need for QpC tables and removes the dependency of chroma quantization parameter on luma QP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Fangjun Pu, Toaran Lu, Peng Yin, Sean Thomas McCarthy
  • Patent number: 11856382
    Abstract: An acoustic transducer that includes a housing, a diaphragm, a spider, a motor, and a drop ring. The motor includes a backplate, a frontplate, a magnet, and a voice coil. The drop ring connects the diaphragm to the spider at a circumference of the spider. The drop ring extends parallel with respect to a central axis of the housing. The circumference of the spider is spaced away from the motor and connects to the diaphragm at a resonant node of the diaphragm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Kelvin Francis Griffiths, Timothy Erin Sandrik
  • Publication number: 20230410829
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a method comprises: receiving bands of power spectra of an input audio signal and a microphone covariance, and for each band: estimating, using a classifier, respective probabilities of speech and noise; estimating, using a directionality model, a set of means for speech and noise, or a set of means and covariances for speech and noise, based on the microphone covariance for the band and the probabilities; estimating, using a level model, a mean and covariance of noise power based on the probabilities and the power spectra; determining a first noise suppression gain based on the directionality model; determining a second noise suppression gain based on the level model; selecting the first or second noise suppression gain or their sum based on a signal-to-noise ratio of the input audio signal; and scaling a time-frequency representation of the input signal by the selected noise suppression gain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Richard J. CARTWRIGHT, Ning WANG
  • Patent number: 11849152
    Abstract: Disclosed is an encoding/decoding method and apparatus related to adaptive deblocking filtering. There is provided an image decoding method performing adaptive filtering in inter-prediction, the method including: reconstructing, from a bitstream, an image signal including a reference block on which block matching is performed in inter-prediction of a current block to be encoded; obtaining, from the bitstream, a flag indicating whether the reference block exists within a current picture where the current block is positioned; reconstructing the current block by using the reference block; adaptively applying an in-loop filter for the reconstructed current block based on the obtained flag; and storing the current block to which the in-loop filter is or is not applied in a decoded picture buffer (DPB).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation
    Inventors: Je Chang Jeong, Ki Baek Kim
  • Patent number: RE49787
    Abstract: A moving picture coding apparatus 1 includes: a quantization matrix holding unit (112) that holds a quantization matrix (WM) which has already been transmitted in a parameter set and a matrix ID for identifying the quantization matrix (WM), which are associated with each other; and a variable length coding unit (111) that obtains the matrix ID corresponding to the quantization matrix (WM) used for quantization from the quantization matrix holding unit (112) and places the matrix ID in a coded stream Str.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Jiuhuai Lu, Tao Chen, Yoshiichiro Kashiwagi, Shinya Kadono, Chong Soon Lim