Patents by Inventor Christian Helmrich

Christian Helmrich has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230079574
    Abstract: An apparatus for selecting one of a first encoding algorithm having a first characteristic and a second encoding algorithm having a second characteristic for encoding a portion of an audio signal to obtain an encoded version of the portion of the audio signal has a first estimator for estimating a first quality measure for the portion of the audio signal, which is associated with the first encoding algorithm, without actually encoding and decoding the portion of the audio signal using the first encoding algorithm. A second estimator is provided for estimating a second quality measure for the portion of the audio signal, which is associated with the second encoding algorithm, without actually encoding and decoding the portion of the audio signal using the second encoding algorithm. The apparatus has a controller for selecting the first or second encoding algorithms based on a comparison between the first and second quality measures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Emmanuel RAVELLI, Stefan DOEHLA, Guillaume FUCHS, Eleni FOTOPOULOU, Christian HELMRICH
  • Patent number: 11594235
    Abstract: In multichannel audio coding, an improved coding efficiency is achieved by the following measure: the noise filling of zero-quantized scale factor bands is performed using noise filling sources other than artificially generated noise or spectral replica. In particular, the coding efficiency in multichannel audio coding may be rendered more efficient by performing the noise filling based on noise generated using spectral lines from a previous frame of, or a different channel of the current frame of, the multichannel audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Maria Luis Valero, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert
  • Patent number: 11581003
    Abstract: The coding efficiency of an audio codec using a controllable—switchable or even adjustable—harmonic filter tool is improved by performing the harmonicity-dependent controlling of this tool using a temporal structure measure in addition to a measure of harmonicity in order to control the harmonic filter tool. In particular, the temporal structure of the audio signal is evaluated in a manner which depends on the pitch. This enables to achieve a situation-adapted control of the harmonic filter tool so that in situations where a control made solely based on the measure of harmonicity would decide against or reduce the usage of this tool, although using the harmonic filter tool would, in that situation, increase the coding efficiency, the harmonic filter tool is applied, while in other situations where the harmonic filter tool may be inefficient or even destructive, the control reduces the appliance of the harmonic filter tool appropriately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Goran Markovic, Christian Helmrich, Emmanuel Ravelli, Manuel Jander, Stefan Doehla
  • Patent number: 11568883
    Abstract: The invention provides an audio encoder including a combination of a linear predictive coding filter having a plurality of linear predictive coding coefficients and a time-frequency converter, wherein the combination is configured to filter and to convert a frame of the audio signal into a frequency domain in order to output a spectrum based on the frame and on the linear predictive coding coefficients; a low frequency emphasizer configured to calculate a processed spectrum based on the spectrum, wherein spectral lines of the processed spectrum representing a lower frequency than a reference spectral line are emphasized; and a control device configured to control the calculation of the processed spectrum by the low frequency emphasizer depending on the linear predictive coding coefficients of the linear predictive coding filter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Doehla, Bernhard Grill, Christian Helmrich, Nikolaus Rettelbach
  • Patent number: 11521631
    Abstract: An apparatus for selecting one of a first encoding algorithm having a first characteristic and a second encoding algorithm having a second characteristic for encoding a portion of an audio signal to obtain an encoded version of the portion of the audio signal has a first estimator for estimating a first quality measure for the portion of the audio signal, which is associated with the first encoding algorithm, without actually encoding and decoding the portion of the audio signal using the first encoding algorithm. A second estimator is provided for estimating a second quality measure for the portion of the audio signal, which is associated with the second encoding algorithm, without actually encoding and decoding the portion of the audio signal using the second encoding algorithm. The apparatus has a controller for selecting the first or second encoding algorithms based on a comparison between the first and second quality measures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Emmanuel Ravelli, Stefan Doehla, Guillaume Fuchs, Eleni Fotopoulou, Christian Helmrich
  • Patent number: 11501783
    Abstract: An apparatus for decoding an encoded audio signal to obtain a reconstructed audio signal includes a receiving interface for receiving one or more frames comprising information on a plurality of audio signal samples of an audio signal spectrum of the encoded audio signal, and a processor for generating the reconstructed audio signal. The processor is configured to generate the reconstructed audio signal by fading a modified spectrum to a target spectrum, if a current frame is not received by the receiving interface or if the current frame is received by the receiving interface but is corrupted, wherein the modified spectrum includes a plurality of modified signal samples, wherein, for each of the modified signal samples of the modified spectrum, an absolute value of the modified signal sample is equal to an absolute value of one of the audio signal samples of the audio signal spectrum.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Michael Schnabel, Goran Markovic, Ralph Sperschneider, Jérémie Lecomte, Christian Helmrich
  • Patent number: 11488610
    Abstract: An audio decoder for providing at least four bandwidth-extended channel signals on the basis of an encoded representation provides first and second downmix signals on the basis of a jointly encoded representation of the first and second downmix signals using a multi-channel decoding and provides at least first and second audio channel signals on the basis of the first downmix signal using a multi-channel decoding, and provides at least third and fourth audio channel signals on the basis of the second downmix signal using a multi-channel decoding. It performs a multi-channel bandwidth extension on the basis of the first and third audio channel signals, to obtain first and third bandwidth-extended channel signals, and performs a multi-channel bandwidth extension on the basis of the second and fourth audio channel signals, to obtain second and fourth bandwidth extended channel signals. An audio encoder uses a related concept.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Dick, Christian Ertel, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert, Andreas Hoelzer, Achim Kuntz
  • Patent number: 11462221
    Abstract: An apparatus for decoding an encoded audio signal to obtain a reconstructed audio signal is provided, having: a receiving interface for receiving one or more frames, a coefficient generator, and a signal reconstructor. The coefficient generator is configured to determine one or more first audio signal coefficients, and one or more noise coefficients. Moreover, the coefficient generator is configured to generate one or more second audio signal coefficients, depending on the one or more first audio signal coefficients and depending on the one or more noise coefficients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Michael Schnabel, Goran Markovic, Ralph Sperschneider, Jérémie Lecomte, Christian Helmrich
  • Publication number: 20220303545
    Abstract: An apparatus for determining visual activity information for a predetermined picture block of a video sequence including a plurality of video frames, the plurality of video frames including a current video frame and one or more timely-preceding video frames, wherein the one or more timely-preceding video frames precede the current video frame in time, is provided. The apparatus is configured to receive the predetermined picture block of each of the one or more timely-preceding video frames and the predetermined picture block of the current video frame. Moreover, the apparatus is configured to determine the visual activity information depending on the predetermined picture block of the current video frame and depending on the predetermined picture block of each of the one or more timely-preceding video frames and depending on a temporal high-pass filter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventors: Christian HELMRICH, Sebastian BOSSE, Mischa SIEKMANN, Soeren BECKER, Johannes ERFURT, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Publication number: 20220270619
    Abstract: An apparatus for decoding an encoded audio signal, includes a spectral domain audio decoder for generating a first decoded representation of a first set of first spectral portions, the decoded representation having a first spectral resolution; a parametric decoder for generating a second decoded representation of a second set of second spectral portions having a second spectral resolution being lower than the first spectral resolution; a frequency regenerator for regenerating every constructed second spectral portion having the first spectral resolution using a first spectral portion and spectral envelope information for the second spectral portion; and a spectrum time converter for converting the first decoded representation and the reconstructed second spectral portion into a time representation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Inventors: Sascha DISCH, Frederik NAGEL, Ralf GEIGER, Balaji Nagendran THOSHKAHNA, Konstantin SCHMIDT, Stefan BAYER, Christian NEUKAM, Bernd EDLER, Christian HELMRICH
  • Publication number: 20220238125
    Abstract: A schematic block diagram of a decoder for decoding an encoded audio signal is shown. The decoder includes an adaptive spectrum-time converter and an overlap-add-processor. The adaptive spectrum-time converter converts successive blocks of spectral values into successive blocks of time values, e.g. via a frequency-to-time transform. Furthermore, the adaptive spectrum-time converter receives a control information and switches, in response to the control information, between transform kernels of a first group of transform kernels including one or more transform kernels having different symmetries at sides of a kernel, and a second group of transform kernels including one or more transform kernels having the same symmetries at sides of a transform kernel. Moreover, the overlap-add-processor overlaps and adds the successive blocks of time values to obtain decoded audio values, which may be a decoded audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Christian HELMRICH, Bernd EDLER
  • Publication number: 20220223163
    Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a speech signal by determining a codebook vector of a speech coding algorithm is provided. The apparatus includes a matrix determiner for determining an autocorrelation matrix R, and a codebook vector determiner for determining the codebook vector depending on the autocorrelation matrix R. The matrix determiner is configured to determine the autocorrelation matrix R by determining vector coefficients of a vector r, wherein the autocorrelation matrix R includes a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, wherein the vector r indicates one of the columns or one of the rows of the autocorrelation matrix R, wherein R(i, j)=r(|i?j|), wherein R(i, j) indicates the coefficients of the autocorrelation matrix R, wherein i is a first index indicating one of a plurality of rows of the autocorrelation matrix R, and wherein j is a second index indicating one of the plurality of columns of the autocorrelation matrix R.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Tom BAECKSTROEM, Markus MULTRUS, Guillaume FUCHS, Christian HELMRICH, Martin DIETZ
  • Patent number: 11363268
    Abstract: Coding quantization parameter variation or adaptation is made more effective by basing the determination of a coding quantization parameter for a predetermined block of the picture on a dispersion of a statistical sample value distribution of a high-pass filtered version of the predetermined block. The usage of the high-pass filtered version of the predetermined block as a basis for the determination of the dispersion instead of using, for instance, the un-filtered or original version of the predetermined block assists in a better adaptation of the resulting coding quantization parameter variation across the picture to the human visual system. Alternatively or additionally, coding quantization parameter variation or adaptation across a picture is made more efficient by a control of coding quantization parameter variation/adaptation across a picture in a manner dependent on a prediction of the actual dispersion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Helmrich, Thomas Wiegand, Adam Wieckowski, Heiko Schwarz, Detlev Marpe, Sebastian Bosse, Benjamin Bross
  • Publication number: 20220157325
    Abstract: An apparatus for decoding an encoded audio signal having an encoded representation of a first set of first spectral portions and an encoded representation of parametric data indicating spectral energies for a second set of second spectral portions, has: an audio decoder for decoding the encoded representation of the first set of the first spectral portions to obtain a first set of first spectral portions and for decoding the encoded representation of the parametric data to obtain a decoded parametric data for the second set of second spectral portions indicating, for individual reconstruction bands, individual energies; a frequency regenerator for reconstructing spectral values in a reconstruction band having a second spectral portion using a first spectral portion of the first set of the first spectral portions and an individual energy for the reconstruction band, the reconstruction band having a first spectral portion and the second spectral portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2022
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Andreas NIEDERMEIER, Christian ERTEL, Ralf GEIGER, Florin GHIDO, Christian HELMRICH
  • Patent number: 11335354
    Abstract: A schematic block diagram of a decoder for decoding an encoded audio signal is shown. The decoder includes an adaptive spectrum-time converter and an overlap-add-processor. The adaptive spectrum-time converter converts successive blocks of spectral values into successive blocks of time values, e.g. via a frequency-to-time transform. Furthermore, the adaptive spectrum-time converter receives a control information and switches, in response to the control information, between transform kernels of a first group of transform kernels including one or more transform kernels having different symmetries at sides of a kernel, and a second group of transform kernels including one or more transform kernels having the same symmetries at sides of a transform kernel. Moreover, the overlap-add-processor overlaps and adds the successive blocks of time values to obtain decoded audio values, which may be a decoded audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Helmrich, Bernd Edler
  • Publication number: 20220139407
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a decoded two-channel signal, comprising: a parametric decoder for providing parametric data for a second set of second spectral portions and a two-channel identification identifying for a second spectral portion of the second set of second spectral portions either a first two-channel representation for the second spectral portion of the second set of second spectral portions or a second two-channel representation for the second spectral portion of the second set of second spectral portions, the second two-channel representation being different from the first two-channel representation; and a frequency regenerator for regenerating the second spectral portion of the second set of second spectral portions depending on a first spectral portion of a first set of first spectral portions, the parametric data for the second spectral portion of the second set of second spectral portions and the two-channel identification for the second spectral portion of the second set of second spectral
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Publication date: May 5, 2022
    Inventors: Sascha DISCH, Frederik NAGEL, Ralf GEIGER, Balaji Nagendran THOSHKAHNA, Konstantin SCHMIDT, Stefan BAYER, Christian NEUKAM, Bernd EDLER, Christian HELMRICH
  • Publication number: 20220132169
    Abstract: Decoder for decoding a picture from a data stream, configured to check whether a plurality of coding parameters, which are contained in the data stream, relate to a predetermined portion of the picture and control a prediction residual transform mode and a quantization accuracy with respect to the predetermined portion, are indicative of a coding parameter setting corresponding to a lossless prediction residual coding. Responsive to the plurality of coding parameters being indicative of the coding parameter setting corresponding to the lossless prediction residual coding, the decoder is configured to set one or more predetermined coding options relating to one or more tools of the decoder for processing a prediction residual corrected predictive reconstruction with respect to the predetermined portion so that the one or more tools are disabled with respect to the predetermined portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Christian HELMRICH, Benjamin BROSS, Tung Hoang NGUYEN, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Patent number: RE49453
    Abstract: An encoder/decoder is based on a combination of two audio or video channels to obtain a first combination signal as a mid-signal and a residual signal derivable using a predicted side signal derived from the mid-signal. A decoder uses the prediction residual signal, the first combination signal, a prediction direction indicator and prediction information to derive decoded first channel and second channel signals. A real-to-imaginary transform can be applied for estimating the imaginary part of the spectrum of the first combination signal. The prediction signal used in the derivation of the prediction residual signal, the real-valued first combination signal is multiplied by a real portion of the complex prediction information and the estimated imaginary part of the first combination signal is multiplied by an imaginary portion of the complex prediction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Julien Robilliard, Matthias Neusinger, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert, Nikolaus Rettelbach, Sascha Disch, Bernd Edler
  • Patent number: RE49464
    Abstract: An encoder/decoder is based on a combination of two audio or video channels to obtain a first combination signal as a mid-signal and a residual signal derivable using a predicted side signal derived from the mid-signal. A decoder uses the prediction residual signal, the first combination signal, a prediction direction indicator and prediction information to derive decoded first channel and second channel signals. A real-to-imaginary transform can be applied for estimating the imaginary part of the spectrum of the first combination signal. The prediction signal used in the derivation of the prediction residual signal, the real-valued first combination signal is multiplied by a real portion of the complex prediction information and the estimated imaginary part of the first combination signal is multiplied by an imaginary portion of the complex prediction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Julien Robilliard, Matthias Neusinger, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert, Nikolaus Rettelbach, Sascha Disch, Bernd Edler
  • Patent number: RE49469
    Abstract: An encoder/decoder is based on a combination of two audio or video channels to obtain a first combination signal as a mid-signal and a residual signal derivable using a predicted side signal derived from the mid-signal. A decoder uses the prediction residual signal, the first combination signal, a prediction direction indicator and prediction information to derive decoded first channel and second channel signals. A real-to-imaginary transform can be applied for estimating the imaginary part of the spectrum of the first combination signal. The prediction signal used in the derivation of the prediction residual signal, the real-valued first combination signal is multiplied by a real portion of the complex prediction information and the estimated imaginary part of the first combination signal is multiplied by an imaginary portion of the complex prediction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Julien Robilliard, Matthias Neusinger, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert, Nikolaus Rettelbach, Sascha Disch, Bernd Edler