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).

  • Patent number: 11297338
    Abstract: A video encoder encodes a video into a data stream, the video encoder being configured to vary a granularity at which a Quantization Parameter—QP—is applied depending on an association of frames of the video to temporally hierarchical layers at which the video is encoded into the data stream. The technology also concerns a respective decoder, a respective method for encoding and decoding, and a computer program for implementing the methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Helmrich, Heiko Schwarz, Detlev Marpe, Thomas Wiegand, Adam Wieckowski, Mischa Siekmann, Benjamin Bross
  • Patent number: 11289104
    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: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Frederik Nagel, Ralf Geiger, Balaji Nagendran Thoshkahna, Konstantin Schmidt, Stefan Bayer, Christian Neukam, Bernd Edler, Christian Helmrich
  • Patent number: 11282529
    Abstract: An approach is described that obtains spectrum coefficients for a replacement frame of an audio signal. A tonal component of a spectrum of an audio signal is detected based on a peak that exists in the spectra of frames preceding a replacement frame. For the tonal component of the spectrum a spectrum coefficients for the peak and its surrounding in the spectrum of the replacement frame is predicted, and for the non-tonal component of the spectrum a non-predicted spectrum coefficient for the replacement frame or a corresponding spectrum coefficient of a frame preceding the replacement frame is used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Inventors: Janine Sukowski, Ralph Sperschneider, Goran Markovic, Wolfgang Jaegers, Christian Helmrich, Bernd Edler, Ralf Geiger
  • Patent number: 11264043
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschunq e.V.
    Inventors: Tom Baeckstroem, Markus Multrus, Guillaume Fuchs, Christian Helmrich, Martin Dietz
  • Patent number: 11257505
    Abstract: An apparatus for generating a decoded two-channel signal includes: an audio processor for decoding an encoded two-channel signal to obtain a first set of first spectral portions; a parametric decoder for providing parametric data for a second set of second spectral portions and a two-channel identification identifying either a first or a second different two-channel representation for the second spectral portions; and a frequency regenerator for regenerating a second spectral portion depending on a first spectral portion of the first set of first spectral portions, the parametric data for the second portion and the two-channel identification for the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Frederik Nagel, Ralf Geiger, Balaji Nagendran Thoshkahna, Konstantin Schmidt, Stefan Bayer, Christian Neukam, Bernd Edler, Christian Helmrich
  • Patent number: 11250862
    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: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Andreas Niedermeier, Christian Ertel, Ralf Geiger, Florin Ghido, Christian Helmrich
  • Patent number: 11222643
    Abstract: Apparatus for decoding an encoded audio signal including an encoded core signal and parametric data, including: a core decoder for decoding the encoded core signal to obtain a decoded core signal; an analyzer for analyzing the decoded core signal before or after performing a frequency regeneration operation to provide an analysis result; and a frequency regenerator for regenerating spectral portions not included in the decoded core signal using a spectral portion of the decoded core signal, the parametric data, and the analysis result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Ralf Geiger, Christian Helmrich, Frederik Nagel, Christian Neukam, Konstantin Schmidt, Michael Fischer
  • Publication number: 20210409708
    Abstract: An encoder for encoding a plurality of components of an image content region of an image to be encoded is configured for obtaining the plurality of components representing the image content region; selecting an intercomponent transform from a set of intercomponent transforms; encoding the plurality of components using the selected intercomponent transform to obtain encoded components; and providing the encoded components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Christian HELMRICH, Christian RUDAT, Tung Hoang NGUYEN, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Patent number: 11205434
    Abstract: An audio encoder for providing an encoded audio information on the basis of an input audio information has a bandwidth extension information provider configured to provide bandwidth extension information using a variable temporal resolution and a detector configured to detect an onset of a fricative or affricate. The audio encoder is configured to adjust a temporal resolution used by the bandwidth extension information provider such that bandwidth extension information is provided with an increased temporal resolution at least for a predetermined period of time before a time at which an onset of a fricative or affricate is detected and for a predetermined period of time following the time at which the onset of the fricative or affricate is detected. Alternatively or in addition, the bandwidth extension information is provided with an increased temporal resolution in response to a detection of an offset of a fricative or affricate. Audio encoders and methods use a corresponding concept.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Christian Helmrich, Markus Multrus, Markus Schnell, Arthur Tritthart
  • Publication number: 20210368176
    Abstract: An apparatus for decoding a picture using predictive coding and block-based transform residual coding. The apparatus is configured to select, for a predetermined transform block, a transformation dependent on a size of the predetermined transform block. If the size of the predetermined transform block exceeds a predetermined threshold size, the apparatus is configured to use a default way for selecting the selected transformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Benjamin BROSS, Phan Hoang Tung NGUYEN, Paul KEYDEL, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND, Christian HELMRICH
  • Publication number: 20210366499
    Abstract: The invention provides an audio encoder for encoding an audio signal so as to produce therefrom an encoded signal, the audio encoder including: a framing device configured to extract frames from the audio signal; a quantizer configured to map spectral lines of a spectrum signal derived from the frame of the audio signal to quantization indices, wherein the quantizer has a dead-zone, in which the input spectral lines are mapped to quantization index zero; and a control device configured to modify the dead-zone; wherein the control device includes a tonality calculating device configured to calculate at least one tonality indicating value for at least one spectrum line or for at least one group of spectral lines, wherein the control device is configured to modify the dead-zone for the at least one spectrum line or the at least one group of spectrum lines depending on the respective tonality indicating value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: Martin DIETZ, Guillaume FUCHS, Christian HELMRICH, Goran MARKOVIC
  • Publication number: 20210358508
    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: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Inventors: Maria Luis VALERO, Christian HELMRICH, Johannes HILPERT
  • Publication number: 20210295853
    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 being spectral prediction residual values; a frequency regenerator for generating a reconstructed second spectral portion using a first spectral portion of the first set of first spectral portions, wherein the reconstructed second spectral portion additionally includes spectral prediction residual values; and an inverse prediction filter for performing an inverse prediction over frequency using the spectral residual values for the first set of first spectral portions and the reconstructed second spectral portion using prediction filter information included in the encoded audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2021
    Publication date: September 23, 2021
    Inventors: Sascha DISCH, Frederik NAGEL, Ralf GEIGER, Balaji Nagendran THOSHKAHNA, Konstantin SCHMIDT, Stefan BAYER, Christian NEUKAM, Bernd EDLER, Christian HELMRICH
  • Publication number: 20210289215
    Abstract: A decoder for block-based decoding of picture data of a picture is configured to decode a current block of the picture by determining first and second sets of luma in a neighborhood of the current block, the first set of luma samples having smaller luma values than the second set of luma samples, fitting a straight-line having a linear function through first and second pairs of luma-chroma samples, wherein the first and second pairs of luma-chroma samples are determined based on the first and second sets of luma samples, respectively, and on first and second corresponding chroma samples, respectively, in said neighborhood of the current block, and predicting chroma samples of the current block using luma samples of the current block and said linear function. The present proposal further concerns a respective encoder and corresponding methods for encoding and decoding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 16, 2021
    Inventors: Christian HELMRICH, Heiko SCHWARZ, Detlev MARPE, Thomas WIEGAND
  • Patent number: 11122300
    Abstract: Examples are provided for apparatus and methods for video encoding and decoding. An encoder apparatus for encoding a picture into a data stream is configured to: subject a transform of a block of the picture to quantization to obtain a quantized transform; determine a zero-quantized portion of the quantized transform; determine at least one noise parameter providing noise information on the transform within the zero-quantized portion; signal the quantized transform and the at least one parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.
    Inventors: Christian Helmrich, Paul Keydel, Sebastian Bosse
  • Patent number: 11094332
    Abstract: The invention provides an audio encoder for encoding an audio signal so as to produce therefrom an encoded signal, the audio encoder including: a framing device configured to extract frames from the audio signal; a quantizer configured to map spectral lines of a spectrum signal derived from the frame of the audio signal to quantization indices, wherein the quantizer has a dead-zone, in which the input spectral lines are mapped to quantization index zero; and a control device configured to modify the dead-zone; wherein the control device includes a tonality calculating device configured to calculate at least one tonality indicating value for at least one spectrum line or for at least one group of spectral lines, wherein the control device is configured to modify the dead-zone for the at least one spectrum line or the at least one group of spectrum lines depending on the respective tonality indicating value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Martin Dietz, Guillaume Fuchs, Christian Helmrich, Goran Markovic
  • Publication number: 20210233545
    Abstract: A frequency-domain audio codec is provided with the ability to additionally support a certain transform length in a backward-compatible manner, by the following: the frequency-domain coefficients of a respective frame are transmitted in an interleaved manner irrespective of the signalization signaling for the frames as to which transform length actually applies, and additionally the frequency-domain coefficient extraction and the scale factor extraction operate independent from the signalization. By this measure, old-fashioned frequency-domain audio coders/decoders, insensitive for the signalization, would be able to nevertheless operate without faults and with reproducing a reasonable quality. Concurrently, frequency-domain audio coders/decoders able to support the additional transform length would offer even better quality despite the backward compatibility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Inventors: Sascha DICK, Christian HELMRICH, Andreas HOELZER
  • Publication number: 20210233543
    Abstract: An audio decoder for providing at least four audio channel signals on the basis of an encoded representation is configured to provide a first residual signal and a second residual signal on the basis of a jointly encoded representation of the first residual signal and of the second residual signal using a multi-channel decoding. The audio decoder is configured to provide a first audio channel signal and a second audio channel signal on the basis of a first downmix signal and the first residual signal using a residual-signal-assisted multi-channel decoding. The audio decoder is configured to provide a third audio channel signal and a fourth audio channel signal on the basis of a second downmix signal and the second residual signal using a residual-signal-assisted multi-channel decoding. An audio encoder is based on corresponding considerations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Dick, Christian Ertel, Christian Helmrich, Johannes Hilpert, Andreas Hoelzer, Achim Kuntz
  • Publication number: 20210211737
    Abstract: Provided are an encoder, a decoder and methods for applying and varying a strength of a deblocking or deringing filter for filtering a block of a picture, wherein the deblocking filter is configured to determine, for each of at least eight border portions of a border of the block, a dissimilarity between an unfiltered content of the block and a surrounding picture content around the block along the respective border portion, the eight border portions including four corner border portions, each arranged at a corner of the block, and four edge border portions, each arranged at intermediary portions of the border between the corners of the block. Furthermore, the deblocking filter is configured to parametrize a deblocking filtering of the block using the dissimilarities determined for the at least eight border portions in order to obtain a filtered content of the block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventor: Christian HELMRICH
  • Patent number: 11049506
    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 being spectral prediction residual values; a frequency regenerator for generating a reconstructed second spectral portion using a first spectral portion of the first set of first spectral portions, wherein the reconstructed second spectral portion additionally includes spectral prediction residual values; and an inverse prediction filter for performing an inverse prediction over frequency using the spectral residual values for the first set of first spectral portions and the reconstructed second spectral portion using prediction filter information included in the encoded audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Sascha Disch, Frederik Nagel, Ralf Geiger, Balaji Nagendran Thoshkahna, Konstantin Schmidt, Stefan Bayer, Christian Neukam, Bernd Edler, Christian Helmrich