Abstract: An audio processor or coder for processing or coding a signal, the processor or coder comprising: a band-limited entity or coder configured to provide or code a band-limited signal of the signal; and a bandwidth extension entity or coder configured to provide or code an extended-band signal of the signal, the provided or decoded extended-band signal comprising a mixture of a first extended-band excitation and a second extended-band excitation; wherein the bandwidth extension entity or coder is configured to generate the first extended-band excitation and a noise generator configured to generate random noise as the second extended-band excitation; wherein the mixture is controlled via a steering factor derived from a characteristic output or parameter of the band-limited entity or coder.

Abstract: A processor for processing an (encoded) audio signal, the processor comprising: an LTP buffer configured to receive samples derived from a frame of the encoded audio signal; an interval splitter configured to divide a time interval associated with a subsequent frame of the encoded audio signal into sub-intervals depending on the encoded pitch parameter; calculation means configured to derive sub-interval parameters from the encoded pitch parameter dependent on a position of the sub-intervals within the time interval associated with the subsequent frame of the encoded audio signal; a predictor configured for generating a prediction signal from the LTP buffer dependent on the sub-interval parameters; and a frequency domain transformer configured for generating a prediction spectrum (XP) based on the prediction signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a first channel and a second channel of an audio input signal including two or more channels to obtain an encoded audio signal according to an embodiment includes a normalizer configured to determine a normalization value for the audio input signal depending on the first channel of the audio input signal and depending on the second channel of the audio input signal. Moreover, the apparatus includes an encoding unit configured to generate a processed audio signal having a first channel and a second channel. The encoding unit is configured to encode the processed audio signal to obtain the encoded audio signal.

Abstract: In an aspect, a toy assembly is provided, and includes a housing, an inner object, a sensor, an LED, and a control system. The housing is light transmissive, and has a light transfer member inside having a light inlet and a light outlet, positioned to direct light into the housing so as to render the light visible. The LED directs light at the light inlet of the light transfer member so as to transmit the light through it into and through the housing so as to be visible from the exterior of the housing. The control system is programmed to execute instructions, to operate the at least one light emitting element if a condition is met.

Abstract: Embodiments comprise an audio decoder configured to, for a predetermined frame among consecutive frames, decode, from a data stream, a quantized spectrum and a linear prediction coefficient based envelope representation; to locate, in the quantized spectrum, zero-quantized portions and non-zero-quantized portions and to derive a dequantized spectrum using in zero-quantized portions of the quantized spectrum, filling the quantized spectrum with a synthesized spectral data modified depending, according to a first manner, on the linear prediction coefficient based envelope representation, and in non-zero-quantized portions of the quantized spectrum, modifying the quantized spectrum depending, in a second manner, on the linear prediction coefficient based envelope representation; and to reconstruct the predetermined frame using the dequantized spectrum; so that, for a predetermined portion, the modification according to the first and the second manner cause a spectral quantization noise shaping which comprises di

Abstract: Embodiments according to the invention comprise an audio decoder configured to, for a predetermined frame among consecutive frames, decode, from a data stream, a quantized spectrum, a linear prediction coefficient based spectral envelope representation and a fundamental frequency related parameter, and configured to determine a spectral shaping function from the linear prediction coefficient based spectral envelope representation using a first manner below a pitch frequency determined from the fundamental frequency related parameter, and a second manner above the pitch frequency, to spectrally shape the quantized spectrum using the spectral shaping function to obtain a dequantized spectrum and to reconstruct the predetermined frame using the dequantized spectrum.

Abstract: An audio encoder for a multichannel audio signal includes: a signal shaping unit to shape each channel using a number of scale parameters, configured to derive, for each channel, a number of scale parameters; a stereo processing unit to receive the shaped channels and provide a joint shaped audio signal from the shaped channels, a coded signal writer, to form a coded signal with at least the joint shaped audio signal; and a characteristic determiner to determine a characteristic from the channels having a characteristic state selected between a first characteristic state and a second characteristic state. The signal shaping unit is controlled by the characteristic determiner to derive: in the first characteristic state, the number of scale parameters using a channel-specific parameter for the channel; and in the second characteristic state, the number of scale parameters using a joint parameter derived from the first channel and the second channel.

Abstract: An audio quantizer for quantizing a plurality of audio information items has: a first stage vector quantizer for quantizing the plurality of audio information items to determine a first stage vector quantization result and a plurality of intermediate quantized items corresponding to the first stage vector quantization result; a residual item determiner for calculating a plurality of residual items from the plurality of intermediate quantized items and the plurality of audio information items; and a second stage vector quantizer for quantizing the plurality of residual items to obtain a second stage vector quantization result, wherein the first stage vector quantization result and the second stage vector quantization result are a quantized representation of the plurality of audio information items.

Abstract: A stacking and packing system is for stacking and packing a plurality of products with a wrap. The stacking and packing system includes a Z stacking subsystem, a pick and place subsystem and a wrap management subsystem. The Z stacking subsystem has a stacking zone and is configured to stack the plurality of products and position the wrap between each of the plurality of products to form a plurality of stacked and wrapped product. The pick and place subsystem is configured to place one of the plurality of products onto the stacking zone. The wrap management subsystem is configured to move the wrap to the stacking zone. Preferably, the first and second wrapping pins are spaced from the products. In one example the product is alternating anodes and cathodes and the plurality of stacked and wrapped product is a battery.

Abstract: In an aspect, a toy assembly is provided, and includes a housing, an inner object, a sensor, an LED, and a control system. The housing is light transmissive, and has a light transfer member inside having a light inlet and a light outlet, positioned to direct light into the housing so as to render the light visible. The LED directs light at the light inlet of the light transfer member so as to transmit the light through it into and through the housing so as to be visible from the exterior of the housing. The control system is programmed to execute instructions, to operate the at least one light emitting element if a condition is met.

Abstract: A multisignal encoder for encoding at least three audio signals, including: a signal preprocessor for individually preprocessing each audio signal to obtain at least three preprocessed audio signals, wherein the preprocessing is performed so that a preprocessed audio signal is whitened with respect to the signal before preprocessing; an adaptive joint signal processor for performing a processing of the at least three preprocessed audio signals to obtain at least three jointly processed signals or at least two jointly processed signals and an unprocessed signal; a signal encoder for encoding each signal to obtain one or more encoded signals; and an output interface for transmitting or storing an encoded multisignal audio signal including the one or more encoded signals, side information relating to the preprocessing and side information relating to the processing.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining an estimated pitch lag is provided. The apparatus includes an input interface for receiving a plurality of original pitch lag values, and a pitch lag estimator for estimating the estimated pitch lag. The pitch lag estimator is configured to estimate the estimated pitch lag depending on a plurality of original pitch lag values and depending on a plurality of information values, wherein for each original pitch lag value of the plurality of original pitch lag values, an information value of the plurality of information values is assigned to the original pitch lag value.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating an encoded signal includes: a window sequence controller for generating a window sequence information for windowing an audio or image signal, the window sequence information indicating a first window for generating a first frame of spectral values, a second window function and at least one third window function for generating a second frame of spectral values, wherein the first window function, the second window function and the one or more third window functions overlap within a multi-overlap region; a preprocessor for windowing a second block of samples corresponding to the second window function and the at least one third window functions using an auxiliary window function to acquire a second block of windowed samples, a spectrum converter for applying an aliasing-introducing transform; and a processor for processing the first frame and the second frame to acquire encoded frames of the audio or image signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing an audio signal having associated therewith a pitch lag information and a gain information, includes a domain converter for converting a first domain representation of the audio signal into a second domain representation of the audio signal; and a harmonic post-filter for filtering the second domain representation of the audio signal, wherein the post-filter is based on a transfer function including a numerator and a denominator, wherein the numerator includes a gain value indicated by the gain information, and wherein the denominator includes an integer part of a pitch lag indicated by the pitch lag information and a multi-tap filter depending on a fractional part of the pitch lag.

Abstract: An apparatus processing an encoded signal to acquire first and second frames comprising spectral values and an aliasing portion; applying a transform to the first frame using a first window function to acquire a first block of samples, applying another transform to a first portion of the second frame using a second window function, and applying another one or more transforms to a second portion of the second frame using one or more third window functions to acquire a second block of samples; and post-processing the second block of samples using a folding-out operation to acquire a post-processed second block of samples comprising a portion of the second block of samples overlapping with the first block of samples in a multi-overlap region, windowing the post-processed second block of samples using an auxiliary window function, and overlap-adding a windowed post-processed second block of samples and the first block of samples.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic beverage can opener. As an example, provided is an automatic beverage can opener comprising: a lever, the lever being automated and movable about a lever pivot axis; a wedge mechanism that is rotatably interconnected to the lever, the wedge mechanism comprising a tab engagement finger; and a can holder for positioning a beverage can in a position where a tab thereof can be engaged by the tab engagement finger upon automated movement of the lever.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing an audio signal having associated therewith a pitch lag information and a gain information, includes a domain converter for converting a first domain representation of the audio signal into a second domain representation of the audio signal; and a harmonic post-filter for filtering the second domain representation of the audio signal, wherein the post-filter is based on a transfer function including a numerator and a denominator, wherein the numerator includes a gain value indicated by the gain information, and wherein the denominator includes an integer part of a pitch lag indicated by the pitch lag information and a multi-tap filter depending on a fractional part of the pitch lag.

Abstract: In an aspect, a toy assembly is provided, and includes a housing, an inner object (which may, in some embodiments, represent a character) inside the housing, a tether, and a motor. The tether is driven by the motor to pull at least one removable housing portion from the housing.

Abstract: Embodiments according to the invention are related to methods and apparatuses for spectrotemporally improved spectral gap filling in audio coding using a filtering. Embodiments according to the invention are related to methods and apparatuses for spectrotemporally improved spectral gap filling in audio coding using different noise filling methods. Embodiments according to the invention are related to methods and apparatuses for spectrotemporally improved spectral gap filling in audio coding using a tilt.