Patents by Inventor Heiko Purnhagen

Heiko Purnhagen 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: 10593340
    Abstract: There are provided decoding and encoding methods for encoding and decoding of multichannel audio content for playback on a speaker configuration with N channels. The decoding method comprises decoding, in a first decoding module, M input audio signals into M mid signals which are suitable for playback on a speaker configuration with M channels; and for each of the N channels in excess of M channels, receiving an additional input audio signal corresponding to one of the M mid signals and decoding the input audio signal and its corresponding mid signal so as to generate a stereo signal including a first and a second audio signal which are suitable for playback on two of the N channels of the speaker configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Harald Mundt, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Publication number: 20200082836
    Abstract: An audio communication endpoint receives a bitstream containing spectral components representing spectral content of an audio signal, wherein the spectral components relate to a first range extending up to a first break frequency, above which any spectral components are unassigned. The endpoint adapts the received bitstream in accordance with a second range extending up to a second break frequency by removing spectral components or adding neutral-valued spectral components relating to a range between the first and second break frequencies. The endpoint then attenuates spectral content in a neighbourhood of the least of the first and second break frequencies for thereby achieving a gradual spectral decay. After this, reconstructing the audio signal is reconstructed by an inverse transform operating on spectral components relating to said second range in the adapted and attenuated received bitstream. At small computational expense, the endpoint may to adapt to different sample rates in received bitstreams.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Publication date: March 12, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY LABORATORIES LICENSING CORPORATION
    Inventors: Heiko PURNHAGEN, Leif SEHLSTROM, Lars VILLEMOES, Glenn N. DICKINS, Mark S. VINTON
  • Patent number: 10586545
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and devices for stereo encoding and decoding using complex prediction in the frequency domain. In one embodiment, a decoding method, for obtaining an output stereo signal from an input stereo signal encoded by complex prediction coding and comprising first frequency-domain representations of two input channels, comprises the upmixing steps of: (i) computing a second frequency-domain representation of a first input channel; and (ii) computing an output channel on the basis of the first and second frequency-domain representations of the first input channel, the first frequency-domain representation of the second input channel and a complex prediction coefficient. The upmixing can be suspended responsive to control data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Lars Villemoes, Pontus Carlsson
  • Publication number: 20200066282
    Abstract: Encoding and decoding devices for encoding the channels of an audio system having at least four channels are disclosed. The decoding device has a first stereo decoding component which subjects a first pair of input channels to a first stereo decoding, and a second stereo decoding component which subjects a second pair of input channels to a second stereo decoding. The results of the first and second stereo decoding components are crosswise coupled to a third and a fourth stereo decoding component which each performs stereo decoding on one channel resulting from the first stereo decoding component, and one channel resulting from the second stereo decoding component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer KJOERLING, Harald MUNDT, Heiko PURNHAGEN
  • Patent number: 10553226
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and apparatuses for encoding a stereo audio signal having a left channel and a right channel. The apparatus includes a prediction coefficient estimator, downmixer, and multiplexer. The encoder is configured operate either in a prediction mode or a non-prediction mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Lars Villemoes
  • Patent number: 10553228
    Abstract: Disclosed are some examples of systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products implementing techniques for extending the range of a set of decoded parameter values for a sequence of frequency bands in an identifiable time frame of an audio signal. In some implementations, the parameter values vary in relation to a sequence of time frames of the audio signal and in relation to a sequence of frequency bands in each time frame. In some implementations, it is determined that a decoded value corresponds to a minimum of a first range of values of a first coding protocol of a set of coding protocols. The determined value is modified to be below the minimum of the first range of values to produce an extended value. A modified set of decoded values including one or more extended values can thus be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand, Harald Mundt, Klaus Peichl
  • Patent number: 10553232
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to an audio processing unit that includes a bitstream payload deformatter and a decoding subsystem. The decoding subsystem is coupled to the bitstream payload deformatter and configured to decode at least a portion of a block of an encoded audio bitstream. The block includes a fill element with an identifier indicating a start of the fill element and fill data after the identifier. The fill data includes at least one flag identifying whether a base form of spectral band replication or an enhanced form of spectral band replication is to be performed on audio content of the block. The identifier is a three bit unsigned integer transmitted most significant bit first and having a value of 0x6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Lars Villemoes, Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand
  • Publication number: 20200035251
    Abstract: The invention provides methods and devices for outputting a stereo audio signal having a left channel and a right channel. The apparatus includes a demultiplexer, decoder, and upmixer. The upmixer is configured operate either in a prediction mode or a non-prediction mode based on a parameter encoded in the audio bitstream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Lars Villemoes
  • Publication number: 20200027471
    Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream is disclosed. The method includes receiving the encoded audio bit-stream 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Lars Villemoes, Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand
  • Publication number: 20200020345
    Abstract: Exemplary embodiments provide encoding and decoding methods, and associated encoders and decoders, for encoding and decoding of an audio scene which is represented by one or more audio signals. The encoder generates a bit stream which comprises downmix signals and side information which includes individual matrix elements of a reconstruction matrix which enables reconstruction of the one or more audio signals in the decoder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Heiko PURNHAGEN, Lars VILLEMOES, Leif Jonas SAMUELSSON, Toni HIRVONEN
  • Publication number: 20200021915
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reconstructing N audio channels from M audio channels is disclosed. The method includes receiving a bitstream containing an encoded audio signal representing the M audio channels and decoding the encoded audio signal to obtain a frequency domain representation of the M audio channels. The method further includes extracting a parameter from the bitstream and reconstructing at least one of the N audio channels using the parameter. The parameter represents an angle between two signals, at least one of which is included in the M audio channels.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Heiko PURNHAGEN, Lars VILLEMOES, Jonas ENGDEGARD, Jonas ROEDEN, Kristofer KJOERLING
  • Publication number: 20200013415
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products for encoding and decoding of a vector of parameters in an audio coding system. The disclosure further relates to a method and apparatus for reconstructing an audio object in an audio decoding system. According to the disclosure, a modulo differential approach for coding and encoding a vector of a non-periodic quantity may improve the coding efficiency and provide encoders and decoders with less memory requirements. Moreover, an efficient method for encoding and decoding a sparse matrix is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Publication date: January 9, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Leif Jonas SAMUELSSON, Heiko PURNHAGEN
  • Publication number: 20200005804
    Abstract: Embodiments relate to an audio processing unit that includes a buffer, bitstream payload deformatter, and a decoding subsystem. The buffer stores at least one block of an encoded audio bitstream. The block includes a fill element that begins with an identifier followed by fill data. The fill data includes at least one flag identifying whether enhanced spectral band replication (eSBR) processing is to be performed on audio content of the block. A corresponding method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Lars Villemoes, Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand
  • Publication number: 20200005801
    Abstract: A method for rendering an audio output based on an audio data stream including M audio signals, side information including a series of reconstruction instances of a reconstruction matrix C and first timing data, the side information allowing reconstruction of N audio objects from the M audio signals, and object metadata defining spatial relationships between the N audio objects. The method includes generating a synchronized rendering matrix based on the object metadata, the first timing data, and information relating to a current playback system configuration, the synchronized rendering matrix having a rendering instance for each reconstruction instance, multiplying each reconstruction instance with a corresponding rendering instance to form a corresponding instance of an integrated rendering matrix, and applying the integrated rendering matrix to the audio signals in order to render an audio output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Klaus PEICHL, Tobias FRIEDRICH, Robin THESING, Heiko PURNHAGEN, Martin WOLTERS
  • Patent number: 10522163
    Abstract: On the basis of a bitstream (P), an n-channel audio signal (X) is reconstructed by deriving an m-channel core signal (Y) and multichannel coding parameters (a) from the bitstream, where 1?m<n. Also derived from the bitstream are pre-processing dynamic range control, DRC, parameters (DRC2) quantifying an encoder-side dynamic range limiting of the core signal. The n-channel audio signal is obtained by parametric synthesis in accordance with the multichannel coding parameters and while cancelling any encoder-side dynamic range limiting based on the pre-processing DRC parameters. In particular embodiments, the reconstruction further includes use of compensated post-processing DRC parameters quantifying a potential decoder-side dynamic range compression. Cancellation of an encoder-side range limitation and range compression are preferably performed by different decoder-side components. Cancellation and compression may be coordinated by a DRC pre-processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Jeffrey Riedmiller, Karl J. Roeden, Kristofer Kjoerling, Heiko Purnhagen, Vinay Melkote, Leif Sehlstrom
  • Publication number: 20190392844
    Abstract: Methods and systems encoding a stereo audio signal having a left channel and a right channel are disclosed. The system includes a downmixer for generating a downmix signal and a residual signal from the stereo audio signal in selected frequency bands representing only part of a used audio frequency range of the stereo audio signal, and a decision module for selecting, in a time variant manner, either left/right perceptual encoding or mid/side perceptual encoding. The system also includes a parameter estimator for estimating stereo parameters for reconstructing a stereo image of a portion of the stereo audio signal, and a perceptual encoder for performing either left/right perceptual encoding or mid/side perceptual encoding based on the selecting to generate an encoded output signal. Finally, the system includes a bitstream generator for creating a bitstream signal comprising the encoded output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Applicant: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 10510355
    Abstract: The present document relates to time-alignment of encoded data of an audio encoder with associated metadata, such as spectral band replication (SBR) metadata. An audio decoder (100, 300) configured to determine a reconstructed frame of an audio signal (237) from an access unit (110) of a received data stream is described. The access unit (110) comprises waveform data (111) and metadata (112), wherein the waveform data (111) and the metadata (112) are associated with the same reconstructed frame of the audio signal (127). The audio decoder (100, 300) comprises a waveform processing path (101, 102, 103, 104, 105) configured to generate a plurality of waveform subband signals (123) from the waveform data (111), and a metadata processing path (108, 109) configured to generate decoded metadata (128) from the metadata (111).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer Kjoerling, Heiko Purnhagen, Jens Popp
  • Publication number: 20190378521
    Abstract: Methods and systems encoding a stereo audio signal having a left channel and a right channel are disclosed. The system includes a downmixer for generating a downmix signal and a residual signal from the stereo audio signal in selected frequency bands representing only part of a used audio frequency range of the stereo audio signal, and a decision module for selecting, in a time variant manner, either left/right perceptual encoding or mid/side perceptual encoding. The system also includes a parameter estimator for estimating stereo parameters for reconstructing a stereo image of a portion of the stereo audio signal, and a perceptual encoder for performing either left/right perceptual encoding or mid/side perceptual encoding based on the selecting to generate an encoded output signal. Finally, the system includes a bitstream generator for creating a bitstream signal comprising the encoded output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Applicant: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 10504527
    Abstract: An audio signal decoder for providing an upmix signal representation on the basis of a downmix signal representation and an object-related parametric information and in dependence on a rendering information has an object parameter determinator. The object parameter determinator is configured to obtain inter-object-correlation values for a plurality of pairs of audio objects. The object parameter determinator is configured to evaluate a bitstream signaling parameter in order to decide whether to evaluate individual inter-object-correlation bitstream parameter values to obtain inter-object-correlation values for a plurality of pairs of related audio objects, or to obtain inter-object-correlation values for a plurality of pairs of related audio objects using a common inter-object-correlation bitstream parameter value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignees: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Juergen Herre, Johannes Hilpert, Andreas Hoelzer, Jonas Engdegard, Heiko Purnhagen
  • Patent number: 10499155
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for reconstructing N audio channels from M audio channels is disclosed. The method includes receiving a bitstream containing an encoded audio signal representing the M audio channels and decoding the encoded audio signal to obtain a frequency domain representation of the M audio channels. The method further includes extracting a parameter from the bitstream and reconstructing at least one of the N audio channels using the parameter. The parameter represents an angle between two signals, at least one of which is included in the M audio channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Lars Villemoes, Jonas Engdegard, Jonas Roeden, Kristofer Kjoerling