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: 11410665
    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: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Harald Mundt, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Publication number: 20220246155
    Abstract: Methods and systems for advanced stereo processing of an audio signal are disclosed. The methods and systems include selecting a coding mode of either transform coding or linear predictive coding and performing advanced stereo processing when in the selected coding mode. Both encoding and decoding operations are provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 11380336
    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: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer Kjoerling, Harald Mundt, Heiko Purnhagen
  • Patent number: 11367455
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Lars Villemoes, Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand
  • Publication number: 20220189493
    Abstract: There is provided encoding and decoding methods for encoding and decoding of object based audio. An exemplary encoding method includes inter alia calculating M downmix signals by forming combinations of N audio objects, wherein M?N, and calculating parameters which allow reconstruction of a set of audio objects formed on basis of the N audio objects from the M downmix signals. The calculation of the M downmix signals is made according to a criterion which is independent of any loudspeaker configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Heiko PURNHAGEN, Kristofer KJOERLING, Toni HIRVONEN, Lars VILLEMOES, Dirk Jeroen BREEBAART
  • Publication number: 20220180880
    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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2022
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Kristofer KJOERLING, Lars VILLEMOES, Heiko PURNHAGEN, Per EKSTRAND
  • Publication number: 20220180876
    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: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Lars Villemoes
  • Publication number: 20220159379
    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: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Heiko PURNHAGEN, Lars VILLEMOES, Jonas ENGDEGARD, Jonas ROEDEN, Kristofer KJOERLING
  • Patent number: 11322161
    Abstract: Methods and systems encoding a stereo audio signal having an original left channel and an original right channel are disclosed. The method includes generating a downmix signal and a residual signal based on the stereo audio signal and determining one or more stereo parameters based on the stereo audio signal. The residual signal covers only a part of an audio frequency range of the stereo signal, and the one or more stereo parameters describing a stereo image of the stereo audio signal. The method further includes analyzing the stereo audio signal and selecting, based on the analyzing, left/right perceptual encoding or mid/side perceptual encoding in a time variant manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 11322164
    Abstract: The present document describes a method (400) for encoding a soundfield representation (SR) input signal (101, 301) describing a soundfield at a reference position, wherein the SR input signal (101, 301) comprises a plurality of channels for a plurality of different directivity patterns of the soundfield at the reference position. The method (400) comprises extracting (401) one or more audio objects (103, 303) from the SR input signal (101, 301). Furthermore, the method (400) comprises determining (402) a residual signal (102, 302) based on the SR input signal (101, 301) and based on the one or more audio objects (103, 303). The method (400) also comprises performing joint coding of the one or more audio objects (103, 303) and/or the residual signal (102, 302). In addition, the method (400) comprises generating (403) a bitstream (701) based on data generated in the context of joint coding of the one or more audio objects (103, 303) and/or the residual signal (102, 302).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer Kjoerling, David S. McGrath, Heiko Purnhagen, Mark R. P. Thomas
  • Patent number: 11315576
    Abstract: Methods and systems for advanced stereo processing of an audio signal are disclosed. The methods and systems include selecting a coding mode of either transform coding or linear predictive coding and performing advanced stereo processing when in the selected coding mode. Both encoding and decoding operations are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Pontus Carlsson, Kristofer Kjoerling
  • Patent number: 11315577
    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: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Lars Villemoes, Leif Jonas Samuelsson, Toni Hirvonen
  • Patent number: 11297533
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products for non-uniform quantization of parameters. The disclosure further relates to a method and apparatus for reconstructing an audio object in an audio decoding system taking the non-uniformly quantized parameters into account. According to the disclosure, such an approach renders it possible to reduce bit consumption without substantially reducing the quality of the reconstructed audio object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand
  • Publication number: 20220101865
    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: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer KJOERLING, Robin THESING, Harald MUNDT, Heiko PURNHAGEN, Karl Jonas ROEDEN
  • Patent number: 11289106
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Kristofer Kjoerling, Lars Villemoes, Heiko Purnhagen, Per Ekstrand
  • Patent number: 11277707
    Abstract: Described herein is a method (30) of rendering an audio signal (17) for playback in an audio environment (27) defined by a target loudspeaker system (23), the audio signal (17) including audio data relating to an audio object and associated position data indicative of an object position. Method (30) includes the initial step (31) of receiving the audio signal (17). At step (32) loudspeaker layout data for the target loudspeaker system (23) is received. At step (33) control data is received that is indicative of a position modification to be applied to the audio object in the audio environment (27). At step (38) in response to the position data, loudspeaker layout data and control data, rendering modification data is generated. Finally, at step (39) the audio signal (17) is rendered with the rendering modification data to output the audio signal (17) with the audio object at a modified object position that is between loudspeakers within the audio environment (27).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignees: Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation, Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Dirk Jeroen Breebaart, Antonio Mateos Sole, Heiko Purnhagen, Nicolas R. Tsingos
  • Patent number: 11270709
    Abstract: There is provided encoding and decoding methods for encoding and decoding of object based audio. An exemplary encoding method includes inter alia calculating M downmix signals by forming combinations of N audio objects, wherein M?N, and calculating parameters which allow reconstruction of a set of audio objects formed on basis of the N audio objects from the M downmix signals. The calculation of the M downmix signals is made according to a criterion which is independent of any loudspeaker configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Kristofer Kjoerling, Toni Hirvonen, Lars Villemoes, Dirk Jeroen Breebaart
  • Patent number: 11264038
    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: February 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Heiko Purnhagen, Lars Villemoes, Pontus Carlsson
  • Patent number: 11264040
    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: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Dolby International AB
    Inventors: Klaus Peichl, Tobias Friedrich, Robin Thesing, Heiko Purnhagen, Martin Wolters
  • Publication number: 20220059110
    Abstract: A method for decoding an encoded audio bitstream in an audio processing system is disclosed. The method includes extracting from the encoded audio bitstream a first waveform-coded signal comprising spectral coefficients corresponding to frequencies up to a first cross-over frequency for a time frame and performing parametric decoding at a second cross-over frequency for the time frame to generate a reconstructed signal. The second cross-over frequency is above the first cross-over frequency and the parametric decoding uses reconstruction parameters derived from the encoded audio bitstream to generate the reconstructed signal. The method also includes extracting from the encoded audio bitstream a second waveform-coded signal comprising spectral coefficients corresponding to a subset of frequencies above the first cross-over frequency for the time frame and interleaving the second waveform-coded signal with the reconstructed signal to produce an interleaved signal for the time frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Applicant: DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
    Inventors: Kristofer KJOERLING, Heiko PURNHAGEN, Harald MUNDT, Karl Jonas ROEDEN, Leif SEHLSTROM