Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products for encoding and decoding a multi-channel audio signal based on an input signal. According to the disclosure, a hybrid approach of using both parametric stereo coding and discrete representation of the processed multi-channel audio signal is used which may improve the quality of the encoded and decoded audio for certain bitrates.

Abstract: A transcoding tool for transcoding an audio stream to be played at a playback device is provided. The transcoding tool comprises a receiving section adapted to receive at least one bit stream comprising an audio stream and metadata associated with the audio stream. The transcoding tool further comprises a processing section connected to the receiving section and adapted to create a processed audio stream based on the audio stream and metadata, and a transmitting section connected to the processing section and adapted to transmit the created processed audio stream to the playback device.

Abstract: A method performed by an audio decoder for reconstructing N audio channels from an audio signal containing M audio channels is disclosed. The method includes receiving a bitstream containing an encoded audio signal having M audio channels and a set of spatial parameters, the set of spatial parameters including an inter-channel intensity difference parameter and an inter-channel coherence parameter. The encoded audio bitstream is then decoded to obtain a decoded frequency domain representation of the M audio channels, and at least a portion of the frequency domain representation is decorrelated with an all-pass filter having a fractional delay. The all-pass filter is attenuated at locations of a transient. A matrixed version of the decorrelated signals are summed with a matrixed version of the decoded frequency domain representation to obtain N audio signals that collectively having N audio channels where M is less than N.

Abstract: A method performed by an audio decoder for reconstructing N audio channels from an audio signal containing M audio channels is disclosed. The method includes receiving a bitstream containing an encoded audio signal having M audio channels and a set of spatial parameters, the set of spatial parameters including an inter-channel intensity difference parameter and an inter-channel coherence parameter. The encoded audio bitstream is then decoded to obtain a decoded frequency domain representation of the M audio channels, and at least a portion of the frequency domain representation is decorrelated with an all-pass filter having a fractional delay. The all-pass filter is attenuated at locations of a transient. A matrixed version of the decorrelated signals are summed with a matrixed version of the decoded frequency domain representation to obtain N audio signals that collectively having N audio channels where M is less than N.

Abstract: The present document relates to the design of anti-aliasing and/or anti-imaging filters for resamplers using rational resampling factors. In particular, the present document relates to a method for implementing such anti-aliasing and/or anti-imaging filters with reduced computational complexity. In addition, the present document relates to further aspects of an audio encoding and decoding system, such as the phase relation between the channels of a multi-channel audio signal and/or the structure of the bitstream of an encoded audio signal.

Abstract: An audio processing system (100) accepts an audio bitstream having one of a plurality of predefined audio frame rates. The system comprises a front-end component (110), which receives a variable number of quantized spectral components, corresponding to one audio frame in any of the predefined audio frame rates, and performs an inverse quantization according to predetermined, frequency-dependent quantization levels. The front-end component may be agnostic of the audio frame rate. The audio processing system further comprises a frequency-domain processing stage (120) and a sample rate converter (130), which provide a reconstructed audio signal sampled at a target sampling frequency independent of the audio frame rate. By its frame-rate adaptability, the system can be configured to operate frame-synchronously in parallel with a video processing system that accepts plural video frame rates.

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.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods, devices and computer program products for encoding and decoding a multi-channel audio signal based on an input signal. According to the disclosure, a hybrid approach of using both parametric stereo coding and discrete representation of the processed multi-channel audio signal is used which may improve the quality of the encoded and decoded audio for certain bitrates.

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a method and system for receiving, in a bitstream, metadata associated with the audio data, and analyzing the metadata to determine whether a loudness parameter for a first group of audio playback devices are available in the bitstream. Responsive to determining that the parameters are present for the first group, the system uses the parameters and audio data to render audio. Responsive to determining that the loudness parameters are not present for the first group, the system analyzes one or more characteristics of the first group, and determines the parameter based on the one or more characteristics.

Abstract: A decoding system (100) reconstructs an n-channel audio signal on the basis of an input signal (A) representing the audio signal either by parametric coding or as n discretely coded channels. Parametric decoding proceeds on the basis of a core signal and mixing parameters (a) controlling a spatial synthesis stage (150), which is supplied with a downmix signal from a downmix stage (140). A selector (170) controls the components of the decoding system, in steady-state parametric and discrete decoding mode and transitions between these. The downmix stage realizes a projection on the downmix signal based on an n-channel signal, either an n-channel input signal or a core signal padded with neutral values. The downmix stage is active in each time frame in which the input signal represents the audio signal by parametric coding and in at least the first time frame after the last time frame in each episode of parametrically coded time frames.

Abstract: A decoding system reconstructs an n-channel audio signal on the basis of an input signal representing the audio signal, in different time frames, either by parametric coding or as n discretely coded channels. Parametric decoding uses a core signal and mixing parameters controlling a spatial synthesis stage, to which a downmix signal is supplied from a downmix stage. The downmix stage realizes a projection on the downmix signal based on an n-channel input signal, either a discretely coded signal or a core signal padded with neutral-valued channels. The padding may take place either on the decoding side (reduced parametric coding) or the encoding side. In an embodiment, an audio decoder (110) in the decoding system pads the core signal during an initial portion of each reduced parametrically coded time frame directly succeeding a discretely coded time frame and during a final portion of each reduced parametrically coded time frame directly preceding a discretely coded time frame.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for improving a stereo audio signal of an FM stereo radio receiver. The method comprises determining one or more parametric stereo parameters based on the stereo audio signal in a frequency-variant or frequency-invariant manner. Preferably, these PS parameters are time- and frequency-variant. Moreover, the method comprises generating the improved stereo signal based on a first audio signal and the one or more parametric stereo parameters. The first audio signal is obtained from the stereo audio signal, e.g. by a downmix operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for improving a stereo audio signal of an FM stereo radio receiver. The apparatus comprises a parametric stereo (PS) parameter estimation stage. The parameter estimation stage is configured to determine one or more parametric stereo parameters based on the stereo audio signal in a frequency-variant or frequency-invariant manner. Preferably, these PS parameters are time- and frequency-variant. Moreover, the apparatus comprises an upmix stage. The upmix stage is configured to generate the improved stereo signal based on a first audio signal and the one or more parametric stereo parameters. The first audio signal is obtained from the stereo audio signal, e.g. by a downmix operation in a downmix stage. The PS parameter estimation stage may be part of a PS encoder. The upmix stage may be part of a PS decoder.

Abstract: A parameter representation of a multi-channel signal having several original channels includes a parameter set, which, when used together with at least one down-mix channel allows a multi-channel reconstruction. An additional level parameter is calculated such that an energy of the at least one downmix channel weighted by the level parameter is equal to a sum of energies of the original channels. The additional level parameter is transmitted to a multi-channel reconstructor together with the parameter set or together with a down-mix channel. An apparatus for generating a multi-channel representation uses the level parameter to correct the energy of the at least one transmitted down-mix channel before entering the down-mix signal into an upmixer or within the up-mixing process.

Abstract: A device (1) for converting a first number (M) of input audio channels into a second, larger number (N) of output audio channels comprises: decorrelation units (3) for decomposing the input audio channels into a set of decorrelated auxiliary channels, at least one upmix unit (4) for combining the decorrelated auxiliary channels into the output audio channels, and at least one pre-processing unit (2) for pre-processing the input audio channels and feeding the pre-processed input audio channels to the decorrelation units (3). The pre-processing unit (2) and the upmix unit (4) are preferably controlled by audio parameters.

Abstract: A transcoding tool for transcoding an audio stream to be played at a playback device is provided. The transcoding tool comprises a receiving section adapted to receive at least one bit stream comprising an audio stream and metadata associated with the audio stream. The transcoding tool further comprises a processing section connected to the receiving section and adapted to create a processed audio stream based on the audio stream and metadata, and a transmitting section connected to the processing section and adapted to transmit the created processed audio stream to the playback device.

Abstract: A parameter representation of a multi-channel signal having several original channels includes a parameter set, which, when used together with at least one down-mix channel allows a multi-channel reconstruction. An additional level parameter is calculated such that an energy of the at least one downmix channel weighted by the level parameter is equal to a sum of energies of the original channels. The additional level parameter is transmitted to a multi-channel reconstructor together with the parameter set or together with a down-mix channel. An apparatus for generating a multi-channel representation uses the level parameter to correct the energy of the at least one transmitted downmix channel before entering the down-mix signal into an upmixer or within the up-mixing process.

Abstract: A parametric representation of a multi-channel audio signal having parameters suited to be used together with a monophonic downmix signal to calculate a reconstruction of the multi-channel audio signal can efficiently be derived in a stereo-backwards compatible way when a parameter combiner is used to generate the parametric representation by combining a one or more spatial parameters and a stereo parameter resulting in a parametric representation having a decoder usable stereo parameter and an information on the one or more spatial parameters that represents, together with the decoder usable stereo parameter, the one or more spatial parameters.

Abstract: An audio encoder (109) has a hierarchical encoding structure and generates a data stream comprising one or more audio channels as well as parametric audio encoding data. The encoder (109) comprises an encoding structure processor (305) which inserts decoder tree structure data into the data stream. The decoder tree structure data comprises at least one data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure and may specifically specify the decoder tree structures to be applied by a decoder. A decoder (115) comprises a receiver (401) which receives the data stream and a decoder structure processor (405) for generating the hierarchical decoder structure in response to the decoder tree structure data. A decode processor (403) then generates output audio channels from the data stream using the hierarchical decoder structure.

Abstract: A multi-channel input signal having at least three original channels is represented by a parameter representation of the multi-channel signal. A first balance parameter, a first coherence parameter, or a first inter-channel time difference between a first channel pair and a second balance parameter, or a second coherence parameter, or a second inter-channel time difference parameter between a second channel pair are calculated. This set of parameters is the parameter representation of the original signals. The first channel pair has two channels, which are different from two channels of a second channel pair. Furthermore, each channel of the two channel pairs is one of the original channels, or a weighted combination of the original channels, and the first channel pair and the second channel pair include information on the three original channels.