Abstract: An encoding method and apparatus and a decodings method and apparatus in which the encoded information is decreased in volume and in which the encoding and decoding operations are performed with a smaller processing volume and a smaller buffer memory capacity. The apparatus includes a low range signal splitting circuit for separating low-range side signal components from L and R channel signals converted by a transform circuit into spectral signal components, and a channel synthesis circuit for synthesizing (L+R) channel signal components from the L and R channel spectral signal components.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for encoding input digital data by high-efficiency encoding, a method for transmitting the encoded information and a method and apparatus for reproducing and decoding the transmitted information, are disclosed. For encoding, an input signal is forward orthogonal transformed into spectral signals using a windowing function for forward orthogonal transform having a shape A. For decoding, the spectral signals are inverse orthogonal transformed using a windowing function having a shape B different from the shape A. The degree of concentration of the energy of the spectral distribution may be raised and efficient encoding may be achieved even in case of modified DCT (MDCT) wherein the windowing function needs to satisfy a pre-set constraint.

Abstract: An information encoding method encodes information on a recording medium in accordance with for a new standard. When decoded by a reproducing device adapted for coping with the encoding method for a old standard, the user is apprized of the fact that part of the recorded signals cannot be reproduced by a reproducing device adapted for coping only with the encoding method for the old standard. For encoding the information in accordance with the encoding method for the new standard, the user message information is encoded simultaneously. The user message information has been encoded in accordance with the encoding method for the old standard, which can be reproduced by the reproducing device adapted for coping with the encoding method for the old standard.

Abstract: A signal processing apparatus and method decodes codes generated by encoding decomposed frequency components, and combines frequency components obtained in the decoding to form a waveform signal. The apparatus and method further monitors a processing condition in the decoding, and controls a processed band of the waveform signal, formed in the combining, in accordance with the monitoring result obtained in the monitoring.

Abstract: An information encoding method encodes information on a recording medium in accordance with for a new standard. When decoded by a reproducing device adapted for coping with the encoding method for a old standard, the user is appraised of the fact that part of the recorded signals cannot be reproduced by a reproducing device adapted for coping only with the encoding method for the old standard. For encoding the information in accordance with the encoding method for the new standard, the user message information is encoded simultaneously. The user message information has been encoded in accordance with the encoding method for the old standard, which can be reproduced by the reproducing device adapted for coping with the encoding method for the old standard.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording, storing and retrieving electronic information allows the division of incoming information into separate events or portions of an event. The information is stored in a primary recording medium, such as a semiconductor memory, in accordance with the divisions created. The information can then be selectively reproduced, copied or flagged for further use.

Abstract: An information encoding method for encrypting and encoding information signals, such as PCM audio signals, in which the information signals can be reproduced with low quality even in the absence of the key information for encryption. For carrying out the information encoding method, the input PCM signals are converted by a transform unit into frequency signal components which are encoded by a signal component encoding unit. High frequency range side signal components are sent to an Ex-OR gate to take an Ex-OR of the high frequency range side signal components with a pseudo random bitstring from a pseudo random bitstring generating unit. A codestring generating unit 1606 generates a codestring having the low frequency range side components from a signal component encoding unit and the encrypted high frequency range side components from the Ex-OR gate.

Abstract: With the signal encoding method and apparatus according to the present invention, noise components of plural channels are encoded individually by a first encoding unit 124, while noise components of plural channels are encoded in common by a second encoding unit 125. A discriminating unit 123 discriminates characteristics of noise components of plural channels. Based upon the results of discrimination, selective switching is made between an output of the first encoding unit 124 and an output of the second encoding unit 125. If the noise components of plural channels are encoded in common, the compression ratio for the noise components of plural channels may be improved. On the other hand, if the noise components of plural channels are not encoded in common, ill effects due to common handling can be prohibited.

Abstract: An information encoding method encodes information on a recording medium in accordance with for a new standard. When decoded by a reproducing device adapted for coping with the encoding method for a old standard, the user is apprized of the fact that part of the recorded signals cannot be reproduced by a reproducing device adapted for coping only with the encoding method for the old standard. For encoding the information in accordance with the encoding method for the new standard, the user message information is encoded simultaneously. The user message information has been encoded in accordance with the encoding method for the old standard, which can be reproduced by the reproducing device adapted for coping with the encoding method for the old standard.

Abstract: A coding process having a band dividing filter and a decoding process having a subband synthesizing filter are arranged so that the operating accuracy is enhanced only in a specific subband, for securing the necessary sound quality with a relatively small amount of the operation. A band dividing control unit is served to derive a signal level of each subband from the output result of a fast band dividing filter and generate a high-accurate operation band specifying command for specifying a subband of a low signal level. A high-accuracy band dividing filter is executed to perform a band dividing operation for the subband of the low signal level specified by the high-accuracy band specifying command.

Abstract: Coding of a high efficiency is achieved without increasing the scale of a code train transform table. Quantization spectra are divided into groups, and when two quantization spectra in any group are both equal to 0, they are coded into 0. If the two quantization spectra are not equal to 0, for example, the values (-2, 3) of the individual quantization spectra are coded into corresponding values (1101, 1110) and 1 is added to the top (or start) of the code train.

Abstract: A signal encoding method and apparatus for encoding input digital signals by so-called high efficiency encoding, and a recording medium having the encoded signals. An attack portion and a release portion of audio signals are detected and a gain control function is selected at least for waveform elements (waveform signals) of a signal portion ahead of the attack portion and waveform elements of the release portion from among plural gain control functions responsive to characteristics of the waveform signals. At least the waveform elements (waveform signals) ahead of the attack portion and the waveform elements of the release portion are gain controlled. The resulting gain-controlled audio signals are transformed into plural spectral components which are encoded along with the control information for gain control.

Abstract: A signal encoding method for encoding input digital data by so-called high-efficiency encoding, wherein it is possible to suppress degradation in the sound quality in case of raising the compression ratio. The range of values of subband-based signal components for quantization to zero, to which a short codelength is given, is set so as to be larger. Consequently the ratio of the subband-based signal components quantized to values of a shorter codelength will become higher than if the subband-based signal components are quantized in such a manner as to minimize the total quantization error energy in each frequency band.

Abstract: An apparatus for recording the transfer information transferred to it includes a plurality of recording media for recording the transfer information transferred from an information transfer apparatus, a writing control unit for controlling the writing of the transfer information in the recording media, and a transfer control unit for transmitting the transfer control information and an information transfer request signal to the information transfer apparatus. The transfer control information is the information for determining the transfer sequence of information blocks when the information transfer apparatus transmits the transfer information as the information blocks. The information recording apparatus transmits an information transfer request signal after transmitting the transfer control information to the information transfer apparatus.

Abstract: A signal encoding method and apparatus for encoding an acoustic signal, a recording medium having the encoded signals, a method for transmitting the encoded signals, and a signal decoding apparatus for decoding the encoded signals, are disclosed. With the encoding apparatus, an attack portion detection circuit detects an attack portion of the waveform acoustic signal where the waveform elements of the waveform acoustic signal rise sharply. A gain control circuit controls the gain for waveform elements at least upstream of the attack portion using a gain control amount adaptively selected from plural gain control amounts specified by a pre-set power of 2. A forward orthogonal transform circuit transforms the waveform acoustic signal into plural spectral components. A normalization and encoding circuit normalizes, quantizes and encodes the gain control information an plural spectral components.

Abstract: The input signal of one of the plural channels is converted by a converting circuit into frequency components which are separated into tonal components and noise components in a signal comment separating circuit. The tonal components and the signal components are encoded by a tonal component encoding circuit and a noise component encoding circuit, respectively. The amount of bytes allocated to the noise components in the respective channels is determined by a byte allocation circuit based upon time changes of the sum of the scale factors of the respective channels.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding data includes adaptive bit allocation encoding circuitry that normalizes frames of input spectrum data into transform frames in accordance with normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information. Quantized data encoding circuitry encodes each transform frame of normalized spectrum data with at least one selected code table of a plurality of code tables in accordance with a code table selection signal. Code train generation circuitry generates a code train that includes the encoded normalized spectrum data and information indicative of the at least one selected code table and of the normalization coefficients and number of quantization step information in accordance with which the encoding circuitry normalizes each frame of input spectrum data. Control circuitry generates the code table selection signal, the number of quantization step information, and the normalization coefficients in response to the input spectrum data.

Abstract: An information transmitting apparatus for transmitting information regarding the user to an information presenter is constructed of an information reproducing unit for reproducing information; an information input unit for inputting information; a wireless transmitting unit for transmitting the user information corresponding to input information used and inputted by using the information input unit by a radio wave; and an information recording unit for recording information remotely transmitted. The information recording unit has a recording medium in which the information transmitted from the outside is recorded. The information reproducing unit reproduces the information recorded in the information recording unit.

Abstract: Frequency components are broken into a first signal made up of a plurality of tonal components and a second signal made up of other components. The number of the frequency components making up the tonal components is variable. Tonal signals may be encoded efficiently depending on the manner of distribution of their spectral energy to assure more efficient encoding on the whole. If the signals compression coded in this manner are recorded on a recording medium, the recording capacity may be employed effectively. Also, high-quality acoustic signals may be obtained on decoding signals reproduced from the recording medium.

Abstract: A method for compressing a digital audio input signal to provide a recording signal in which the input signal is divided into frames comprising plural samples. Each frame is transformed into a block of spectral coefficients, which are divided into plural bands. For each band, block floating is applied to the spectral coefficients therein; a block floating coefficient is generated; the spectral coefficients are quantized with an adaptive number of bits to provide quantized spectral coefficients; and a word length is generated. Finally, there is added to the recording signal a block of data derived from the block of spectral coefficients and consisting of the quantized spectral coefficients, a main word length and a main block floating coefficient for each band, and a reserve word length at least for each lower frequency band. In a variation, zero bits are allocated to quantize the spectral coefficients in bands higher in frequency than a highest usable band.