Patents by Inventor Markus Schnell

Markus Schnell 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: 10854211
    Abstract: An apparatus for encoding a multi-channel signal including at least two channels includes a time-spectral converter for converting sequences of blocks of sampling values of the at least two channels into a frequency domain representation having sequences of blocks of spectral values for the at least two channels; a multi-channel processor for applying a joint multi-channel processing to the sequences of blocks of spectral values to obtain at least one result sequence of blocks of spectral values including information related to the at least two channels; a spectral-time converter for converting the result sequence of blocks of spectral values into a time domain representation including an output sequence of blocks of sampling values; and a core encoder for encoding the output sequence of blocks of sampling values to obtain an encoded multi-channel signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Emmanuel Ravelli, Markus Multrus, Markus Schnell, Stefan Doehla, Martin Dietz, Goran Markovic, Eleni Fotopoulou, Stefan Bayer, Wolfgang Jaegers
  • Patent number: 10832694
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Helmrich, Jérémie Lecomte, Goran Markovic, Markus Schnell, Bernd Edler, Stefan Reuschl
  • Patent number: 10825461
    Abstract: An audio encoder for encoding an audio signal having a lower frequency band and an upper frequency band includes: a detector for detecting a peak spectral region in the upper frequency band of the audio signal; a shaper for shaping the lower frequency band using shaping information for the lower band and for shaping the upper frequency band using at least a portion of the shaping information for the lower band, wherein the shaper is configured to additionally attenuate spectral values in the detected peak spectral region in the upper frequency band; and a quantizer and coder stage for quantizing a shaped lower frequency band and a shaped upper frequency band and for entropy coding quantized spectral values from the shaped lower frequency band and the shaped upper frequency band.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Markus Multrus, Christian Neukam, Markus Schnell, Benjamin Schubert
  • Patent number: 10783898
    Abstract: Audio decoder device for decoding a bitstream, the audio decoder device including: a predictive decoder for producing a decoded audio frame from the bitstream, wherein the predictive decoder includes a parameter decoder for producing one or more audio parameters for the decoded audio frame from the bitstream and wherein the predictive decoder includes a synthesis filter device for producing the decoded audio frame by synthesizing the one or more audio parameters for the decoded audio frame; a memory device including one or more memories, wherein each of the memories is configured to store a memory state for the decoded audio frame, wherein the memory state for the decoded audio frame of the one or more memories is used by the synthesis filter device for synthesizing the one or more audio parameters for the decoded audio frame; and a memory state resampling device configured to determine the memory state for synthesizing the one or more audio parameters for the decoded audio frame, which has a sampling rate, f
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Doehla, Guillaume Fuchs, Bernhard Grill, Markus Multrus, Grzegorz Pietrzyk, Emmanuel Ravelli, Markus Schnell
  • Publication number: 20200294517
    Abstract: An apparatus for encoding an audio or image signal, includes: a controllable windower for windowing the audio or image signal to provide the sequence of blocks of windowed samples; a converter for converting the sequence of blocks of windowed samples into a spectral representation including a sequence of frames of spectral values; a transient location detector for identifying a location of a transient within a transient look-ahead region of a frame; and a controller for controlling the controllable windower to apply a specific window having a specified overlap length to the audio or image signal in response to an identified location of the transient, wherein the controller is configured to select the specific window from a group of at least three windows, wherein the specific window is selected based on the transient location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Christian HELMRICH, Jérémie LECOMTE, Goran MARKOVIC, Markus SCHNELL, Bernd EDLER, Stefan REUSCHL
  • Publication number: 20200294518
    Abstract: An apparatus for encoding an audio signal includes: a converter for converting the audio signal into a spectral representation; a scale parameter calculator for calculating a first set of scale parameters from the spectral representation: a downsampler for downsampling the first set of scale parameters to obtain a second set of scale parameters, a second number of scale parameters in the second set of scale parameters being lower than a first number of scale parameters in the first set of scale parameters; a scale parameter encoder for generating an encoded representation of the second set of scale parameters; a spectral processor for processing the spectral representation using a third set of scale parameters, the third set of scale parameters having a third number of scale parameters being greater than the second number of scale parameters, the spectral processor being configured to use the first set of scale parameters or to derive the third set of scale parameters from the second set of scale parameters o
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Emmanuel RAVELLI, Markus SCHNELL, Benndorf CONRAD, Lutzky MANFRED, Martin DIETZ, Srikanth KORSE
  • Publication number: 20200286494
    Abstract: An audio decoder for providing a decoded audio information on the basis of an encoded audio information is configured to obtain decoded spectral values on the basis of an encoded information representing the spectral values. The audio decoder is configured to jointly decode two or more most significant bits per spectral value on the basis of respective symbol codes for a set of spectral values using an arithmetic decoding, wherein a respective symbol code represents two or more most significant bits per spectral value for one or more spectral values. The audio decoder is configured to decode one or more least significant bits associated with one or more of the spectral values in dependence on how much least significant bit information is available, such that one or more least significant bits associated with one or more of the spectral values are decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Emmanuel Ravelli, Guillaume Fuschs, Markus Schnell, Adrian Tomasek, Stefan Geyersberger
  • Publication number: 20200273472
    Abstract: An audio decoder for providing a decoded audio information on the basis of an encoded audio information is configured to obtain decoded spectral values on the basis of an encoded information representing the spectral values. The audio decoder is configured to jointly decode two or more most significant bits per spectral value on the basis of respective symbol codes for a set of spectral values using an arithmetic decoding, wherein a respective symbol code represents two or more most significant bits per spectral value for one or more spectral values. The audio decoder is configured to decode one or more least significant bits associated with one or more of the spectral values in dependence on how much least significant bit information is available, such that one or more least significant bits associated with one or more of the spectral values are decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Emmanuel RAVELLI, Guillaume FUCHS, Markus SCHNELL, Adrian TOMASEK, Stefan GEYERSBERGER
  • Publication number: 20200272685
    Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatus for performing modified cosine transformation (MDCT) with an analysis/synthesis windowing function, using an analysis windowing function having a meandering portion which passes a linear function in correspondence of at least four points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Markus SCHNELL, Manfred LUTZKY, Alexander TSCHEKALINSKIJ, Ralf GEIGER
  • Publication number: 20200273471
    Abstract: An audio decoder for providing a decoded audio information on the basis of an encoded audio information is configured to obtain decoded spectral values on the basis of an encoded information representing the spectral values. The audio decoder is configured to jointly decode two or more most significant bits per spectral value on the basis of respective symbol codes for a set of spectral values using an arithmetic decoding, wherein a respective symbol code represents two or more most significant bits per spectral value for one or more spectral values. The audio decoder is configured to decode one or more least significant bits associated with one or more of the spectral values in dependence on how much least significant bit information is available, such that one or more least significant bits associated with one or more of the spectral values are decoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Publication date: August 27, 2020
    Inventors: Emmanuel RAVELLI, Guillaume FUCHS, Markus SCHNELL, Adrian TOMASEK, Stefan GEYERSBERGER
  • Publication number: 20200265852
    Abstract: There are disclosed apparatus and methods for encoding and/or decoding information signals (e.g., audio signals). An encoder apparatus includes a plurality of frequency domain (FD) encoder tools for encoding an information signal, and an encoder bandwidth detector and controller configured to select a bandwidth for at least a subgroup of the FD encoder tools. The subgroup includes less FD encoder tools than the plurality of FD encoder tools. The selection is based on information signal characteristics, so that one of the FD encoder tools of the subgroup has a different bandwidth with respect to at least one of the FD encoder tools which are not in the subgroup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Marku SCHNELL, Emmanuel RAVELLI, Conrad BENNDORF, Tobias ALBERT, Manfred LUTZKY, Adrian TOMASEK
  • Publication number: 20200265847
    Abstract: There are provided methods and apparatus for performing modified cosine transformation (MDCT) with an analysis/synthesis windowing function, using an analysis windowing function having a meandering portion which passes a linear function in correspondence of at least four points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Markus SCHNELL, Manfred LUTZKY, Alexander TSCHEKALINSKIJ, Ralf GEIGER
  • Publication number: 20200265846
    Abstract: An assignment of one of phase set of different loss concealment tools of an audio decoder to a portion of the audio signal to be decoded from a data stream, which portion is affected by loss, that is the selection out of the set of different loss concealment tools, may be made in a manner leading to a more pleasant loss concealment if the assignment/selection is done based on two measures: A first measure which is determined measures a spectral position of a spectral centroid of a spectrum of the audio signal and a second measure which is determined measures a temporal predictability of the audio signal. The assigned or selected loss concealment tool may then be used to recover the portion of the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Adrian TOMASEK, Emmanuel RAVELLI, Markus SCHNELL, Alexander TSCHEKALINSKIJ, Michael SCHNABEL, Ralph SPERSCHNEIDER
  • Publication number: 20200265850
    Abstract: In methods and apparatus for performing temporal noise shaping, an apparatus may have a temporal noise shaping, TNS, tool for performing linear prediction, LP, filtering on an information signal including a plurality of frames; and a controller configured to control the TNS tool so that the TNS tool performs LP filtering with: a first filter whose impulse response has a higher energy; and a second filter whose impulse response has a lower energy than the first filter, wherein the second filter is not an identity filter, wherein the controller is configured to choose between filtering with the first filter, and filtering with the second filter on the basis of a frame metrics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventors: Emmanuel RAVELLI, Manfred LUTZKY, Markus SCHNELL, Alexander TSCHEKALINSKIJ, Goran MARKOVIC, Stefan GEYERSBERGER
  • Publication number: 20200219521
    Abstract: An encoder for encoding an audio signal has: an analyzer configured for deriving prediction coefficients and a residual signal from an unvoiced frame of the audio signal; a gain parameter calculator configured for calculating a first gain parameter information for defining a first excitation signal related to a deterministic codebook and for calculating a second gain parameter information for defining a second excitation signal related to a noise-like signal for the unvoiced frame; and a bitstream former configured for forming an output signal based on an information related to a voiced signal frame, the first gain parameter information and the second gain parameter information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Markus Multrus, Emmanuel Ravelli, Markus Schnell
  • Patent number: 10706861
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating an inter-channel time difference between a first channel signal and a second channel signal, includes: a calculator for calculating a cross-correlation spectrum for a time block from the first channel signal in the time block and the second channel signal in the time block; a spectral characteristic estimator for estimating a characteristic of a spectrum of the first channel signal or the second channel signal for the time block; a smoothing filter for smoothing the cross-correlation spectrum over time using the spectral characteristic to obtain a smoothed cross-correlation spectrum; and a processor for processing the smoothed cross-correlation spectrum to obtain the inter-channel time difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der andgewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Stefan Bayer, Eleni Fotopoulou, Markus Multrus, Guillaume Fuchs, Emmanuel Ravelli, Markus Schnell, Stefan Doehla, Wolfgang Jaegers, Martin Dietz, Goran Markovic
  • Publication number: 20200194013
    Abstract: An apparatus for estimating an inter-channel time difference between a first channel signal and a second channel signal, includes: a calculator for calculating a cross-correlation spectrum for a time block from the first channel signal in the time block and the second channel signal in the time block; a spectral characteristic estimator for estimating a characteristic of a spectrum of the first channel signal or the second channel signal for the time block; a smoothing filter for smoothing the cross-correlation spectrum over time using the spectral characteristic to obtain a smoothed cross-correlation spectrum; and a processor for processing the smoothed cross-correlation spectrum to obtain the inter-channel time difference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Stefan BAYER, Eleni FOTOPOULOU, Markus MULTRUS, Guillaume FUCHS, Emmanuel RAVELLI, Markus SCHNELL, Stefan DOEHLA, Wolfgang JAEGERS, Martin DIETZ, Goran MARKOVIC
  • Patent number: 10685662
    Abstract: An apparatus for encoding an audio or image signal, includes: a controllable windower for windowing the audio or image signal to provide the sequence of blocks of windowed samples; a converter for converting the sequence of blocks of windowed samples into a spectral representation including a sequence of frames of spectral values; a transient location detector for identifying a location of a transient within a transient look-ahead region of a frame; and a controller for controlling the controllable windower to apply a specific window having a specified overlap length to the audio or image signal in response to an identified location of the transient, wherein the controller is configured to select the specific window from a group of at least three windows, wherein the specific window is selected based on the transient location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der andewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Christian Helmrich, Jérémie Lecomte, Goran Markovic, Markus Schnell, Bernd Edler, Stefan Reuschl
  • Patent number: 10607619
    Abstract: An encoder for encoding an audio signal has: an analyzer configured for deriving prediction coefficients and a residual signal from an unvoiced frame of the audio signal; a gain parameter calculator configured for calculating a first gain parameter information for defining a first excitation signal related to a deterministic codebook and for calculating a second gain parameter information for defining a second excitation signal related to a noise-like signal for the unvoiced frame; and a bitstream former configured for forming an output signal based on an information related to a voiced signal frame, the first gain parameter information and the second gain parameter information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V.
    Inventors: Guillaume Fuchs, Markus Multrus, Emmanuel Ravelli, Markus Schnell
  • Publication number: 20200051578
    Abstract: A downscaled version of an audio decoding procedure may more effectively and/or at improved compliance maintenance be achieved if the synthesis window used for downscaled audio decoding is a downsampled version of a reference synthesis window involved in the non-downscaled audio decoding procedure by downsampling by the downsampling factor by which the downsampled sampling rate and the original sampling rate deviate, and downsampled using a segmental interpolation in segments of 1/4 of the frame length.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Markus SCHNELL, Manfred LUTZKY, Eleni FOTOPOULOU, Konstantin SCHMIDT, Conrad BENNDORF, Adrian TOMASEK, Tobias ALBERT, Timon SEIDL