55results about "Stereophonic/quadraphonic recording circuits" patented technology

The invention enables the inclusion of voice and remaining audio information at different parts of the audio production process. In particular, the invention embodies special techniques for VRA-capable digital mastering, accommodation of PCPV / PCA and / or SCRA signals in audio CODECs, VRA-capable encoders and decoders, and VRA in DVD and other digital audio file formats. The invention facilitates an end-listener's voice-to-remaining audio (VRA) adjustment upon the playback of digital audio media formats by focusing on new configurations of multiple parts of the entire digital audio system, thereby enabling a new technique intended to benefit audio end-users (end-listeners) who wish to control the ratio of the primary vocal / dialog content of an audio program relative to the remaining portion of the audio content in that program. The invention facilitates storage of VRA audio programs on optical storage media, authoring systems for VRA-capable DVDs, playback hardware integrated into VRA-capable optical disc apparatus, and VRA playback hardware for use with non-VRA capable optical disc playback apparatus.

Systems provide an audio / visual output to each of a plurality of listeners in a manner that permits individualized audio adjustment, wherein audio comprises a first signal that is substantially voice and a second signal that is substantially other than voice. The systems may include a video device, a storage medium, and a transmitter that transmits the first and second signals to a plurality of personal listening devices. Each of the plurality of personal listening devices may include first and second receivers, first and second adjustment devices, an audio signal combining device, and one or more transducers, wherein the systems permit each of the plurality of listeners to adjust the first and second signals independently of other ones of the plurality of listeners in an audience.

Digital audio signal transmission is provided for digitally processing, for transmission in a digital VCR format, audio signals from a plurality of channels into a digitized audio data segmented into blocks having a data size, each block reserved for audio data digitized from one of the channels. The audio data is converted from the channels into the blocks of digitized audio data by varying the data size of the blocks. The audio data is composed by scaling the audio data in at least one of the blocks and combining the scaled audio data with the audio data of another of the blocks into a block reserved for composite audio data.

A method for providing multiple users with voice-to-remaining audio (VRA) adjustment capability includes receiving at a first decoder a voice signal and a remaining audio signal and simultaneously receiving at a second decoder, the voice signal and the remaining audio signal, wherein the voice signal and the remaining audio signal are received separately; and separately adjusting by each of the decoders, the separately received voice and remaining audio signals.

An information record medium (1) is provided with: an audio information recording area on which a plurality of audio information (210) which are different in recording method are recorded; and a control information recording area on which control information (211) required to reproduce the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area is recorded. The control information recorded on the control information recording area includes a plurality of first division information for identifying first division units (260) respectively so as to divide each of the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area by the first division units respectively. The first division information, which indicates that the audio information divided by the first division units belongs to a same first division unit, is provided for each of the plurality of audio information same in content and different in recording method. The plurality of audio information same in content and different in recording method, which are identified by the first division information, are recorded on recording positions different from each other in the audio information recording area.

An information record medium (1) is provided with: an audio information recording area on which a plurality of audio information (210) which are different in recording method are recorded; and a control information recording area on which control information (211) required to reproduce the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area is recorded. The control information recorded on the control information recording area includes a plurality of first division information for identifying first division units (260) respectively so as to divide each of the plurality of audio information recorded on the audio information recording area by the first division units respectively. The first division information, which indicates that the audio information divided by the first division units belongs to a same first division unit, is provided for each of the plurality of audio information same in content and different in recording method. The plurality of audio information same in content and different in recording method, which are identified by the first division information, are recorded on recording positions different from each other in the audio information recording area.

The invention enables the inclusion of voice and remaining audio information at different parts of the audio production process. In particular, the invention embodies special techniques for VRA-capable digital mastering, accommodation of PCPV / PCA and / or SCRA signals in audio CODECs, VRA-capable encoders and decoders, and VRA in DVD and other digital audio file formats. The invention facilitates an end-listener's voice-to-remaining audio (VRA) adjustment upon the playback of digital audio media formats by focusing on new configurations of multiple parts of the entire digital audio system, thereby enabling a new technique intended to benefit audio end-users (end-listeners) who wish to control the ratio of the primary vocal / dialog content of an audio program relative to the remaining portion of the audio content in that program. The invention facilitates storage of VRA audio programs on optical storage media, authoring systems for VRA-capable DVDs, playback hardware integrated into VRA-capable optical disc apparatus, and VRA playback hardware for use with non-VRA capable optical disc playback apparatus.

A lossless encoder and decoder are provided for transmitting a multichannel signal on a medium such as DVD-Audio. The encoder accepts additionally a downmix specification and splits the encoded stream into two substreams, such that a two-channel decoder of meagre computational power can implement the downmix specification by decoding one substream, while a multichannel decoder can decode the original multichannel signal losslessly using both substreams. Further features provide for efficient implementation on 24-bit processors, for confirmation of lossless reproduction to the user, and for benign behaviour in the case of downmix specifications that result in overload. The principle is also extended to mixed-rate signals, where for example some input channels are sampled at 48 kHz and some are sampled at 96 kHz

A method and apparatus for performing audio post processing using mode information that indicates the degree of similarity between a right channel signal and a left channel signal in MPEG-1 layer 3 audio data, are provided. If the difference between the two channel signals is small, a first mode is used in which the high frequency component of only one channel is recovered and the recovered high frequency component is used to recover the high frequency component of the other channel. If the difference between the two channel signals is large, a second mode is selected in which the high frequency component in only one of every two frames is recovered alternately in the left channel and the right channel and the high frequency component of each of the skipped frames is interpolated based on the high frequency components of the previous frame and the next frame.

A method and apparatus for reducing the amount of computation in audio post processing, and more particularly, a method and apparatus for performing audio post processing using mode information that indicates the degree of similarity between a right channel signal and a left channel signal in MPEG-1 layer 3 audio data, are provided. If the difference between the two channel signals is small, a first mode is used in which the high frequency component of only one channel is recovered and the recovered high frequency component is used to recover the high frequency component of the other channel, and if the difference between the two channel signals is large, a second mode is selected in which the high frequency component in only one of every two frames is recovered alternately in the left channel and the right channel and the high frequency component of each of the skipped frames is interpolated based on the high frequency components of the previous frame and the next frame. By doing so, the new audio decoding method and apparatus recover high frequency components with a small amount of computation. The method reduces the amount of computation to less than half the amount of computation used in the prior art in recovering high frequency components.

An information processing device includes an API (Application Programming Interface) only for reading / writing of an offset value, which is data providing disparity to a graphics image to generate an image for the left eye and an image for the right eye from the original image, arranged to store the offset value in an internal storage region that is a storage region inside of a reproducer configured to reproduce images, and to read out the offset value stored in the internal storage region.

An encoder for mixing a plurality of independent mono audio channels into a stereo recording and generating a restricted set of additional parameters used to master an audio track of a storage device is described. The plurality of independent mono audio channels are constructed such that the storage device can be played using an optical disk player so that in a first mode all of the plurality of independent mono audio channels are played as the stereo recording and in a second mode at least one of the plurality of independent mono audio channels can be unmixed and the stereo recording played with at least one mono audio channel removed. A corresponding decoder and an audio system comprising such encoder and decoder are also described.

An optical disc playback apparatus having DTS sound incompatible function is provided, which apparatus is capable of automatically playing back the Dolby sound without selecting the Dolby sound in the menu setting, when an optical disc including the DTS content is played back. When the playback of the optical disc including the DTS content is started, DTS compatibility judging means judges whether or not the setting function of the apparatus is set in the DTS sound compatible state. In the case when the result of judgment indicates the DTS sound incompatible state, Dolby sound selection means carries out a control in such a manner that a Dolby sound is compulsively selected, so that the Dolby sound is output instead of the DTS sound. Accordingly, a user is able to listen a comfortable sound and no operation for selecting the Dolby sound is required as for the type of sound to be listened, thereby enabling the usability to be enhanced in the operation of the apparatus.

An apparatus and method for automatically selecting an audio play mode mainly is provided. The apparatus includes an audio reading unit and a play mode selecting unit. The audio reading unit reads an audio data frame, obtains and recognizes a play mode identifier from a frame header of the audio data frame, and generates an associated play mode control signal according to the recognized play mode identifier. The play mode selecting unit selects a corresponding play mode to output the audio data frame according to the play mode control signal from the audio reading unit. A related method is also provided.

A method of embedding sound field control factors (SFC factors) into a sound source. The method includes coding sound field factors and sound field information to obtain sound field control factors for the sound source in a binary data type, and the sound field factors represent an acoustic characteristic of the sound source and the sound field information represents an environment under which the sound source is decoded, and watermarking the sound field control factors into the sound source without compressing the sound source. In this method, the SFC factors that represent characteristics of the sound source are embedded into the sound source itself using a digital watermarking technology. Therefore, the SFC factors need not be manually set by a user. In addition, the SFC factors can be reliably transmitted, irrespective of header corruption caused by format conversion and transmission of a compressed sound source.

The present invention presents a way to augment the playback of a compact disk by increasing the resolution, the number of channel, or both during reproduction, while still allowing the resultant CD to be playable on a standard CD player. From a high quality original master or other source, it produces a set of conventional two track audio signals and a set of residual or additional audio data derived from the original master using this conventional stereo audio signal. Additionally, it extracts a set of control information relating this additional audio data to the conventional stereo signals. This additional audio data contains information from the original master that would otherwise be lost when encoded onto a conventional CD. Upon playback, the control information allows the additional audio data to be recombined with the conventional stereo signal in order to reconstruct the original master. A single CD embodiment places the conventional stereo tracks in the audio portion of a compact disk, with the residual or additional audio data and control information stored in the CD-ROM portion of the same disk. The described techniques extend to more general embodiments, since once the original signal is separated into a conventional stereo portion and the additional information, these may be delivered and stored independently in media other than a CD, with the conventional stereo portion usable by itself and only recombined with the additional information when augmented playback is desired.

A three-dimensional audio signal processing apparatus using a Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) includes an audio decoder for decoding audio data to restore original audio signals and a three-dimensional audio generator for generating three-dimensional signals corresponding to the audio signals restored by using the HRTF modeled according to physical characteristics of an user, wherein the HRTF modeled according to physical characteristics of an user is an individualized HRTF.

In audio-decoder apparatus, a circuit substrate common to a 2-channel model and a 5.1-channel model, on which a decoder and a D / A converter with built-in PLL are installed, and which has installing portions and for enabling installation of D / A converters without built-in PLL. The line connection modes of signal lines connecting the output terminal of the decoder to the input terminals of each D / A converter can be changed by a switching apparatus, corresponding to the channel model, thus it becomes possible to realize D / A converters without built-in PLL having better audio performance under a line connection mode desired for an improved audio performance. Therefore, a good audio performance can be secured, while a common circuit substrate can be used for a variety of channel models, which is advantageous in view of fabrication cost.

An apparatus for recording a multichannel program includes an audio converter adapted to convert said multichannel program at least partially into a modified program requiring less channels than said multichannel program. The audio converter including control elements used to modify the conversion process used to generate said modified program. A coefficient generator coupled to said converter to generate a coefficient indicative of the operation of said controls. A mixer is arranged to mix the coefficient with program data. A recorder is arranged to record the mixed data on a medium, whereby the medium can be played either using a multichannel player device or a reduced channel player device by using said coefficient.

The present invention relates to a mobile phone with a stereo recording function, which includes a stereo sound frequency receiving module including sound receiving components for receiving sounds from different places within a sound field and converting the received sounds into a digital signal, a central processing unit (CPU) for encoding and compressing the digital signal, and a storage unit for storing the digital signal therein as an audio file having a stereo effect during being played back by the mobile phone.

Methods and apparatus for recording on DVD-like recording media in which audio content is stored in a high-capacity multi-channel (e.g., six-channel) format are provided. Various channels may use various resolutions. A two-channel audio output may be derived from the multi-channel audio data stream during playback. To facilitate an accurate derivation, the mixing coefficients to be used in generating the derivation can be supplied along with the six-channel audio data.

This invention is an automatically choose device of audio playing mode and its working method. The device receives audio stream and output the processed data as data frame. The data frame includes frame head information which has an identification of playing mode. The device includes an audio detection unit, a decoder, a D / A converter, a playing mode choosing unit and an amplifier. The audio detecting unit acquires and identifies the playing mode in the frame head. In case the playing mode is the first value, a control signal of stereo playing mode is generated. In case the playing model is the second value, a control signal of single track playing mode is generated. The playing mode choosing unit outputs the corresponding analog signals according to the control signal.