Audio signal processing methods and equipment, audio signal decoding methods at receiving devices, and audio signal encoding and decoding systems.

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and apparatus for processing audio signals and systems for encoding and decoding audio signals. The methods described enable the conversion of audio signals received in a number of different formats by a number of different receiving devices into a limited number of formats that can be processed by an audio codec (e.g., an Immersible Voice and Audio Services (IVAS) codec). In one approach, the simplification unit of an audio device receives audio signals captured by one or more audio receivers connected to the audio device. The simplification unit determines whether the audio signal is in a format supported / unsupported by the audio device's encoding unit. Based on this determination, the simplification unit converts the audio signal to a format supported by the encoding unit. According to one approach, if the simplification unit determines that the audio signal is in a spatial format, then the simplification unit can convert the audio signal to a supported "intermediate" spatial format using encoding.