Electronic device and method for processing audio signal

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an apparatus and method for minimizing quantization noise by reflecting individual auditory characteristics of a user when quantizing or de-quantizing an audio signal. A control method thus may comprise the operations of: obtaining a number of quantized bits for each divided audible band obtained by dividing the audible band based on a pre-configured auditory characteristic of a user; performing quantization using a number of quantization bits corresponding to a divided audible band-specific audio signal extracted from an audio signal output by reproducing the audio content; and generating a bitstream from the quantized audio signal for each divided audible band, and transmitting the bitstream to an external electronic device through a radio channel. Various other embodiments may be provided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device and a method for processing an audio signal by quantization or inverse quantization. Background Art

[0002] An electronic device (e.g., a computer, a portable terminal, a tablet computer, etc.) can be connected to an external electronic device such as a wireless headset (e.g., True Wireless Stereo (TWS)) using a short-range wireless communication scheme such as a Bluetooth scheme. The electronic device can send content data such as an audio signal to an external electronic device connected using a wireless communication scheme. Due to the distance from the wireless headset, channel congestion, or unexpected interference, the electronic device may experience delays or damage to the content data (such as the transmitted audio signal). The electronic device needs to use a specific encoding scheme to compress and send data to prevent the data from being damaged in the process of transmitting the transmission data to the wireless headset as an external electronic device. The wireless headset as an external electronic device can reconstruct the compressed data using a specific decoding scheme corresponding to the encoding scheme used by the other electronic device.

[0003] In a short-range communication scheme such as Bluetooth, transmission performance may be proportional to the amount of data encoded by the electronic device. A large amount of encoded data in the electronic device may mean that a large amount of information can be transmitted to the wireless headset as an external electronic device to provide high-quality services. However, as the amount of data to be transmitted increases, the traffic on the radio channel connecting the electronic device and the wireless headset as an external electronic device may increase. Summary of the invention

[0004] Technical issues

[0005] Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an electronic device and method for performing an encoding or decoding operation on an audio signal by reflecting a user's auditory characteristics.

[0006] Technical Solution

[0007] A method for controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: an operation of obtaining a quantization bit number of each divided audible frequency band based on preset user auditory characteristics; an operation of performing quantization using a quantization bit number corresponding to an audio signal for each divided audible frequency band extracted from an audio signal output by reproducing audio content; and an operation of generating an audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band as a bit stream and sending the bit stream to an external electronic device through a radio channel.

[0008] A method for controlling an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: an operation of analyzing a bit stream received from an external electronic device; an operation of obtaining the number of inverse quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band included in the bit stream; an operation of performing inverse quantization on the bit stream for each audible frequency band using the number of inverse quantization bits; and an operation of outputting an audio signal generated by the inverse quantization.

[0009] An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one processor and a communication device. The at least one processor may obtain the number of quantization bits of each divided audible frequency band based on preset user auditory characteristics, perform quantization using the number of quantization bits corresponding to the audio signal of each divided audible frequency band extracted from the audio signal output by reproducing audio content, and generate the audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band as a bit stream and transmit the bit stream to an external electronic device through a radio channel.

[0010] An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one processor and a communication device. The at least one processor may analyze a bit stream received from an external electronic device, obtain the number of inverse quantization bits of each divided audible frequency band included in the bit stream, perform inverse quantization on the bit stream of each audible frequency band using the inverse quantization bit number, and output an audio signal generated by the inverse quantization.

[0011] In the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium may include instructions for: obtaining the number of quantization bits of each divided audible frequency band divided based on preset user auditory characteristics; performing quantization using the number of quantization bits corresponding to the audio signal of each divided audible frequency band extracted from the audio signal output by reproducing audio content; and generating the audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band as a bit stream and transmitting the bit stream to an external electronic device through a radio channel.

[0012] In the present disclosure, an electronic device may include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs. The one or more programs stored in the computer-readable storage medium may include instructions for: analyzing a bit stream received from an external electronic device; obtaining the number of inverse quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band included in the bit stream; performing inverse quantization on the bit stream of each audible frequency band using the number of inverse quantization bits, and outputting an audio signal generated by the inverse quantization.

[0013] The technical objectives of the present disclosure are not limited to the foregoing, and a person of ordinary skill in the art may derive other technical objectives from the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Beneficial Effects

[0015] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, by applying a different encoding rate to each divided frequency band obtained by dividing an audible frequency band as an audio signal into multiple audible frequency bands in consideration of the user's auditory characteristics, the user's satisfaction with listening to the audio signal through wireless headphones can be improved without increasing the amount of data.

[0016] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the foregoing, and other unmentioned effects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description. In other words, those skilled in the art may also derive unexpected effects in practicing the embodiments of the present invention from the exemplary embodiments of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an electronic device in a network environment according to an embodiment;

[0018] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an audio module according to an embodiment;

[0019] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0020] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of quantizing an audio signal by a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0021] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating control for quantizing an audio signal by a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0022] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0023] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of inverse quantizing an audio signal by a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0024] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating control of inverse quantization of an audio signal by a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0025] Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an encoder of a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating a portion of an encoder of a first electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0027] Fig.11is a block diagram illustrating a decoder of a second electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] In conjunction with the description of the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used to designate the same or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art to which the present disclosure belongs can easily practice the present disclosure. However, the present disclosure can be implemented in various other forms and is not limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Throughout the specification and the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals may be used to indicate the same or similar elements. In addition, for clarity and brevity, well-known functions and configurations are not described in the accompanying drawings and related descriptions.

[0030] Figure 1 1 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic device 101 in a network environment 100 according to various embodiments. Figure 1 , the electronic device 101 in the network environment 100 may communicate with the electronic device 102 via the first network 198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or communicate with at least one of the electronic device 104 or the server 108 via the second network 199 (e.g., a long-range wireless communication network). According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. According to an embodiment, the electronic device 101 may include a processor 120, a memory 130, an input module 150, a sound output module 155, a display module 160, an audio module 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a connection terminal 178, a haptic module 179, a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, a communication module 190, a subscriber identity module (SIM) 196, or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one component (e.g., the connection terminal 178) may be omitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more other components may be added in the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some components (eg, sensor module 176, camera module 180, or antenna module 197) may be implemented as a single component (eg, display module 160).

[0031] The processor 120 may execute, for example, software (e.g., program 140) to control at least one other component (e.g., hardware or software component) of the electronic device 101 coupled to the processor 120, and may perform various data processing or calculations. According to one embodiment, as at least part of the data processing or calculation, the processor 120 may store a command or data received from another component (e.g., sensor module 176 or communication module 190) in the volatile memory 132, process the command or data stored in the volatile memory 132, and store the resultant data in the non-volatile memory 134. According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)) or an auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), a neural processing unit (NPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communication processor (CP)) that may operate independently of the main processor 121 or in conjunction with the main processor 121. For example, when the electronic device 101 includes a main processor 121 and an auxiliary processor 123, the auxiliary processor 123 may be adapted to consume less power than the main processor 121 or be specific to a specified function. The auxiliary processor 123 may be implemented separately from the main processor 121 or as part of the main processor 121.

[0032] The auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., display module 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 190) among the components of the electronic device 101, instead of the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state, or control at least some of the functions or states related to at least one component (e.g., display module 160, sensor module 176, or communication module 190) among the components of the electronic device 101 together with the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 is in an active state (e.g., executing an application). According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., an image signal processor or a communication processor) may be implemented as a part of another component (e.g., camera module 180 or communication module 190) that is functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123. According to an embodiment, the auxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a neural processing unit) may include a hardware structure specified for artificial intelligence model processing. The artificial intelligence model may be generated by machine learning. Such learning may be performed, for example, by the electronic device 101 in which artificial intelligence is executed or via a separate server (e.g., server 108). The learning algorithm may include, but is not limited to, for example, supervised learning, unsupervised learning, semi-supervised learning, or reinforcement learning. The artificial intelligence model may include multiple artificial neural network layers. The artificial neural network may be a deep neural network (DNN), a convolutional neural network (CNN), a recurrent neural network (RNN), a restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM), a deep belief network (DBN), a bidirectional recursive deep neural network (BRDNN), a deep Q network, or a combination of two or more thereof, but is not limited thereto. The artificial intelligence model may additionally or alternatively include a software structure in addition to a hardware structure.

[0033] The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176). The various data may include, for example, software (e.g., the program 140) and input data or output data for commands related thereto. The memory 130 may include a volatile memory 132 or a nonvolatile memory 134.

[0034] The program 140 may be stored as software in the memory 130 , and may include, for example, an operating system (OS) 142 , middleware 144 , or applications 146 .

[0035] The input module 150 may receive a command or data to be used by another component (e.g., the processor 120) of the electronic device 101 from outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The input module 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard, a key (e.g., a button), or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus).

[0036] The sound output module 155 can output sound signals to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output module 155 may include, for example, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker can be used for general purposes, such as playing multimedia or playing recordings. The receiver can be used to receive incoming calls. Depending on the embodiment, the receiver can be implemented as a part of the speaker or as a part of the speaker.

[0037] The display module 160 can visually provide information to the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., a user). The display module 160 may include, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector, and a control circuit for controlling a corresponding one of the display, the hologram device, and the projector. According to an embodiment, the display module 160 may include a touch sensor adapted to detect a touch, or a pressure sensor adapted to measure the strength of a force caused by a touch.

[0038] The audio module 170 can convert sound into an electrical signal, and vice versa. According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 can obtain sound via the input module 150, or output sound via the sound output module 155 or an earphone of an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly coupled to the electronic device 101.

[0039] The sensor module 176 can detect an operating state (e.g., power or temperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state (e.g., a user's state) outside the electronic device 101, and then generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to the detected state. According to an embodiment, the sensor module 176 may include, for example, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illumination sensor.

[0040] The interface 177 may support one or more designated protocols to be used for the electronic device 101 to be directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly coupled to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). According to an embodiment, the interface 177 may include, for example, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

[0041] The connection terminal 178 may include a connector, wherein the electronic device 101 can be physically connected to an external electronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102) via the connector. According to an embodiment, the connection terminal 178 may include, for example, an HDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphone connector).

[0042] The haptic module 179 may convert the electric signal into mechanical stimulation (eg, vibration or movement) or electric stimulation that can be recognized by the user via his tactile sense or kinesthetic sense. According to an embodiment, the haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electric stimulator.

[0043] The camera module 180 may capture still images or moving images. According to an embodiment, the camera module 180 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signal processors, or flashes.

[0044] The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to the electronic device 101. According to one embodiment, the power management module 188 may be implemented as, for example, at least a portion of a power management integrated circuit (PMIC).

[0045] The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the battery 189 may include, for example, a non-rechargeable primary battery, a rechargeable secondary battery, or a fuel cell.

[0046] The communication module 190 can support establishing a direct (e.g., wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel between the electronic device 101 and an external electronic device (e.g., electronic device 102, electronic device 104, or server 108), and perform communication via the established communication channel. The communication module 190 may include one or more communication processors that can operate independently of the processor 120 (e.g., an application processor (AP)) and support direct (e.g., wired) communication or wireless communication. According to an embodiment, the communication module 190 may include a wireless communication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, a short-range wireless communication module, or a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communication module 194 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or a power line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of these communication modules can communicate via a first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communication network such as Bluetooth TM The wireless communication module 192 can communicate with an external electronic device using a wireless communication network (e.g., Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) Direct, or Infrared Data Association (IrDA)) or a second network 199 (e.g., a long-distance communication network such as a traditional cellular network, a 5G network, a next-generation communication network, the Internet, or a computer network (e.g., a LAN or a wide area network (WAN))). These various types of communication modules can be implemented as a single component (e.g., a single chip), or can be implemented as multiple components separated from each other (e.g., multiple chips). The wireless communication module 192 can use subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)) stored in the subscriber identity module 196 to identify and authenticate the electronic device 101 in a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199.

[0047] The wireless communication module 192 can support 5G networks and next-generation communication technologies after the 4G network, for example, new radio (NR) access technology. NR access technology can support enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communication (mMTC), or ultra-reliable and low-latency communication (URLLC). The wireless communication module 192 can support high-frequency bands (e.g., mmWave bands) to achieve, for example, high data transmission rates. The wireless communication module 192 can support various technologies for ensuring performance on high-frequency bands, such as, for example, beamforming, massive multiple input and multiple output (massive MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, or massive antennas. The wireless communication module 192 can support various requirements specified in the electronic device 101, an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device 104), or a network system (e.g., a second network 199). According to an embodiment, the wireless communication module 192 can support a peak data rate for implementing eMBB (e.g., 20 Gbps or more), loss coverage for implementing mMTC (e.g., 164 dB or less), or U-plane latency for implementing URLLC (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for each of the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or 1 ms or less for a round trip).

[0048] The antenna module 197 may transmit a signal or power to or receive a signal or power from the outside of the electronic device 101 (e.g., an external electronic device). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include an antenna, wherein the antenna includes a radiation element composed of a conductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate (e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, the antenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., an array antenna). In this case, at least one antenna suitable for a communication scheme used in a communication network such as the first network 198 or the second network 199 may be selected from the plurality of antennas by, for example, the communication module 190 (e.g., the wireless communication module 192). Then, a signal or power may be transmitted or received between the communication module 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at least one antenna. According to an embodiment, another component other than the radiation element (e.g., a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module 197.

[0049] According to various embodiments, the antenna module 197 may form a mmWave antenna module. According to an embodiment, the mmWave antenna module may include a printed circuit board, an RFIC disposed on or adjacent to a first surface (e.g., bottom surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of supporting a specified high frequency band (e.g., mmWave frequency band), and a plurality of antennas (e.g., array antennas) disposed on or adjacent to a second surface (e.g., top surface or side surface) of the printed circuit board and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of the specified high frequency band.

[0050] At least some of the components described above may be coupled to each other and transmit signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via an inter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purpose input and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobile industry processor interface (MIPI)).

[0051] In the process of compressing the audio signal by the electronic device 101, the audio signal to be compressed may be quantized. Quantization is the process of dividing the actual value of the audio signal at regular intervals. In other words, quantization represents the size of the waveform of the audio signal with several quantization steps (quantization levels) at predetermined quantization intervals.

[0052] If the quantization interval is too wide, noise due to quantization may occur, which is called quantization noise. If the quantization noise increases, the sound quality of the audio signal felt by the user may deteriorate. On the contrary, if the quantization interval is too narrow, the quantization noise may decrease, but the number of segments of the audio signal that should be represented after the quantization process increases, increasing the bit rate required for encoding, and thus increasing the amount of data to be transmitted per unit time.

[0053] Therefore, there is a need to find an optimal quantization segment that minimizes the degradation of the audio signal due to quantization noise while not increasing the bit rate.

[0054] During quantization, different quantization intervals may be determined for each frequency. According to typical psychoacoustic models, most users are usually sensitive to a relatively low frequency band (e.g., 250 Hz to 8000 Hz) of the audible frequency band, so bits may be allocated to the low frequency band with a narrow quantization interval.

[0055] According to an example, a source electronic device (e.g., Figure 1 The electronic device 101 (hereinafter, referred to as the “source electronic device 101” or the “first electronic device 101”) may transmit a signal to an external electronic device (eg, Figure 1The second electronic device 102 (hereinafter referred to as "external electronic device 102", "consumer electronic device 102" or "second electronic device 102") provides audio data. The second electronic device 102 can process the audio data provided from the first electronic device 101 to output an audio signal as an audible signal. The second electronic device 102 can be an audio output device capable of outputting an audio signal. The audio output device can be, for example, an electronic device such as a wireless headset or a Bluetooth speaker.

[0056] For example, the electronic device 101 may perform signal processing for providing an audio signal in an audible frequency band (e.g., 250 Hz to 8000 Hz) to the second electronic device 102. The electronic device 101 may compress audio data recorded in a digital form in the internal or external memory 130 using a predetermined encoding scheme to transmit the audio data to an external electronic device 102 such as a wireless headset. The first electronic device 101 may output a bit stream in which the audio signal is compressed using the predetermined encoding scheme.

[0057] More specifically, the first electronic device 101 can encode the audio signal to be transmitted to the second electronic device 102 using auditory characteristic information. The auditory characteristic information can be information collected by testing the hearing of the user. For example, the auditory characteristic information can be information in which the audible band is divided into a plurality of bands and the user's hearing ability is defined separately for the divided bands (hereinafter referred to as "divided audible bands"). In this case, the auditory characteristic information can define a band to which the user is sensitive and a band to which the user is relatively insensitive. The user's sensitive response can mean that the user can hear the audio signal in a specific band well at relatively low decibels (e.g., an audio signal with a small volume), or the user can recognize that the probability of relatively low pollution or damage is high. The user's insensitive response can mean that the user can hear the audio signal in the corresponding band well at relatively high decibels (e.g., an audio signal with a large volume), or the user can recognize that the probability of relatively high pollution or damage is very low.

[0058] For example, the first electronic device 101 may divide the audio signal in the audible frequency band into a plurality of divided audible frequency bands in consideration of the auditory characteristic information, and determine the number of quantization bits to be used to perform quantization on each divided audio signal (hereinafter referred to as a "divided audio signal"). The first electronic device 101 may perform quantization on each divided audio signal using the number of quantization bits determined for each divided audible frequency band. The first electronic device 101 may configure the bit string quantized for each divided audible frequency band as a bit stream, and send the bit stream to the second electronic device 102. For example, the bit stream may be generated by sequentially arranging the quantized bit strings generated for each divided audible frequency band (hereinafter referred to as "divided quantized bit strings") in the order of generation.

[0059] The bit stream may be filled with one or more filling bits between quantized bit strings, for example, to distinguish between two consecutive quantized bit strings. To this end, the first electronic device 101 and the second electronic device 102 may pre-perform a synchronization process for unifying whether to use filling bits or the type of filling bits. The filling bits may enable the second electronic device 102 to easily separate each quantized bit string that divides the audible frequency band from the bit stream.

[0060] For example, the bitstream may include information (hereinafter referred to as "meta information") to be referenced to reconstruct the divided quantization bit strings included in the bitstream. The meta information may include information that can be considered by the second electronic device 102 to allocate the number of quantization bits for each of the divided quantization bit strings included in the bitstream. For example, the meta information may include a quantization partition identifier, which indicates whether the quantization has been performed in consideration of the auditory characteristics of the user. For example, the meta information may include information about a quantization bit allocation table, which is referenced to allocate the number of quantization bits for quantization. The information about the quantization bit allocation table may include, for example, a table identifier indicating a quantization allocation table actually used for quantization among the quantization bit allocation tables synchronized between the first electronic device 101 and the second electronic device 102. The information about the quantization bit allocation table may include, for example, information constituting a quantization allocation table actually used by the first electronic device 101 to allocate the number of quantization bits for quantization.

[0061] As an example, the second electronic device 102 may receive a bit stream corresponding to the audio content from the first electronic device 101. The second electronic device 102 may obtain meta information included in the bit stream. The second electronic device 102 may determine the inverse quantization bit allocation table through the meta information. For example, the second electronic device 102 may generate or select an inverse quantization bit allocation table that reflects the user's auditory characteristics through the meta information used for quantization.

[0062] The second electronic device 102 may use the inverse quantization bit allocation table to determine the number of inverse quantization bits for each divided quantized bit string included in the bit stream received from the first electronic device 101. The second electronic device 102 may use the determined number of inverse quantization bits to perform inverse quantization on the divided quantized bit string. The second electronic device 102 may perform a restoration process including inverse quantization with respect to each divided audible frequency band to merge the reconstructed audio signal of each divided audible frequency band to generate and output a single audio signal.

[0063] According to an embodiment, a command or data may be sent or received between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 104 via a server 108 coupled to the second network 199. Each of the external electronic devices 102 or 104 may be a device of the same type or a different type as the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or some of the operations to be performed at the electronic device 101 may be performed at one or more of the external electronic devices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if the electronic device 101 should automatically perform a function or service, or in response to a request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101 may request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service instead of performing the function or service, or in addition to the performing function or service, the electronic device 101 may also request one or more external electronic devices to perform at least a portion of the function or service. The one or more external electronic devices receiving the request may perform at least a portion of the requested function or service, or an additional function or additional service related to the request, and transmit the result of the execution to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may provide the result as at least a part of the reply to the request with or without further processing of the result. To this end, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC) or client-server computing technology can be used. The electronic device 101 can use, for example, distributed computing or mobile edge computing to provide ultra-low latency services. In another embodiment, the external electronic device 104 may include an Internet of Things (IoT) device. The server 108 may be an intelligent server using machine learning and / or neural networks. According to an embodiment, the external electronic device 104 or the server 108 may be included in the second network 199. The electronic device 101 can be applied to intelligent services (e.g., smart homes, smart cities, smart cars, or health care) based on 5G communication technology or IoT-related technologies.

[0064] Figure 2 2 is a block diagram 200 illustrating the audio module 170 according to various embodiments. Figure 2 The audio module 170 may include, for example, an audio input interface 210, an audio input mixer 220, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 230, an audio signal processor 240, a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 250, an audio output mixer 260, or an audio output interface 270.

[0065] The audio input interface 210 may receive an audio signal corresponding to a sound obtained from outside the electronic device 101 via a microphone (e.g., a dynamic microphone, a condenser microphone, or a piezoelectric microphone) configured as a part of the input device 150 or separated from the electronic device 101. For example, if the audio signal is obtained from an external electronic device 102 (e.g., headphones or a microphone), the audio input interface 210 may be directly connected to the external electronic device 102 via the connection terminal 178, or wirelessly (e.g., Bluetooth) via the wireless communication module 192. TM Communication) is connected to the external electronic device 102 to receive an audio signal. According to an embodiment, the audio input interface 210 can receive a control signal related to the audio signal obtained from the external electronic device 102 (for example, a volume adjustment signal received via an input button). The audio input interface 210 may include multiple audio input channels, and may receive different audio signals via corresponding audio input channels in the multiple audio input channels, respectively. According to an embodiment, additionally or alternatively, the audio input interface 210 may receive an audio signal from another component of the electronic device 101 (for example, the processor 120 or the memory 130).

[0066] The audio input mixer 220 may synthesize a plurality of input audio signals into at least one audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the audio input mixer 220 may synthesize a plurality of analog audio signals input via the audio input interface 210 into at least one analog audio signal.

[0067] The ADC 230 may convert an analog audio signal into a digital audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the ADC 230 may convert an analog audio signal received via the audio input interface 210, or additionally or alternatively, an analog audio signal synthesized via the audio input mixer 220 into a digital audio signal.

[0068] The audio signal processor 240 may perform various processing on a digital audio signal received via the ADC 230 or a digital audio signal received from another component of the electronic device 101. For example, according to an embodiment, the audio signal processor 240 may perform changing a sampling rate, applying one or more filters, interpolation processing, amplifying or attenuating the entire or a portion of a frequency bandwidth, noise processing (e.g., attenuating noise or echo), changing channels (e.g., switching between mono and stereo), mixing or extracting a specified signal of one or more digital audio signals. According to an embodiment, one or more functions of the audio signal processor 240 may be implemented in the form of an equalizer.

[0069] The DAC 250 may convert a digital audio signal into an analog audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the DAC 250 may convert a digital audio signal processed by the audio signal processor 240 or a digital audio signal obtained from another component of the electronic device 101 (e.g., the processor (120) or the memory (130)) into an analog audio signal.

[0070] The audio output mixer 260 may synthesize a plurality of audio signals to be output into at least one audio signal. For example, according to an embodiment, the audio output mixer 260 may synthesize an analog audio signal converted by the DAC 250 and another analog audio signal (e.g., an analog audio signal received via the audio input interface 210) into at least one analog audio signal.

[0071] The audio output interface 270 can output the analog audio signal converted by the DAC 250 to the outside of the electronic device 101 via the sound output device 155, or additionally or alternatively, output the analog audio signal synthesized by the audio output mixer 260 to the outside of the electronic device 101. The sound output device 155 may include, for example, a speaker (such as a dynamic driver or a balanced armature driver) or a receiver. According to an embodiment, the sound output device 155 may include a plurality of speakers. In this case, the audio output interface 270 can output an audio signal having a plurality of different channels (e.g., stereo channels or 5.1 channels) via at least some of the plurality of speakers. According to an embodiment, the audio output interface 270 can be directly connected to an external electronic device 102 (e.g., an external speaker or earphone) via a connection terminal 178 or wirelessly connected to an external electronic device 102 (e.g., an external speaker or earphone) via a wireless communication module 192 to output an audio signal.

[0072] According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may generate at least one digital audio signal by synthesizing a plurality of digital audio signals using at least one function of the audio signal processor 240 without separately including the audio input mixer 220 or the audio output mixer 260 .

[0073] According to an embodiment, the audio module 170 may include an audio amplifier (not shown) (e.g., a speaker amplification circuit) capable of amplifying an analog audio signal input via the audio input interface 210 or an audio signal to be output via the audio output interface 270. According to an embodiment, the audio amplifier may be configured as a module separate from the audio module 170.

[0074] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a source electronic device (eg, Figure 1 101).

[0075] refer to Figure 3, including at least one processor 310 (eg, Figure 1 The processor 120 of the audio signal 320 may generate or output a bitstream 340 by encoding (or compressing) the audio signal 320. The processor 310 may use the auditory characteristic information 330 when encoding the audio signal 320.

[0076] According to an example, the processor 310 may use an internal memory (e.g., Figure 1 130), connected to an interface (e.g., Figure 1 interface 177) of an external memory or a communication network (e.g., Figure 1 The first network 198 or Figure 1 The second network 199 of the present invention receives an audio signal 320 in an audible frequency band. The audio signal 320 may be an electrical signal generated, for example, by executing a music player. The audio signal 320 may be a digital audio signal. The audio signal 320 may be a signal modulated, for example, by a pulse code modulation (PCM) scheme.

[0077] Processor 310 may include, for example, a main processor (e.g., Figure 1 main processor 121) or an auxiliary processor (e.g., Figure 1 The processor 310 may perform compression, for example, by an encoding operation on the input audio signal 320. The compression may be performed in software in the processor 310 or in hardware by a separate encoder unit.

[0078] The audio signal 320 may be encoded by the main processor 121 or the auxiliary processor 123. For example, the audio signal 320 may be encoded in a conventional mode in the main processor 121. The audio signal 320 may be encoded, for example, in a separate communication chip provided in the auxiliary processor 123. The encoding of the low power mode audio signal may be performed in a separate communication chip of the auxiliary processor 123. The user may select to compress the audio signal 320 by at least one of the main processor 121 or the auxiliary processor 123.

[0079] The auditory characteristic information 330 may be, for example, information reflecting the auditory characteristics of the user. The auditory characteristic information 330 may be, for example, information indicating a frequency band of sounds to which the user is sensitive in an audible frequency band. The auditory characteristic information 330 may be, for example, information indicating whether each user is more or less sensitive to a specific frequency. The auditory characteristic information 330 may be measured differently according to, for example, the left ear or the right ear of the same user. The auditory characteristic information 330 may be measured differently according to the age of the user.

[0080] For the auditory characteristic information 330, the auditory measurement may be, for example, stored in a memory of the first electronic device 101 (eg, Figure 1 Memory 130) in an application (e.g., Figure 1 The application that measures the hearing characteristics of the user may be referred to as an "auditory test application".

[0081] If the user executes the hearing test application, a voice signal in a specific frequency band can be output to the second electronic device (or external electronic device) 102 connected to the first electronic device 101. The second electronic device 102 can be, for example, a sound output device such as a headset. The first electronic device 101 and the second electronic device 102 can be connected by wire or wirelessly. The first electronic device 101 can be connected to the second electronic device 102 through a connection terminal (e.g., Figure 1 The first electronic device 101 is connected to the second electronic device 102 by wire through a connection terminal 178 of the first electronic device 101. The first electronic device 101 may be connected to the second electronic device 102 wirelessly through, for example, a Bluetooth scheme.

[0082] If the user executes a hearing test application, the hearing test application can send a voice signal in a specific frequency band sent from the first electronic device 101 to a sound output device of the second electronic device 102 connected to the first electronic device 101. The voice signal in the specific frequency band sent from the hearing test application can be called a test signal. The test signal can be output multiple times, for example, continuously or at predetermined time intervals. For example, the volume of the test signal can gradually decrease over time. The first electronic device 101 can reduce the decibel (dB) of the test signal over time and output the test signal. The user can determine whether the test signal output from the sound output device of the second electronic device 102 is heard. If it is determined that the test signal is not heard, the user can touch the display of the first electronic device 101 (for example, Figure 1 The first electronic device 101 may record the time required for the user to touch the button.

[0083] In the hearing test application, the test can be repeated for each divided audible frequency band obtained by dividing a specific frequency band at a predetermined interval. The predetermined interval can be, for example, an interval obtained by dividing the audible frequency band between 250 Hz and 8000 Hz by n. When the audible frequency band is divided into predetermined intervals, each divided audible frequency band can be referred to as a sub-band (Sb). In the following, for ease of description, the divided audible frequency band is referred to as a sub-band.

[0084] For example, if the audible frequency band is divided into 12 sub-bands, the sub-bands may be referred to as the first sub-band Sb#1, the second sub-band Sb#2, ..., the eleventh sub-band Sb#11, or the twelfth sub-band Sb#12 in order from the lowest frequency band to the highest frequency band. The intervals of the sub-bands may be the same or different. The first electronic device 101 may record the user's hearing measurement results in each sub-band according to the time required for the user to determine that the voice signal in a specific frequency band is not heard. The hearing measurement results may be recorded in three stages, for example, very good, good, and average.

[0085] For example, if the user determines that the test signal is not heard after 5 seconds in each sub-band and clicks a button displayed on the display 160, the first electronic device 101 can predict that the user can hear a relatively low-decibel sound in the corresponding sub-band. In this case, the first electronic device 101 can record the hearing measurement result in the sub-band as "very good".

[0086] For example, if the user determines that the test signal is not heard after 3 seconds in a specific sub-band and clicks a button displayed on the display 160, the first electronic device 101 can predict that the user can hear the sound in the corresponding sub-band at a decibel that an average person can hear. In this case, the first electronic device 101 can record the hearing measurement result in the sub-band as "good".

[0087] For example, if the user determines that the test signal is not heard after one second in a specific sub-band and clicks a button displayed on the display 160, the first electronic device 101 can predict that the user can only hear relatively high-decibel sounds in the corresponding sub-band. In this case, the first electronic device 101 can record the hearing measurement results in the sub-band as "normal". However, not limited to this, if necessary, the first electronic device 101 can subdivide and record the hearing measurement results or set different hearing measurement schemes.

[0088] The hearing measurement results measured by the hearing test application may be stored in the memory 130 in the form of a database (DB). The user may use the hearing test application to perform additional hearing measurements. The user's additional hearing measurement results may be stored in the memory 130 in the form of a database. If the hearing measurement results of a plurality of hearing measurements are stored in the database, the processor 120 may store the average of the plurality of obtained hearing measurement results in the database. The average of the plurality of stored hearing measurement results may be stored as the user's hearing characteristic information 330. However, there is no need to be limited thereto, and the hearing measurement results according to the hearing measurement test most recently performed by the user may be stored as the user's hearing characteristic information 330.

[0089] For example, the user may also include information about a value arbitrarily input for hearing each frequency band. The processor 310 may store information about a value input by the user for hearing each frequency band as the hearing characteristic information 330 in addition to the hearing measurement result measured by executing the hearing test application by the user.

[0090] The stored user's auditory characteristic information 330 may be referred to as auditory data.

[0091] The processor 310 may perform a compression process (or encoding process) on the input audio signal 320. In performing the compression process, the processor 310 may use the auditory data stored in the memory 130. The compression process may include an operation of quantizing the input audio signal 320. The quantization operation may include an operation of allocating the number of quantization bits for performing quantization of each sub-band. The operation of allocating the number of quantization bits may include an operation of determining a bit allocation table. The bit allocation table may define information about the number of quantization bits to be allocated for each sub-band. The operation of allocating the number of quantization bits may include an operation of the processor 310 determining the presence or absence of the auditory data stored in the memory 130 and thus selecting or generating a bit allocation table. The processor 310 may use the bit allocation table to determine the number of quantization bits corresponding to the audio signal of each sub-band.

[0092] For example, if there is auditory data, the processor 310 can select or generate a bit allocation table reflecting the auditory data. The bit allocation table reflecting the auditory data can, for example, allocate a relatively large number of bits to a sub-band that is sensitive to user response, and allocate a relatively small number of bits to a sub-band that is insensitive to user response. The bit allocation table reflecting the auditory data can be referred to as a "characteristic bit allocation table (attribute bit allocation table)". The processor 310 can use the characteristic bit allocation table to perform quantization on the audio signal. Hereinafter, the characteristic bit allocation table is referred to as a "first bit allocation table".

[0093] For example, if there is no auditory data, the processor 310 can select or generate a standard bit allocation table (normalized bit allocation table) without considering the auditory data. The standard bit allocation table can exist in the memory 130 in the form of a database, for example. The standard bit allocation table can be a bit allocation table that takes into account psychoacoustics, for example. The standard bit allocation table can, for example, allocate a relatively large number of quantization bits to sub-bands to which many people are statistically sensitive, and allocate a relatively small number of quantization bits to sub-bands to which they are insensitive. Statistically, many unspecified people often react sensitively to low-frequency sub-bands, so that a standard bit allocation table can be provided to allocate a relatively large number of quantization bits to low-frequency sub-bands. However, without limitation thereto, the standard bit allocation table can be, for example, a table that allocates a relatively large number of bits to a sub-band in a mid-frequency band or a high-frequency band instead of a sub-band in a low-frequency band according to the characteristics of the sample used to generate the standard bit allocation table. In the following, the standard bit allocation table is referred to as a "second bit allocation table".

[0094] As a result of performing the compression process on the input audio signal 320, the processor 310 may generate and output a bitstream 340. The processor 310 may communicate with the input audio signal 320 through a communication module (e.g., Figure 1 The communication module 190 of the second electronic device 102 sends the bit stream 340 to the second electronic device 102. The bit stream 340 can be sent to the second electronic device 102 through, for example, a Bluetooth scheme. The bit stream can be sent to the second electronic device 102 via, for example, an Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP).

[0095] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the first electronic device 101 quantizing an audio signal according to an embodiment.

[0096] refer to Figure 4 In operation 410, the first electronic device 101 may obtain the number of quantization bits based on the auditory characteristics of each divided audible frequency band. The divided audible frequency band may refer to a specific frequency band obtained by dividing the audible frequency band by a predetermined number, for example. The divided audible frequency band may also be referred to as a sub-band.

[0097] The first electronic device 101 can detect the sound according to the auditory characteristics (for example, Figure 3 The auditory characteristic information 330 or Figure 3 The first bit allocation table may be used to perform quantization on the auditory data of the present invention to obtain the number of quantization bits based on the auditory characteristics. The first bit allocation table may be, for example, a table for the number of quantization bits that will be performed by reflecting the auditory characteristics of each audible frequency division.

[0098] The first electronic device 101 may perform quantization on each divided audible frequency band using a second bit allocation table, which is a standard bit allocation table irrelevant to auditory characteristics.

[0099] The first electronic device 101 may obtain the number of quantization bits using the first bit allocation table or the second bit allocation table to perform quantization on each divided audible frequency.

[0100] In operation 420, the first electronic device 101 may perform quantization using a quantization bit number corresponding to the divided audio signal, the divided audio signal being an audio signal for each divided audible frequency band. The quantization bit number may represent the quantization bit number of each divided audible frequency obtained by the first bit allocation table or the second bit allocation table generated in operation 410. For example, the first electronic device 101 may perform quantization on the divided audio signal according to the quantization bit number.

[0101] In operation 430, the first electronic device 101 may generate a quantized audio signal as a bitstream. The first electronic device 101 may send the bitstream to the second electronic device 102. As a result of the quantization performed by the first electronic device 101 in operation 420, a bitstream may be generated. The first electronic device 101 may establish a radio channel to connect the second electronic device 102 to send the generated bitstream. The first electronic device 101 may send the bitstream to the second electronic device 102 through the radio channel.

[0102] Figure 5 is a flowchart illustrating control of quantizing an audio signal by the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment.

[0103] refer to Figure 5 In operation 510, the first electronic device 101 may receive an audio signal. The audio signal may be an audio signal generated, for example, by executing a music player. The audio signal may include a digital audio signal. The audio signal may be an audio signal modulated by a pulse coding scheme.

[0104] In operation 520, the first electronic device 101 may determine whether there is auditory data. The auditory data may be, for example, auditory characteristic information about the user measured by an auditory measurement application of the first electronic device 101. The auditory data may be, for example, auditory characteristic information arbitrarily input by the user without being measured by the auditory measurement application. The auditory data may be, for example, information indicating a sub-band of sound to which the user is sensitive in an audible frequency band. The auditory data may be any one of an average value of the results measured by the auditory measurement application or a result recently measured by the user using the auditory measurement application.

[0105] If there is auditory data, in operation 530, the first electronic device 101 may select or generate a first bit allocation table. The first bit allocation table may be, for example, a bit allocation table that reflects the auditory characteristics of the user. The first bit allocation table may be a bit allocation table in which the user allocates a relatively large number of bits to sensitive subbands. The first bit allocation table may be, for example, a value of a result of deriving bits to be applied to each subband by calculating with a predetermined weight for each subband in which the user's hearing has been measured.

[0106] Although not shown, the first electronic device 101 may analyze the auditory data. For example, the first electronic device 101 may analyze a frequency band to which the user is sensitive among the divided audible frequency bands in relation to the auditory characteristics of the user indicated by the auditory data.

[0107] For example, if the first electronic device 101 obtains a result that the user is sensitive to low-frequency audio signals in the divided audible frequency band as a result of analyzing the auditory data, the first electronic device 101 may select the second bit allocation table stored in the memory 130. The second bit allocation table may represent, for example Figure 3 Therefore, since the first electronic device 101 does not need to select or generate the first bit allocation table reflecting the auditory data, the calculation efficiency or the transmission efficiency can be improved.

[0108] Although not shown, the first electronic device 101 may compare the first bit allocation table and the second bit allocation table and then determine which bit allocation table is to be used to perform quantization.

[0109] For example, a characteristic bit allocation table generated based on the auditory data of a user sensitive to low frequency bands may be substantially the same as a standard bit allocation table. The first electronic device 101 may compare, for example, the allocated bits of each subband of the characteristic bit allocation table with the allocated bits of each subband of the standard bit allocation table. The first electronic device 101 may compare, for example, a predetermined weight of each subband according to the auditory data of the user with a predetermined weight used to generate the standard bit allocation table.

[0110] The first electronic device 101 may determine whether there is a substantial difference between the first bit allocation table as the characteristic bit allocation table and the second bit allocation table as the standard bit allocation table. If there is a substantial difference between the first bit allocation table and the second bit allocation table, in operation 530, the first electronic device 101 may determine the quantization bit using the first bit allocation table.

[0111] If there is no auditory data in the first electronic device 101 or there is no substantial difference between the first bit allocation table and the second bit allocation table, the electronic device 101 may determine the quantization bit by selecting the second bit allocation table in operation 540. Even if there is auditory data, if the first electronic device 101 analyzes that the auditory data is sensitive to the low frequency band division audible band, the first electronic device 101 may select the second bit allocation table to perform quantization by considering calculation efficiency or transmission efficiency. The second bit allocation table may be a standard bit allocation table that does not reflect the user's personal auditory characteristics.

[0112] In operation 550, the first electronic device 101 may compress each divided audio signal using the number of quantization bits determined for each divided audible frequency band. For example, if the first electronic device 101 uses the first bit allocation table to quantize each divided audio signal, a relatively large number of quantization bit strings may be generated in a subband (e.g., a mid-band or high-band subband) to which the user is sensitive. For example, if the first electronic device 101 uses the second bit allocation table to quantize each divided audio signal, a relatively large number of quantization bit strings may be generated in a low-band subband.

[0113] In operation 560, the first electronic device 101 may configure the bitstream to include a quantized bit string generated by performing quantization on each divided audio signal. The first electronic device 101 may send the bitstream to the second electronic device 102. The first electronic device 101 may transmit the bitstream to the second electronic device 102 through a communication module (e.g., Figure 1 The first electronic device 101 can transmit the bit stream to the second electronic device 102 through the wireless communication module (e.g., Figure 1 The wireless communication module 192) sends the bit stream using the Bluetooth scheme.

[0114] The first electronic device 101 may establish a radio channel with the second electronic device 102 through the wireless communication module 192. The first electronic device 101 may transmit a bitstream to the second electronic device 102 through the established radio channel. The first electronic device 101 may transmit a bitstream to the second electronic device 102 through, for example, an Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP).

[0115] Although not shown, if the first electronic device 101 is connected to the second electronic device 102 through a radio channel, the first electronic device 101 can share information necessary for quantizing or inverse quantizing an audio signal. Each shared information can be synchronized so that quantization or inverse quantization of an audio signal can be easily performed. For example, the first electronic device 101 can share a second bit allocation table for performing quantization of an audio signal with the second electronic device 102. The second electronic device 102 can perform inverse quantization on each divided audible frequency band using the shared second bit allocation table.

[0116] Figure 5 Each operation shown in the embodiment is not limited to the order shown, but the order can be changed according to necessity. For example, the operation of establishing a radio channel between the first electronic device 101 and the second electronic device 102 can be performed before operation 560.

[0117] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating a second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment.

[0118] refer to Figure 6 , the second electronic device 102 may receive the bit stream 620 (eg, Figure 3 The bit stream 340) is reconstructed into an audio signal 640.

[0119] The second electronic device 102 may include, for example, a sound output device such as a speaker or earphone. The second electronic device 102 may be connected to the first electronic device 101 by wire or wirelessly. The second electronic device 102 may be connected to the first electronic device 101 by, for example, a connection terminal (e.g., Figure 1 The second electronic device 102 may be connected to the first electronic device 101 by wire through a connection terminal 178 of the first electronic device 102. The second electronic device 102 may be connected to the first electronic device 101 wirelessly through, for example, a Bluetooth scheme. If the second electronic device 102 is connected to the first electronic device 101 through a radio link, the second electronic device 102 may share information necessary for quantization or inverse quantization of the audio signal.

[0120] The second electronic device 102 may establish a radio channel for connecting with the first electronic device 101. The second electronic device 102 may respond to the radio channel establishment request of the first electronic device 101.

[0121] The bitstream 620 may be input to the processor 610 included in the second electronic device 102. The bitstream 620 may be a bitstream obtained by compressing the audio signal 320 (eg, Figure 3 The signal obtained by using the audio signal 320).

[0122] The operations performed by the processor 610 may be similar to those performed by the processor 310 (eg, Figure 3 The processor 610 may, for example, perform inverse quantization on the input bit stream 620. Decompression including inverse quantization may, for example, be performed in software by the processor 610 or in hardware by a separate decoder unit. The processor 610 may be implemented, for example, as an audio signal processor (e.g., Figure 2 audio signal processor 240).

[0123] The processor 610 may analyze information stored in the input bitstream 620. The information stored in the bitstream 620 may include, for example, information about auditory measurement results measured by the first electronic device 101 or bit allocation information used when performing quantization on an audio signal. The processor may request, for example, from the first electronic device 101 additional information necessary to perform inverse quantization on the input bitstream 620 after analyzing the information about the bitstream 620.

[0124] The processor 610 may use the auditory characteristic information 630 when restoring the bitstream 620 to an audio signal. The auditory characteristic information 630 may be, for example, information reflecting the auditory characteristics of the user. The auditory characteristic information 630 may include, for example, information measured by an auditory test application of the first electronic device 101. The auditory characteristic information 630 may include, for example, an average of a plurality of auditory measurement results or an auditory measurement result recently measured by the user. The auditory characteristic information 630 may include, for example, information about a value arbitrarily input by the user for the hearing of each frequency band.

[0125] For example, the auditory characteristic information 630 may be information stored in a bitstream 620 received from the first electronic device 101. The processor 610 may analyze the received bitstream 620 to obtain the auditory characteristic information 630 stored in the bitstream 620. The processor 610 may analyze the received bitstream 620 to obtain bit allocation information used when quantizing the audio signal 320. For example, the auditory characteristic information 630 may be information separately obtained from the first electronic device 101 through a radio channel. For example, the auditory characteristic information 630 may be information stored in the form of a database by the second electronic device 102.

[0126] In the process of restoring the bit stream 620 to the audio signal 640, the processor 610 may perform inverse quantization on the bit stream 620 received from the first electronic device 101. For example, the inverse quantization may be performed using a bit allocation table used in quantization in the first electronic device 101. The processor 610 may select or generate a bit allocation table to be used for inverse quantization. The bit allocation table may include, for example, a first bit allocation table or a second bit allocation table.

[0127] For example, if the auditory data exists in the second electronic device 102, a bit allocation table reflecting the auditory data may be used (eg, Figure 3The second electronic device 102 may inversely quantize the bit stream 620 using a characteristic bit allocation table of the first electronic device 101 and reconstruct the bit stream 620 into an audio signal 640. If the auditory data does not exist in the second electronic device 102, the second electronic device 102 may request the auditory data from the first electronic device 101. If the second electronic device 102 receives the auditory data from the first electronic device 101, the second electronic device 102 may generate a first bit allocation table. The second electronic device 102 may request information about the bit allocation table used by the first electronic device 101 to quantize the audio signal 320.

[0128] For example, if the second electronic device 102 does not have the audio data, or does not receive the audio data even if the audio data is requested from the first electronic device 101, the second bit allocation table (eg, Figure 3 The bit stream 620 is inversely quantized according to the second bit allocation table in the first electronic device 101 and reconstructed into an audio signal 640. The standard bit allocation table may be information stored in a memory by the second electronic device 102 or information received by the first electronic device 101.

[0129] The processor 610 may select the first bit allocation table or the second bit allocation table to perform inverse quantization using the number of inverse quantization bits corresponding to the bitstream 620 of each audible band. If inverse quantization is performed on each divided audible band and then synthesized into one signal, an audio signal 640 may be generated.

[0130] The generated audio signal 640 may be, for example, an audio signal modulated by a pulse code modulation scheme. The audio signal 640 may be converted into an analog signal in an audio module provided in the second electronic device 102 and then output through a voice output device.

[0131] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating control of inverse quantizing an audio signal by the second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment.

[0132] refer to Figure 7 In operation 710, the second electronic device 102 may analyze a bit stream received from the first electronic device 101. The second electronic device 102 may receive the bit stream through a radio channel established with the first electronic device 101.

[0133] The information that the second electronic device 102 can obtain by analyzing the bitstream can be referred to as "bitstream analysis information". The bitstream analysis information may include, for example, information about the number of quantization bits used when the first electronic device 101 compresses the audio signal. The bitstream analysis information may include, for example, a bit allocation table used when the first electronic device 101 compresses the audio signal. The bitstream analysis information may include, for example, auditory measurement information for each divided audible frequency band of the user required to generate the bit allocation table.

[0134] In operation 720, the second electronic device 102 may obtain the number of inverse quantization bits of each divided audible frequency band included in the bitstream. The number of inverse quantization bits of each divided audible frequency band may correspond to the number of quantization bits of each divided audible frequency band used when the first electronic device 101 performs compression on each divided audio signal, for example.

[0135] In operation 730, the second electronic device 102 may perform inverse quantization on the bit stream of each audible frequency band using the obtained inverse quantization bit number. For example, inverse quantization may be sequentially performed on the divided audio signals of each audible frequency band included in the bit stream. Inverse quantization may be performed using, for example, a first bit allocation table that reflects the auditory characteristics of the user or a second bit allocation table that does not reflect the auditory characteristics of the user. As a result of performing inverse quantization, an audio signal may be obtained. The audio signal may be, for example, a signal modulated by a pulse code modulation scheme. The audio signal may be, for example, an audio signal generated by the first electronic device 101 as a signal of a music player.

[0136] In operation 740, the second electronic device 102 may output the generated audio signal. The second electronic device 102 may synthesize the divided audio signals of the inverse quantized bit stream of each divided frequency band into one audio signal. Since the synthesized audio signal of the pulse code modulation scheme is a digital audio signal, it may be converted into an analog signal by a digital signal processing unit or a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) module provided in the second electronic device 102. The audio signal converted into the analog signal may be output to a sound output device provided in the second electronic device 102.

[0137] Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating control performed by the second electronic device 102 to decompress an audio signal according to an embodiment.

[0138] refer to Figure 8 In operation 810, the second electronic device 102 may receive a bit stream from the first electronic device 101. The second electronic device 102 may establish a radio channel with the first electronic device 101 through a communication module, or may be wirelessly connected by approving a radio channel establishment request from the first electronic device 101. The second electronic device 102 may receive a bit stream from the first electronic device 101 through the radio channel established with the first electronic device 101.

[0139] Although not shown, if the second electronic device 102 is connected to the first electronic device 101 for the first time, information necessary for quantization or inverse quantization of the audio signal may be shared with each other.

[0140] The information may include data such as a second bit allocation table that does not reflect the user's auditory characteristics. The information may include data such as indicating weights that enable generation of the first bit allocation table for each divided audible frequency.

[0141] In operation 820, the second electronic device 102 may analyze information about the received bitstream. The second electronic device 102 may analyze meta information included in the bitstream. The meta information may include information to be referenced for inverse quantization of the bitstream.

[0142] For example, the meta-information may include a first identifier indicating whether the bitstream is generated by taking into account the quantization of the auditory data. When the meta-information includes the first identifier, the second electronic device 102 may use the first bit allocation table it has to determine the number of inverse quantization bits to be used for inverse quantization of the quantized data of each divided frequency band included in the bitstream. For example, the first identifier may be composed of a bit value (1 bit). When the bit value corresponding to the first identifier is "1", the second electronic device 102 may recognize that the bitstream is generated by taking into account the quantization of the auditory data. If the bit value corresponding to the first identifier is "0", the second electronic device 102 may recognize that the bitstream is generated by quantization independent of the auditory data.

[0143] For example, the meta information may include information about a first bit allocation table applied to quantize the bitstream. The information about the first bit allocation table may include, for example, a second identifier indicating the first bit allocation table used by the encoder for quantization. If the information about the first bit allocation table includes a second identifier, the second electronic device 102 may use the second identifier to determine the first bit allocation table for inverse quantization among one or more first bit allocation tables used by it. The second electronic device 102 may use the determined first bit allocation table to determine the number of inverse quantization bits to be used for inverse quantization of the quantized data for each divided frequency band included in the bitstream.

[0144] For example, the meta information may include information about a first bit allocation table applied to quantize the bit stream. The information about the first bit allocation table may be, for example, data capable of constructing the first bit allocation table. If the information about the first bit allocation table includes data capable of constructing the first bit allocation table, the second electronic device 102 may use the data to generate the first bit allocation table. The second electronic device 102 may use the generated first bit allocation table to determine the number of inverse quantization bits to be used for inverse quantization of the quantized data of each divided frequency band included in the bit stream.

[0145] For example, the second electronic device 102 may analyze information about the transmission environment included in the bitstream. The transmission environment may analyze information about whether the reception of a wireless signal or a bitstream transmitted / received through a radio channel between the first electronic device 101 and the second electronic device 102 is smooth, for example. According to the transmission environment analyzed by the first electronic device 101 or the second electronic device 102, the capacity of the bitstream to be transmitted by the first electronic device 101 to the second electronic device 102 may be determined. For example, if the transmission environment is smooth, the capacity of the bitstream that the first electronic device 101 should transmit to the second electronic device 102 may be relatively small. For example, if the transmission environment is not smooth, the capacity of the bitstream that the first electronic device 101 should transmit to the second electronic device 102 may be relatively large.

[0146] In operation 830, the second electronic device 102 may analyze meta information about the received bitstream to determine whether the bitstream has been generated by considering quantization of the auditory data.

[0147] If the bitstream is generated by considering the quantization bit number of auditory data, in operation 840, the second electronic device 102 may determine the inverse quantization bit number by using the first bit allocation table to perform inverse quantization on each divided audio signal included in the bitstream for each divided audible frequency band.

[0148] If the bitstream is generated by a quantization bit number that is independent of the auditory data, in operation 850, the second electronic device 102 may determine a dequantization bit number for performing dequantization on each divided audio signal included in the bitstream of each divided audible frequency band by using a second bit allocation table.

[0149] In operation 860, the second electronic device 102 may perform inverse quantization on each of the divided audio signals included in the bit stream of each divided audible frequency band, using the number of bits for performing inverse quantization determined for each divided audible frequency band.

[0150] In operation 870, the second electronic device 102 may generate an audio signal by performing inverse quantization on the divided audio signal obtained for each divided audible frequency band. The second electronic device 102 may synthesize the divided audio signal obtained by performing inverse quantization on each divided audible frequency band. The second electronic device 102 may output the synthesized audio signal for each divided audible frequency band. The audio signal may be converted into an analog audio signal and output to a sound output device provided in the second electronic device 102.

[0151] Fig. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an encoder 700 of the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment.

[0152] refer to Fig. 9 , the encoder 900 may include a transient detection unit 910, a domain transformation unit 920, a signal classification unit 930, a bit allocation selection unit 940, a quantization unit 950, and a lossless encoder unit 960. Each component may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor (e.g., Figure 3 In addition, each of the above-mentioned components may be added or omitted according to necessity.

[0153] The transient detection unit 910 may, for example, analyze the input audio signal 320 to detect a segment representing a transient characteristic, and generate transient signaling information for each frame corresponding to the detection result. The audio signal may be generated, for example, by executing a music player of the first electronic device 101. The transient detection unit 910 may first determine whether a frame is a transient frame, and then perform a check on the current frame determined to be a transient frame. The transient signaling information may be included in a bit stream by a multiplexing unit (not shown) and may be provided to a domain conversion unit 920.

[0154] The domain transform unit 920 may determine a window size for transforming according to the detection result of the transient segment, and perform a time-frequency transform based on the determined window size. The transform may be performed using, for example, a Fourier transform scheme. For example, the Fourier transform scheme may include a discrete Fourier transform (DFT) or a fast Fourier transform (FFT).

[0155] For example, a short window may be applied to a subband where a transient segment is detected, and a long window may be applied to a subband where a transient segment is not detected. Alternatively, a short window may be applied to a frame including a transient segment.

[0156] The signal classification unit 930 can divide the audio signal in the frequency domain into divided audible bands at predetermined intervals. The audible bands divided at predetermined intervals can be referred to as sub-bands. The predetermined interval can be, for example, an interval obtained by dividing the audible band by n. For example, if the audible band is divided into n sub-bands, then the order from the low frequency band to the high frequency band is the 1st sub-band (Sb#1), the 2nd sub-band (Sb#2), and so on. Alternatively, it can be referred to as the nth sub-band Sb#n. The intervals of the sub-bands can be the same or different. For example, the n divided sub-bands can be arranged continuously in the frequency domain. The n sub-bands can be arranged continuously in the order from the lowest frequency band sub-band to the highest frequency band sub-band.

[0157] The bit allocation selection unit 940 may allocate the number of quantization bits to each subband. The bit allocation selection unit 940 may allocate the number of quantization bits to each subband within the limit that the quantization noise present when quantization is performed according to the masking threshold calculated by the processor 120 does not exceed the masking threshold.

[0158] The bit allocation selection unit 940 may allocate the number of quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band by selecting, for example, a bit allocation table. The bit allocation table may include, for example, a first bit allocation table or a second bit allocation table.

[0159] The first bit allocation table may be, for example, a bit allocation table that takes into account the user's auditory characteristics. For example, if the user is sensitive to high frequencies as a result of auditory measurement, the first bit allocation table may be a table in which a relatively large number of quantization bits is allocated to high frequency frequencies. For example, if the user is sensitive to mid-frequency bands as a result of auditory measurement, the first bit allocation table may be a table in which a relatively large number of quantization bits is allocated to mid-frequency band frequencies. For example, if the user is sensitive to low frequencies as a result of auditory measurement, the first bit allocation table may be a table in which a relatively large number of quantization bits is allocated to low frequency band frequencies.

[0160] The second bit allocation table may be, for example, a table in which a relatively large number of bits is allocated to divided audible frequency bands to which many people statistically react sensitively. For example, statistically, in many cases, many people react sensitively to low-frequency band frequencies, so that the second bit allocation table may be a table in which a relatively large number of quantization bits is allocated to low-frequency bands.

[0161] If the bit allocation selection unit 940 allocates the number of bits through the first bit allocation table, the number of quantization bits can be allocated in the following manner. First, the bit allocation selection unit 940 can allocate the number of quantization bits using a norm value in each subband unit. The norm value can be a value indicating the energy of each subband. For example, if the nth subband Sb#n is most sensitive and the first subband Sb#1 is least sensitive in reverse order, the bit allocation selection unit 940 can give the maximum weight to the nth subband Sb#n and the minimum weight to the first subband Sb#1. The bit allocation selection unit 940 can sequentially allocate the number of quantization bits from the subband with the largest norm value. In other words, the maximum number of quantization bits can be allocated to the nth subband Sb#n with the highest priority, and by reducing the number of bits allocated to the nth subband Sb#n from the total number of allocated bits, the number of quantization bits as large as the corresponding weight can be allocated to the subband with the second highest priority. By repeating such a process, bits can be repeatedly allocated until the total number of bits is exhausted.

[0162] The bit allocation selection unit 940 can limit the number of bits allocated to each subband to not exceed the allowed number of bits (e.g., the total number of bits to be sent), and determine the number of quantization bits to be finally allocated. The number of quantization bits to be allocated may be affected by, for example, the communication environment between the first electronic device 101 and the second electronic device 102.

[0163] The quantization unit 950 may quantize the audio signal by the number of quantization bits allocated to each subband according to the bit allocation table selected by the bit allocation selection unit 940. The quantization unit 950 may perform quantization by calculation according to the number of quantization bits allocated to each subband. The quantization unit 950 may perform quantization on the corresponding divided audio signal according to the number of quantization bits of each subband.

[0164] The quantization unit 950 may quantize the norm value of each subband. In this case, the norm value may be quantized in various ways such as vector quantization, scalar quantization, TCQ, and lattice vector quantization (LVQ). The quantization unit 950 may additionally perform lossless encoding to enhance additional encoding efficiency.

[0165] The lossless encoder unit 960 may perform lossless encoding on the result quantized by the quantization unit 950. For example, a trellis coded quantizer (TCQ), a uniform scalar quantizer (USQ), a factorial pulse coder (FPC), an analog vector quantizer (AVQ), a predictive vector quantizer (PVQ) or a combination thereof, and a lossless encoder unit 960 corresponding to each quantization unit 950 may be used. In addition, various encoding techniques may be applied according to the environment in which the corresponding codec is installed or the needs of the user. Information about the audio signal encoded by the lossless encoder unit 960 may be included in the bitstream 340.

[0166] The lossless encoder unit 960 may hierarchically perform lossless encoding on the audio signal quantized by the quantization unit 950. The lossless encoder unit 960 may perform lossless encoding, for example, with a set of codes corresponding to the highest bit as the highest layer, and sequentially perform lossless encoding with a set of codes corresponding to lower bits as lower layers. The lossless encoder unit 960 may perform encoding on the audio signal in consideration of, for example, a repetition value and a frequency for each subband.

[0167] The bitstream 340 encoded by the lossless encoder unit 960 may be transmitted to the second electronic device 102 .

[0168] Fig.10 is a block diagram illustrating a portion 1000 of an encoder of a first electronic device according to an embodiment.

[0169] refer to Fig.10 , showing in more detail Fig. 9 The part of the encoder that is relevant to the present disclosure. Therefore, Fig.10 All or some of the components may correspond to Fig. 9 No repeated description of the components is given below.

[0170] The audio signal transformed into the frequency domain in the domain transform unit 1020 may be input to the signal classification unit 1030. The signal classification unit 1030 may correspond to a signal classification unit (eg, Figure 7 In the signal classification unit 1030, the audio signal may be divided for each predetermined divided audible frequency band of the input audio signal. For example, the audio signal may be divided into n sub-bands, including a first sub-band Sb#1, a second sub-band Sb#2, a third sub-band Sb#3, ..., an nth sub-band Sb#n. As an example, the n divided sub-bands may be arranged continuously in the frequency domain. The n sub-bands may be arranged continuously in the order from the lowest frequency band sub-band to the highest frequency band sub-band.

[0171] Auditory data (e.g. Figure 3 The auditory data) may be stored in the memory 1080 in the form of a database 1081. The auditory data may be represented by Table 1.

[0172] [Table 1]

[0173] Sub-band (Sb) Audiometric results (hearing loss) Assigned weight (weight) First subband (Sb#1) Very good / good / average (HL#1) <![CDATA[w a / In b / In c (in #1)]]> Second subband (Sb#2) Very good / good / average (HL#2) <![CDATA[w a / In b / In c (in#2)]]> The third subband (Sb#3) Very good / good / average (HL#3) <![CDATA[w a / In b / In c (in#3)]]> ...... ...... ...... nth subband (Sb#n) Very good / good / average (HL#n) <![CDATA[w a / w b / w c (w#n)]]>

[0174] Table 1 is a table in which the audible frequency band is divided into n sub-bands Sb, and the hearing measurement results according to each sub-band Sb are summarized. Figure 3 The hearing measurement result (hearing loss) of each sub-band is recorded using an hearing measurement application. The hearing measurement result may indicate any one of "very good", "good" or "fair". The hearing measurement result of the first sub-band Sb#1 may be expressed as HL#1, the hearing measurement result of the second sub-band Sb#2 may be expressed as HL#2, the hearing measurement result of the third sub-band Sb#3 may be expressed as HL#3, and the hearing measurement result of the nth sub-band Sb#n may be expressed as HL#n.

[0175] Different weights can be set according to the hearing measurement results of each subband. The weight can be determined according to the hearing measurement results (hearing loss). For example, when the hearing measurement result is "very good", the weight w can be determined. a For example, when the hearing measurement result is "good", the weight w can be determined b For example, when the hearing measurement result is "average", the weight w can be determined c .w a 、w b and w c The relationship can be as follows: a >w b >w c .

[0176] The user may personally input his / her hearing measurement result for each of the divided audible frequencies without performing the hearing measurement.

[0177] According to the hearing measurement result, hearing data considering the hearing characteristics of each user may be stored in the memory 1080 as a database 1081 .

[0178] Processor (e.g. Figure 3 The processor 310 may generate a characteristic bit allocation table by considering the auditory data. Table 2 exemplarily shows that the processor 310 generates a characteristic bit allocation table by reflecting the auditory data.

[0179] [Table 2]

[0180]

[0181] Table 2 is a table in which a frequency band is divided into m sub-bands Sb, and a weight is assigned to a basic bit allocation value of each sub-band according to the auditory measurement result of each sub-band Sb to derive a characteristic allocation bit value (characterized bit allocation value). Unlike Table 1 in which the audible frequency band is divided into n sub-bands, in Table 2, the audible frequency band may be divided into m sub-bands. m and n may be the same or different. A table consisting of characteristic allocation bit values ​​may be referred to as a first bit allocation table.

[0182] The weight of each subband Sb can be determined as w according to the user's auditory characteristics. a 、w b or c Any value in .

[0183] The characteristic allocation bit value (characterized bit allocation value) may be derived by allocating the weight of each subband Sb according to the user's auditory measurement result to each basic bit allocation value of each subband Sb. The characteristic allocation bit value (characterized bit allocation value) may be, for example, a result derived by multiplying the bit allocation value by the weight. However, without limitation thereto, the characteristic allocation bit value may be derived by performing calculations on the bit allocation value and the weight in various defined ways.

[0184] For example, although A as the basic bit allocation value for the first sub-band Sb#1 and the second sub-band Sb#2 1 and A 3 is the same value, but if the auditory measurement result HL#1 of the first sub-band Sb#1 is recorded as "very good" and the auditory measurement result HL#2 of the second sub-band Sb#2 is recorded as "average", the corresponding characteristic bit allocation value A 1 ' and A 3 ' can be generated with the following relationship: A 1 '≥A 3 '.

[0185] Data in which the characteristic bit allocation values ​​of each subband are summarized as a table may be referred to as a first bit allocation table. The generated first bit allocation table may be stored in the memory 1080 in the form of a database 1081. The processor 310 may generate a plurality of first allocation tables by calculation when necessary.

[0186] [Table 3]

[0187]

[0188] Table 3 is a table in which the frequency band is divided into m sub-bands Sb, and a weight is assigned to the basic bit allocation value of each sub-band according to the auditory measurement result of each sub-band Sb to derive a standard allocation bit value (normalized bit allocation value). The table consisting of the standard allocation bit value can be referred to as a second bit allocation table.

[0189] The weight of each subband Sb can be predetermined as w a 、w b or c Any value in between, regardless of the user's auditory characteristics.

[0190] The standard allocation bit value (characterized bit allocation value) can be derived by allocating a predetermined weight of each sub-band Sb according to the user's auditory measurement result to each basic bit allocation value of each sub-band Sb. The standard allocation bit value (characterized bit allocation value) can be, for example, a result derived by multiplying the basic bit allocation value by the weight. However, without limitation thereto, the characteristic allocation bit value can be derived by performing calculations on the bit allocation value and the weight in various defined ways.

[0191] For example, although A as the basic bit allocation value for the first sub-band Sb#1 and the second sub-band Sb#2 1 and A 3 is the same value, but if the auditory measurement result HL#1 of the first subband Sb#1 is pre-stored as "very good" and the auditory measurement result HL#2 of the second subband Sb#2 is pre-stored as "average", the corresponding characteristic bit allocation value A 1 ” and A 3 " can be generated with the following relationship: A 1 ”≥A 3 ”.

[0192] The data in which the standard bit allocation value of each subband is summarized as a table may be referred to as a second bit allocation table. The generated second bit allocation table may be stored in the memory 1080 in the form of a database 1081. The processor 310 may generate a plurality of second allocation tables by calculation according to necessity.

[0193] The bit allocation selection unit 1040 may correspond to Fig. 9 The bit allocation selection unit 940 of the embodiment of the present invention can select any one of the bit allocation tables depending on the presence or absence of the auditory data. The bit allocation table can include a first table 1041 or a second table 1043. The first bit allocation table can be referred to as the first table 1041. The second bit allocation table can be referred to as the second table 1043.

[0194] The bit allocation selection unit 1040 can select a bit allocation table by comparing the first table 1041 and the second table 1043 and the presence or absence of auditory data. For example, if there is no significant difference between the first table 1041 generated by reflecting the auditory characteristics and the second table 1043, which is a standard bit allocation table that does not reflect the auditory characteristics, the bit allocation selection unit 1040 can determine the number of quantization bits using the second table 834. This takes into account data efficiency and computational efficiency required for quantization.

[0195] The quantization unit 1050 may correspond to Fig. 9 The quantization unit 1050 may perform quantization on each sub-band Sb according to the bit allocation table selected by the bit allocation selection unit 1040. The number of quantization bits may be determined according to the bit allocation value of each sub-band Sb indicated by the bit allocation table selected by the bit allocation selection unit 1040. The quantization unit 1050 may perform quantization on the corresponding divided audio signal according to the number of quantization bits for each sub-band.

[0196] The lossless encoder unit 1060 may correspond to Fig. 9 The lossless encoder unit 960 may perform lossless encoding on the result quantized by the quantization unit 1050. The lossless encoder unit 1060 may perform lossless encoding on the corresponding divided audio signal quantized for each subband.

[0197] Fig.11 is a block diagram illustrating a decoder 1100 of the second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment.

[0198] refer to Fig.11 , the decoder 1100 may include a lossless decoder unit 1110, a bit stream analysis unit 1120, a bit allocation selection unit 1130, an inverse quantization unit 1140, a signal classification unit 1150, and a domain transformation unit 1160. Each component may be integrated into at least one module and implemented as at least one processor (e.g., Figure 6 In addition, each of the above-mentioned components may be added or omitted according to necessity.

[0199] The lossless decoder unit 1110 can hierarchically perform lossless decoding on the bit stream 620 received from the first electronic device 101. The lossless decoder unit 1110 can, for example, perform lossless decoding using a set of codes corresponding to the highest bit as the highest layer, and sequentially perform lossless decoding using a set of codes corresponding to lower bits as lower layers.

[0200] The lossless decoder unit 1110 may be configured to be a lossless encoder unit (eg, Figure 7 The lossless encoder unit 1160) uses the method used to perform lossless decoding.

[0201] The bitstream analysis unit 1120 may analyze the received bitstream 620. The bitstream analysis unit 1120 may analyze meta information included in the bitstream. The meta information may include information to be referenced to inverse quantize the bitstream 620.

[0202] For example, the meta information may include a first identifier indicating whether the bitstream 620 is generated by considering the quantization of the auditory data. When the meta information includes the first identifier, the second electronic device 102 may use the first bit allocation table it has to determine the number of inverse quantization bits to be used for inverse quantization of the quantized data of each divided frequency band included in the bitstream 620. For example, the first identifier may be composed of one bit value (1 bit). When the bit value corresponding to the first identifier is "1", the second electronic device 102 may recognize that the bitstream 620 is generated by considering the quantization of the auditory data. If the bit value corresponding to the first identifier is "0", the second electronic device 102 may recognize that the bitstream 620 is generated by quantization regardless of the auditory data.

[0203] For example, the meta information may include information about a first bit allocation table that is applied to quantize the bitstream 620. The information about the first bit allocation table may include, for example, an indication of the bit allocation table specified by the encoder (e.g., Fig. 9 The second electronic device 102 may further include a second identifier of a first bit allocation table for quantization of the encoder 900 of the bitstream 620. If the information about the first bit allocation table includes the second identifier, the second electronic device 102 may use the second identifier to determine a first bit allocation table for inverse quantization among one or more first bit allocation tables used by the second electronic device 102. The second electronic device 102 may use the determined first bit allocation table to determine the number of inverse quantization bits to be used for inverse quantization of quantized data of each divided frequency band included in the bitstream 620.

[0204] For example, the meta information may include information about a first bit allocation table applied to quantize the bitstream 620. The information about the first bit allocation table may be, for example, data capable of constructing the first bit allocation table. If the information about the first bit allocation table includes data capable of constructing the first bit allocation table, the second electronic device 102 may use the data to generate the first bit allocation table. The second electronic device 102 may use the generated first bit allocation table to determine the number of inverse quantization bits to be used for inverse quantization of quantized data for each divided frequency band included in the bitstream 620.

[0205] For example, the bit stream analysis unit 1120 may analyze whether there is an error in the bit stream received from the first electronic device 101. For example, if there is an error in the bit stream received from the first electronic device 101 or the transmission environment is not smooth, the second electronic device 102 may request the first electronic device 101 to retransmit the bit stream. The retransmission may be, for example, a scheme according to a transmission control protocol (TCP) retransmission scheme. The retransmission may be requested by adopting at least one of a time-based retransmission, an explicit retransmission feedback, or a fast retransmission scheme.

[0206] The bit allocation selection unit 1130 may determine which bit allocation table performs inverse quantization on the bit stream of each frequency band. For example, the bit allocation selection unit 1130 may select one of the first bit allocation table or the second bit allocation table.

[0207] The bit allocation selection unit 1130 can compare the first bit allocation table or the second bit allocation table, and then determine which bit allocation table is used to perform inverse quantization. For example, if the second electronic device 102 has both the first bit allocation table and the second bit allocation table in the memory, if the two tables do not differ by a threshold level, the bit allocation selection unit 1130 can perform inverse quantization by selecting a standard bit allocation table. The threshold level can represent, for example, a situation where the difference in the number of bit allocations for each subband is 1% or more of the total number of bits to be allocated. However, this is merely an exemplary value, and the threshold level can be set differently in consideration of the situation.

[0208] The inverse quantization unit 1140 may inversely quantize the bit stream according to the number of bits allocated to each subband using the bit allocation table selected by the bit allocation selection unit 1130. The inverse quantization unit 1140 may be configured in the same manner as the quantization unit (eg, Fig.10 The inverse quantization is performed in the same manner as the quantization performed by the quantization unit 1050. For example, the inverse quantization unit 1140 may perform inverse quantization on each audio signal included in each divided audible frequency band using the first bit allocation table or the second bit allocation table.

[0209] The signal classification unit 1150 may subdivide the divided audio signal obtained for each divided frequency band as a result of performing inverse quantization for each subband. The signal classification unit 1150 may divide, for example, the partitions of each subband of the bitstream. The signal classification unit 1150 may reflect the energy value of each partition when dividing the partitions of each subband. For example, the signal classification unit 1150 may apply different gain values ​​to each partition.

[0210] The domain transform unit 1160 may transform the region of the inverse quantized bit stream. For example, the domain transform unit 1160 may convert the bit stream in the frequency domain into the time domain. The transform may be performed using, for example, an inverse Fourier transform scheme. For example, an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT) scheme may include an inverse fast Fourier transform (IFFT). The domain transform unit 1160 may transform the decoded bit stream into the time domain to generate a reconstructed audio signal.

[0211] The domain transform unit 1160 may synthesize a bitstream inversely quantized for each divided audible frequency.

[0212] The audio signal 640 generated by the domain conversion unit 1160 may be converted into an analog audio signal in a digital signal processor or an ADC provided in the second electronic device 102 and then output to a sound output device.

[0213] Embodiments of the present disclosure may provide an apparatus and method for minimizing quantization noise by reflecting individual auditory characteristics of a user when quantizing or inversely quantizing an audio signal.

[0214] A method for controlling a first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: operation 410: obtaining the number of quantization bits of each divided audible frequency band divided by the audible frequency band based on preset user auditory characteristics; operation 420: performing quantization using the number of quantization bits corresponding to the audio signal of each divided audible frequency band extracted from the audio signal 320 output by reproducing audio content; and operation 430: generating the audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band as a bit stream 340 and sending the bit stream to the second electronic device 102 through a radio channel.

[0215] The method for controlling the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following operation: setting the hearing characteristic 330 of the user by performing each divided audible frequency band hearing measurement on the user.

[0216] The method for controlling the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include operation 530 of generating a quantization bit allocation table in which the number of quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band is updated by reflecting the preset user auditory characteristic 330 .

[0217] The method for controlling the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include operations 530, 540: selecting a quantization bit allocation table from among a plurality of generated quantization bit allocation tables.

[0218] The method for controlling the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following operation: losslessly encoding the audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band.

[0219] A method for controlling a second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: operations 710, 820: analyzing a bit stream 340, 620 received from a first electronic device 101; operation 720: obtaining the number of inverse quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band included in the bit stream; operation 730: performing inverse quantization on the bit stream 340, 620 of each audible frequency band using the number of inverse quantization bits; and operation 740: outputting an audio signal 640 generated by inverse quantization.

[0220] In the method for controlling the second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the number of inverse quantization bits may correspond to the number of quantization bits for each audible frequency band used by the first electronic device 101 to quantize the audio signal 320 .

[0221] The method for controlling the second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include the following operation: requesting information on the auditory characteristics 630 of the user required to perform inverse quantization from the first device 101 .

[0222] The method for controlling the second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include: an operation of obtaining information 630 about auditory characteristics of a present user from the first electronic device 101; and an operation of generating an inverse quantization bit allocation table for each divided audible frequency band from the obtained information 630.

[0223] A first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one processor 120, 310 and a communication module 190. The at least one processor 120, 310 may obtain a quantization bit number of each divided audible frequency band that divides the audible frequency band based on a preset user auditory characteristic 330, perform quantization using a quantization bit number corresponding to an audio signal of each divided audible frequency band extracted from an audio signal output by reproducing audio content, and generate an audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band as a bit stream 340, and transmit the bit stream to the second electronic device 102 through a radio channel.

[0224] In the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120, 310 may set the user's auditory characteristics 330 by performing auditory measurement for each divided audible frequency band on the user.

[0225] In the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120 , 310 may generate a quantization bit allocation table in which the number of quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band is updated by reflecting a preset user auditory characteristic 330 .

[0226] In the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120, 310 may select a quantization bit allocation table from among a plurality of generated quantization bit allocation tables.

[0227] In the first electronic device 101 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 120, 310 may losslessly encode the audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band.

[0228] A second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include at least one processor 610 and a communication module. The at least one processor 610 may analyze a bit stream received from the first electronic device 101, obtain the number of inverse quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band included in the bit stream 340, 620, perform inverse quantization on the bit stream 340, 620 of each audible frequency band using the inverse quantization bit number, and output an audio signal 640 generated by the inverse quantization.

[0229] In the second electronic device 102 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the inverse quantization bit number may correspond to the quantization bit number for each audible frequency band for which the first electronic device 101 performs quantization on the audio signal 320 .

[0230] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the at least one processor 610 of the second electronic device 102 may request, from the first electronic device 101 , information 330 , 630 on auditory characteristics of the user required to perform inverse quantization.

[0231] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, at least one processor 610 of the second electronic device 102 may obtain information 330 about auditory characteristics of a present user from the first electronic device 101 and generate an inverse quantization bit allocation table for each divided audible frequency band from the obtained information 330 , 630 .

[0232] The electronic devices 101 , 102 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may select a quantization model in consideration of the communication environment and quantize or inverse quantize the audio signal 320 , 630 .

[0233] The electronic devices 101 , 102 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may minimize quantization noise generated when the audio signal 320 , 630 is quantized or inversely quantized based on the auditory data 330 , 630 of the user, and provide an audio signal with optimal sound quality.

[0234] The electronic device according to various embodiments may be one of various types of electronic devices. The electronic device may include, for example, a portable communication device (e.g., a smart phone), a computer device, a portable multimedia device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a household appliance. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the electronic device is not limited to those described above.

[0235] It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present disclosure and the terms used therein are not intended to limit the technical features set forth herein to specific embodiments, and include various changes, equivalents or replacements of the corresponding embodiments. With regard to the description of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals may be used to indicate similar or related elements. It should be understood that, unless otherwise clearly stated in the relevant context, the singular form of the noun corresponding to the project may include one or more things. As used herein, each of the phrases such as "A or B", "at least one of A and B", "at least one of A or B", "A, B or C", "at least one of A, B and C", and "at least one of A, B or C" may include any one or all possible combinations of the items listed together in a corresponding phrase. As used herein, terms such as "1st" and "2nd" or "first" and "second" may be used to simply distinguish a corresponding component from another component, and do not limit the component in other aspects (e.g., importance or order). It should be understood that if an element (e.g., a first element) is referred to as being “coupled to another element (e.g., a second element)”, “coupled to another element (e.g., the second element)”, “connected to another element (e.g., the second element)”, or “connected to another element (e.g., the second element)” with or without the term “operably” or “communicatively”, it means that the element can be coupled to another element directly (e.g., by wire), wirelessly, or via a third element.

[0236] As used in conjunction with various embodiments of the present disclosure, the term "module" may include a unit implemented in hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with other terms (e.g., "logic," "logic block," "portion," or "circuit"). A module may be a single integral component or its smallest unit or portion suitable for performing one or more functions. For example, according to an embodiment, a module may be implemented in the form of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0237] The various embodiments described herein may be implemented as software (e.g., program 140) including one or more instructions stored in a storage medium (e.g., internal memory 136 or external memory 138) that can be read by a machine (e.g., electronic device 101). For example, a processor (e.g., processor 120) of a machine (e.g., electronic device 101) may call at least one of the one or more instructions stored in the storage medium and execute it under the control of the processor with or without one or more other components. This allows the machine to be operated to perform at least one function according to at least one instruction called. One or more instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter. The machine-readable storage medium may be provided in the form of a non-transitory storage medium. Among them, the term "non-transitory" only means that the storage medium is a tangible device and does not include signals (e.g., electromagnetic waves), but the term does not distinguish between a location where data is semi-permanently stored in the storage medium and a location where data is temporarily stored in the storage medium.

[0238] According to an embodiment, a method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be included and provided in a computer program product. The computer program product may be traded between a seller and a buyer as a product. The computer program product may be distributed in the form of a machine-readable storage medium (e.g., a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)), or via an application store (e.g., PlayStore). TM ) online distribution (e.g., download or upload), or directly distribution (e.g., download or upload) between two user devices (e.g., smart phones). If distributed online, at least a portion of the computer program product may be temporarily generated or at least temporarily stored in a machine-readable storage medium, such as a memory of a manufacturer's server, an application store's server, or a relay server.

[0239] According to various embodiments, each component (e.g., module or program) in the components described above may include a single entity or multiple entities, and some of the multiple entities may be separately arranged in different components. According to various embodiments, one or more of the components described above may be omitted, or one or more other components may be added. Alternatively or additionally, multiple components (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a single component. In this case, according to various embodiments, the integrated component may still perform one or more functions of each of the multiple components in the same or similar manner as performed by a corresponding one of the multiple components before integration. According to various embodiments, the operations performed by a module, a program or another component may be performed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly or heuristically, or one or more of the operations may be performed or omitted in a different order, or one or more other operations may be added.

Claims

1. A method comprising: obtaining (410) the number of quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band divided into the audible frequency bands based on a preset user auditory characteristic; performing quantization (420) using a quantization bit number corresponding to an audio signal of each divided audible frequency band extracted from an audio signal (320) output by reproducing audio content; as well as An audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band is generated (430) as a bit stream (340), and the bit stream is transmitted to an external electronic device (102) through a radio channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The user's hearing characteristics are set by performing hearing measurement for each divided audible frequency band on the user (330).

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising: generating (530) a quantization bit allocation table in which the number of quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band is updated by reflecting a preset user auditory characteristic (330); as well as A quantization bit allocation table is selected (530, 540) from among the plurality of generated quantization bit allocation tables.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising: The audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band is losslessly encoded.

5. A method comprising: analyzing (710, 820) a bit stream (340, 620) received from an external electronic device (101); obtaining (720) the number of inverse quantized bits for each divided audible frequency band included in the bitstream; performing (730) inverse quantization on the bitstream (340, 620) for each audible frequency band using the inverse quantization bit number; and The audio signal (640) generated by the inverse quantization is output (740).

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The inverse quantization bit number corresponds to the quantization bit number for each audible frequency band used for the external electronic device (101) to perform quantization on the audio signal (320).

7. The method according to claim 5, comprising: Information on the user's auditory characteristics (630) required to perform inverse quantization is requested from the external device (101).

8. The method according to claim 7, comprising: obtaining information (630) about auditory characteristics of a user present from an external electronic device (101); as well as An inverse quantization bit allocation table for each divided audible frequency band is generated from the obtained information (630).

9. An electronic device (101) for transmitting an audio signal, comprising: At least one processor (120, 310) and a communication module (190), wherein at least one processor (120, 310): obtaining the number of quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band based on a preset user auditory characteristic (330); performing quantization using a quantization bit number corresponding to an audio signal of each divided audible frequency band extracted from an audio signal output by reproducing audio content; and The audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band is generated as a bit stream (340), and the bit stream is transmitted to the external electronic device (102) through a radio channel.

10. The electronic device (101) according to claim 9, wherein: At least one processor (120, 310) sets the user's auditory characteristics (330) by performing auditory measurement for each divided audible frequency band on the user.

11. The electronic device (101) according to claim 9, wherein: At least one processor (120, 310): generating a quantization bit allocation table in which the number of quantization bits for each divided audible frequency band is updated by reflecting a preset user auditory characteristic (330); and A quantization bit allocation table is selected from among the plurality of generated quantization bit allocation tables.

12. The electronic device (101) according to claim 9, wherein: At least one processor (120, 310) losslessly encodes the audio signal quantized for each divided audible frequency band.

13. An electronic device (102) for outputting an audio signal, comprising: at least one processor (610); as well as A communication module, wherein at least one processor (610): analyzing a bit stream received from an external electronic device (101); obtaining the number of inverse quantized bits for each divided audible frequency band included in a bitstream (340, 620); performing inverse quantization on the bitstream (340, 620) for each audible frequency band using the inverse quantization bit number; and The audio signal generated by the inverse quantization is output (640).

14. The electronic device (102) according to claim 13, wherein: The inverse quantization bit number corresponds to the quantization bit number for each audible frequency band used for the external electronic device (101) to perform quantization on the audio signal.

15. The electronic device (102) according to claim 13, wherein: At least one processor (610): requesting information (330, 630) on the user's auditory characteristics required for performing inverse quantization from an external electronic device (101); obtaining information (330, 630) about the auditory characteristics of a present user from an external electronic device (101); and An inverse quantization bit allocation table for each divided audible frequency band is generated from the obtained information (330, 630).

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