Audio Decoder Aliasing Cancellation for Cross-Domain Frame Transitions

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio coders face difficulties in transitioning between frames encoded in different domains without significant bitrate sacrifice, particularly when combining speech and audio coding.

Innovation Solution

An audio signal decoder that performs spectral shaping of spectral coefficients in the frequency-domain and time-domain filtering of an aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal, using linear-prediction-domain parameters for efficient transitions between frames encoded in different modes, including transform-coded-excitation-linear-prediction-domain, frequency-domain, and algebraic-code-excited-linear-prediction modes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If transitions between frames encoded in different domains are implemented, then adaptability of the audio coder is improved, but bitrate efficiency deteriorates due to significant bitrate sacrifice

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidbitrate
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

An aliasing-cancellation stimulus filter is introduced as an intermediary component that processes the aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal to generate the aliasing-cancellation synthesis signal. This mediator enables smooth transitions between transform domain mode and linear-prediction-domain mode by canceling aliasing artifacts that would otherwise require significant bitrate overhead, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and bitrate efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal is generated in advance based on linear-prediction-domain parameters before the actual frame transition occurs. By preparing the cancellation signal preliminarily using already-available parameters, the system enables efficient mode transitions without requiring additional bitrate expenditure during the transition itself, thereby maintaining bitrate efficiency while improving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Quantity of substance

If spectral shaping and aliasing-cancellation are performed using linear-prediction-domain parameters, then bitrate efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovebitrateVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Linear-prediction-domain parameters are designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: they are used for both spectral shaping of the audio signal and for generating the aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate parameter sets, thereby improving bitrate efficiency without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the same parameters are reused across different processing stages.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses its own existing linear-prediction-domain parameters to generate the aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal, rather than requiring external or additional parameters. This self-service approach allows the decoder to perform aliasing cancellation using resources already allocated for normal audio decoding, thereby reducing bitrate overhead without significantly increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If aliasing-cancellation synthesis signal is generated by filtering the stimulus signal, then auditory quality is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauditory qualityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The aliasing-cancellation stimulus filter acts as a dedicated intermediary component that specializes in generating the cancellation signal. By isolating this function in a separate filter module, the system improves auditory quality through effective aliasing cancellation while managing device complexity through functional separation, allowing each component to be optimized independently.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces complex time-domain aliasing cancellation mechanisms with a frequency-domain filtering approach using the aliasing-cancellation stimulus filter. This substitution simplifies the overall device architecture by using straightforward filtering operations rather than complex time-domain processing, thereby improving auditory quality while keeping device complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4651130A1Audio signal encoder, audio signal decoder, method for encoding or decoding an audio signal using an aliasing-cancellation
Publication Date: 2025.11.19 NAVIGATE LLC
  • EP4651130A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4651130A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4651130A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An audio signal decoder (200) for providing a decoded representation (212) of an audio content on the basis of an encoded representation (310) of the audio content comprises a transform domain path (230, 240, 242, 250, 260) configured to obtain a time-domain representation (212) of a portion of the audio content encoded in a transform-domain mode on the basis of a first set (220) of spectral coefficients, a representation (224) of an aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal and a plurality of linear-prediction-domain parameters (222). The transform domain path comprises a spectrum processor (230) configured to apply a spectrum shaping to the first set of spectral coefficients in dependence on at least a subset of the linear-prediction-domain parameters, to obtain a spectrally-shaped version (232) of the first set of spectral coefficients. The transform domain path comprises a first frequency-domain-to-time-domain converter (240) configured to obtain a time-domain representation of the audio content on the basis of the spectrally-shaped version of the first set of spectral coefficients. The transform domain path comprises an aliasing-cancellation stimulus filter configured to filter (250) the aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal (324) in dependence on at least a subset of the linear-prediction-domain parameters (222), to derive an aliasing-cancellation synthesis signal (252) from the aliasing-cancellation stimulus signal. The transform domain path also comprises a combiner (260) configured to combine the time-domain representation (242) of the audio content with the aliasing-cancellation synthesis signal (252), or a post-processed version thereof, to obtain an aliasing reduced time-domain signal.