Audio Encoding Device Reducing Stream Size via Common Scheme

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio encoding systems face inefficiencies in transmitting audio signals that consist mainly of speech or music, as they often require separate encoding schemes for different frames, leading to increased data size and complexity.

Innovation Solution

An audio encoding device and method that uses a common audio encoding scheme for multiple frames, with long-term encoding scheme information only included in the first frame, eliminating the need for scheme-specific information in subsequent frames, thereby reducing stream size.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a common encoding scheme is used for multiple frames, then stream size is reduced, but the ability to adapt to different audio signal types (speech vs. music) is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestream sizeVSAvoidencoding scheme adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by encoding the common encoding scheme information once in the first frame before it is needed for subsequent frames. This allows the decoder to reuse this information for multiple frames without transmitting it repeatedly, thereby reducing stream size while maintaining the ability to switch encoding schemes when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements universality by designing a system where a single encoding scheme information can serve multiple frames. The first frame's encoding scheme information is reused for subsequent frames, making the information transmission mechanism universal across multiple frames and reducing overall data redundancy.

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

2Adaptability or versatility

If separate encoding schemes are used for different frames, then adaptability to speech and music signals is improved, but data overhead and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencoding scheme flexibilityVSAvoiddata overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the encoding scheme information from each individual frame and consolidates it into the first frame only. By taking out the redundant encoding scheme information from subsequent frames, the system reduces data overhead while preserving the flexibility to indicate different encoding schemes when they actually change.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent discards the redundant encoding scheme information from subsequent frames since it can be inferred from the first frame. The decoder recovers the necessary encoding scheme information by reusing what was transmitted in the first frame, thereby eliminating unnecessary data transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Measurement precision

If encoding scheme information is included in every frame, then decoding accuracy is improved, but transmission efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding accuracyVSAvoidtransmission efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by providing the encoding scheme information in advance in the first frame, before subsequent frames are transmitted. This ensures decoding accuracy is maintained while improving transmission efficiency, as the information is available beforehand and doesn't need to be repeated in every frame.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the encoding scheme information transmission into a single location (the first frame) rather than distributing it across all frames. This consolidation maintains decoding accuracy while significantly improving transmission efficiency by eliminating redundant information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2605240B1Audio decoding device, audio decoding method, audio decoding program, audio encoding device, audio encoding method, and audio encoding program
Publication Date: 2016.10.05 NTT DOCOMO INC
  • EP2605240B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2605240B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2605240B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In an audio decoding device of an embodiment, a plurality of decoding units execute different audio decoding schemes, respectively, to generate audio signals from coded sequences. An extraction unit extracts long-term encoding scheme information from a stream. The stream has a plurality of frames each including a coded sequence of an audio signal. The long-term encoding scheme information is a unit information for multiple frames and indicates that a common audio encoding scheme was used to generate coded sequences of the multiple frames. According to the extracted long-term encoding scheme information, a selection unit selects, from the plurality of decoding units, a decoding unit to be used commonly to decode the coded sequences of the multiple frames.