Audio Object Encoding with Decoder-Guided Parameter Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio object encoding and decoding systems suffer from suboptimal quality and cross-interference issues, limiting independent manipulation and flexibility, especially in volume control and frequency adjustments, due to non-reversible down-mix processes.
Innovation Solution
An encoder that receives audio objects, encodes them into a number of audio signals with parametric data, and modifies these signals based on remote control data to improve user interaction, allowing for independent control of audio objects with reduced cross-interference, using techniques such as down-mix weight modification and frequency-specific adjustments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If audio objects are down-mixed to a reduced number of channels for transmission, then bandwidth efficiency and compatibility are improved, but the ability to independently manipulate individual audio objects deteriorates due to cross-interference
Solution Approach 1:
The audio signal is segmented into multiple independent audio objects, each representing a distinct sound source. The encoder processes each object separately, extracting individual parameters that describe spatial properties. This segmentation allows the decoder to independently manipulate each audio object while maintaining overall mix integrity, resolving the contradiction between channel reduction and manipulation flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses parametric representation where each audio object is described by a set of parameters (spatial position, volume, frequency characteristics) rather than transmitting full channel signals. By changing and transmitting these parameters separately, the system enables independent manipulation of individual objects in the down-mixed signal, maintaining adaptability while reducing channel quantity.
2Quantity of substance
If parametric data is used to represent audio objects after down-mixing, then transmission efficiency is improved, but decoding accuracy deteriorates due to loss of original signal information
Solution Approach 1:
The encoder performs preliminary processing by extracting audio objects from the multi-channel signal before down-mixing, and computes their parametric representations in advance. This preliminary action preserves the essential characteristics of each object (spatial position, volume, frequency content) in parameter form, allowing accurate reconstruction at the decoder without transmitting the full original signal, thus balancing data efficiency with reconstruction accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
Parametric data serves as an intermediary between the original multi-channel audio objects and the down-mixed signal. Instead of directly transmitting down-mixed channels or full original signals, the system transmits intermediate parametric representations that capture the essential properties of each audio object, enabling accurate reconstruction while maintaining transmission efficiency.
3Adaptability or versatility
If audio objects are encoded independently with full manipulation capability, then flexibility and user control are improved, but system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential parameters needed for audio object representation (spatial position, volume, frequency characteristics) from the full audio signals. By taking out and transmitting only these critical parameters rather than complete signal data, the system enables flexible user control of individual objects while significantly reducing encoding and decoding complexity compared to processing full independent audio streams.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio system comprises an encoder (209) which encodes audio objects in an encoding unit (403) that generates a down-mix audio signal and parametric data representing the plurality of audio objects. The down-mix audio signal and parametric data is transmitted to a decoder (215) which comprises a decoding unit (301) which generates approximate replicas of the audio objects and a rendering unit (303) which generates an output signal from the audio objects. The decoder (215) furthermore contains a processor (501) for generating encoding modification data which is sent to the encoder (209). The encoder (209) then modifies the encoding of the audio objects, and in particular modifies the parametric data, in response to the encoding modification data. The approach allows manipulation of the audio objects to be controlled by the decoder (215) but performed fully or partly by the encoder (209). Thus, the manipulation may be performed on the actual independent audio objects rather than on approximate replicas thereby providing improved performance.