Audio Decoder DRC Profile Fallback for Multi-Mode Playback

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing audio signal processing technologies face challenges in maintaining high-quality and intelligibility across a broad range of rendering devices with different capabilities and environments, as they often fail to adapt dynamic range appropriately, leading to issues like distortion and inaudibility.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for transmitting Dynamic Range Control (DRC) profiles in a bandwidth-efficient manner by inserting multiple DRC profiles into audio frames, allowing an audio decoder to select the appropriate profile for the rendering mode, ensuring high-quality and intelligible audio reproduction across various playback environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple DRC profiles are transmitted for different rendering modes, then adaptability to different playback environments is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different playback environmentsVSAvoidbandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The DRC profiles are segmented and distributed across different frames rather than transmitting all profiles in every frame. Each frame contains only the DRC profile relevant to its rendering mode, dividing the transmission task into smaller, mode-specific segments that reduce overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining adaptability to different playback environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If DRC profiles are transmitted in every frame, then decoding accuracy is improved, but data transmission volume increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding accuracyVSAvoiddata transmission volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The encoder preliminarily determines the appropriate DRC profile for each frame based on the rendering mode before transmission. This preliminary action allows the system to transmit only the necessary DRC profile information for each specific frame rather than redundant data, maintaining decoding accuracy while minimizing data transmission volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If DRC processing is applied to all audio signals, then audio quality across different devices is improved, but computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio quality consistencyVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Different DRC profiles with different processing characteristics are applied locally to audio signals based on the specific rendering mode. Instead of using a uniform DRC processing approach for all devices, the system selects and applies locally optimized DRC profiles that are tailored to the capabilities of specific playback devices, improving audio quality consistency while reducing unnecessary computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3736809B1Decoding an encoded audio signal using DRC profiles
Publication Date: 2022.03.09 DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
  • EP3736809B1 patent drawingFigure 1
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  • EP3736809B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method for decoding an encoded audio signal is described. The encoded audio signal comprises a sequence of frames, and is indicative of a plurality of different dynamic range control (DRC) profiles for a corresponding plurality of different rendering modes. The method comprises determining a first rendering mode from the plurality of different rendering modes; determining one or more DRC profiles from a subset of DRC profiles comprised within a current frame of the sequence of frames; determining whether at least one of the one or more DRC profiles is applicable to the first rendering mode; selecting a default DRC profile as a current DRC profile, if none of the one or more DRC profiles is applicable to the first rendering mode; wherein definition data of the default DRC profile is known at a decoder; and decoding the current frame using the current DRC profile.