Parametric Audio Stream Combination in the Downmix Domain
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio coding techniques lack the ability to efficiently combine multiple parametrically coded audio streams, leading to high computational complexity and delay in scenarios like teleconferencing, where combining audio signals from multiple locations is necessary.
Innovation Solution
An audio signal generator that directly combines parametrically coded audio streams by mixing down-mix channels and associated parameters within the parameter domain, using simple arithmetic operations such as summation and weight calculations, without reconstructing the individual audio signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple parametrically coded audio streams are combined using conventional decoding and re-encoding processes, then audio quality is preserved, but computational complexity and processing delay increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential parametric information (spatial parameters, downmix signals) from the encoded audio streams without performing full decoding. This allows combination operations to be performed on the extracted parameters directly, avoiding the computational burden of complete decoding and re-encoding while preserving the necessary audio quality characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary extraction of downmix signals and spatial parameters before the combination operation. By preparing these essential components in advance and combining them at the parameter level rather than at the full audio signal level, the system reduces subsequent processing complexity while maintaining audio fidelity.
2Reliability
If multiple parametrically coded audio streams are combined using conventional decoding and re-encoding processes, then audio quality is preserved, but processing delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential parametric information (spatial parameters, downmix signals) from the encoded audio streams without performing full decoding. This allows combination operations to be performed on the extracted parameters directly, avoiding the computational burden of complete decoding and re-encoding while preserving the necessary audio quality characteristics.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent skips the intermediate steps of complete decoding and full re-encoding by operating directly on the parametric representation. This allows the system to rush through the combination process efficiently by performing only the necessary parameter-level operations, significantly reducing processing delay while maintaining audio quality.
3Productivity
If downmix channels are combined directly in the parameter domain using arithmetic operations, then computational effort is minimized, but the ability to preserve spatial audio properties may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses spatial parameters as intermediaries that carry essential spatial audio information between the downmix signals and the final combined output. By computing and transmitting these parameter representations that encode spatial relationships, the system enables efficient arithmetic combination of downmix channels while preserving the necessary spatial audio properties through the intermediary parameter layer.
Data Source
AI summary
According to the present invention, multiple parametrically encoded audio signals can be efficiently combined using an audio signal generator, which generates an audio output signal by combining the down-mix channels and the associated parameters of the audio signals directly within the parameter domain, i.e. without reconstructing or decoding the individual input audio signals prior to the generation of the audio output signal. This is achieved by direct mixing of the associated down-mix channels of the individual input signals. It is one key feature of the present invention that the combination of the down-mix channels is achieved by simple, computationally inexpensive arithmetic operations.