Encoded Audio Decoding With Default DRC Profiles for Rendering Modes

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing technologies face challenges in efficiently transmitting Dynamic Range Control (DRC) profiles for audio signals across various rendering devices with different capabilities, leading to inconsistencies in audio quality and intelligibility.

Innovation Solution

The method involves inserting multiple DRC profiles into a sequence of audio frames, allowing an audio decoder to select the appropriate profile for a specific rendering mode, ensuring high-quality and intelligible audio reproduction across different devices and environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple DRC profiles are transmitted for different rendering modes, then audio quality and intelligibility across different devices is improved, but bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio quality consistencyVSAvoidbandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The DRC profiles are segmented and distributed across multiple frames rather than transmitting all profiles in a single frame. Each frame contains a subset of DRC profiles, allowing the decoder to accumulate profiles over time while reducing per-frame bandwidth requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

DRC profiles are transmitted in advance within the audio bitstream before actual playback occurs. The decoder receives and stores multiple DRC profiles for different rendering modes during the encoding phase, enabling selective application during playback without real-time computation overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If DRC profiles are transmitted in every frame, then audio reproduction quality is improved, but data transmission overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio reproduction qualityVSAvoiddata transmission overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The complete set of DRC profiles is segmented across multiple frames. Each frame carries only a portion of the total profiles, reducing redundant data transmission while ensuring all profiles are eventually available to the decoder for optimal audio reproduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system transmits DRC profiles that may be discarded or replaced in subsequent frames. If a frame is lost or corrupted, the decoder can recover by using previously received profiles or alternative profiles from other frames, maintaining audio quality while reducing overall data overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Quantity of substance

If DRC profiles are selectively transmitted based on rendering mode, then bandwidth efficiency is improved, but device adaptability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebandwidth efficiencyVSAvoidrendering mode adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The transmitted DRC profiles are designed to be universally applicable across multiple rendering modes. Each profile contains parameters that can adapt to different playback environments and device characteristics, allowing a single profile to serve multiple functions and reducing the total number of profiles needed.

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

Solution Approach 2:

The DRC profiles include dynamic parameters that can be adjusted at decode time based on the actual rendering mode detected by the playback device. This allows the system to transmit fewer profiles while maintaining adaptability, as the profiles themselves are designed to dynamically adapt to different conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP4472073B1Decoding an encoded audio signal using DRC profiles
Publication Date: 2025.05.14 DOLBY INTERNATIONAL AB
  • EP4472073B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4472073B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4472073B1 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.