Sound Data Encoding Block Alignment for Loop Playback Load Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The processing load increases significantly when playing back sound data that includes a loop part, particularly in portable devices where processing speed is restricted due to emphasis on portability.
Innovation Solution
A sound data encoding apparatus that divides sound data into blocks with the loop end position at the end of a block, allowing for efficient encoding and decoding, reducing the processing load by using input delay dummy data and encoding methods like MDCT to ensure sufficient data for seamless looping.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If sound data is divided into blocks and encoded in groups for compression, then compression efficiency is improved, but processing load increases significantly at loop points
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments sound data into blocks and encodes them in groups, but introduces a specific segmentation strategy where the loop end position is aligned with block boundaries. This allows the decoding process to stop exactly at block boundaries during looping, avoiding the need to decode entire groups even when only partial playback is needed, thus reducing processing load while maintaining compression efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-aligning the loop end position with block boundaries during the encoding phase. This preliminary alignment ensures that during playback looping, the decoder can efficiently stop at block boundaries without requiring additional processing or buffering, thereby reducing the processing load at loop points while maintaining good compression efficiency.
2Stability of the object's composition
If audio codec delay is applied during encoding and decoding, then sound waveform continuity is improved, but loop start and end positions are shifted backward
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and compensating for audio codec delay effects during the encoding phase. By aligning block boundaries with loop end positions while accounting for the expected delay, the system ensures that both waveform continuity and loop position accuracy are maintained without requiring post-processing adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting block alignment parameters during encoding to compensate for audio codec delay. By modifying the block boundary positions in advance based on the known delay characteristics, the system maintains both sound waveform continuity and accurate loop positioning without requiring complex real-time adjustments during playback.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the loop end position is not at the end of a decoded block, then encoding flexibility is improved, but additional processing is required to ensure sufficient data for seamless looping
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the sound data into blocks with specific alignment rules where loop end positions coincide with block boundaries. This segmentation strategy provides encoding flexibility for different loop scenarios while ensuring that decoding can efficiently stop at block boundaries, maintaining high decoding speed without requiring additional processing for data sufficiency checks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by establishing specific block alignment parameters that position loop end points at block boundaries. This parameter setting maintains encoding flexibility for various loop configurations while optimizing decoding performance by allowing the decoder to efficiently terminate at block boundaries without additional processing overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
A processing load at the time of playing back sound data having a loop part is reduced.A sound data encoding apparatus comprises a block dividing means that divides the sound data into blocks according to predetermined rules, and an encoding means that encodes the blocks in groups of a plurality of consecutive blocks. The block dividing means divides the sound data such that, when encoded blocks encoded by the encoding means are decoded to output decoded blocks, then the loop end position in a block that includes the loop end position in the decoded blocks is nearer to an end of the block than a predetermined position. In detail, input delay dummy data are added ahead of the sound data before dividing the sound data. At the time of outputting the encoded data, loop information is outputted also. The loop information includes the number of samples of the added input delay dummy data, the number of samples corresponding to the encoding delay, the number of samples corresponding to the decoding delay, the start and end positions of the sound data, and the loop start and end positions.