Audio Decoder Special Frames for Seamless Codec Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audio encoding and decoding technologies face challenges in seamlessly switching between different codec configurations, particularly in adaptive streaming environments with variable bitrate, leading to potential glitches and reduced audio quality.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a special frame with additional information that includes encoded audio sample values from preceding frames, using the same codec configuration, to initialize the decoder and facilitate immediate playback and seamless switching between codec configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a decoder is initialized with pre-roll frames from a special frame, then immediate replay and seamless switching between codec configurations is enabled, but the bit stream complexity and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds pre-roll frames (previous audio frames) within the current frame structure, allowing the decoder to be pre-initialized with necessary historical data before actual decoding begins. This preliminary inclusion of past frame data enables immediate replay without requiring separate initialization sequences, resolving the contradiction by preparing decoder state in advance within the bit stream itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The bit stream is segmented into regular frames and special frames containing pre-roll data. This segmentation allows the decoder to identify and process initialization data separately from normal audio data, enabling seamless codec configuration switching while maintaining a manageable structured format that doesn't overly complicate the overall bit stream processing.
2Loss of time
If pre-roll frames are included in the special frame to initialize the decoder, then immediate playback is enabled, but the data transmission volume and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of transmitting complete duplicate pre-roll frames, the patent transmits only the essential previous frame data needed for decoder initialization. This partial action approach provides just enough historical data to enable immediate replay without the full overhead of complete frame duplication, reducing the quantity of transmitted data while still achieving the goal of eliminating initialization delay.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the decoder processes additional information from special frames, then codec configuration switching becomes seamless, but the computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The special frame acts as an intermediary structure that carries both the pre-roll data and codec configuration information in a standardized format. This intermediary framework allows the decoder to process configuration changes and initialization data systematically without requiring complex ad-hoc processing, maintaining processing efficiency while enabling flexible codec switching.
Data Source
AI summary
An audio decoder decodes a bit stream of encoded audio data, which bit stream represents a sequence of audio sample values and includes a plurality of frames, wherein each frame includes associated encoded audio sample values. The audio decoder includes a determiner configured to determine whether a frame of the encoded audio data is a special frame including encoded audio sample values associated with the special frame and additional information, wherein the additional information include encoded audio sample values of a number of frames preceding the special frame, wherein the encoded audio sample values of the preceding frames are encoded using the same codec configuration as the special frame, wherein the number of preceding frames is sufficient to initialize the decoder to be in a position to decode the audio sample values associated with the special frame if the special frame is the first frame upon start-up of the decoder.