Fixed-Length Spectral Encoding via Log Envelope Smoothing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing signal processing techniques for time series signals, such as audio signals, face issues with distortion and compatibility during compression encoding due to errors in spectral envelope codes, leading to incorrect decoding and output signals.

Innovation Solution

The method involves obtaining a log spectral envelope sequence and using it to smooth and quantize frequency spectral values, allowing for fixed-length code assignment and reversible operations to maintain signal integrity and compression efficiency even with errors in spectral envelope codes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If variable-length coding is used based on spectral envelope to achieve efficient compression, then compression efficiency is improved, but decoding reliability deteriorates when errors occur in spectral envelope codes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompression efficiencyVSAvoiddecoding reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of code length from variable to fixed by introducing smoothing processing. The spectral envelope is used to smooth the frequency spectrum before quantization, which allows the code length to be determined in advance as a fixed value, thereby improving decoding reliability while maintaining compression efficiency through the spectral envelope information

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary smoothing action to the frequency spectrum using the spectral envelope before quantization and coding. This preliminary processing modifies the spectrum characteristics in advance, enabling fixed-length coding and ensuring that even if errors occur in spectral envelope codes, the decoding can proceed with the correct number of samples

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If fixed-length coding is used to ensure decoding reliability, then decoding reliability is improved, but compression efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding reliabilityVSAvoidcompression efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of code length from variable to fixed by introducing smoothing processing. The spectral envelope is used to smooth the frequency spectrum before quantization, which allows the code length to be determined in advance as a fixed value, thereby improving decoding reliability while maintaining compression efficiency through the spectral envelope information

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces spectral envelope as an intermediary element that mediates between the frequency spectrum and the quantized spectrum. This intermediary provides information about the spectral characteristics, enabling both efficient compression (by exploiting spectral redundancy) and reliable decoding (by enabling fixed-length coding through smoothing)

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Quantity of substance

If spectral envelope coding is used to reduce code amount, then code amount is reduced, but signal fidelity deteriorates when errors occur in spectral envelope codes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecode amountVSAvoidsignal fidelity
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary smoothing action to the frequency spectrum using the spectral envelope before quantization and coding. This preliminary processing modifies the spectrum characteristics in advance, enabling fixed-length coding and ensuring that even if errors occur in spectral envelope codes, the decoding can proceed with the correct number of samples

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent provides beforehand cushioning by using the smoothed spectrum as a reference that is less sensitive to errors in spectral envelope codes. The smoothing processing creates a more robust representation that cushions against the effects of potential errors, maintaining signal fidelity even when code amount is reduced through efficient spectral envelope coding

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Data Source

PatentEP3637418B1Encoding device, decoding device, smoothing device, reverse-smoothing device, methods therefor, and program
Publication Date: 2022.03.16 NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE CORP
  • EP3637418B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1B
  • EP3637418B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2B
  • EP3637418B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

A log spectral envelope sequence L0, L1, ..., LN-1 and an envelope code for the log spectral envelope sequence L0, L1, ..., LN-1 are obtained. The log spectral envelope sequence L0, L1, ..., LN-1 is an integer value sequence corresponding to binary logarithms of respective sample values of a spectral envelope sequence and is an integer value sequence whose total sum is 0. For a quantized spectral sequence ^X0, ^X1, ..., ^XN-1, a smoothed spectral sequence ∼X0, ∼X1, ..., ∼XN-1 is obtained by: for ^Xk with Lk being a positive value, adopting ^Xk with Lk digits from its least significant digit removed as ∼Xk; for ^Xk with Lk being a negative value, adopting ^Xk with -Lk digits added to its least significant digit in accordance with a predefined rule as ∼Xk; and when Lk is 0, adopting ^Xk as ∼Xk. The respective samples of the smoothed spectral sequence ∼X0, ∼X1, ..., ∼XN-1 are then encoded with a fixed code length to obtain a signal code.