Super Frame Generator for Multichannel Audio Transmission
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multichannel audio transmission methods for DMB services face challenges in maintaining reverse-compatibility with stereo audio systems while managing high data rates, as the packetization of auxiliary signals increases the output rate of transport streams, exceeding the capacity of low-data-rate DMB environments.
Innovation Solution
A method that combines multiple auxiliary signal frames into a super frame auxiliary signal, reducing packetization overhead by one-third, and uses a multimedia transmitting apparatus with a multichannel audio down-mixer, stereo audio coder, super-frame generator, and packetizer to effectively transmit multichannel audio signals within the constraints of DMB systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If each frame of the auxiliary signal is packetized to a transport stream (TS) for multichannel audio transmission, then the multichannel audio can be transmitted with reverse-compatibility, but the output rate of the TS increases twice than the output rate of the ES, exceeding the data rate capacity of DMB
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple auxiliary signal frames into a single super frame auxiliary signal before packetization. Specifically, multiple auxiliary signal frames are merged into one super frame structure, which then undergoes single packetization to TS. This merging approach reduces the number of packetization operations from multiple separate packetizations to one combined packetization, thereby reducing the overall output rate of the transport stream while maintaining the ability to transmit multichannel audio with reverse-compatibility to stereo systems.
2Reliability
If the auxiliary signal is transmitted by packetizing each frame to TS, then the multichannel audio signal can be transmitted, but the packetization overhead increases, reducing transmission efficiency in low-data-rate DMB environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple auxiliary signal frames into a single super frame auxiliary signal structure. This super frame contains multiple individual frame data units combined together. By performing packetization on this merged super frame rather than on each individual frame separately, the patent reduces the total number of packets required and minimizes the repetitive packetization overhead (headers, synchronization information, etc.) that would otherwise be incurred for each separate frame packetization. This reduces transmission overhead and improves efficiency in the low-data-rate DMB environment.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Provided are an apparatus and method for transmitting and reproducing a multichannel audio signal. The apparatus includes a multichannel audio down-mixer for receiving a multichannel audio signal and transforming the received multichannel audio signal to a down-mixed audio signal and an auxiliary signal, and a super frame generator for generating a super frame auxiliary signal by combining a plurality of auxiliary signal frames.