Concept for bridging the gap between parametric multi-channel audio coding and matrixed-surround multi-channel coding

Abstract

The purpose of the invention is to bridge the gap between parametric multi-channel audio coding and matrixed-surround multi-channel coding by gradually improving the sound of an up-mix signal while raising the bit-rate consumed by the side-information starting from 0 up to the bit-rates of the parametric methods. More specifically, it provides a method of flexibly choosing an “operating point” somewhere between matrixed-surround (no side-information, limited audio quality) and fully parametric reconstruction (full side-information rate required, good quality). This operating point can be chosen dynamically (i.e. varying over time) and in response to the permissible side-information rate, as it is dictated by the individual application.

1 . Multi-channel audio decoder for processing an audio signal and for processing first parametric data describing a first portion of a multi-channel signal, wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is processed, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data when describing an identical portion of the multi-channel signal, comprising: 
 a processor for deriving an intermediate signal from the audio signal, 
 using a first deriving rule for deriving a first portion of the intermediate signal, the first portion of the intermediate signal corresponding to the first portion of the multi-channel audio signal, wherein the first deriving rule is depending on the first parametric data; and  
 using a second deriving rule for deriving a second portion of the intermediate signal, the second deriving rule using no parametric data or the second parametric data.  
   
   
   
       2 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1 , which is operative to process first parametric data that is describing a time portion or a frequency portion of the multi-channel signal.  
   
   
       3 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1 , which is operative to process first parametric data that is comprising a description of a time portion of the multi-channel audio signal, wherein only information on a predetermined frequency band of the multi-channel audio signal is contained within the description.  
   
   
       4 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1 , in which the processor is operative to use the first deriving rule for deriving a frequency portion of the intermediate signal ranging from a low-frequency limit to a high-frequency limit.  
   
   
       5 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 4 , which is operative to additionally process a window information signalling at least the high-frequency limit.  
   
   
       6 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 4 , which is operative to derive at least the high-frequency limit from the first parametric data using a window estimation rule.  
   
   
       7 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 6 , in which the window estimation rule includes counting the amount of parametric data submitted for a signal portion of the down-mix signal and comparing the counted amount of parametric data with a nominal amount of parametric data.  
   
   
       8 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1 , in which the processor is operative to calculate the second deriving rule from information on the down-mix signal or from the second parametric data.  
   
   
       9 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1 , in which the processor is operative to use a predefined rule as the second deriving rule.  
   
   
       10 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1 , which is operative to process parametric data that is comprising one or more spatial audio parameters chosen from the following list of spatial audio parameters: 
 ICC (inter-channel correlation)    CLD (channel level difference)    CPC (channel prediction coefficient).    
   
   
       11 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a de-correlator to derive a de-correlated signal from the intermediate signal using a de-correlation filter.  
   
   
       12 . Multi-channel audio decoder in accordance with  claim 1  further comprising an up-mixer for calculating a reconstruction of the multi-channel signal, 
 using a first up-mixing rule for calculating a first portion of the reconstruction of the multi-channel signal corresponding to the first portion of the multi-channel signal, wherein the first upmixing rule is depending on the first parametric data; and    using a second up-mixing rule for calculating a second portion of the reconstruction of the multi-channel signal, the second up-mixing rule using no parametric data or the second parametric data.    
   
   
       13 . Multi-channel encoder for generating a parametric representation describing spatial properties of a multi-channel audio signal, the multi-channel encoder comprising: 
 a parameter generator for generating spatial parameters;    an output interface for generating the parametric representation,    wherein the parameter generator or the output interface is adapted to generate the parametric representation such that the parametric representation includes first parametric data for a first portion of the multi-channel signal and wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is included in the parametric representation, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data when describing an identical portion of the multi-channel signal.    
   
   
       14 . Multi-channel encoder in accordance with  claim 13 , in which the output interface is further adapted to include a window information in the parametric representation, the window information indicating the first portion of the multi-channel audio signal.  
   
   
       15 . Multi-channel encoder in accordance with  claim 13 , further including a portion decider for deciding which portion of the multi-channel signal is used as the first portion, using a quality criterion.  
   
   
       16 . Multi-channel encoder in accordance with  claim 15 , in which the portion decider is operative to decide such that a quality of a reconstruction of the multi-channel signal using the parametric representation stays within a quality-tolerance range.  
   
   
       17 . Multi-channel encoder in accordance with  claim 15 , in which the portion decider is operative to decide such that a maximum amount of storage space consumed by the parametric representation is not exceeded.  
   
   
       18 . Multi-channel encoder in accordance with  claim 13 , additionally comprising a down-mixer for deriving a down-mix signal from the multi-channel signal; and 
 in which the output interface is further adapted to out-put the down-mix signal.    
   
   
       19 . Multi-channel encoder in accordance with  claim 18 , in which the parameter generator is operative to generate a full set of spatial parameters for the first portion and for the second portion of the multi-channel signal; 
 in which the down-mixer is operative to derive the down-mix signal using a full down-mixing rule depending on the full set of spatial parameters; and    in which the output interface is operative to generate the parametric representation using at least the spatial parameters corresponding to the first portion of the multi-channel signal.    
   
   
       20 . Method for processing an audio signal and for processing first parametric data describing a first portion of a multi-channel signal, wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is processed, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data when describing an identical portion of the multi-channel signal, the method comprising: 
 deriving an intermediate signal from the down-mix signal using a first deriving rule depending on the first parametric data for deriving a first portion of the intermediate signal, the first portion of the intermediate signal corresponding to the first portion of the multi-channel audio signal; and    deriving a second portion of the intermediate signal using a second deriving rule, the second deriving rule using the second parametric data or no parametric data.    
   
   
       21 . Method for generating a parametric representation describing spatial properties of a multi-channel audio signal, the method comprising: 
 generating spatial parameters; and    generating the parametric representation such that the parametric representation includes first parametric data for a first portion of the multi-channel signal and wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is included in the parametric representation, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data when describing an identical portion of the multi-channel signal.    
   
   
       22 . Parametric representation describing spatial properties of a multi-channel audio signal, the parametric representation including first parametric data for a first portion of the multi-channel signal and wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is included, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data for an identical portion of the multi-channel signal.  
   
   
       23 . Parametric representation in accordance with  claim 23 , which is stored on a computer-readable storage medium.  
   
   
       24 . Computer program having a program code for performing, when running on a computer, a method for processing an audio signal and for processing first parametric data describing a first portion of a multi-channel signal, wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is processed, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data when describing an identical portion of the multi-channel signal, the method comprising: 
 deriving an intermediate signal from the down-mix signal using a first deriving rule depending on the first parametric data for deriving a first portion of the intermediate signal, the first portion of the intermediate signal corresponding to the first portion of the multi-channel audio signal; and    deriving a second portion of the intermediate signal using a second deriving rule, the second deriving rule using the second parametric data or no parametric data.    
   
   
       25 . Computer program having a program code for performing, when running on a computer, a method for generating a parametric representation describing spatial properties of a multi-channel audio signal, the method comprising: 
 generating spatial parameters; and    generating the parametric representation such that the parametric representation includes first parametric data for a first portion of the multi-channel signal and wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is included in the parametric representation, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data when describing an identical portion of the multi-channel signal.    
   
   
       26 . Transcoder for generating a parametric representation of a multi-channel audio signal using spatial parameters describing the spatial properties of the multi-channel audio signal, comprising: 
 a parameter generator to generate the parametric representation such that the parametric representation includes first parametric data being derived from the spatial parameters for a first portion of the multi-channel signal and wherein for a second portion of the multi-channel signal no parametric data or second parametric data is included in the parametric representation, the second parametric data requiring less information units than the first parametric data when describing an identical portion of the multi-channel signal.