Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for encoding a sound representation received as a stream of multibit input samples, comprising: constituting a finite length sequence of said input samples and in said sequence determining an instantaneous non-uniform audibility threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; subtracting a shaped noise signal from said input samples to produce processing samples; dynamically ignoring processing sample bits below a bit level associated to said characteristic, through subtracting a dither signal (v) and subsequent quantizing by a variable number of b bits below said bit level, but retaining at least all processing sample bits above said bit level; replacing such ignored processing sample bits by said dither signal as buried channel bits featuring an adjustable number of b bits per said processing sample; and outputting upgraded samples (y) comprising non-ignored processing sample bits and buried channel bits; wherein said noise signal is produced through shape-filtering by a noise shaping filter on a dither-determined difference between said upgraded samples and said processing samples, which shape-filtering amends a received difference signal towards said instantaneous threshold-versus-frequency characteristic.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
170 words
A method for encoding a sound representation received as a stream of multibit input samples, comprising: constituting a finite length sequence of said input samples and in said sequence determining an instantaneous non-uniform audibility threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; subtracting a shaped noise signal from said input samples to produce processing samples; dynamically ignoring processing sample bits below a bit level associated to said characteristic, through subtracting a dither signal (v) and subsequent quantizing by a variable number of b bits below said bit level, but retaining at least all processing sample bits above said bit level; replacing such ignored processing sample bits by said dither signal as buried channel bits featuring an adjustable number of b bits per said processing sample; and outputting upgraded samples (y) comprising non-ignored processing sample bits and buried channel bits; wherein said noise signal is produced through shape-filtering by a noise shaping filter on a dither-determined difference between said upgraded samples and said processing samples, which shape-filtering amends a received difference signal towards said instantaneous threshold-versus-frequency characteristic.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said noise-shaping filter receives a difference signal that approaches a white-noise-like characteristic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said producing is done by a noise-shaping filter with a variable characteristic.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, and featuring detecting a musical transient in a particular time interval, and upon such detecting setting the value of b in that interval to a value at least co-determined from a neighbouring time interval not having that musical transient.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, and featuring temporary buffering of data to be used as buried channel data before said replacing in a buffer and through a time varying rate control time-wise equalizing a filling degree of said buffer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said buried channel data is received as an MPEG audio channel.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shape-filtering is done with a filter having an overall filter curve compounded from a series of elementary filter curves each positioned at a respective unique grid frequency θ k c and having a width Δ k approximating a local power spectral density of the overall spectrum.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said grid frequencies have non-uniform spacing.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method as claimed in claim 1 and applied separately to respective frequency subbands that are coexistent in a frequency spectrum of said sound representation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
181 words
An encoding apparatus for encoding a sound representation received as a stream of multibit input samples, comprising: means for constituting a finite length sequence of said input samples and in said sequence determining an instantaneous non-uniform audibility threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; means for subtracting a shaped noise signal from said input samples to produce processing samples; means for dynamically ignoring processing sample bits below a bit level associated to said characteristic, through subtracting a dither signal (v) and subsequent quantizing by a variable number of b bits below said bit level, but retaining at least all processing sample bits above said bit level; and means for replacing such ignored processing sample bits by said dither signal as buried channel bits featuring an adjustable number of b bits per said processing sample; means for outputting upgraded samples (y) comprising non-ignored processing sample bits and buried channel bits; wherein said noise signal is produced through shape-filtering by a noise shaping filter on a dither-determined difference between said upgraded samples and said processing samples, which shape-filtering amends a received difference signal towards said instantaneous threshold-versus-frequency characteristic.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
181 words
An encoding apparatus for encoding a sound representation received as a stream of multibit input samples, comprising: means for constituting a finite length sequence of said input samples and in said sequence determining an instantaneous non-uniform audibility threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; means for subtracting a shaped noise signal from said input samples to produce processing samples; means for dynamically ignoring processing sample bits below a bit level associated to said characteristic, through subtracting a dither signal (v) and subsequent quantizing by a variable number of b bits below said bit level, but retaining at least all processing sample bits above said bit level; and means for replacing such ignored processing sample bits by said dither signal as buried channel bits featuring an adjustable number of b bits per said processing sample; means for outputting upgraded samples (y) comprising non-ignored processing sample bits and buried channel bits; wherein said noise signal is produced through shape-filtering by a noise shaping filter on a dither-determined difference between said upgraded samples and said processing samples, which shape-filtering amends a received difference signal towards said instantaneous threshold-versus-frequency characteristic.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
204 words
A decoding apparatus for decoding a signal of upgraded samples comprising: means for receiving said signal of upgraded samples, which signal is has been encoded by means of the following method: constituting a finite length sequence of input samples from a stream of multibut input samples representing a sound representation and in said sequence determining an instantaneous non-uniform audibility threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; subtracting a shaped noise signal from said input samples to produce processing samples; dynamically ignoring processing sample bits below a bit level associated to said characteristic, through subtracting a dither signal (v) and subsequent quantizing by a variable number of b bits below said bit level, but retaining at least all processing sample bits above said bit level; replacing such ignored processing sample bits by said dither signal as buried channel bits featuring an adjustable number of b bits per said processing sample; and outputting upgraded samples (y) comprising non-ignored processing sample bits and buried channel bits; wherein said noise signal is produced through shape-filtering by a noise shaping filter on a dither-determined difference between said upgraded samples and said processing samples, which shape-filtering amends a received difference signal towards said instantaneous threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; and means for decoding said signal of upgraded samples.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
204 words
A decoding apparatus for decoding a signal of upgraded samples comprising: means for receiving said signal of upgraded samples, which signal is has been encoded by means of the following method: constituting a finite length sequence of input samples from a stream of multibut input samples representing a sound representation and in said sequence determining an instantaneous non-uniform audibility threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; subtracting a shaped noise signal from said input samples to produce processing samples; dynamically ignoring processing sample bits below a bit level associated to said characteristic, through subtracting a dither signal (v) and subsequent quantizing by a variable number of b bits below said bit level, but retaining at least all processing sample bits above said bit level; replacing such ignored processing sample bits by said dither signal as buried channel bits featuring an adjustable number of b bits per said processing sample; and outputting upgraded samples (y) comprising non-ignored processing sample bits and buried channel bits; wherein said noise signal is produced through shape-filtering by a noise shaping filter on a dither-determined difference between said upgraded samples and said processing samples, which shape-filtering amends a received difference signal towards said instantaneous threshold-versus-frequency characteristic; and means for decoding said signal of upgraded samples.