Multi-resolution switched audio encoding/decoding scheme

摘要

An audio encoder for encoding an audio signal has a first coding branch, the first coding branch comprising a first converter for converting a signal from a time domain into a frequency domain. Furthermore, the audio encoder has a second coding branch comprising a second time/frequency converter. Additionally, a signal analyzer for analyzing the audio signal is provided. The signal analyzer, on the hand, determines whether an audio portion is effective in the encoder output signal as a first encoded signal from the first encoding branch or as a second encoded signal from a second encoding branch. On the other hand, the signal analyzer determines a time/frequency resolution to be applied by the converters when generating the encoded signals. An output interface includes, in addition to the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal, a resolution information identifying the resolution used by the first time/frequency converter and used by the second time/frequency converter.

主权项

1. Audio encoder for encoding an audio signal, comprising:
a first coding branch for encoding an audio signal using a first coding algorithm to acquire a first encoded signal, the first coding branch comprising the first converter for converting an input signal into a spectral domain; a second coding branch for encoding an audio signal using a second coding algorithm to acquire a second encoded signal, wherein the first coding algorithm is different from the second coding algorithm, the second coding branch comprising a domain converter for converting an input signal from an input domain into an output domain, and a second converter for converting an input signal into a spectral domain; a switch for switching between the first coding branch and the second coding branch so that, for a portion of the audio input signal, either the first encoded signal or the second encoded signal is in an encoder output signal; a signal analyzer for analyzing the portion of the audio signal to determine, whether the portion of the audio signal is represented as the first encoded signal or the second encoded signal in the encoder output signal, wherein the signal analyzer is furthermore configured for variably determining a respective time/frequency resolution of the first converter and the second converter, when the first encoded signal or the second encoded signal representing the portion of the audio signal is generated; and an output interface for generating an encoder output signal comprising the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal and information indicating the first encoded signal and the second encoded signal, and information indicating the time/frequency resolution applied for encoding the first encoded signal and for encoding the second encoded signal.