Method and apparatus for encoding and decoding multi-channel audio signal using virtual source location information

摘要

Provided is a method and apparatus for encoding/decoding a multi-channel audio signal. The apparatus for encoding a multi-channel audio signal includes a frame converter for converting the multi-channel audio signal into a framed audio signal; means for downmixing the framed audio signal; means for encoding the downmixed audio signal; a source location information estimator for estimating source location information from the framed multi-channel audio signal; means for quantizing the estimated source location information; and means for multiplexing the encoded audio signal and the quantized source location information, to generate an encoded multi-channel audio signal.