METHOD AND ENCODER FOR COMBINING DIGITAL DATA SETS, A DECODING METHOD AND DECODER FOR SUCH COMBINED DIGITAL DATA SETS AND A RECORD CARRIER FOR STORING SUCH COMBINED DIGITAL DATA SET

摘要

Two digital data sets are combined by equating a first subset of samples to neighboring samples from a second subset which is interleaved with the first subset of samples where the equated samples of the two digital data sets do not correspond in time, and by subsequently adding corresponding samples from both digital data sets. This results in a third digital data set that allows the unraveling of the two digital data sets. The third digital data set, when combining two digital audio streams into a single digital audio stream, is still a good mono representation of the two combined digital audio streams and can thus be reproduced on regular reproduction equipment, yet the use of a decoder according to the invention allows the unraveling of the two digital data sets from the third digital data set