Apparatus and Method for Encoding or Decoding Directional Audio Coding Parameters Using Quantization and Entropy Coding

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This invention provides an apparatus and method for compressing and encoding the parameters used in directional audio coding (DirAC), which describe how sound is located and spread in space (diffuseness and directional parameters). The method intelligently compresses these parameters using quantization and entropy coding, significantly reducing the bit-rate needed to transmit or store spatial audio, while maintaining high audio quality and spatial accuracy. The quantization is adaptive, balancing precision based on the importance of different audio regions, allowing efficient representation of 3D spatial audio scenes at low data rates.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Immersive 3D audio in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) environments, enabling efficient streaming of spatial audio metadata.
• Spatial audio for online gaming or simulations, providing accurate sound localization with minimal bandwidth.
• Teleconferencing systems that require clear, spatially accurate audio representation with low transmission rates.
• Entertainment and live broadcasting applications needing surround or 3D audio without high data overhead.
• Hearing aids or assistive listening devices that benefit from low-latency, spatially accurate audio rendering.
• Cinema audio post-production, allowing flexible manipulation and efficient storage or transmission of spatial sound information.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Enables efficient compression of directional spatial audio metadata (such as DirAC) to very low bit-rates, reducing bandwidth and storage requirements.
• Preserves high spatial accuracy and audio quality despite compression, maintaining an immersive listening experience.
• Adaptive quantization leverages perceptual audio cues, providing higher precision where human listeners are more sensitive and less where sound is less critical.
• Constant or logarithmic complexity encoding/decoding allows for real-time processing and implementation on resource-constrained devices.
• Flexible framework supports various spatial audio formats and playback configurations (e.g., Ambisonics, surround sound, object-based audio).
• Robustness to variable audio scenes, supporting both speech and complex, dynamic environments with multiple moving sources.

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Patent Abstract

An apparatus for encoding directional audio coding parameters comprising diffuseness parameters and direction parameters, comprises: a parameter quantizer (210) for quantizing the diffuseness parameters and the direction parameters; a parameter encoder (220) for encoding quantized diffuseness parameters and quantized direction parameters; and an output interface (230) for generating an encoded parameter representation comprising information on encoded diffuseness parameters and encoded direction parameters.