Patent ID: 7043423
Filing Date: 2006-05-09
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
1. An audio encoding transmitter that receives an input signal representing an audio signal and generates an output signal conveying an encoded representation of the audio signal, the audio encoding transmitter comprising: an analysis filterbank that generates a plurality of subband signals representing frequency subbands of the audio signal in response to the input signal, wherein each subband signal comprises one or more subband-signal components; a quantizer coupled to the analysis filterbank that generates one or more quantized subband signals by quantizing subband-signal components of one or more of the subband signals using a first quantizing accuracy for subband-signal component values within a first interval of values and using a second quantizing accuracy for subband-signal component values within a second interval of values, wherein the first quantizing accuracy is lower than the second quantizing accuracy, the first interval is adjacent to the second interval, and values within the first interval are smaller than values within the second interval; an encoder coupled to the quantizer that generates one or more encoded subband signals by encoding the one or more quantized subband signals using a lossless encoding process that reduces information capacity requirements of the quantized subband signals; and a formatter coupled to the encoder that assembles the one or more encoded subband signals into the output signal.