Patent ID: 7929600
Filing Date: 2011-04-19
Classification: G10L

Abstract:
1. A multichannel signal coding method for dividing an input signal of each channel, hereinafter referred to as a channel signal, into a plurality of digital sample value sequences, hereinafter referred to as frames, and coding the channel signal, comprising the steps of: determining whether a channel signal to be coded is to be independently coded, hereinafter referred to as independent coding, or to be coded using the difference, hereinafter referred to as difference coding, from a channel signal of another channel hereinafter referred to as a master channel, and, if difference coding is to be used, determining an identification number of the master channel; coding, at a coding unit, the channel signal according to the determination; and generating a code sequence including the coded channel signal and information about coding that identifies which of independent coding and difference coding is used for coding of the channel and, if difference coding is used, further specifies the identification number of the master channel hereinafter referred to as coding information.