Patent ID: 7996216
Filing Date: 2011-08-09
Classification: G10L,G11B,H04S

Abstract:
1. A method of processing an audio signal, the method comprising: independently subdividing at least first and second channels in a frame of the audio signal into blocks according to a subdivision hierarchy if the first and second channels are not correlated with each other, at least two of the blocks being capable of different lengths; synchronously subdividing the first and second channels into blocks according to the subdivision hierarchy such that the lengths of the blocks into which the second channel is subdivided correspond to the lengths of the blocks into which the first channel is subdivided if the first and second channels are correlated with each other and difference coding is used, at least two of the blocks being capable of different lengths; adding first subdivision information indicating a number of levels in the subdivision hierarchy; adding second subdivision information indicating a subdivision of the first and second channels into the blocks; and interleaving the subdivided blocks of the first and second channels if the first and second channels are synchronously subdivided, wherein the first subdivision information indicates whether the subdivision hierarchy includes one of up to three levels, four levels, and five levels, if the first subdivision information is 01, the first subdivision information indicates the subdivision hierarchy includes up to three levels; if the first subdivision information is 10, the first subdivision information indicates the subdivision hierarchy includes up to four levels; if the first subdivision information is 11, the first subdivision information indicates the subdivision hierarchy includes up to five levels.