Voice signal encoding/decoding method

The present invention is disclosed a voice signal encoding/decoding methods. It is judged whether the time-point at which the voices signal is about to be encoded is one of the synchronous time parameters in the steps of voice signal encoding. If yes, output an output port code to activate a task; otherwise, then output a voice signal coded value that corresponds to the encoded voice signal at the same time. Moreover, it is judged whether the time-point at which the voice signal coded value being about to be decoded corresponds to the voice signal is one of the synchronous time parameters. If yes, output the output port code to the output port to activate a task; if not, then output a voice subsignal that corresponds to the decoded voice signal coded value at the time-point.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a voice signal encoding/decoding method, and more particular to a voice signal encoding/decoding method that greatly simplifies the synchronization between the voice signal playing in voice signal processing means and the tasks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The voice signal integrated circuit (IC) is required to be synchronized with the executing state of the tasks while playing voice signal in many applications. And it mostly adopts a timer to synchronize the voice signal integrated circuit and the tasks in prior art. In such prior art systems a voice signal is decoded to be played by the voice signal integrated circuit from a start time to an end time. Take a specified application for example, it is required to initiate a first task when the voice signal is played to a first time T0and initiate a second task when the voice signal is played to a later time T1. Wherein a timer is used for timing, and set at T0and T1to synchronize the voice signal playing with the first and second task by means of its timing function.

The designer of the specific application has to work out the correct count because of the timer used in the prior art mentioned above, that also will add difficulties to compile program codes and also will require inclusion of a timer in the hardware.

Regarding the above-mentioned shortage, the present invention provides a voice signal encoding/decoding method greatly simplifying the synchronization between the voice signal playing in voice signal processing means and the tasks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The first object of the present invention is to provide a voice signal encoding/decoding method, which enables the voice signal in the process of decoding and playing, to be synchronized with the tasks.

The second object of the present invention is to provide a voice signal encoding/decoding method, which enables the voice signal processing circuit to be synchronized with the tasks.

The third object of the present invention is to provide a voice signal encoding/decoding method, which greatly simplifies the synchronization between the voice signal playing in voice signal processing methods and the tasks.

To achieve the objects mentioned above, the present invention provides a voice signal encoding/decoding method which comprises the following steps of: a voice signal encoding comprising: (A1). Setting at least one synchronous time parameter P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1) during the period from the start time to the end time of a voice signal; (A2). Judging whether the time-point at which the voice signal is about to be encoded is one of the synchronous time parameters P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1); (A3). Outputting an output port code if the result of the step of (A2) is true; outputting a voice signal coded value that corresponds to the voice signal processed by a voice signal encoding means at the time-point if the result of the step (A2) is false, and wherein the output port code is different from the voice signal coded value. (A4). Repeating the steps of (A2) and (A3) till the end time of the voice signal. And a voice signal decoding comprising: (B1). Judging whether the time-point at which the voice signal coded value being about to be decoded corresponds to the voice signal is one of the synchronous time parameters P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1); (B2). Outputting an output port code to an output port if the result of the step (B1) is true; outputting a voice subsignal which corresponds to the voice signal coded value processed by a voice signal decoding means at the time-point if the result of the step (B2) is false; (B3). Repeating the steps of (B1) and (B2) till all the voice signal coded values finish the voice signal decoding processing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1is the flow chart of the voice encoding/decoding method of the present invention. The voice signal encoding/decoding method10provides a voice signal processing circuit (e.g. a voice signal integrated circuit) to perform the present invention, which can be synchronized with the executing states of the tasks while decoding and playing the voice signal, by means of outputting output port codes to output port. The voice signal encoding/decoding method of the present invention comprises the voice signal encoding101and the voice signal decoding103, which are described respectively hereinbelow.

FIG. 2is the flow chart illustrating the steps of voice signal encoding101in the present invention, wherein the steps are described hereinbelow.

In the step1011, at least one synchronous time parameter P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1) are set during the period from the start time S to the end time E of the voice signal20. With reference toFIG. 4, the synchronous time parameters P0, P1P2, . . . , Pnare used for connecting the voice signal20and the executing states of the tasks. For example, to illustrate the relevance between the voice signal20and the executing states of the tasks, supposing that the voice signal20is a signal about how to operate digital camera, the display task to display the operating interface can be synchronized with the voice signal20at the time-point of the synchronous time parameter P0when the voice signal20is played to P0. Then the display task generates a first operating interface and shows it on the display (unshown). The display task generates a second operating interface and shows it on the display when the continuously played voice signal20is played to the time-point of the synchronous time parameter P1. It adopts the means mentioned above till the end time E of the voice signal20to carry on playing the voice signal20and executing the display task.

In the step1013, it is judged whether the time-point at which the voice signal20is about to be encoded is one of the synchronous time parameters P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1). If the result of the judgment in the step1013is true, then enter the step1015; if not, then enter the step1017. And an output port code is output in the step1015. And a voice signal coded value, which corresponds to the voice signal20processed by a voice signal encoding means at the time-point, is output in the step1017.

In the steps1013,1015,1017, the time-points at which the voice signal20is encoded will reach the synchronous time parameter P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1) one by one respectively, and an output port code is output at the same time. As illustrated in the example mentioned above, two output port codes are output respectively when it reaches P0, P1respectively. Take notice of that the two output port codes instruct the display task to generate the first operating interface and the second operating interface and to show them on the display respectively when the time that the voice signal20is decoded reaches the synchronous time parameters P0, P1respectively.

In the steps1013,1015,1017, the corresponding voice signal coded values are output by the voice signal encoding means at the other time-points at which voice signal20is encoded.

The output port code mentioned above can be an index value, and it's different from the output voice signal coded values in the voice signal encoding101, hereby it can be distinguished from the voice signal coded values. Take waveform coding for example, the encoder is a five-bit length encoder, which adopts the bit allocation from binary [00000] to binary [11111]. As for the embodiment of the voice signal encoding/decoding method10in the present invention, it adopts the bit allocation from binary [00000] to binary [11110] as the voice signal coded values and a binary [11111] as the output port code.

In the step1019, it is judged whether the end time E of the voice signal20arrives. If not, then return to the step1013; if yes, then end the step of voice signal encoding101.

FIG. 3is the flow chart illustrating the steps of voice signal decoding103in the present invention, wherein the steps are described hereinbelow.

In the step1031, it is judged whether the time-point at which the voice signal coded value being about to be decoded corresponds to the voice signal20is one of the synchronous time parameters P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1). If yes, then enter step1033; if not, then enter step1035. And an output port code is output to an output port in the step1033. A voice subsignal that corresponds to the voice signal coded value processed by a voice signal decoding means is output in step1035.

In the steps1031,1033,1035, it is judged whether the corresponding voice signal coded values at the time-point of the voice signal20are identical to the output port code. If yes, an output port code will be output to an output port. If not, a voice subsignal that corresponds to the voice signal coded value processed by the voice signal decoding means will be output.

The time-points at which voice signal20is decoded and synthesized will reach the synchronous time parameters P0, P1, P2, . . . , Pn(n>=1) one by one, and an output port code will be output to an output port at the same time. As illustrated in the example mentioned above, two output port codes are output to the output port respectively when the time-points at which the voice signal20is decoded and synthesized reach the synchronous time parameters P0, P1respectively. Take notice of that two output port codes instruct the display task to generate the first and the second operating interface and to show them on the display respectively.

In the steps1031,1033,1035, the corresponding voice subsignals are output by the voice signal decoding means at the other time-points of decoded voice signal20.

In the step1037, it is judged whether all the voice signal coded values finish the voice signal decoding processing. If not, then return to the step1031. If yes, then end the step of voice signal decoding1031.

Moreover it adopts a memory to store the voice signal coded values and the output port codes generated in the voice signal encoding101.FIG. 5is the flow chart of another embodiment illustrating the steps of voice signal encoding101in the present invention, wherein it stores the output port code output in the step1015and the voice signal coded value output in the step1017in the memory in the step1018.

FIG. 6is the flow chart of another embodiment illustrating the steps of voice signal decoding103in the present invention. In the step1030, the voice signal data is fetched from the memory one by one. In the step1031, it is judged whether the voice signal data is identical to the output port code. If yes, then enter the step1033; if not, then enter the step1035. In the step1033, an output port code is output to an output port. In the step1035, the voice subsignal corresponding to the encoded voice signal data is output. In step1037, it is judged whether all the voice signal data in the memory finishes the voice signal decoding processing. If yes, then end the step of voice signal decoding103; if not, then return to the step1030.

FIG. 7is the circuit block diagram illustrating the voice signal processing circuit that performs the voice signal encoding/decoding method of the present invention. It illustrates an embodiment that shows part of the voice signal processing circuit, wherein the memory301is used for storing plural voice signal data consisting of plural voice signal coded values and plural numbers identical to the output port code. The comparator circuit303is applied to receive the output port code and the voice signal data in the memory301and then to judge whether they are identical. If yes, then the comparator circuit303will output an output port code to the output port305; If not, then the comparator circuit303will output the received voice signal data to the digital-analog converter307, next the digital-analog converter307will convert the voice signal data to the corresponding voice subsignal.

The encoder means for voice signal encoding of the voice signal encoding/decoding method10in the present invention can adopt existing voice signal encoding arts, for example, waveform coding means, parameter coding means and hybrid coding means etc. The decoder means for voice signal decoding of the voice signal encoding/decoding method10in the present invention can adopt existing voice signal decoding arts, for example, the decoding means that corresponds to waveform coding means, the decoding means that corresponds to parameter coding means and the decoding means that corresponds to hybrid coding means etc.

The voice signal encoding/decoding method10would not cause distortion of sound quality in voice signal encoding/decoding, however it provides a solution of high efficiency that makes it easily to synchronize the voice signal playing and the tasks.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, these are, of course, merely examples to help clarify the invention and are not intended to limit the invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, and alterations in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the following claims.