Patent ID: 6952677

Claim:
A method of processing input audio data for compression into an encoded bitstream comprising a series of fixed size frames, each of the fixed size frames having a plurality of variable size fields containing coded data of different types, the method including the steps of: receiving input data to be coded into a frame of the output bitstream; preprocessing the input data to determine at least one first coding parameter to be used for coding the input data into at least one of the variable size fields in the frame, wherein the value of the at least one first coding parameter affects the data space size required for the at least one variable size field; storing the at least one first coding parameter determined in the preprocessing step; allocation data space in the frame for at least one other of the variable size fields on the basis of the determined at least one first coding parameter; determining at least one second coding parameter for coding data into the at least one other variable sized field on the basis of said allocated space; and coding the input data into the variable sized fields of the frame using the first and second coding parameters, wherein a transform coding technique is employed such that the coded data includes exponent data and mantissa data, wherein the input audio data includes a plurality of channels and the coded data includes coupling parameters relating to the plurality of channels.