Patent ID: 7542896

Claim:
A method of coding an audio signal, the method comprising the acts of: generating a monaural signal, analyzing the spatial characteristics of at least two audio channels to obtain one or more sets of spatial parameters for successive time slots, responsive to said monaural signal containing a transient at a given transient time, determining a non-uniform time segmentation of said sets of spatial parameters for a period including said transient time, determining a relevance of said transient by looking at a difference between first estimated spatial parameters derived from a first window that surrounds a transient location of said transient and second estimated spatial parameters derived from a second window around said transient location, the second window being shorter than the first window; generating an encoded signal comprising the monaural signal and the one or more sets of spatial parameters; and if said difference is larger than a threshold, then inserting in the encoded signal additional parameters estimated around said transient location.