Apparatus and method for encoding or decoding a multi-channel signal

Apparatus for decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, comprising:

• a channel decoder for decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• a multichannel processor for performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and for performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel;
• wherein the encoded multi-channel signal is a serial signal, wherein the second multichannel parameters are received, at the decoder, before the first multichannel parameters, and
• wherein the multichannel processor is configured to process the decoded channels in an order, in which the multichannel parameters are received by the decoder.

Method for encoding a multi-channel signal comprising at least three channels, comprising:

• calculating, in a first iteration, inter-channel correlation values between each pair of the at least three channels, selecting, in the first iteration, a pair comprising a highest value or comprising a value above a threshold, and processing the selected pair using a multichannel processing operation to derive first multichannel parameters for the selected pair and to derive first processed channels,
• performing the calculating, the selecting and the processing in a second iteration using at least one of the processed channels to derive second multichannel parameters and second processed channels;
• encoding channels resulting from an iteration processing performed by the iteration processor to acquire encoded channels;
• and
• generating an encoded multi-channel signal comprising the encoded channels and the first and the second multichannel parameters.

Method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, comprising:

• decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel;
• wherein the encoded multi-channel signal is a serial signal, wherein the second multichannel parameters are received before the first multichannel parameters, and
• wherein, in the multichannel processing, the decoded channels are processed in an order, in which the multichannel parameters are received by the decoder.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method of encoding a multi-channel signal comprising at least three channels, said method comprising:

• calculating, in a first iteration, inter-channel correlation values between each pair of the at least three channels, selecting, in the first iteration, a pair comprising a highest value or comprising a value above a threshold, and processing the selected pair using a multichannel processing operation to derive first multichannel parameters for the selected pair and to derive first processed channels,
• performing the calculating, the selecting and the processing in a second iteration using at least one of the processed channels to derive second multichannel parameters and second processed channels;
• encoding channels resulting from an iteration processing performed by the iteration processor to acquire encoded channels;
• and
• generating an encoded multi-channel signal comprising the encoded channels and the first and the second multichannel parameters,
• when said computer program is run by a computer.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, said method comprising:

• decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel,
• wherein the encoded multi-channel signal is a serial signal, wherein the second multichannel parameters are received before the first multichannel parameters, and
• wherein, in the multichannel processing, the decoded channels are processed in an order, in which the multichannel parameters are received by the decoder,
• when said computer program is run by a computer.

Apparatus for decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, comprising:

• a channel decoder for decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• a multichannel processor for performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and for performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel;
• wherein the first or the second multichannel parameters comprise a multichannel processing mask indicating which scale factor bands are multichannel processed and which scale factor bands are not multichannel processed, and
• wherein the multichannel processor is configured to not perform the multichannel processing in the scale factor bands indicated by the multichannel processing mask.

Apparatus for decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, comprising:

• a channel decoder for decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• a multichannel processor for performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and for performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel;
• wherein the encoded multi-channel signal comprises, for a first frame, the first and the second multichannel parameters and, for a second frame, following the first frame, a keep indicator, and
• wherein the multichannel processor is configured to perform the multichannel processing and the further multichannel processing in the second frame to the same second pair and the same first pair of channels as used in the first frame.

Method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, comprising:

• decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel;
• wherein the first or the second multichannel parameters comprise a multichannel processing mask indicating which scale factor bands are multichannel processed and which scale factor bands are not multichannel processed, and
• wherein the multichannel processing is not performed in the scale factor bands indicated by the multichannel processing mask.

Method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, comprising:

• decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel;
• wherein the encoded multi-channel signal comprises, for a first frame, the first and the second multichannel parameters and, for a second frame, following the first frame, a keep indicator, and
• wherein the multichannel processing and the further multichannel processing in the second frame is performed to the same second pair and the same first pair of channels as used in the first frame.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, said method comprising:

• decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel,
• wherein the first or the second multichannel parameters comprise a multichannel processing mask indicating which scale factor bands are multichannel processed and which scale factor bands are not multichannel processed, and
• wherein the multichannel processing is not performed in the scale factor bands indicated by the multichannel processing mask,
• when said computer program is run by a computer.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform the method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal comprising encoded channels and at least first and second multichannel parameters, said method comprising:

• decoding the encoded channels to acquire decoded channels;
• and
• performing a multichannel processing using a second pair of the decoded channels identified by the second multichannel parameters and using the second multichannel parameters to acquire processed channels, and performing a further multichannel processing using a first pair of channels identified by the first multichannel parameters and using the first multichannel parameters, wherein the first pair of channels comprises at least one processed channel,
• wherein the encoded multi-channel signal comprises, for a first frame, the first and the second multichannel parameters and, for a second frame, following the first frame, a keep indicator, and
• wherein the multichannel processing and the further multichannel processing in the second frame is performed to the same second pair and the same first pair of channels as used in the first frame,
• when said computer program is run by a computer.