Apparatuses and methods for encoding or decoding a multi-channel signal using frame control synchronization

Method of encoding a multi-channel signal comprising at least two channels, comprising:

• converting sequences of blocks of sampling values of the at least two channels into a frequency domain representation comprising sequences of blocks of spectral values for the at least two channels;
• applying a joint multi-channel processing to the sequences of blocks of spectral values to acquire at least one result sequence of blocks of spectral values comprising information related to the at least two channels;
• converting the result sequence of blocks of spectral values into a time domain representation comprising an output sequence of blocks of sampling values;
• and
• core encoding the output sequence of blocks of sampling values to acquire an encoded multi-channel signal,
• wherein the core encoding operates in accordance with a first frame control to provide a sequence of frames, wherein a frame is bounded by a start frame border and an end frame border, and
• wherein the converting into the frequency domain representation or the converting into the time domain representation operates in accordance with a second frame control being synchronized to the first frame control, wherein the start frame border or the end frame border of each frame of the sequence of frames is in a predetermined relation to a start instant or an end instant of an overlapping portion of a window used by the converting into the frequency domain representation for each block of the sequence of blocks of sampling values or used by the converting into the time domain representation for each block of the output sequence of blocks of sampling values.

Apparatus for decoding an encoded multi-channel signal, comprising:

• a core decoder for generating a core decoded signal;
• a time-spectral converter for converting a sequence of blocks of sampling values of the core decoded signal into a frequency domain representation comprising a sequence of blocks of spectral values for the core decoded signal;
• a multi-channel processor for applying an inverse multi-channel processing to a sequence comprising the sequence of blocks to acquire at least two result sequences of blocks of spectral values;
• and
• a spectral-time converter for converting the at least two result sequences of blocks of spectral values into a time domain representation comprising at least two output sequences of blocks of sampling values,
• wherein the core decoder is configured to operate in accordance with a first frame control to provide a sequence of frames, wherein a frame is bounded by a start frame border and an end frame border,
• wherein the time-spectral converter or the spectral-time converter is configured to operate in accordance with a second frame control being synchronized to the first frame control,
• wherein the start frame border or the end frame border of each frame of the sequence of frames is in a predetermined relation to a start instant or an end instant of an overlapping portion of a window used by the time-spectral converter for each block of the sequence of blocks of sampling values or used by the spectral-time converter for each block of the at least two output sequences of blocks of sampling values.

Method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal, comprising:

• generating a core decoded signal;
• converting a sequence of blocks of sampling values of the core decoded signal into a frequency domain representation comprising a sequence of blocks of spectral values for the core decoded signal;
• applying an inverse multi-channel processing to a sequence comprising the sequence of blocks to acquire at least two result sequences of blocks of spectral values;
• and
• converting the at least two result sequences of blocks of spectral values into a time domain representation comprising at least two output sequences of blocks of sampling values,
• wherein the generating the core decoded signal operates in accordance with a first frame control to provide a sequence of frames, wherein a frame is bounded by a start frame border and an end frame border,
• wherein the converting into the frequency domain representation or the converting into the time domain representation operates in accordance with a second frame control being synchronized to the first frame control,
• wherein the start frame border or the end frame border of each frame of the sequence of frames is in a predetermined relation to a start instant or an end instant of an overlapping portion of a window used by the converting into the frequency domain representation for each block of the sequence of blocks of sampling values or used by the converting into the time domain representation for each block of the at least two output sequences of blocks of sampling values.

Non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform, when said computer program is run by a computer, the method of encoding a multi-channel signal comprising at least two channels, said method comprising:

• converting sequences of blocks of sampling values of the at least two channels into a frequency domain representation comprising sequences of blocks of spectral values for the at least two channels;
• applying a joint multi-channel processing to the sequences of blocks of spectral values to acquire at least one result sequence of blocks of spectral values comprising information related to the at least two channels;
• converting the result sequence of blocks of spectral values into a time domain representation comprising an output sequence of blocks of sampling values;
• and
• core encoding the output sequence of blocks of sampling values to acquire an encoded multi-channel signal,
• wherein the core encoding operates in accordance with a first frame control to provide a sequence of frames, wherein a frame is bounded by a start frame border and an end frame border, and
• wherein the converting into the frequency domain representation or the converting into the time domain representation operates in accordance with a second frame control being synchronized to the first frame control, wherein the start frame border or the end frame border of each frame of the sequence of frames is in a predetermined relation to a start instant or an end instant of an overlapping portion of a window used by the converting into the frequency domain representation for each block of the sequence of blocks of sampling values or used by the converting into the time domain representation for each block of the output sequence of blocks of sampling values.

Non-transitory digital storage medium having a computer program stored thereon to perform, when said computer program is run by a computer, the method of decoding an encoded multi-channel signal, said method comprising:

• generating a core decoded signal;
• converting a sequence of blocks of sampling values of the core decoded signal into a frequency domain representation comprising a sequence of blocks of spectral values for the core decoded signal;
• applying an inverse multi-channel processing to a sequence comprising the sequence of blocks to acquire at least two result sequences of blocks of spectral values;
• and
• converting the at least two result sequences of blocks of spectral values into a time domain representation comprising at least two output sequences of blocks of sampling values,
• wherein the generating the core decoded signal operates in accordance with a first frame control to provide a sequence of frames, wherein a frame is bounded by a start frame border and an end frame border,
• wherein the converting into the frequency domain representation or converting into the time domain representation operates in accordance with a second frame control being synchronized to the first frame control,
• wherein the start frame border or the end frame border of each frame of the sequence of frames is in a predetermined relation to a start instant or an end instant of an overlapping portion of a window used by the converting into the frequency domain representation for each block of the sequence of blocks of sampling values or used by the converting into the time domain representation for each block of the at least two output sequences of blocks of sampling values.