Audio quantizer and audio dequantizer and related methods

An audio dequantizer for dequantizing a quantized plurality of audio information items, comprising:

• a first stage vector dequantizer for dequantizing a first stage vector quantization result included in the quantized plurality of audio information items to acquire a plurality of intermediate quantized audio information items;
• a second stage vector dequantizer for dequantizing a second stage vector quantization result included in the quantized plurality of audio information items to acquire a plurality of residual items;
• and
• a combiner for combining the plurality of intermediate quantized information audio items and the plurality of residual items to acquire a dequantized plurality of audio information items,
• wherein the quantized plurality of audio information items comprise, for a first frame of a multichannel audio signal, a first plurality of scale parameters for a first channel of a multichannel audio signal and a second plurality of scale parameters for a second channel of the multichannel audio signal,
• wherein the audio dequantizer is configured to apply the first stage vector dequantizer and the second stage vector dequantizer to the first plurality of scale parameters for the first channel and the second plurality of scale parameters for the second channel of the first frame,
• wherein the quantized plurality of audio information items comprises, for a second frame of the multichannel audio signal, a third plurality of mid scale parameters and a fourth plurality of side scale parameters, and
• wherein the audio dequantizer is configured to apply the first stage vector dequantizer and the second stage vector dequantizer to the third plurality of mid scale parameters of the second frame and to apply the second stage vector dequantizer to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame and to not apply the first stage vector dequantizer to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame.

A method of quantizing a plurality of audio information items, comprising:

• first stage vector quantizing the plurality of audio information items to determine a first stage vector quantization result and a plurality of intermediate quantized items corresponding to the first stage vector quantization result;
• calculating a plurality of residual items from the plurality of intermediate quantized items and the plurality of audio information items;
• and
• second stage vector quantizing the plurality of residual items to acquire a second stage vector quantization result, wherein the first stage vector quantization result and the second stage vector quantization result are a quantized representation of the plurality of audio information items,
• wherein the audio information items comprise, for a first frame of a multichannel audio signal, a first plurality of scale parameters for a first channel of the multichannel audio signal, and a second plurality of scale parameters for a second channel of the multichannel audio signal,
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector quantizing and the second stage vector quantizing to the first plurality of scale parameters for the first channel and the second plurality of scale parameters for the first channel of the first frame,
• wherein the audio information items comprise, for a second frame of the multichannel audio signal, a third plurality of mid scale parameters and a fourth plurality of side scale parameters, and
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector quantizing and the second stage vector quantizing to the third plurality of mid scale parameters of the second frame, and applying the second stage vector quantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame and not applying the first stage vector quantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame.

A method of dequantizing a quantized plurality of audio information items, comprising:

• first stage vector dequantizing a first stage vector quantization result included in the quantized plurality of audio information items to acquire a plurality of intermediate quantized audio information items;
• second stage vector dequantizing a second stage vector quantization result included in the quantized plurality of audio information items to acquire a plurality of residual items;
• and
• combining the plurality of intermediate quantized audio information items and the plurality of residual items to acquire a dequantized plurality of audio information items,
• wherein the quantized plurality of audio information items comprise, for a first frame of a multichannel audio signal, a first plurality of scale parameters for a first channel of a multichannel audio signal and a second plurality of scale parameters for a second channel of the multichannel audio signal,
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector dequantizing and the second stage vector dequantizing to the first plurality of scale parameters for the first channel and the second plurality of scale parameters for the second channel of the first frame,
• wherein the quantized plurality of audio information items comprises, for a second frame of the multichannel audio signal, a third plurality of mid scale parameters and a fourth plurality of side scale parameters, and
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector dequantizing and the second stage vector dequantizing to the third plurality of mid scale parameters of the second frame and applying the second stage vector dequantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters and not applying the first stage vector dequantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for performing, when the computer program is run by a computer, a method of quantizing a plurality of audio information items, the method comprising:

• first stage vector quantizing the plurality of audio information items to determine a first stage vector quantization result and a plurality of intermediate quantized items corresponding to the first stage vector quantization result;
• calculating a plurality of residual items from the plurality of intermediate quantized items and the plurality of audio information items;
• and
• second stage vector quantizing the plurality of residual items to acquire a second stage vector quantization result, wherein the first stage vector quantization result and the second stage vector quantization result are a quantized representation of the plurality of audio information items,
• wherein the audio information items comprise, for a first frame of a multichannel audio signal, a first plurality of scale parameters for a first channel of the multichannel audio signal, and a second plurality of scale parameters for a second channel of the multichannel audio signal,
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector quantizing and the second stage vector quantizing to the first plurality of scale parameters for the first channel and the second plurality of scale parameters for the first channel of the first frame,
• wherein the audio information items comprise, for a second frame of the multichannel audio signal, a third plurality of mid scale parameters and a fourth plurality of side scale parameters, and
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector quantizing and the second stage vector quantizing to the third plurality of mid scale parameters of the second frame, and applying the second stage vector quantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame and not applying the first stage vector quantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame.

A non-transitory digital storage medium having stored thereon a computer program for performing, when the computer program is run by a computer, a method of dequantizing a quantized plurality of audio information items, the method comprising:

• first stage vector dequantizing a first stage vector quantization result included in the quantized plurality of audio information items to acquire a plurality of intermediate quantized audio information items;
• second stage vector dequantizing a second stage vector quantization result included in the quantized plurality of audio information items to acquire a plurality of residual items;
• and
• combining the plurality of intermediate quantized information items and the plurality of residual items to acquire a dequantized plurality of audio information items,
• wherein the quantized plurality of audio information items comprise, for a first frame of a multichannel audio signal, a first plurality of scale parameters for a first channel of a multichannel audio signal and a second plurality of scale parameters for a second channel of the multichannel audio signal,
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector dequantizing and the second stage vector dequantizing to the first plurality of scale parameters for the first channel and the second plurality of scale parameters for the second channel of the first frame,
• wherein the quantized plurality of audio information items comprises, for a second frame of the multichannel audio signal, a third plurality of mid scale parameters and a fourth plurality of side scale parameters, and
• wherein the method comprises applying the first stage vector dequantizing and the second stage vector dequantizing to the third plurality of mid scale parameters of the second frame and applying the second stage vector dequantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters and not applying the first stage vector dequantizing to the fourth plurality of side scale parameters of the second frame.