Audio signal processing apparatus

An audio signal decoding apparatus for processing a first minimum prediction-error signal and a second minimum prediction-error signal which are generated by an audio signal encoding apparatus comprising means for adding a first audio signal and a second audio signal into an addition-result signal;

• means for subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• means responsive to the addition-result signal for generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• means responsive to the subtraction-result signal for generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• a plurality of first predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the first difference signal for generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of first subtracters for generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• means for selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• a plurality of second predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the second difference signal for generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of second subtracters for generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• and means for selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals;
• the audio signal decoding apparatus comprising:
• means for recovering the addition-result signal from the first minimum prediction-error signal;
• means for recovering the subtraction-result signal from the second minimum prediction-error signal;
• and
• means for recovering the first audio signal and the second audio signal from the recovered addition-result signal and the recovered subtraction-result signal.

A method comprising the steps of:

• adding a first audio signal and a second audio signal into an addition-result signal;
• subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals;
• and
• transmitting the first minimum prediction-error signal and the second minimum prediction-error signal to a communication line.

An optical recording medium storing formatted information of a first minimum prediction-error signal and a second minimum prediction-error signal which are generated by an audio signal encoding apparatus comprising means for adding a first audio signal and a second audio signal into an addition-result signal;

• means for subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• means responsive to the addition-result signal for generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• means responsive to the subtraction-result signal for generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• a plurality of first predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the first difference signal for generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of first subtracters for generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• means for selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• a plurality of second predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the second difference signal for generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of second subtracters for generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• and means for selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals.

A method of network-based transmission, comprising the steps of:

• adding a first audio signal and a second audio signal into an addition-result signal;
• subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals;
• and
• transmitting the first minimum prediction-error signal and the second minimum prediction-error signal to a communication line.

An audio signal encoding apparatus comprising:

• means for selecting a first audio signal and a second audio signal from among signals composing a multi-channel audio signal;
• means for adding the first audio signal and the second audio signal into an addition-result signal;
• means for subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• means responsive to the addition-result signal for generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• means responsive to the subtraction-result signal for generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• a plurality of first predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the first difference signal for generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of first subtracters for generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• means for selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• a plurality of second predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the second difference signal for generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of second subtracters for generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• and
• means for selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals.

An audio signal decoding apparatus for processing a first minimum prediction-error signal and a second minimum prediction-error signal which are generated by an audio signal encoding apparatus comprising means for selecting a first audio signal and a second audio signal from among signals composing a multi-channel audio signal;

• means for adding the first audio signal and the second audio signal into an addition-result signal;
• means for subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• means responsive to the addition-result signal for generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• means responsive to the subtraction-result signal for generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• a plurality of first predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the first difference signal for generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of first subtracters for generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• means for selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• a plurality of second predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the second difference signal for generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of second subtracters for generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• and means for selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals;
• the audio signal decoding apparatus comprising:
• means for recovering the addition-result signal from the first minimum prediction-error signal;
• means for recovering the subtraction-result signal from the second minimum prediction-error signal;
• and
• means for recovering the first audio signal and the second audio signal from the recovered addition-result signal and the recovered subtraction-result signal.

A method comprising the steps of:

• selecting a first audio signal and a second audio signal from among signals composing a multi-channel audio signal;
• adding the first audio signal and the second audio signal into an addition-result signal;
• subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals;
• and
• transmitting the first minimum prediction-error signal and the second minimum prediction-error signal to a communication line.

An optical recording medium storing formatted information of a first minimum prediction-error signal and a second minimum prediction-error signal which are generated by an audio signal encoding apparatus comprising means for selecting a first audio signal and a second audio signal from among signals composing a multi-channel audio signal;

• means for adding the first audio signal and the second audio signal into an addition-result signal;
• means for subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• means responsive to the addition-result signal for generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• means responsive to the subtraction-result signal for generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• a plurality of first predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the first difference signal for generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of first subtracters for generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• means for selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• a plurality of second predictors having different prediction characteristics respectively and being responsive to the second difference signal for generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• a plurality of second subtracters for generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• and means for selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals.

A method of network-based transmission, comprising the steps of:

• selecting a first audio signal and a second audio signal from among signals composing a multi-channel audio signal;
• adding the first audio signal and the second audio signal into an addition-result signal;
• subtracting the first audio signal from the second audio signal, and generating a subtraction-result signal;
• generating a first difference signal representing a difference in the addition-result signal;
• generating a second difference signal representing a difference in the subtraction-result signal;
• generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively;
• generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the first prediction-error signals;
• generating second different prediction signals for the second difference signal, respectively;
• generating second prediction-error signals representing differences between the second difference signal and the second different prediction signals, respectively;
• selecting a second minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference from among the second prediction-error signals;
• and
• transmitting the first minimum prediction-error signal and the second minimum prediction-error signal to a communication line.