Method of transmitting or storing digitalized, multi-channel audio signals

A method of transmitting or storing digitalized audio signals for a plurality of intercorrelated audio channels, the intercorrelated audio channels including a left channel, a right channel, and at least one further channel, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) encoding the audio signals, step (a) including
• (1) for each audio channel, generating a number of spectral subband signals;
• (2) analyzing the subband signals to obtain
• bit allocation information which is derived from a common perceptual threshold, the common perceptual threshold being formed from all of the audio channels, and
• for each subband signal, a scale factor that classes a peak value of the respective subband signal within a certain time block;
• (3) normalizing signals which are derived from the subband signals, using the scale factors, to obtain normalized subband signals;
• and
• (4) quantizing the normalized subband signals to obtain encoded subband signals in accordance with a channel-specific, intra-channel perceptual threshold of human hearing, step (a-4) being controlled by the bit allocation information;
• (b) transmitting or storing the encoded subband signals, the bit allocation information, and the scale factors;
• and
• (c) decoding and processing the encoded subband signals, step (c) including
• (1) decoding the encoded subband signals as a function of the bit allocation information to obtain decoded subband signals;
• (2) denormalizing signals derived from the decoded subband signals according to the scale factors, to obtain denormalized subband signals;
• and
• (3) generating a broadband digital audio signal from the denormalized subband signals.

A method of transmitting or storing digitalized, multi-channel audio signals, comprising the steps of:

• (a) encoding the multi-channel audio signals, step (a) including:
• (1) for each audio channel, generating a number of spectral subband signals;
• (2) analyzing the subband signals to obtain
• bit allocation information, and
• for each subband signal, a scale factor that classes a peak value of there spective subband signal within a certain time block;
• (3) combining the subband signals of different audio channels, but which have the same frequency position, to obtain combined subband signals, step (a-3) being conducted as a function of an audio representation format of the audio channel corresponding to a system configuration;
• (4) normalizing the combined subband signals using the scale factors to obtain normalized subband signals;
• and
• (5) quantizing the normalized subband signals to obtain encoded subband signals in accordance with a channel-specific, intra-channel perceptual threshold of human hearing, step (a-5) being controlled by the bit allocation information;
• (b) transmitting or storing the encoded subband signals, the bit allocation information, the scale factors, and a control signal which is derived from the audio representation format;
• and
• (c) decoding and processing the encoded subband signals, step (c) including
• (1) decoding the encoded subband signals according to the bit allocation information to obtain decoded subband signals;
• (2) decombining the decoded subband signals of different audio channels, but the same frequency position, to obtain decombined subband signals, step (c-2) being conducted as a function of the control signal;
• (3) denormalizing the decombined subband signals according to the scale factors, to obtain denormalized subband signals;
• and
• (4) generating a broadband digital audio signal from the denormalized subband signals.