Scalable audio coding/decoding method and apparatus

A computer usable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for coding audio signals into a layered datastream having a base layer and enhancement layers of a predetermined number by a machine, the computer program comprising:

• (a) a first code segment for signal-processing input audio signals and quantizing the same for each predetermined coding band;
• (b) a second code segment for coding the quantized data corresponding to the base layer within a predetermined layer size;
• (c) a third code segment for coding the quantized data corresponding to the next enhancement layer of the coded base layer and the remaining quantized data uncoded and belonging to the enhancement layer, within a predetermined layer size;
• and
• (d) a fourth code segment for sequentially performing the layer coding steps for all layers, wherein the second to fourth segments (b), (c) and (d) each comprise a segment for:
• (e) representing the quantized data corresponding to a layer to be coded by digits of a predetermined number;
• and
• (f) coding the most significant digit sequences of most significant digits of the magnitude data of said quantized signal-processing input audio signals.

A computer usable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for coding audio signals into a layered datastream having a base layer and enhancement layers of a predetermined number by a machine, the computer program being executable by a machine to perform:

• (a) signal-processing input audio signals and quantizing the same for each predetermined coding band;
• (b) coding the quantized data corresponding to the base layer within a predetermined layer size;
• (c) coding the quantized data corresponding to the next enhancement layer of the coded base layer and the remaining quantized data uncoded and belonging to the enhancement layer, within a predetermined layer size;
• and
• (d) sequentially performing the layer coding steps for all layers, wherein (b), (c) and (d) each include:
• (e) representing the quantized data corresponding to a layer to be coded by digits of a predetermined number;
• and
• (f) coding the most significant digit sequences of most significant digits of the magnitude data of said quantized signal-processing input audio signals.

A computer usable medium having embodied thereon a computer program for coding audio signals into a layered datastream having a base layer and enhancement layers of a predetermined number by a machine, the computer program being executable by a machine to perform:

• (a) signal-processing input audio signals and quantizing the same for each predetermined coding band;
• (b) coding the quantized data of a first range of frequencies corresponding to the base layer within a predetermined layer size;
• (c) coding the quantized data of a second range of frequencies corresponding to the next enhancement layer within a predetermined layer size;
• and
• (d) sequentially performing the layer coding steps for all layers, wherein the steps (b), (c) and (d) each comprise the steps of:
• (e) representing the quantized data corresponding to a layer to be coded by digits of a predetermined same number;
• and
• (f) coding the most significant digit sequences composed of most significant digits of the magnitude data composing the represented digital data.

A computer usable medium having embodied thereon a computer program:

• A scalable audio decoding method for decoding the coded layered datastream having a base layer and enhancement layers of a predetermined number into audio signals by a machine, the computer program being executable by a machine to perform
• (a) decoding the coded base layer of a first range of frequencies, having a predetermined layer size, into the quantized data;
• (b) decoding the coded next enhancement layer of a second range of frequencies, having a predetermined layer size, into the quantized data;
• and
• (c) sequentially performing the layer decoding steps for all layers;
• (d) dequantizing said quantized data into said audio signals, wherein the steps (a), (b) and (c) each comprise the steps of;
• (e) determining the number of the quantization digits of each quantizing band;
• and
• (f) decoding the coded data as the most significant digit sequences, which represents the magnitude of said quantized data, when the number of the quantizing digits of the respective quantization band is equal to a predetermined same number.