Method and system for reduction of quantization-induced block-discontinuities and general purpose audio codec

A zero-latency method for reducing quantization-induced block-discontinuities of continuous data formatted into a plurality of contiguous original time-domain blocks, including:

• performing a reversible transform on each original time-domain block into a corresponding transformed block that yields energy concentration in the transformed domain;
• performing a first quantization of each transformed block and generating first quantization indices indicative of such first quantization;
• performing the inverse transform on quantized transform components of the first quantization indices for each transformed block, yielding a corresponding quantized time-domain block;
• computing a quantization error by taking the difference between the original time-domain block and its corresponding quantized time-domain block;
• selecting the quantization error arising near the boundaries of each original time-domain block from such first quantization;
• performing a second quantization on the selected quantization error and generating second quantization indices indicative of such second quantization;
• and
• generating an output bit-stream based on the first and second quantization indices.

A computer program, residing on a computer-readable medium, for zero-latency reduction of quantization-induced block-discontinuities of continuous data formatted into a plurality of time-domain blocks having boundaries, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

• perform a first quantization of each block and generate first quantization indices indicative of such first quantization;
• determine a quantization error for each block;
• select any quantization error arising near the boundaries of each block from such first quantization;
• perform a second quantization of any selected quantization error and generate second quantization indices indicative of such second quantization;
• and
• generate an output bit-stream based on the first and second quantization indices.

A computer program, residing on a computer-readable medium, for zero-latency reduction of quantization-induced block-discontinuities of continuous data formatted into a plurality of contiguous original time-domain blocks, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

• perform a reversible transform on each original time-domain block into a corresponding transformed block that yields energy concentration in the transformed domain;
• perform a first quantization of each transformed block and generate first quantization indices indicative of such first quantization;
• perform the inverse transform on quantized transform components of the first quantization indices for each transformed block, yielding a corresponding quantized time-domain block;
• compute a quantization error by taking the difference between the original time-domain block and its corresponding quantized time-domain block;
• select the quantization error arising near the boundaries of each original time-domain block from such first quantization;
• perform a second quantization on the selected quantization error and generate second quantization indices indicative of such second quantization;
• and
• generate an output bit-stream based on the first and second quantization indices.

A system for zero-latency reduction of quantization-induced block-discontinuities of continuous data formatted into a pluarlity of time-domain blocks having boundaries, including:

• means for performing a first quantization of each block and generating first quantization indices indicative of such first quantization;
• means for determining a quantization error for each block;
• means for selecting any quantization error arising near the boundaries of each block from such first quantization;
• means for performing a second quantization of any selected quantization error and generating second quantization indices indicative of such second quantization;
• and
• means for generating an output bit-stream based on the first and second quantization indices.

A system for zero-latency reduction of quantization-induced block-discontinuities of continuous data formatted into a plurality of contiguous original time-domain blocks, including:

• means for performing a reversible transform on each original time-domain block into a corresponding transformed block that yields energy concentration in the transformed domain;
• means for performing a first quantization of each transformed block and generating first quantization indices indicative of such first quantization;
• means for performing the inverse transform on quantized transform components of the first quantization indices for each transformed block, yielding a corresponding quantized time-domain block;
• means for computing a quantization error by taking the difference between the original time-domain block and its corresponding quantized time-domain block;
• means for selecting the quantization error arising near the boundaries of each original time-domain block from such first quantization;
• means for performing a second quantization on the selected quantization error and generating second quantization indices indicative of such second quantization;
• and
• means for generating an ouput bit-stream based on the first and second quantization indices.