Device and method for generating audio data, and device and method for playing audio data

This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0112984, filed on Oct. 11, 2012, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method for generating audio data and a method for playing audio data.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent times, various audio technologies related to an audio system as well as a next-generation television (TV) system such as a three-dimensional (3D) TV or an ultra high definition (UHD) TV are undergoing developments. Such technologies may refer to technology of a multichannel audio system, using a greater number of loudspeakers than a 5.1 channel scheme defined in Recommendation International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) BS.775.

However, an issue may arise in the recently disclosed multichannel audio system in that a multichannel audio signal may not be played properly unless a predetermined audio device is used because the multichannel audio system represents a multichannel audio signal, exclusively.

Accordingly, defining a manner of representing or describing multichannel audio representing various multichannel audio signals and applicable to a next generation audio system may be required.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for playing audio data, the apparatus including a descriptor extractor to extract a descriptor associated with a multi channel audio signal from a bitstream generated by an apparatus for generating audio data, and a player to play the multi channel audio signal, based on the extracted descriptor, wherein the descriptor includes information associated with an audio signal included in the multi channel audio signal.

The descriptor may include at least one of a sound essence descriptor, a sound-field configuration descriptor, and a sound channel descriptor.

The sound channel descriptor may include at least one of a channel label descriptor and a channel position descriptor.

The channel label descriptor may include information associated with at least one of an allocation number of an audio signal, an audio channel label, and a type of a channel component object.

The audio channel label may include at least one of a horizontal channel label, a vertical channel label, a distance channel label, and an object channel label, wherein the type of the channel component object includes at least one of a nominal frequency range of a channel component, a type of channel component directivity, and moving information associated about a moving object.

The channel position descriptor may include information associated with at least one of an allocation number of an audio signal, spatial position data, distance position data, a tolerance of a spatial position, a tolerance of a distance position, and a type of a channel component object.

The spatial position data may include information associated with at least one of an azimuth angle and an elevation angle representing a position in an audio signal playing space. The spatial position data may include information associated with moving information of time representing a position in an audio signal playing space.

The information associated with a tolerance of the spatial position may include information associated with at least one of a horizontal tolerance, a vertical tolerance, and moving information of spatial position tolerance.

The information associated with the tolerance of the distance position may include information associated with a tolerance of the distance position. The information associated with the tolerance of the distance position may include information associated with moving information of distance position tolerance.

The type of the channel component object may include at least one of a nominal frequency range of a channel component and a type of channel component directivity.

The apparatus for playing the audio data may further include a displayer to display, on a screen, information included in the descriptor.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for generating audio data, the apparatus including a descriptor generator to generate a descriptor for representing a multi channel audio signal, and a bitstream generator to generate the descriptor and the multi channel audio signal in a form of a bitstream.

The bitstream generator may encode and multiplex the descriptor and the multichannel audio signal in order to generate a bitstream.

The apparatus for generating the audio signal may further include a transmitter to transmit the generated bitstream to an apparatus for playing audio signal.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for playing audio data, the method including extracting a descriptor for representing a multi channel audio signal from a bitstream generated by an apparatus for generating audio data, and playing the multi channel audio signal, based on the extracted descriptor, wherein the descriptor comprises information associated with an audio signal included in the multi channel audio signal.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for generating audio data, the method including generating a descriptor for representing a multi channel audio signal, and generating the descriptor and the multi channel audio signal in a form of a bitstream, wherein the descriptor comprises information associated with an audio signal included in the multi channel audio signal.

These and/or other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of exemplary embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an operation of playing generated audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an apparatus for generating audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an apparatus for playing audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of generating audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of playing audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a method for generating audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a method for playing audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to the like elements throughout. Exemplary embodiments are described below to explain the present invention by referring to the figures.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an operation of playing generated audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an apparatus 110 for generating audio data may generate audio data including a multichannel audio signal. The multichannel audio signal may include a channel-based audio signal and an object-based audio signal. For example, the multichannel audio signal may represent multichannel sound content, such as a 10.2 channel, a 22.2 channel, and the like. The apparatus 110 for generating the audio data may generate audio data and metadata necessary for playing the audio data in a form of a bitstream. The metadata may include a descriptor for representing a multichannel audio signal. The descriptor may include information associated with a position at which an audio signal included in the multichannel audio signal is played, and the like. The descriptor may include information indicating an audio channel and a position at which the audio channel is played, and the like. The apparatus 110 for generating the audio data may transmit the generated bitstream to an apparatus 120 for playing audio data.

The apparatus 120 for playing the audio data may extract the multichannel audio signal and the metadata from the bitstream. The apparatus 120 for playing the audio data may play the multichannel audio signal, based on the descriptor included in the metadata. For example, the apparatus 120 for playing the audio data may render the multichannel audio signal, based on play information included in the descriptor. The apparatus 120 for playing the audio data may mix the multichannel audio signal, based on play conditions of the apparatus 120 for playing the audio data, and play the mixed multichannel audio signal.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an apparatus 210 for generating audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 , the apparatus 210 for generating the audio data may include a descriptor generator 220 and a bitstream generator 230 . The apparatus 210 for generating the audio data may further include a transmitter 240 and a multichannel audio signal generator 250 .

The multichannel audio signal generator 250 may generate a multichannel audio signal. For example, the multichannel audio signal generator 250 may generate the multichannel audio signal using a plurality of channel audio signals, object audio signals, or both of them.

The descriptor generator 220 may generate a descriptor for representing the multichannel audio signal. The descriptor may include information associated with a position at which an audio signal included in the multichannel audio signal is played, and the like. The generated descriptor may be stored in a header of a multichannel audio format signal, using metadata, or stored in a plurality of headers of a plurality of audio channels configuring the multichannel audio signal. The metadata may be divided into a plurality of types based on utility, and a basic structure may be defined to be applicable to configuring and exchanging multichannel sound content. For example, a basic structure descriptor may be used for producing and exchanging the multichannel sound content.

Hereinafter, the basic structure of the descriptor according to the present exemplary embodiment will be discussed.

Terms used in the descriptor may be defined in Table 1.

Sound essence refers to information associated with a representation related to a program, a representation or name related to a sound-field, and the like. The sound-field may be represented by a sound-field configuration having a hierarchical configuration. The sound-field configuration may be configured by a plurality of sound channels. The plurality of sound channels may be described by at least one representation from among a channel label and a channel position. The descriptor generator 220 may select a necessary descriptor, based on various scenarios in which multichannel sound content is exchanged.

The descriptor may include at least one of a sound essence descriptor, a sound-field configuration descriptor, and a sound channel descriptor.

The sound essence descriptor may include information associated with at least one of a program name, a type of sound essence, a name of a sound-field configuration, and a loudness value.

A configuration of the sound essence descriptor may be represented in Table 2.

The sound-field configuration descriptor may describe multichannel arrangement data. The sound-field configuration descriptor may include information associated with at least one of a name of a sound-field configuration, a number of audio channels, a multichannel sound arrangement description, a list of channel allocations, and a down-mixing coefficient.

The configuration of the sound-field configuration descriptor according to the present exemplary embodiment may be represented in Table 3.

The sound channel descriptor may include at least one of a channel label descriptor and a channel position descriptor.

A indicator of the sound channel descriptor according to the present exemplary embodiment may be represented in Table 4.

The channel label descriptor may describe channel label data. The channel label descriptor may include information associated with at least one of an allocation number of an audio signal, an audio channel label, and a type of a channel component object.

The audio channel label may include at least one of a horizontal channel label, a vertical channel label, a distance channel label, and an object channel label.

The type of the channel component object may include at least one of a nominal frequency range of a channel component, a type of channel component directivity, and moving information of a moving object.

A configuration of the channel label descriptor according to the present exemplary embodiment may be represented in Table 5.

The channel position descriptor may describe channel position data. The channel position descriptor may include information associated with at least one of an allocation number of an audio signal, spatial position data, distance position data, a tolerance of a spatial position, a tolerance of a distance position, and a type of a channel component object.

The spatial position data may include information associated with at least one of an azimuth angle and an elevation angle indicating a position at which an audio signal is played.

The distance position data may represent a distance from a center of an audio signal playing space to a position at which an audio signal is played in the audio signal playing space. The spatial position data may include information associated with moving information of time representing a position in an audio signal playing space.

The information associated with the tolerance of spatial position may include information associated with at least one of a horizontal tolerance, a vertical tolerance, and moving information of spatial position tolerance.

The information associated with the tolerance of distance position may include information associated with at least one of a tolerance of distance from a center of an audio signal playing space to a position at which an audio signal is played in the audio signal playing space and moving information of distance position tolerance of a moving object.

The type of the channel component object may include at least one of a nominal frequency range and a type of channel component directivity.

A configuration of the channel position descriptor according to the present exemplary embodiment may be represented in Table 6.

The following is an example of a configuration of a descriptor for describing a multichannel audio signal in a 22.2 channel.

A next-generation multichannel audio signal may be utilized in a next-generation audio/video (A/V) system, such as an ultra high definition television (UHDTV) in households, other nations, and studios, through such a scheme for describing descriptors.

The bitstream generator 230 may generate a descriptor and a multichannel audio signal in a form of a bitstream. The bitstream generator 230 may encode and multiplex a descriptor multichannel audio signal to generate a bitstream.

The transmitter 240 may transmit the generated bitstream to an apparatus for playing audio data.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an apparatus 310 for playing audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , the apparatus 310 for playing the audio data may include a descriptor extractor 320 and a player 330 . The apparatus 310 for playing the audio data may further include a displayer 340 and a multichannel audio signal extractor 350 .

The multichannel audio signal extractor 350 may extract a multichannel audio signal from a bitstream generated by an apparatus for generating audio data.

The descriptor extractor 320 may extract a descriptor associated with the multichannel audio signal from the bitstream. The descriptor extractor 320 may extract a descriptor from a header of a multichannel audio format signal, or a header of a plurality of audio channels configuring a multichannel audio signal. The descriptor may include information associated with a position at which an audio signal included in the multichannel audio signal is played. The descriptor may include at least one of a sound essence descriptor, a sound-field configuration descriptor, and a sound channel descriptor. For detailed descriptions of the descriptor, reference may be made to analogous features provided with reference to FIG. 2 .

The player 330 may play a multichannel audio signal, based on the extracted descriptor. The player 330 may play a multichannel audio signal, based on play information of a multichannel audio signal described in the descriptor. By way of example, the player 330 may render a plurality of audio signals included in a multichannel audio signal, based on play position information included in the descriptor.

The player 330 may perform down-mixing on the multichannel audio signal, based on user environmental information of the apparatus 310 for playing the audio data. For example, the player 330 may perform down-mixing on audio data of a 22.2 channel to audio data of a 10.2 channel in order to play the audio data mixed to the 22.2 channel in the apparatus 310 for playing the audio data of 10.2 channel conditions. The user environmental information may include information associated with channel conditions of the apparatus 310 for playing the audio data, loud speaker arrangement, and the like.

The displayer 340 may display, on a screen, information included in metadata or information included in the descriptor. For example, the displayer 340 may display play position information of an audio signal, identifier information of an audio signal currently being played, and the like.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of generating audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An apparatus for generating audio data may generate audio data, based on a descriptor of a basic structure, such that a receiver for receiving audio data may readily perform correction, conversion, exchange, and the like, on an audio signal. The apparatus for generating the audio data may store descriptor information in a header of a multichannel audio format signal, or a header of a plurality of audio channels configuring a multichannel, and transmit the descriptor information to the receiver.

The apparatus for generating the audio data may include a mixer 420 , a coder 460 , and a multiplexer 470 . The mixer 420 may mix several audio sources 410 , and output a channel-based audio signal 430 and an object-based audio signal 440 . The coder 460 may code metadata 450 including the descriptor and a multichannel audio signal. The multichannel audio signal may include the channel-based audio signal 430 and the object-based audio signal 440 . The descriptor may include information indicating a configuration of a multichannel. The multichannel coder 460 may code an audio signal and a descriptor separately through various schemes, or code the audio signal and the descriptor together. The multiplexer 470 may generate a bitstream through multiplexing the coded multichannel audio signal and the metadata 450 .

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of playing audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

An apparatus for playing audio data may include a demultiplexer 510 , a decoder 520 , a renderer 560 , and a displayer 580 .

The demultiplexer 510 may perform demultiplexing on a received bitstream. The decoder 520 may decode the demultiplexed bitstream, and output a multichannel audio signal and metadata 550 to the renderer 560 . The multichannel audio signal may include a channel-based audio signal 530 and an object-based audio signal 540 . The renderer 560 may play a multichannel audio signal, based on the metadata 550 . The renderer 560 may play a multichannel audio signal, based on information associated with a loudspeaker arrangement or information on a position of the object-based audio signal 540 . The information associated with the loudspeaker arrangement or the information on the position of the object-based audio signal 540 may be input to the apparatus for playing the audio data.

A multichannel audio signal may be played based on the user environmental information 570 of the apparatus for playing the audio data. The apparatus for playing the audio data may play an original multichannel audio signal or perform down-mixing on a multichannel audio signal, based on play conditions of the apparatus for playing the audio data. The multichannel audio signal may be played in conformity to the play conditions of the apparatus for playing the audio data.

An example in which the apparatus for playing the audio data performs down-mixing on a signal produced in a 22.2 channel in an initial mixing step to match a 10.2 channel structure of play conditions may be represented in Table 7. Additionally, a down-mixing coefficient descriptor may describe conversion among various multichannels.

The renderer 560 may play audio signals configuring a multichannel audio signal, based on azimuth angle and elevation angle information set forth in spatial position data, in a sequence of a channel according to an allocation number, as defined in channel position data of a descriptor. The renderer 560 may play an object-based audio signal 540 , based on moving information of time of content, described in a type of a channel component object. For example, a user may randomly control a spatial position at which the object-based audio signal 540 is played.

The displayer 580 may display, on a screen, information described in a descriptor. The user may verify flexibility of speaker arrangement conditions of the user, compared to an optimal play position, based on information on a tolerance of spatial position of a descriptor, and verify name information of individual channels, based on channel label information of the descriptor. When the object-based audio signal 540 is included in a multichannel audio signal, the user may verify a sound of a corresponding object-based audio signal, via an object channel label of a channel label.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a method for generating audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In operation 610 , an apparatus for generating audio data may generate a descriptor for representing a multichannel audio signal. The descriptor may include information associated with a position at which an audio signal included in the multichannel audio signal is played. The apparatus for generating the audio data may store the generated descriptor in a header of a multichannel audio format signal, using metadata, or in a header of a plurality of audio channels configuring the multichannel audio signal. The descriptor may include at least one of a sound essence descriptor, a sound-field configuration descriptor, and a sound channel descriptor.

In operation 620 , the apparatus for generating the audio data may generate a descriptor and a multichannel audio signal in a form of a bitstream. The apparatus for generating the audio data may encode and multiplex the descriptor and the multichannel audio signal to generate a bitstream.

In operation 630 , the apparatus for generating the audio data may transmit the generated bitstream to an apparatus for playing audio data.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a method for playing audio data according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In operation 710 , an apparatus for playing audio data may extract a descriptor for representing a multichannel audio signal from a bitstream generated by an apparatus for generating audio data. The apparatus for playing the audio data may extract a descriptor from a header of a multichannel audio format signal, or a header of a plurality of audio channels configuring the multichannel audio signal.

In operation 720 , the apparatus for playing the audio data may play a multichannel audio signal, based on the extracted descriptor. The apparatus for playing the audio data may play the multichannel audio signal, based on play information of the multichannel audio signal described in the descriptor. The apparatus for playing the audio data may render a plurality of audio signals included in the multichannel audio signal, based on play position information included in the descriptor. The apparatus for playing the audio data may perform down-mixing on the multichannel audio signal, based on user environmental information, such as information on channel conditions of the apparatus for playing the audio data, information on loudspeaker arrangement, and the like.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the apparatus for playing the audio data may display information included in metadata or the descriptor. The apparatus for playing the audio data may display information based on a position at which an audio signal is played, information on an identity of an audio signal currently being played, and the like.

The above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be recorded in computer-readable media including program instructions to implement various operations embodied by a computer. The media may also include, alone or in combination with the program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD ROM discs and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as floptical discs; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter. The described hardware devices may be configured to act as one or more software modules in order to perform the operations of the above-described exemplary embodiments of the present invention, or vice versa.

Although a few exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the described exemplary embodiments. Instead, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made to these exemplary embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.