EP1649452B1 - Error concealment in multi-channel audio systems - Google Patents
Error concealment in multi-channel audio systems Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1649452B1 EP1649452B1 EP04809050A EP04809050A EP1649452B1 EP 1649452 B1 EP1649452 B1 EP 1649452B1 EP 04809050 A EP04809050 A EP 04809050A EP 04809050 A EP04809050 A EP 04809050A EP 1649452 B1 EP1649452 B1 EP 1649452B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- signal
- channel
- signals
- erroneous
- portions
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
- G10L—SPEECH ANALYSIS OR SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- G10L19/00—Speech or audio signals analysis-synthesis techniques for redundancy reduction, e.g. in vocoders; Coding or decoding of speech or audio signals, using source filter models or psychoacoustic analysis
- G10L19/005—Correction of errors induced by the transmission channel, if related to the coding algorithm
Definitions
- the present invention relates in general to methods and devices of multi-channel audio systems, and in particular to methods and devices for concealment of erroneous channel signals.
- Audio signals are achieved, either as direct recordings or generation of stereophonic sound or as retrieval of earlier stored representations of audio signals, and transmitted in some way to an end unit, such as a loudspeaker system or storage for audio signals.
- the audio signals are typically encoded before being transmitted, and decoded at the receiver side.
- Parametric encoding is found to be very attractive, since the required bit rate for transmitting multi-channel data can be reduced significantly compared to mere waveform encodings.
- parametric encoding schemes There are several examples of parametric encoding schemes in prior art.
- communications systems are typically associated with error-prone transmission channels, e.g. in wireless communication or through the Internet.
- error handling routines such as forward error correction (FEC) and retransmission schemes, which tries to compensate for certain types of transmission-induced errors.
- FEC forward error correction
- the decoders in the case of digital signals, have to be configured to receive also corrupted signals or even cope with lost signal portions.
- the decoders will receive coded data corresponding to frames of the input signal and there is typically a flag indicating if the frame data is error-free or corrupted or lost, i.e. unusable. In case of unusable data, the decoder will not be able to decode and reconstruct the corresponding signal frame. Instead means for frame loss concealment will be deployed rendering the loss as inaudible as possible.
- the frame loss may specifically affect the stereo or multi-channel audio representation.
- the decoder may still be able to reconstruct the other channel, or, depending on the chosen equivalent representation, it may still be possible to reconstruct a monophonic signal.
- a sudden loss of one of the audio channels as well as e.g. the sudden change from a stereo to a mono signal will harm the perceived audio quality.
- An important part of audio codec error concealment is thus the mitigation of losses of stereophonic or multi-channel information.
- Non-parametric audio codecs will typically repeat or estimate e.g. by means of interpolation correctly received signal values in order to generate a substitution for the erroneous values.
- the US patent 6,490,551 by Wiese et. al. teaches about substituting lost spectral components by estimates (e.g. by interpolation) from corresponding components of the same or another (stereo) channel including time or frequency domain sampled values. The merit of this patent is that, as it claims, it maintains the stereophonic impression.
- Typical frame loss concealment for parametric audio codecs involves replacing an erroneous parameter by an earlier and correctly received corresponding parameter. This is a temporal technique widely used in speech codecs that is directly applicable for parametric audio codecs. It is described in detail e.g. in the 3GPP specification on error concealment of lost frames for the AMR speech codec, 3 GPP TS 26.091, clauses 6 and 7.
- the patent EP 0 637 013 by Cluever describes a parametric frame loss concealment method for non-parametric monophonic speech codecs.
- the signal values from a correctly received speech frame are used to derive the parameters of a speech synthesis model.
- the missing speech frame is synthesised by applying that model using the parameters derived during the last valid speech frame.
- Such a technique could in principle be applied for error concealment in audio codecs, and in the multi-channel case channel by channel.
- binaural cue coding - Part II: Schemes and Applications by C. Faller and F. Baumgarte, in IEEE Transactions on Speech and Audio Processing, vol. 11, No. 6. pp. 520-531 binaural cue coding is disclosed in general contexts.
- a general object of the present invention is thus to provide improved methods and devices for channel signal loss concealment, allowing more accurate generation of replacement signals of missing or erroneous signal components.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide concealment methods and devices, which are useful together with any encoding principles, and in particular with parametric encoding systems.
- a parametric model is used, which allows for generating replacements of lost or erroneous components of an audio channel from an input signal.
- the parameters of that model will be derived and stored.
- the missing information or at least a conjecture of it is recovered or generated by applying the model using the stored parameters.
- the application of the model may involve filtering of input signal components of at least one other audio channel or some other signal not necessarily related to any audio signal.
- a state-of-the-art temporal error concealment technique is applied for recovering the input signal from input signal information received at an earlier time instance. Then, in a second step, the error concealment according to the invention is applied generating a conjecture of the original multi-channel information from the recovered input signal.
- the multi-channel information recovery according to the invention can be combined with traditional temporal error concealment techniques, which recover lost information of the respective same channels based on information received for these channels at an earlier time instance.
- One advantage of the present invention is that losses of multi-channel information can be mitigated in an improved manner, since inter-channel correlations are utilised for recovering the original channel signals.
- the invention is very generally applicable and can e.g. be used in multi-channel audio signal transmission systems using any type of encoding techniques, or in systems not even utilising signal encoding.
- multi-channel is used to characterise more than one channel.
- stereo channel systems are included in the term “multi-channel” systems.
- An alternative definition is a system of n channels, where n ⁇ 2.
- the term "erroneous signal” comprises all kinds of errors, also including the absence or loss of the signal.
- a typical site for a concealment device is within or in the vicinity of a receiver or decoder.
- the present invention is due to its characteristic parts more generally applicable, and may be applied almost anywhere in multi-channel audio systems. For illustrating this, the present detailed description begins with a few examples of systems, in which the present invention is advantageously applicable.
- Fig. 1A illustrates an embodiment of an audio system 1 that is based on digital signals.
- a multi-channel signal source 10 retrieves stored signals from an audio signal storage 12, in this embodiment a CD of digitally encoded signals representing audio signals.
- the multi-channel audio signals are transmitted via source outputs 14.
- the audio multi-channel signals could also be provided in real time, as indicated by broken lines and a set of microphones 11.
- a concealment device 20 could thereby by advantage be connected to the source outputs 14.
- the "repaired" multi-channel signals are then transmitted to destination inputs 34, in this embodiment connected to one respective loudspeaker 30.
- Fig. 1B illustrates another embodiment of an audio system 1, which in this case is based on a stereo source 10 of an analogue type.
- a vinyl disc 12 comprises audio signals encoded as geometrical undulations in tracks of the vinyl disc 10.
- the stereo-channel audio signals are via source outputs 14 provided to a sampling unit 13, which samples the analogue sound into digital representation.
- the sampling unit 13 operates as an analogue-to-digital converter for audio signals.
- a concealment device 20 could thereby by advantage be connected to the source outputs 14.
- the "repaired" multi-channel signals are then again transmitted to stereo destination inputs 34, in this embodiment connected to two loudspeakers 30.
- Fig. 1C illustrates yet another embodiment of an audio system 1.
- some multi-channel audio signals are down-loaded from a multi-channel audio signal source 10, in this embodiment a music tracks provider.
- the multi-channel signals are retrieved from the source 10 and provided over a multi-channel connection 4 to an encoder 5.
- the encoder 5 converts the multi-channel signals into one common data stream transmitted via a connection 6 to a radio transmitter unit 7. Any type of encoding principles can be utilised.
- the radio transmitter unit 7 prepares to common data stream for being transmitted as radio signals 9 from a sender antenna 8 to a receiver antenna 15.
- a radio receiver unit 16 receives the signals and provides an as correct version of the original common data stream as possible via a connection 17 to a decoder 18.
- the decoder 18 converts the common data stream of connection 17 into a number of channel signals, provided at source outputs 14.
- the radio part of this system is probably the main origin of errors in the audio signals.
- Both the radio receiver 16 and the decoder 18 typically comprise more or less complicated error-handling functionalities or concealment devices.
- a concealment device 20 according to the present invention could anyway be of advantage if connected to the source outputs 14.
- the "repaired" multi-channel signals are then again transmitted to multi-channel destination inputs 34, in this embodiment connected to an audio signal storage 31.
- Audio signals transmitted through Internet are also often exposed to transmission errors.
- a corresponding concealment device 20 is therefore advantageously applied on the receiving side of an Internet based audio transmitting system.
- the basic principle of the invention is that one channel signal out of a multi-channel signal set can be reproduced fairly accurate by applying a parametric filter to an input signal.
- the input signal may be any signal, e.g. a noise signal.
- the input signal is dependent on a linear combination of at least one of the other multi-channel signals - giving a "main" signal.
- the main signal may be a mono signal, i.e. a signal representing the audio signals if they were recorded by only one source (microphone).
- other embodiments utilise a main signal that excludes the channel signal to be reproduced.
- Fig. 2 illustrates this principle more in detail.
- Channel signals are provided at source outputs 14.
- the concealment device 20 comprises a linear combination unit 21, which creates main signals m.
- the main signal m could be provided from elsewhere.
- the main signal m is provided to a number of channel filter sections 40, in which concealment of an erroneous channel signal can be performed according to the present invention.
- the main signals provided to the different channel filter sections 40 could be the same main signal or different ones.
- the non-erroneous or concealed channel signals are provided to the destination inputs 34.
- the channel filter sections 40 are based on parametric filters, controlled by a set of coefficients. These coefficients are adaptively derived during reception of valid frames from the channel signal in question and preferably from at least one of the other channels through the main signal.
- the computed parameters are stored in a parameter memory.
- the parametric model is applied using the stored model parameters and the main signal of the at least one other channel signal.
- the resulting output signal of the parametric model may be used as a substitute for the lost channel signal or it may be combined with a channel signal that has been derived using any prior art technique in order to generate such a substitute.
- Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment of one of the channel filter sections 40 according to the present invention.
- the concealment device 20 connected to the source outputs 14 comprises a number of channel filter sections 40, preferably one per channel, of which only one is illustrated in Fig. 3.
- the illustrated channel filter section 40 is indicated as dotted.
- the illustrated channel filter section 40 affects the channel signal x1, which is assumed to be divided in time portions, e.g. frames.
- the time portion n of the channel signal is denoted x 1 ( n ) .
- An error status investigating means 23 is connected to the channel signal x 1 ( n ). If the signal portion is free from errors, i.e. a valid frame is present, the channel signal is forwarded to a signal tracking means 22.
- the linear combination unit 21 of the concealment device 20 provides a main signal m -1 ( n ), which excludes the channel signal x 1 ( n ), to a parametric filter means 26 of the signal tracking means 22.
- the filter generates an output signal x ⁇ 1 ( n ), which is intended to be an estimate of the channel signal x 1 ( n ).
- An addition means 28 generates a difference signal ⁇ x 1 ( n ), which is provided to a filter optimising means 27, optimising the parameters or coefficients of the parametric filter in order to minimise the difference signal ⁇ x 1 ( n ) according to a minimum criterion.
- the difference signal ⁇ x 1 ( n ) is minimised in a mean-square or a weighted mean-square sense.
- Optimised parameters h 1 ( n ) achieved in this manner are provided as output signal from the signal tracking means 22, and represents the momentary correlation between the main signal m -1 ( n ) and the channel signal x 1 ( n ).
- the optimised parameters h 1 ( n ) are stored in a memory 24 for later use.
- the minimisation procedure can alternatively be implemented by using a known Wiener filter error minimisation procedure solving a linear equation system by, e.g., applying a Levinson recursion, discussed further below.
- the channel signal x 1 ( n ) is connected in an unmodified manner through a switch means 42 to the multi-channel destination inputs 34.
- the error status investigating means 23 concludes that the present channel signal portion x 1 ( n ) is erroneous, entirely or partly, the channel signal portion is not forwarded to the signal tracking means 22. Instead, a control signal is provided for the switch means 42 to interrupt the channel signal portion.
- the main signal m -1 ( n ) is provided to a reconstruction filter 25, which is defined by parameters associated with the previous error-free channel signal portion h 1 ( n- 1 ).
- An output signal x l * n from the reconstruction filter 25 is a conjecture of the original, now erroneous, channel signal, generated from the main signal m -1 ( n ) using the previous momentary correlation between the main signal m -1 ( n -1) and the channel signal x 1 ( n -1).
- the switch means 42 replaces the incoming erroneous channel signal with the conjecture signal x l * n in order to conceal the error in a best possible way.
- the reconstruction filter 25 uses the latest stored set of parameters associated with an error-free channel signal portion. This means that if two successive erroneous portions occur, the conjecture signal of the second one is based on the correlation between the main signal m -1 ( n - 2) and the channel signal x 1 ( n - 2 ) for a channel signal portion two portions back. The longer the sequence of erroneous signals is, the more inaccurate the filter relevancy becomes.
- the conjecture signal x l * n regenerated for a first erroneous channel signal is connected back, as illustrated by the broken line 41, to the signal tracking means 22 to form the basis of a new filter estimation.
- a concealment of a successive erroneous channel signal can then be based on always the latest available filter version, regardless whether this filter version is associated with an error-free or a conjecture signal.
- a successive erroneous channel signal can be concealed using a signal deduced as a combination of the two previous approaches, i.e. a combination of the latest error-free filter and the latest conjecture signal based filter.
- the signal tracking by means of creation of parametric filters is performed on each individual channel signal.
- FIG. 4 illustrates such an alternative.
- four channel filter sections 40 are provided, which are applied on linear combinations of the channel signals, created in respective linear combinators 44.
- the conjecture signal outputs from the channel filter sections 40 are again linearly combined in an output combinator 45, in order to generate the replacement signals for the erroneous channel signals.
- the channel signals may also themselves be linear combinations of original channel signals.
- a common approach for transmitting stereo audio signals is to transmit a mono signal, which is a mean of the two channel signals, and a side signal being half the difference between the original signals.
- an error may very well appear in either the mono or side signal, whereby a channel signal concealment according to the present invention advantageously is performed e.g. on the side signal based on the mono signal.
- an encode/decoder system uses a side and mono signal representation of the original input signal.
- the input signal to the parametric model is a decoded mono signal m '( n ) while the model generates an estimate ⁇ '( n ) of the decoded side signal s' ( n ) .
- An error minimisation procedure calculates the filter coefficient vector h such that the filter output signal ⁇ '( n ) best matches the side signal s '( n ).
- the filter coefficients are merely stored but not further used. However, if the subsequent frame is erroneous such that at least parts of the side signal s ' are unavailable, then the stored coefficients will be used.
- the mono signal m' ( n ) will be derived.
- the parametric model will be applied in order to reconstruct a substitution signal s'* ( n ) for the side signal. This is done by first setting the filter coefficients to those stored in the memory. Then the mono signal is filtered, which will generate the signal s '* ( n ).
- step 200 an input signal is provided, preferably a main signal based on a linear combination calculation of received channel signals.
- the main signal can also be provided as one of the channel signals.
- the main signal can also be provided from elsewhere, e.g. as a result of another concealment procedure.
- the mono signal is in some sense associated with the present channel signals.
- step 204 the error status of the channel signal in question is investigated.
- a frame comprising signal data is typically provided with some error status bits.
- the investigation step will in such a case comprise the checking of the error status bits.
- the actual signal content could be analysed for detecting "unrealistic" behaviours. This may e.g. be useful in analogous audio systems.
- step 206 Based on the error status of the channel signal, it is decided in step 206 if the present portion or frame of the channel signal is erroneous, totally or in part. If the channel signal is error-free, the procedure continues to step 208, where the parametric filter is optimised, e.g. according to principles similar to what was described above. The optimised parameters are then stored in step 210 for any possible future use.
- step 212 A signal that is going to replace and thereby conceal the erroneous signal is generated in step 212 by filtering the provided main signal in a filter defined by parameters from the preceding error-free frame or signal portion.
- step 214 the generated signal replaces the erroneous signal portion, thereby concealing the error in a best possible manner. The procedure stops in step 299.
- step 212 the filter parameters associated with the last error-free signal portion is used, regardless of how far back that signal was received.
- step 212 can also be modified to comprise a gradual muting of the filter parameters, which will lead to a gradual transfer to a pure main signal.
- Fig. 5B illustrates an alternative embodiment. All steps that are similar as in Fig. 5A have the same reference numbers and will not be further discussed. If an erroneous signal portion is detected, the procedure will continue to step 211, in which a concealment signal is produced. This signal is based on earlier filter parameters according to any predetermined configuration.
- the step 211 may even include a combination of parameters deduced from error-free signals and from concealment signals. Such alternatives will be discussed further below.
- FIG. 7A illustrates a concealment situation having a single erroneous signal.
- filter parameters h k ( n - 1) for channel x k are generated, based on signal information from the other channel signals.
- the channel x k is erroneous and cannot be used.
- the remaining channels in frame n can be utilised to produce a main signal m - k ( n ).
- the main signal m -k ( n ) and the stored filter parameters h k ( n - 1) are then used to generate a conjecture x k * n of an original signal, which is used for concealing the erroneous signal.
- correlations not only in the temporal direction, but also in the channel space, are used for creating the conjecture signal x k * n .
- the situation may look like Fig. 7B, if the embodiment of Fig. 5A is applied.
- the filter parameters of frame n-2 are stored.
- a main signal m -k ( n ) is provided and applied to the filter with the parameters from frame n-2 to achieve a replacement signal x k * n .
- channel correlations of frame n-2 and frame n are used, together with temporal correlations between frames n-2 and n.
- the information of frame n-1 is essentially unused. For shorter sequences of erroneous frames, such an information neglecting might not be very serious.
- the intermediate frames are considered.
- Fig. 7C illustrates the situation according to a method according to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5B.
- the error-free filter parameters h k ( n- 2) are achieved in the same way.
- the conjecture signal x k * ⁇ n - 1 of frame n-1 is here also utilised to produce another set of filter parameters h k * ⁇ n - 1 , however, not based on totally error-free signals.
- a conjecture signal x k * n of frame n can be determined by using the h k * ⁇ n - 1 parameters on a main signal m -k ( n ) .
- the conjecture signal x k * n will then involve correlations from both frame n and n-1.
- Another possibility is to combine information deduced from the parameters h k * ⁇ n - 1 and h k ( n- 2) , which will further increase the base upon which the concealment is founded.
- Fig. 7D illustrates a further embodiment of the invention.
- the situation is that for frame n components of channel signal k are erroneous and need to be concealed according to the invention.
- frame n-1 at least channel p is affected by errors, but not channel k.
- the frame n-2 is assumed to be totally error-free.
- a set of filter coefficients h k (n-1) can be derived for the time instance n-1 according to the methods described above, for which a main signal m -p excluding the erroneous channel p is used in the derivation of the filter parameters.
- frame n channel signal k is erroneous, it may even be more advantageous to use a main signal m -p,-k excluding both channels p and k when deriving the filter parameters.
- Using a set of filter parameters derived such way will lead to a conjecture signal x k * n .
- this set is not based on totally error-free signals, it can be advantageous to use a conjecture signal x k * * n for frame n by using the filter parameters h k (n-2) derived from the last totally error-free frame n-2.
- An even better solution is to combine both conjecture signals or to derive the conjecture signal by applying the model using a set of filter parameters combining both sets of filter coefficients h k (n-2) and h k (n-1).
- a receiver may pre-calculate and store for each channel k all possible model parameter sets by permuting all possible combinations of channel exclusions from the main signal. Having precalculated all such models allows the receiver at some subsequent frame with errors to use that specific model parameter set which matches the pattern of erroneous and error-free channels.
- the deriving and generating input signals are preferably as similar as possible.
- the coefficients to be used for recovery of the multi-channel signal x k ( n ) can be derived as a combination of all parameter sets derived during the preceding frames back to the last valid frame (or even longer).
- One example realisation of such a muting technique for the case that the model is a FIR filter is to gradually attenuate the filter coefficients. Full muting is achieved by setting all coefficients to zero.
- the main signal is not available as such, but has to be synthesised from the individual channel signals. If all the individual channel signals are defect, no useful main signal for the multi-channel concealment according to the invention is available. Also, if the main signal is achieved from elsewhere, the main signal may be erroneous. In such cases, any prior-art conventional concealment technique can be employed for obtaining a substitution signal for the main signal, before the main signal is used in the creation of filter parameters or channel signal concealment signals. In case the main signal has to be obtained as a linear combination of the individual channel signals, the procedure of step 202 in Figs. 5A and 5B may look like Fig. 6.
- step 216 a decision whether all the individual channel signals are erroneous and thereby no useful main signal is available has to be made in step 216. As in the investigation of the error status of a particular channel signal, this decision can be based on either frame error status bits or on more sophisticated error detection techniques. If any of the channel signals is error-free, the procedure continues to step 220, in which a linear combination of the non-defective channel signals is created as the main signal excluding the erroneous channel signals. If all channel signals are erroneous, the procedure continues to step 218, where a main signal concealment technique according to conventional methods is used for providing an estimated main signal, which later can be used in the channel signal concealment procedure according to the present invention. A case in which multiple channel signals are erroneous and the invention is applied recursively in order to recover all erroneous channel signals will be described below.
- Fig. 8 illustrates a combined decoder and concealment device 90, both based on parametric filter techniques.
- An encoded mono signal m" is provided at a first connection 17A, and encoded filter parameters h" 1 -h" 3 are provided at a second connection 17B.
- the mono signal is decoded in a mono signal decoder 80 according to any conventional mono signal techniques, giving a decoded mono signal m'.
- the mono signal m' is provided to a decoder filter unit 86.
- the encoded filter parameters h" 1 -h" 3 are decoded in a parameter decoder 84.
- the decoded filter parameters h' 1 -h' 3 are provided to a decoder filter unit 86 for defining a filter, which applied to the mono signal regenerates linear combinations c' 1 -c' 3 of channel signals.
- the linear combinations c' 1 -c' 3 and the mono signal m' are combined in a linear combination unit 82 to four channel signals x' 1 -x' 4 .
- the decoded filter parameters h' 1 -h' 3 are also provided to a memory 24 for storage waiting for any possible future use.
- An error status investigating means 23 checks if the parameters are erroneous or not. If an error is discovered, the decoded mono signal is additionally provided to a reconstruction filter 25, defined by stored filter parameters. The generated signal replaces the erroneous signal by a switch means 42 in analogy with earlier described embodiments.
- FIG. 9 illustrates a block scheme of an embodiment of a concealment device 20 according to the present invention applied in an analogous audio system.
- Two analogue channels x 1 and x 2 are provided to a mono signal deriving unit 96 in the concealment device 20.
- the mono signal deriving unit 96 takes the average of the two channels and samples the combined signal into a digital representation of the mono signal m ⁇ .
- the analogue signals are forwarded to one channel filter section 40 each, of which only one is illustrated in detail.
- An error detector 93 is connected to sense the characteristics of the analogous signal. Normal audio signals typically follow certain statistical behaviours, where the changes in signal characteristics either is fairly slow or follows certain harmonics statistics. An error in an analogous signal often appears as a sudden and extremely uncorrelated change in the spectral characteristics. There are different kinds of detectors in prior art for finding probable error portions of analogous audio signals. If no error is detected in the error detector 93, the analogous signal is brought through a delay unit 97 for adjusting the timing of an unmodified analogous signal to the timing of a concealed error signal. A switch means 42 provides the unaltered analogous signal on the output from the channel filter section 40.
- the analogous signal is also transferred to sampling unit 92, where the analogous audio signal is digitised and divided in frames of a predetermined duration.
- the digitised version of the channel signal x ⁇ 1 is in analogy with the description above used for optimising a parametric filter 26.
- the digitised mono signal m ⁇ is used as input signal of the filter 26, and a filter optimising means 27 optimises the parameters, which then are stored in a memory 24. During non-error conditions, these are the complete actions.
- the switch means 42 is controlled to instead accept an analogous concealment portion.
- the digitised mono signal m ⁇ is modified by any prior art methods for mono signal concealment in a mono signal concealment unit 95 if any of the channel signals are erroneous.
- the modified mono signal is provided to a reconstruction filter 25 defined by parameters earlier stored in the memory 24, in analogy with the above described principles.
- the digital concealment signal is brought to a digital-to-analogue audio converter 94, which converts the digital signal into an analogue signal, which is connected by the switch means 42 to replace the erroneous signal.
- the present invention is thereby possible to use also for analogous audio signal restoration.
- One aspect of the present invention is the possibility to apply the technique to components of the different audio channels rather than only to the complete audio channels. It is e.g. possible to apply the invention on one or several sub-bands or spectral components.
- One specific embodiment is the application of the invention in a predetermined frequency range, preferably comprising only frequencies below 2 kHz and more preferably only to spectral components below 1 kHz.
- the resulting output signal of a concealment device according to the present invention can be combined with concealment signals obtained by other concealment methods. This can for example be done by means of averaging or weighting the generated replacement signals in different relations.
- the present concealment method can also be used in a recursive manner in order to conceal erroneous signals of more than one channel.
- the method is initially applied such that it recovers a first erroneous channel signal based on the available main signal excluding the erroneous channel signal portions. Then, subsequently, all other erroneous channel signals are recovered recursively, where each of these recursions make use of the available main signal excluding the erroneous channel signal portions and the recovered multi-channel signals of the previous recursion.
- the present concealment method can also be used in a recursive manner also for a single channel.
- a first replacement signal is generated according to the principles of the present invention based on a recovered main signal. This first replacement signal is then utilised to refine the estimation of the true main signal and the method according to the principles of the present invention can be repeated to generate a refined replacement signal. Such a procedure can be repeated until the change between two successive replacement signals falls below a certain limit. Also when more than one channel signal is erroneous, the procedure can be repeated cyclically to successively refine the replacement signals.
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates in general to methods and devices of multi-channel audio systems, and in particular to methods and devices for concealment of erroneous channel signals.
- There is a large interest in handling audio signals, and in particular multi-channel audio signals. Audio signals are achieved, either as direct recordings or generation of stereophonic sound or as retrieval of earlier stored representations of audio signals, and transmitted in some way to an end unit, such as a loudspeaker system or storage for audio signals. In digital signal systems, the audio signals are typically encoded before being transmitted, and decoded at the receiver side.
- Parametric encoding is found to be very attractive, since the required bit rate for transmitting multi-channel data can be reduced significantly compared to mere waveform encodings. There are several examples of parametric encoding schemes in prior art.
- Regardless of what transmission method is used, communications systems are typically associated with error-prone transmission channels, e.g. in wireless communication or through the Internet. There are several levels of combating erroneously received signals. Directly in the transmission layer, there are error handling routines, such as forward error correction (FEC) and retransmission schemes, which tries to compensate for certain types of transmission-induced errors. However, some errors cannot fully be repaired by such transmission-error schemes and the decoders, in the case of digital signals, have to be configured to receive also corrupted signals or even cope with lost signal portions. Typically, the decoders will receive coded data corresponding to frames of the input signal and there is typically a flag indicating if the frame data is error-free or corrupted or lost, i.e. unusable. In case of unusable data, the decoder will not be able to decode and reconstruct the corresponding signal frame. Instead means for frame loss concealment will be deployed rendering the loss as inaudible as possible.
- In case of stereophonic or multi-channel audio signals the frame loss may specifically affect the stereo or multi-channel audio representation. E.g. if one of the transmitted channels is affected, the decoder may still be able to reconstruct the other channel, or, depending on the chosen equivalent representation, it may still be possible to reconstruct a monophonic signal. However, a sudden loss of one of the audio channels as well as e.g. the sudden change from a stereo to a mono signal will harm the perceived audio quality. An important part of audio codec error concealment is thus the mitigation of losses of stereophonic or multi-channel information.
- Most signal loss concealment methods of prior art are directly connected to the type of encoding used during a transmission step. Depending on the type of audio codec, parametric or non-parametric, there are various ways to realize error concealment for audio codecs in general including those for stereophonic or multi-channel audio. Common for all of these are that they are performing concealment attempts during or in direct connection to the actual decoding process.
- Non-parametric audio codecs will typically repeat or estimate e.g. by means of interpolation correctly received signal values in order to generate a substitution for the erroneous values. As an example, the
US patent 6,490,551 by Wiese et. al. teaches about substituting lost spectral components by estimates (e.g. by interpolation) from corresponding components of the same or another (stereo) channel including time or frequency domain sampled values. The merit of this patent is that, as it claims, it maintains the stereophonic impression. - Another similar technique particularly for stereo signals is described in the patent
DE 3638922 according to which lost signal sections of one of the stereo channels are replaced by corresponding signal sections of the other channel. - Typical frame loss concealment for parametric audio codecs involves replacing an erroneous parameter by an earlier and correctly received corresponding parameter. This is a temporal technique widely used in speech codecs that is directly applicable for parametric audio codecs. It is described in detail e.g. in the 3GPP specification on error concealment of lost frames for the AMR speech codec, 3 GPP TS 26.091,
clauses - The patent
EP 0 637 013 by Cluever describes a parametric frame loss concealment method for non-parametric monophonic speech codecs. The signal values from a correctly received speech frame are used to derive the parameters of a speech synthesis model. In case of a frame loss the missing speech frame is synthesised by applying that model using the parameters derived during the last valid speech frame. Such a technique could in principle be applied for error concealment in audio codecs, and in the multi-channel case channel by channel. - In " Binaural cue coding - Part II: Schemes and Applications", by C. Faller and F. Baumgarte, in IEEE Transactions on Speech and Audio Processing, vol. 11, No. 6. pp. 520-531 binaural cue coding is disclosed in general contexts.
- Among the loss concealment methods discussed above, most approaches restore the transmitted channels in multi-channel audio systems independently of each other, ignoring any statistical inter-channel dependencies. The methods of
US 6,490,551 andDE 3638922 do explicitly exploit inter-channel dependencies, but are limited as solutions of non-parametric codecs. Moreover, they are employing a principle of repeating or interpolative estimation of correctly received signal values in order to generate a substitution for the erroneous values, which typically doesn't lead to the best perceptual quality. - A general object of the present invention is thus to provide improved methods and devices for channel signal loss concealment, allowing more accurate generation of replacement signals of missing or erroneous signal components. Another object of the present invention is to provide concealment methods and devices, which are useful together with any encoding principles, and in particular with parametric encoding systems.
- The above objects are achieved by methods and devices according to the enclosed patent claims. In general words, a parametric model is used, which allows for generating replacements of lost or erroneous components of an audio channel from an input signal. During error-free reception of valid frames, the parameters of that model will be derived and stored. In case of frame loss or frame error affecting the multi-channel information, the missing information or at least a conjecture of it is recovered or generated by applying the model using the stored parameters. The application of the model may involve filtering of input signal components of at least one other audio channel or some other signal not necessarily related to any audio signal. In case of several subsequent lost or erroneous frames, it is possible either to use the parameters derived during the last valid frame or to use parameters derived from the recovered multi-channel information of the respective previous invalid frame. It is also possible to combine both techniques, i.e. to use parameters, which have been derived as a combination of the stored parameters of the previous valid frame and the parameters derived from the recovered multi-channel information of the previous invalid frame. Furthermore, if there are long sequences of lost frames, it can be beneficial to apply some gradual muting of the model parameters, which essentially results in a gradual muting of the model parameters, which essentially results in a gradual attenuation of the recovered multi-channel information. In case of complete muting, no multi-channel signal will be recovered, which results in falling back to a sole playback of the main or mono audio channel.
- In case of loss not only of multi-channel information but also of the input signal information, first a state-of-the-art temporal error concealment technique is applied for recovering the input signal from input signal information received at an earlier time instance. Then, in a second step, the error concealment according to the invention is applied generating a conjecture of the original multi-channel information from the recovered input signal.
- More generally, the multi-channel information recovery according to the invention can be combined with traditional temporal error concealment techniques, which recover lost information of the respective same channels based on information received for these channels at an earlier time instance.
- One advantage of the present invention is that losses of multi-channel information can be mitigated in an improved manner, since inter-channel correlations are utilised for recovering the original channel signals. Moreover, the invention is very generally applicable and can e.g. be used in multi-channel audio signal transmission systems using any type of encoding techniques, or in systems not even utilising signal encoding.
- The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by making reference to the following description taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:
- FIGS. 1A-C are a schematic block schemes of embodiments of audio systems according to the present invention;
- FIG. 2 is a block scheme of an embodiment of a concealment device according to the present invention;
- FIG. 3 is a block scheme of an embodiment of a channel filter section according to the present invention;
- FIG. 4 is a block scheme of another embodiment of a concealment device according to the present invention;
- FIGS. 5A-B are flow diagrams of the main steps of embodiments of a method according to the present invention;
- FIG. 6 is a part flow diagram showing a step of embodiments according to the flow diagrams of Figs. 5A-B in more detail;
- FIGS. 7A-D are diagrams illustrating the data correlations according to embodiments of the present invention;
- FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an implementation of an embodiment of a concealment device according to the present invention integrated in a parametric filter decoder; and
- FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an analogue audio system according to the present invention.
- In the present disclosure, the term "multi-channel" is used to characterise more than one channel. For example, stereo channel systems are included in the term "multi-channel" systems. An alternative definition is a system of n channels, where n≥2.
- Furthermore, the term "erroneous signal" comprises all kinds of errors, also including the absence or loss of the signal.
- A typical site for a concealment device is within or in the vicinity of a receiver or decoder. However, the present invention is due to its characteristic parts more generally applicable, and may be applied almost anywhere in multi-channel audio systems. For illustrating this, the present detailed description begins with a few examples of systems, in which the present invention is advantageously applicable.
- Fig. 1A illustrates an embodiment of an
audio system 1 that is based on digital signals. Amulti-channel signal source 10, retrieves stored signals from anaudio signal storage 12, in this embodiment a CD of digitally encoded signals representing audio signals. The multi-channel audio signals are transmitted via source outputs 14. In an alternative system, the audio multi-channel signals could also be provided in real time, as indicated by broken lines and a set ofmicrophones 11. - In the process of providing the audio signals, errors may occur. The signal content of the
CD disk 12 could be deteriorated and difficult or impossible to interpret. The retrieval procedure could also produce some bit errors, giving totally or partly corrupted channel signals. Aconcealment device 20 according to the present invention could thereby by advantage be connected to the source outputs 14. The "repaired" multi-channel signals are then transmitted todestination inputs 34, in this embodiment connected to onerespective loudspeaker 30. - Fig. 1B illustrates another embodiment of an
audio system 1, which in this case is based on astereo source 10 of an analogue type. Avinyl disc 12 comprises audio signals encoded as geometrical undulations in tracks of thevinyl disc 10. The stereo-channel audio signals are via source outputs 14 provided to asampling unit 13, which samples the analogue sound into digital representation. In other words, thesampling unit 13 operates as an analogue-to-digital converter for audio signals. - Also in this process of providing the audio signals, there are error sources. The signal content of the
vinyl disk 12 could be mechanically altered e.g. by grains or scratches. The retrieval procedure could also produce errors significantly influencing the perceptual quality. Finally, the analogue-to-digital conversion may also give rise to totally or partly corrupted channel signals. Aconcealment device 20 according to the present invention could thereby by advantage be connected to the source outputs 14. The "repaired" multi-channel signals are then again transmitted tostereo destination inputs 34, in this embodiment connected to twoloudspeakers 30. - Fig. 1C illustrates yet another embodiment of an
audio system 1. Here, some multi-channel audio signals are down-loaded from a multi-channelaudio signal source 10, in this embodiment a music tracks provider. The multi-channel signals are retrieved from thesource 10 and provided over amulti-channel connection 4 to anencoder 5. Theencoder 5 converts the multi-channel signals into one common data stream transmitted via aconnection 6 to aradio transmitter unit 7. Any type of encoding principles can be utilised. Theradio transmitter unit 7 prepares to common data stream for being transmitted as radio signals 9 from asender antenna 8 to areceiver antenna 15. Aradio receiver unit 16 receives the signals and provides an as correct version of the original common data stream as possible via aconnection 17 to adecoder 18. Thedecoder 18 converts the common data stream ofconnection 17 into a number of channel signals, provided at source outputs 14. - The radio part of this system is probably the main origin of errors in the audio signals. Both the
radio receiver 16 and thedecoder 18 typically comprise more or less complicated error-handling functionalities or concealment devices. However, aconcealment device 20 according to the present invention could anyway be of advantage if connected to the source outputs 14. The "repaired" multi-channel signals are then again transmitted tomulti-channel destination inputs 34, in this embodiment connected to anaudio signal storage 31. - Audio signals transmitted through Internet are also often exposed to transmission errors. A corresponding
concealment device 20 is therefore advantageously applied on the receiving side of an Internet based audio transmitting system. - The basic principle of the invention is that one channel signal out of a multi-channel signal set can be reproduced fairly accurate by applying a parametric filter to an input signal. The input signal may be any signal, e.g. a noise signal. However, in preferred embodiments, the input signal is dependent on a linear combination of at least one of the other multi-channel signals - giving a "main" signal. The main signal may be a mono signal, i.e. a signal representing the audio signals if they were recorded by only one source (microphone). However, other embodiments utilise a main signal that excludes the channel signal to be reproduced. Fig. 2 illustrates this principle more in detail. Channel signals are provided at source outputs 14. The
concealment device 20 comprises alinear combination unit 21, which creates main signals m. In other embodiments, the main signal m could be provided from elsewhere. The main signal m is provided to a number ofchannel filter sections 40, in which concealment of an erroneous channel signal can be performed according to the present invention. The main signals provided to the differentchannel filter sections 40 could be the same main signal or different ones. The non-erroneous or concealed channel signals are provided to thedestination inputs 34. - The
channel filter sections 40 are based on parametric filters, controlled by a set of coefficients. These coefficients are adaptively derived during reception of valid frames from the channel signal in question and preferably from at least one of the other channels through the main signal. The computed parameters are stored in a parameter memory. In case of a frame loss or frame error, which affects at least parts of the channel signal in question, the parametric model is applied using the stored model parameters and the main signal of the at least one other channel signal. The resulting output signal of the parametric model may be used as a substitute for the lost channel signal or it may be combined with a channel signal that has been derived using any prior art technique in order to generate such a substitute. - Fig. 3 illustrates an embodiment of one of the
channel filter sections 40 according to the present invention. Theconcealment device 20 connected to the source outputs 14 comprises a number ofchannel filter sections 40, preferably one per channel, of which only one is illustrated in Fig. 3. The illustratedchannel filter section 40 is indicated as dotted. The illustratedchannel filter section 40 affects the channel signal x1, which is assumed to be divided in time portions, e.g. frames. The time portion n of the channel signal is denoted x 1(n). An error status investigating means 23 is connected to the channel signal x1(n). If the signal portion is free from errors, i.e. a valid frame is present, the channel signal is forwarded to a signal tracking means 22. Thelinear combination unit 21 of theconcealment device 20 provides a main signal m-1 (n), which excludes the channel signal x1(n), to a parametric filter means 26 of the signal tracking means 22. The filter generates an output signal x̂ 1 (n), which is intended to be an estimate of the channel signal x1(n). An addition means 28 generates a difference signal Δx1(n), which is provided to a filter optimising means 27, optimising the parameters or coefficients of the parametric filter in order to minimise the difference signal Δx1(n) according to a minimum criterion. Preferably, the difference signal Δx1(n) is minimised in a mean-square or a weighted mean-square sense. Optimised parameters h 1(n) achieved in this manner are provided as output signal from the signal tracking means 22, and represents the momentary correlation between the main signal m -1(n) and the channel signal x 1(n). The optimised parameters h 1(n) are stored in amemory 24 for later use. - The minimisation procedure can alternatively be implemented by using a known Wiener filter error minimisation procedure solving a linear equation system by, e.g., applying a Levinson recursion, discussed further below.
- The channel signal x 1(n) is connected in an unmodified manner through a switch means 42 to the
multi-channel destination inputs 34. - If the error status investigating means 23 concludes that the present channel signal portion x 1(n) is erroneous, entirely or partly, the channel signal portion is not forwarded to the signal tracking means 22. Instead, a control signal is provided for the switch means 42 to interrupt the channel signal portion. At the same time, the main signal m -1(n) is provided to a
reconstruction filter 25, which is defined by parameters associated with the previous error-free channel signal portion h 1(n-1). (The case of more than one sequential erroneous channel signal is discussed more in detail below.) An output signalreconstruction filter 25 is a conjecture of the original, now erroneous, channel signal, generated from the main signal m -1(n) using the previous momentary correlation between the main signal m -1(n-1) and the channel signal x 1(n -1). The switch means 42 replaces the incoming erroneous channel signal with the conjecture signal - In the case, several successive channel signal portions (frames) are erroneous, different approaches are possible to apply. In one embodiment, the
reconstruction filter 25 uses the latest stored set of parameters associated with an error-free channel signal portion. This means that if two successive erroneous portions occur, the conjecture signal of the second one is based on the correlation between the main signal m -1(n - 2) and the channel signal x 1 (n - 2) for a channel signal portion two portions back. The longer the sequence of erroneous signals is, the more inaccurate the filter relevancy becomes. - In another embodiment, the conjecture signal
broken line 41, to the signal tracking means 22 to form the basis of a new filter estimation. A concealment of a successive erroneous channel signal can then be based on always the latest available filter version, regardless whether this filter version is associated with an error-free or a conjecture signal. - In a third embodiment, a successive erroneous channel signal can be concealed using a signal deduced as a combination of the two previous approaches, i.e. a combination of the latest error-free filter and the latest conjecture signal based filter.
- In the embodiments discussed above, the signal tracking by means of creation of parametric filters is performed on each individual channel signal.
- In other embodiments, it might instead be advantageous to use filters reproducing linear combinations of the channel signals instead. Fig. 4 illustrates such an alternative. Here, four
channel filter sections 40 are provided, which are applied on linear combinations of the channel signals, created in respectivelinear combinators 44. In case of any erroneous signals, the conjecture signal outputs from thechannel filter sections 40 are again linearly combined in anoutput combinator 45, in order to generate the replacement signals for the erroneous channel signals. - The channel signals may also themselves be linear combinations of original channel signals. For instance, a common approach for transmitting stereo audio signals is to transmit a mono signal, which is a mean of the two channel signals, and a side signal being half the difference between the original signals. In such a system, an error may very well appear in either the mono or side signal, whereby a channel signal concealment according to the present invention advantageously is performed e.g. on the side signal based on the mono signal.
-
-
- The input signal to the parametric model is a decoded mono signal m'(n) while the model generates an estimate ŝ'(n) of the decoded side signal s'(n). An error minimisation procedure calculates the filter coefficient vector h such that the filter output signal ŝ'(n) best matches the side signal s'(n). There are known error minimisation procedures that can be applied here, of which one is the Wiener filter approach.
- According to the Wiener approach, the filter h valid for one frame of data is chosen such that it minimises the sum of the squared error between the side signal s'(n) and the filter output ŝ'(n), i.e. the sum of
where n indexing the samples of one received frame. This minimisation criterion leads to requiring the error and the delayed version of signal m' being orthogonal: -
- After calculation, the filter coefficients are merely stored but not further used. However, if the subsequent frame is erroneous such that at least parts of the side signal s' are unavailable, then the stored coefficients will be used.
- In a first step, the mono signal m'(n) will be derived. The case where also the mono signal is affected by the frame loss is discussed more in details further below. In a second step, the parametric model will be applied in order to reconstruct a substitution signal s'*(n) for the side signal. This is done by first setting the filter coefficients to those stored in the memory. Then the mono signal is filtered, which will generate the signal s'* (n).
- The main steps of an embodiment of a concealment method for a channel signal according to the present invention are presented in a flow diagram in Fig. 5A. The procedure starts in
step 200. Instep 202, an input signal is provided, preferably a main signal based on a linear combination calculation of received channel signals. The main signal can also be provided as one of the channel signals. This is a special case of the first alternative, where the "linear combination" of only one channel signal is used. The main signal can also be provided from elsewhere, e.g. as a result of another concealment procedure. Preferably, the mono signal is in some sense associated with the present channel signals. These alternatives will be further discussed below. - In
step 204, the error status of the channel signal in question is investigated. In many digital systems, a frame comprising signal data is typically provided with some error status bits. The investigation step will in such a case comprise the checking of the error status bits. In other cases, where there are no explicit error status information, one has to take more detection-like actions. For instance, parity or redundancy bits can be checked. In even more advanced systems, the actual signal content could be analysed for detecting "unrealistic" behaviours. This may e.g. be useful in analogous audio systems. - Based on the error status of the channel signal, it is decided in
step 206 if the present portion or frame of the channel signal is erroneous, totally or in part. If the channel signal is error-free, the procedure continues to step 208, where the parametric filter is optimised, e.g. according to principles similar to what was described above. The optimised parameters are then stored instep 210 for any possible future use. - If the channel signal is erroneous in any sense, i.e. if the content is corrupt or if the frame is missing, an actual concealment procedure will take place. A signal that is going to replace and thereby conceal the erroneous signal is generated in
step 212 by filtering the provided main signal in a filter defined by parameters from the preceding error-free frame or signal portion. Instep 214, the generated signal replaces the erroneous signal portion, thereby concealing the error in a best possible manner. The procedure stops instep 299. - The above procedure is repeated for every signal portion, which is indicated by the
broken line 250. - The above flow diagram is also valid for one of the embodiments when treating several subsequent erroneous frames. For each erroneous frame, in
step 212, the filter parameters associated with the last error-free signal portion is used, regardless of how far back that signal was received. In a slightly altered embodiment, step 212 can also be modified to comprise a gradual muting of the filter parameters, which will lead to a gradual transfer to a pure main signal. - Fig. 5B illustrates an alternative embodiment. All steps that are similar as in Fig. 5A have the same reference numbers and will not be further discussed. If an erroneous signal portion is detected, the procedure will continue to step 211, in which a concealment signal is produced. This signal is based on earlier filter parameters according to any predetermined configuration.
- When the concealment signal is generated and has replaced the original erroneous signal, the steps of optimising the filter and storing the optimised parameters are performed, but now based on the concealment signal instead of an error-free original signal. In such a way, filters that in some sense comprise latest possible information can be used in successive erroneous signal portions.
- In some embodiments, the
step 211 may even include a combination of parameters deduced from error-free signals and from concealment signals. Such alternatives will be discussed further below. - In order further to visualise the utilisation of information, Fig. 7A illustrates a concealment situation having a single erroneous signal. During a frame n-1, filter parameters hk (n -1) for channel xk are generated, based on signal information from the other channel signals. During frame n, the channel xk is erroneous and cannot be used. However, the remaining channels in frame n can be utilised to produce a main signal m -k (n). The main signal m-k (n) and the stored filter parameters hk (n -1) are then used to generate a conjecture
- For consecutive erroneous signals, the situation may look like Fig. 7B, if the embodiment of Fig. 5A is applied. The filter parameters of frame n-2 are stored. A main signal m-k (n) is provided and applied to the filter with the parameters from frame n-2 to achieve a replacement signal
- Fig. 7C illustrates the situation according to a method according to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5B. The error-free filter parameters hk (n- 2) are achieved in the same way. However, the conjecture signal
-
- Fig. 7D illustrates a further embodiment of the invention. The situation is that for frame n components of channel signal k are erroneous and need to be concealed according to the invention. In the preceding frame n-1 at least channel p is affected by errors, but not channel k. The frame n-2 is assumed to be totally error-free. A set of filter coefficients hk(n-1) can be derived for the time instance n-1 according to the methods described above, for which a main signal m-p excluding the erroneous channel p is used in the derivation of the filter parameters. However, as for frame n channel signal k is erroneous, it may even be more advantageous to use a main signal m-p,-k excluding both channels p and k when deriving the filter parameters. Using a set of filter parameters derived such way will lead to a conjecture signal
- For a given channel k it is thus possible to calculate different model parameter sets, depending on which combination of channel signals is excluded from the main signal. A receiver may pre-calculate and store for each channel k all possible model parameter sets by permuting all possible combinations of channel exclusions from the main signal. Having precalculated all such models allows the receiver at some subsequent frame with errors to use that specific model parameter set which matches the pattern of erroneous and error-free channels.
- As seen from above, it is possible to use a different linear combination of channel signals for deriving the filter parameters - a deriving input signal - than is used for generating the replacement signal - the generating input signal. However, the deriving and generating input signals are preferably as similar as possible.
- Assuming an example where a multi-channel signal xk (n) is lost and needs to be recovered. This is done using the stored model coefficients derived for the last valid frame. If, however, there are several subsequent frame losses and the present lost frame is the qth lost frame in a row, then the stored model coefficients belong to a frame with time index n-q and the coefficient set can be denoted hk (n - q). In this case it can be beneficial to make use of parameters hk (n - 1) derived from the preceding frame even though it was a recovered invalid frame. In general, the coefficients to be used for recovery of the multi-channel signal xk (n) can be derived as a combination of all parameter sets derived during the preceding frames back to the last valid frame (or even longer). One suitable choice is to use a linear combination of the parameter sets:
where α(i) are weighting factors which sum is equal to one. Setting α(n - q) to 1 and all other weights to 0 results in only using the parameters of the last valid frame, while setting α(n-1) to 1 and all other weights to 0 results in only using the parameters of the previous invalid frame. - In cases of long sequences of lost frames, it can be beneficial to apply some gradual muting of the model parameters, which essentially results in a gradual attenuation of the recovered multi-channel information. In case of complete muting, no multi-channel signal will be recovered, which results in falling back to a sole playback of the mono audio channel.
- One example realisation of such a muting technique for the case that the model is a FIR filter is to gradually attenuate the filter coefficients. Full muting is achieved by setting all coefficients to zero.
- In some applications e.g. using the real mono signal as a main signal, the main signal is not available as such, but has to be synthesised from the individual channel signals. If all the individual channel signals are defect, no useful main signal for the multi-channel concealment according to the invention is available. Also, if the main signal is achieved from elsewhere, the main signal may be erroneous. In such cases, any prior-art conventional concealment technique can be employed for obtaining a substitution signal for the main signal, before the main signal is used in the creation of filter parameters or channel signal concealment signals. In case the main signal has to be obtained as a linear combination of the individual channel signals, the procedure of
step 202 in Figs. 5A and 5B may look like Fig. 6. Entering fromstep 200, a decision whether all the individual channel signals are erroneous and thereby no useful main signal is available has to be made instep 216. As in the investigation of the error status of a particular channel signal, this decision can be based on either frame error status bits or on more sophisticated error detection techniques. If any of the channel signals is error-free, the procedure continues to step 220, in which a linear combination of the non-defective channel signals is created as the main signal excluding the erroneous channel signals. If all channel signals are erroneous, the procedure continues to step 218, where a main signal concealment technique according to conventional methods is used for providing an estimated main signal, which later can be used in the channel signal concealment procedure according to the present invention. A case in which multiple channel signals are erroneous and the invention is applied recursively in order to recover all erroneous channel signals will be described below. - Even if the present invention is applicable in systems using any kind of encoding schemes, there might be some additional advantages when applying it to systems using encodings based on parametric filters. When considering e.g. Fig. 1C, it can be seen that if the decoder uses parametric decoding based on a mono signal, the very same mono signal may be provided also to the concealment device. An error in one channel signal may therefore not necessarily affect the mono signal.
- Furthermore, if the decoder utilise the same filter type as in the concealment device, further advantages can be made. Fig. 8 illustrates a combined decoder and
concealment device 90, both based on parametric filter techniques. An encoded mono signal m" is provided at afirst connection 17A, and encoded filter parameters h"1-h"3 are provided at asecond connection 17B. The mono signal is decoded in amono signal decoder 80 according to any conventional mono signal techniques, giving a decoded mono signal m'. The mono signal m' is provided to adecoder filter unit 86. - The encoded filter parameters h"1-h"3 are decoded in a
parameter decoder 84. The decoded filter parameters h'1-h'3 are provided to adecoder filter unit 86 for defining a filter, which applied to the mono signal regenerates linear combinations c'1-c'3 of channel signals. The linear combinations c'1-c'3 and the mono signal m' are combined in alinear combination unit 82 to four channel signals x'1-x'4. - The decoded filter parameters h'1-h'3 are also provided to a
memory 24 for storage waiting for any possible future use. An error status investigating means 23 checks if the parameters are erroneous or not. If an error is discovered, the decoded mono signal is additionally provided to areconstruction filter 25, defined by stored filter parameters. The generated signal replaces the erroneous signal by a switch means 42 in analogy with earlier described embodiments. - Even if the present invention is based on digital processing of audio signals, the invention can also be applied on analogous audio systems. Fig. 9 illustrates a block scheme of an embodiment of a
concealment device 20 according to the present invention applied in an analogous audio system. Two analogue channels x1 and x2 are provided to a monosignal deriving unit 96 in theconcealment device 20. The monosignal deriving unit 96 takes the average of the two channels and samples the combined signal into a digital representation of the mono signal m̃. The analogue signals are forwarded to onechannel filter section 40 each, of which only one is illustrated in detail. - An
error detector 93 is connected to sense the characteristics of the analogous signal. Normal audio signals typically follow certain statistical behaviours, where the changes in signal characteristics either is fairly slow or follows certain harmonics statistics. An error in an analogous signal often appears as a sudden and extremely uncorrelated change in the spectral characteristics. There are different kinds of detectors in prior art for finding probable error portions of analogous audio signals. If no error is detected in theerror detector 93, the analogous signal is brought through adelay unit 97 for adjusting the timing of an unmodified analogous signal to the timing of a concealed error signal. A switch means 42 provides the unaltered analogous signal on the output from thechannel filter section 40. - If no error is detected, the analogous signal is also transferred to
sampling unit 92, where the analogous audio signal is digitised and divided in frames of a predetermined duration. The digitised version of the channel signal x̃ 1 is in analogy with the description above used for optimising aparametric filter 26. The digitised mono signal m̃ is used as input signal of thefilter 26, and a filter optimising means 27 optimises the parameters, which then are stored in amemory 24. During non-error conditions, these are the complete actions. - However, if the
error detector 93 finds an error in the analogous signal, the switch means 42 is controlled to instead accept an analogous concealment portion. The digitised mono signal m̃ is modified by any prior art methods for mono signal concealment in a monosignal concealment unit 95 if any of the channel signals are erroneous. The modified mono signal is provided to areconstruction filter 25 defined by parameters earlier stored in thememory 24, in analogy with the above described principles. The digital concealment signal is brought to a digital-to-analogue audio converter 94, which converts the digital signal into an analogue signal, which is connected by the switch means 42 to replace the erroneous signal. - The present invention is thereby possible to use also for analogous audio signal restoration.
- One aspect of the present invention is the possibility to apply the technique to components of the different audio channels rather than only to the complete audio channels. It is e.g. possible to apply the invention on one or several sub-bands or spectral components. One specific embodiment is the application of the invention in a predetermined frequency range, preferably comprising only frequencies below 2 kHz and more preferably only to spectral components below 1 kHz.
- The resulting output signal of a concealment device according to the present invention can be combined with concealment signals obtained by other concealment methods. This can for example be done by means of averaging or weighting the generated replacement signals in different relations.
- The present concealment method can also be used in a recursive manner in order to conceal erroneous signals of more than one channel. The method is initially applied such that it recovers a first erroneous channel signal based on the available main signal excluding the erroneous channel signal portions. Then, subsequently, all other erroneous channel signals are recovered recursively, where each of these recursions make use of the available main signal excluding the erroneous channel signal portions and the recovered multi-channel signals of the previous recursion.
- If the main signal is affected by the erroneous signal, the present concealment method can also be used in a recursive manner also for a single channel. A first replacement signal is generated according to the principles of the present invention based on a recovered main signal. This first replacement signal is then utilised to refine the estimation of the true main signal and the method according to the principles of the present invention can be repeated to generate a refined replacement signal. Such a procedure can be repeated until the change between two successive replacement signals falls below a certain limit. Also when more than one channel signal is erroneous, the procedure can be repeated cyclically to successively refine the replacement signals.
- The embodiments described above are to be understood as a few illustrative examples of the present invention. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. In particular, different part solutions in the different embodiments can be combined into other configurations, where technically possible. The scope of the present invention is, however, defined by the appended claims.
-
-
US 6,490,551 -
DE 3638922 3 - GPP TS 26.091,
clauses -
EP 0 637 013
Claims (28)
- Method for recovering erroneous components of multi-channel audio signals (x1-xN) utilising inter-channel correlations,
characterised by the steps of:deriving and storing, in an optimisation procedure during error-free conditions for a predetermined channel signal (x1-xN), parameters hk of a parametric model (27) giving an estimate of a portion of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN) when applied to a deriving input signal;detecting if at least a portion of the predetermined channel signal is erroneous; andgenerating, when a portion of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN) is erroneous, a replacement signal portion to the erroneous portion of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN) by applying the parametric model (25) based on the stored parameters (hk) associated with a preceding error-free signal to a generating input signal. - Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the deriving, detecting and generating steps are performed for each of the channel signals (x1-xN).
- Method according to claim 2, characterised in that the input signals for at least two of the channel signals (x1-xN) are different.
- Method according to claim 1 or 3, characterised in that the erroneous portion of the at least one channel signal (x1-xN) is missing or not completely correct.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the input signals are corresponding portions of a linear combination (m; m-1(n); m-k(n); m') of the channel signals (x1-xN).
- Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the deriving input signal is equal to the generating input signal.
- Method according to claim 5, characterised in that the linear combination of the deriving input signal is equal to the linear combination of the generating input signal.
- Method according to claim 5 or 7, characterised in that a plurality of sets of parameters hk of the parametric model (27) are derived for a plurality of linear combinations in the deriving and storing step, whereby the step of generating the replacement signal comprises selecting the set of parameters hk associated with the same linear combination as an available generating input signal.
- Method according to any of the claims 6 to 8, characterised in that the linear combination (m, m') is proportional to a sum of the channel signals (x1-xN).
- Method according to any of the claims 5 to 9, characterised by the further step of:estimating erroneous portions of the linear combination (m; m-1(n); m-k(n); m') of channel signals by temporal error concealment, whereby at least parts of the estimated portions of the linear combination are used in the linear combination.
- Method according to claim 5, 6 or 7, characterised in that the linear combination (m-1(n); m-k(n)) excludes at least a portion of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN).
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the input signal is a noise signal.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 12, characterised bygenerating replacement signal portions to subsequent erroneous portions of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN) by applying the associated parametric model (25) based on at least the stored parameters associated with the last error-free signal to the input signal.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 13, characterised byderiving and storing model parameters (hk) of the parametric model associated with replacement signal portions of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN); andgenerating replacement signal portions to subsequent erroneous portions of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN) by applying the associated parametric model (25) based on at least the stored parameters associated with a preceding replacement signal portion to the input signal.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 14, characterised by the further step of:gradually muting model parameters during subsequent erroneous portions of the predetermined channel signal.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the portions of signals are frames of digital signals.
- Method according to claim 16, characterised in that the step of detecting comprises monitoring of frame status information.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 15, characterised in that the portions of signals are portions of analogue signals having uniform durations.
- Method according to claim 18, characterised in that the step of detecting comprises the step of analysing the spectral characteristics of the analogue signals.
- Method according to claim 18 or 19, characterised by the further steps of:converting analogue channel signals to digital channel signals (x̃ 1);whereby the step of deriving and storing model parameters (hk) is based on the digital channel signals (x̃ 1);converting recovered digital signal portions to analogue signal portions; andreplacing erroneous analogue signal portions with the recovered analogue signal portions
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 20, characterised in that the signal portions are limited in a frequency range.
- Method according to claim 21, characterised in that the method is applied on sub-bands of the multi-channel signals.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 22, characterised by the further steps of:generating a second replacement signal portion for the erroneous portion according to a second temporal signal recovery method; andcombining the first and the second replacement signal portions into a final replacement signal portion, which is used to replace the erroneous channel signal portion.
- Method according to any of the claims 1 to 23, characterised in that the method is applied recursively on more than one simultaneously erroneous channel signal.
- Multi-channel audio signal error concealment device (20) utilising inter-channel correlations,
characterised by:means (22, 24) for deriving, by an optimisation procedure, and storing model parameters (hk) of a parametric model (27) giving an estimate of portions of a predetermined channel signal (x1-xN) when applied to a deriving input signal;error status investigating means (23) of erroneous portions of channel signals (x1-xN); andmeans (25) for generating a replacement signal portion of an erroneous portion of the predetermined channel signal (x1-xN), connected to the means (22, 24) for deriving and storing model parameters (hk), applying the associated parametric model (25) based on the stored parameters (hk) associated with a preceding error-free signal to a generating input signal. - Audio system (1) comprising a multi-channel signal error concealment device (20) according to claim 25.
- Audio system according to claim 26, characterised in that the multi-channel signal error concealment device is connected to or integrated in a receiver (16-18).
- Audio system according to claim 26, characterised in that the multi-channel signal error concealment device (20) is connected to an analogue audio signal system.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
SE0303500A SE0303500D0 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2003-12-19 | Frame loss concealment for multi-channel audio signal transmission |
SE0400416A SE527866C2 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2004-02-20 | Channel signal masking in multi-channel audio system |
PCT/SE2004/001866 WO2005059898A1 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2004-12-15 | Channel signal concealment in multi-channel audio systems |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1649452A1 EP1649452A1 (en) | 2006-04-26 |
EP1649452B1 true EP1649452B1 (en) | 2007-06-20 |
Family
ID=31996353
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP04809050A Active EP1649452B1 (en) | 2003-12-19 | 2004-12-15 | Error concealment in multi-channel audio systems |
Country Status (8)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1649452B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP4723490B2 (en) |
AT (1) | ATE365364T1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE602004007142T2 (en) |
ES (1) | ES2286714T3 (en) |
PT (1) | PT1649452E (en) |
SE (1) | SE527866C2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2005059898A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (10)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP4930320B2 (en) * | 2006-11-30 | 2012-05-16 | ソニー株式会社 | Reproduction method and apparatus, program, and recording medium |
JP5153791B2 (en) * | 2007-12-28 | 2013-02-27 | パナソニック株式会社 | Stereo speech decoding apparatus, stereo speech encoding apparatus, and lost frame compensation method |
RU2491656C2 (en) | 2008-06-27 | 2013-08-27 | Панасоник Корпорэйшн | Audio signal decoder and method of controlling audio signal decoder balance |
CN102138177B (en) * | 2008-07-30 | 2014-05-28 | 法国电信 | Reconstruction of multi-channel audio data |
CN102272830B (en) * | 2009-01-13 | 2013-04-03 | 松下电器产业株式会社 | Audio signal decoding device and method of balance adjustment |
KR101073409B1 (en) * | 2009-03-05 | 2011-10-17 | 주식회사 코아로직 | Decoding apparatus and decoding method |
CN102414745B (en) * | 2009-05-22 | 2014-07-30 | 松下电器产业株式会社 | Encoding device, decoding device, and methods therein |
JP5764488B2 (en) * | 2009-05-26 | 2015-08-19 | パナソニック インテレクチュアル プロパティ コーポレーション オブアメリカPanasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America | Decoding device and decoding method |
EP2761618B1 (en) * | 2011-09-29 | 2016-11-30 | Dolby International AB | High quality detection in fm stereo radio signals |
EP2709101B1 (en) | 2012-09-13 | 2015-03-18 | Nxp B.V. | Digital audio processing system and method |
Family Cites Families (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP3421962B2 (en) * | 1996-10-14 | 2003-06-30 | 日本電信電話株式会社 | Missing sound signal synthesis processing method |
DE19721487A1 (en) * | 1997-05-23 | 1998-11-26 | Thomson Brandt Gmbh | Method and device for concealing errors in multi-channel sound signals |
JP3567750B2 (en) * | 1998-08-10 | 2004-09-22 | 株式会社日立製作所 | Compressed audio reproduction method and compressed audio reproduction device |
DE60030069T2 (en) * | 1999-11-23 | 2007-02-22 | Texas Instruments Inc., Dallas | Obfuscation procedure for loss of speech frames |
JP2001296894A (en) * | 2000-04-12 | 2001-10-26 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Voice processor and voice processing method |
DE10034783A1 (en) * | 2000-07-18 | 2002-02-07 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Method for concealing transmission errors in digital audio data |
AU2003201097A1 (en) * | 2002-02-18 | 2003-09-04 | Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. | Parametric audio coding |
AU2002309146A1 (en) * | 2002-06-14 | 2003-12-31 | Nokia Corporation | Enhanced error concealment for spatial audio |
US20040083110A1 (en) * | 2002-10-23 | 2004-04-29 | Nokia Corporation | Packet loss recovery based on music signal classification and mixing |
-
2004
- 2004-02-20 SE SE0400416A patent/SE527866C2/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-12-15 JP JP2006518595A patent/JP4723490B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2004-12-15 PT PT04809050T patent/PT1649452E/en unknown
- 2004-12-15 WO PCT/SE2004/001866 patent/WO2005059898A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2004-12-15 AT AT04809050T patent/ATE365364T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 2004-12-15 EP EP04809050A patent/EP1649452B1/en active Active
- 2004-12-15 ES ES04809050T patent/ES2286714T3/en active Active
- 2004-12-15 DE DE602004007142T patent/DE602004007142T2/en active Active
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP4723490B2 (en) | 2011-07-13 |
JP2007529020A (en) | 2007-10-18 |
ES2286714T3 (en) | 2007-12-01 |
WO2005059898A1 (en) | 2005-06-30 |
SE0400416L (en) | 2005-06-20 |
DE602004007142T2 (en) | 2008-02-14 |
DE602004007142D1 (en) | 2007-08-02 |
PT1649452E (en) | 2007-08-08 |
SE527866C2 (en) | 2006-06-27 |
ATE365364T1 (en) | 2007-07-15 |
EP1649452A1 (en) | 2006-04-26 |
SE0400416D0 (en) | 2004-02-20 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US7835916B2 (en) | Channel signal concealment in multi-channel audio systems | |
EP1356454B1 (en) | Wideband signal transmission system | |
KR101290425B1 (en) | Systems and methods for reconstructing an erased speech frame | |
KR101291197B1 (en) | Method and Apparatus for decoding Audio signal | |
US6687670B2 (en) | Error concealment in digital audio receiver | |
Gunduzhan et al. | Linear prediction based packet loss concealment algorithm for PCM coded speech | |
RU2760485C1 (en) | Audio encoding device, audio encoding method, audio encoding program, audio decoding device, audio decoding method and audio decoding program | |
US20090204397A1 (en) | Linear predictive coding of an audio signal | |
EP2458585B1 (en) | Error concealment for sub-band coded audio signals | |
US8867752B2 (en) | Reconstruction of multi-channel audio data | |
EP1649452B1 (en) | Error concealment in multi-channel audio systems | |
US20120065984A1 (en) | Decoding device and decoding method | |
Chen et al. | Model-based multirate representation of speech signals and its application to recovery of missing speech packets | |
De Martin et al. | Improved frame erasure concealment for CELP-based coders | |
KR20080075050A (en) | Method and apparatus for updating parameter of error frame | |
KR20070059860A (en) | Method and apparatus for restoring digital audio packet loss | |
US10763885B2 (en) | Method of error concealment, and associated device | |
US20010025242A1 (en) | Error concealment method with pitch change detection | |
EP1386311A1 (en) | Inverse filtering method, synthesis filtering method, inverse filter device, synthesis filter device and devices comprising such filter devices | |
KR19990053837A (en) | Method and apparatus for error concealment of audio signal | |
KR20000014653A (en) | Progressively voice reconstructing method at a continuous frame error in a voice demodulator | |
MXPA96002142A (en) | Speech classification with voice / no voice for use in decodification of speech during decorated by quad |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012 |
|
17P | Request for examination filed |
Effective date: 20051108 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: A1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
17Q | First examination report despatched |
Effective date: 20060831 |
|
GRAP | Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1 |
|
RTI1 | Title (correction) |
Free format text: ERROR CONCEALMENT IN MULTI-CHANNEL AUDIO SYSTEMS |
|
DAX | Request for extension of the european patent (deleted) | ||
GRAS | Grant fee paid |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3 |
|
GRAA | (expected) grant |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210 |
|
AK | Designated contracting states |
Kind code of ref document: B1 Designated state(s): AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: GB Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: EP |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: IE Ref legal event code: FG4D |
|
REF | Corresponds to: |
Ref document number: 602004007142 Country of ref document: DE Date of ref document: 20070802 Kind code of ref document: P |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: PT Ref legal event code: SC4A Free format text: AVAILABILITY OF NATIONAL TRANSLATION Effective date: 20070727 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070920 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: NV Representative=s name: ISLER & PEDRAZZINI AG |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: PL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 Ref country code: AT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: ES Ref legal event code: FG2A Ref document number: 2286714 Country of ref document: ES Kind code of ref document: T3 |
|
ET | Fr: translation filed | ||
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: BE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: BG Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070920 Ref country code: IS Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20071020 Ref country code: SI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: SK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 Ref country code: LT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
PLBE | No opposition filed within time limit |
Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261 |
|
STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: GR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070921 Ref country code: DK Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
26N | No opposition filed |
Effective date: 20080325 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: RO Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: MC Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20071231 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: EE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: CY Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20070620 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: LU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20071215 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: HU Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT Effective date: 20071221 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: PLFP Year of fee payment: 12 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: PLFP Year of fee payment: 13 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151215 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20151215 |
|
PGRI | Patent reinstated in contracting state [announced from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Effective date: 20170710 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: FR Ref legal event code: PLFP Year of fee payment: 14 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: TR Payment date: 20201127 Year of fee payment: 17 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: CZ Payment date: 20201126 Year of fee payment: 17 Ref country code: PT Payment date: 20201124 Year of fee payment: 17 Ref country code: FR Payment date: 20201227 Year of fee payment: 17 Ref country code: GB Payment date: 20201228 Year of fee payment: 17 Ref country code: IE Payment date: 20201228 Year of fee payment: 17 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: NL Payment date: 20201226 Year of fee payment: 17 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Payment date: 20201221 Year of fee payment: 17 Ref country code: CH Payment date: 20210106 Year of fee payment: 17 |
|
PGFP | Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: DE Payment date: 20201229 Year of fee payment: 17 Ref country code: ES Payment date: 20210104 Year of fee payment: 17 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: DE Ref legal event code: R119 Ref document number: 602004007142 Country of ref document: DE |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: PT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20220615 Ref country code: CZ Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211215 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: CH Ref legal event code: PL |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: NL Ref legal event code: MM Effective date: 20220101 |
|
GBPC | Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee |
Effective date: 20211215 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: NL Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20220101 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211215 Ref country code: GB Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211215 Ref country code: DE Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20220701 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: FR Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211231 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: LI Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211231 Ref country code: CH Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211231 |
|
REG | Reference to a national code |
Ref country code: ES Ref legal event code: FD2A Effective date: 20230217 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: ES Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211216 |
|
PG25 | Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo] |
Ref country code: IT Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES Effective date: 20211231 |