MULTI-CHANNEL ENCODER, SIGNAL PROCESSOR FOR INCLUSION IN THE MULTI-CHANNEL ENCODER, METHOD OF ENCODING INPUT SIGNALS IN THE MULTI-CHANNEL ENCODER, ENCODED OUTPUT DATA GENERATED ACCORDING TO THE ENCODING METHOD, MULTI-CHANNEL DECODER, SIGNAL PROCESSOR FOR USE IN THE MULTI-CHANNEL DECODER, AND METHOD OF DECODING ENCODED DATA IN THE MULTI-CHANNEL DECODER

摘要

There is described a method of encoding input signals (CH1 to CH3; 400 to 450) in a multi-channel encoder (5; 15) to generate corresponding output data comprising down-mix output signals (610, 620) together with complementary parametric data (600). The method includes a first step of down-mixing input signals (CH1 to GH3; 400 to 450) to generate the corresponding down-mix output signals (610, 620), and a second step of processing the input signals (CH1 to CH3; 400 to 450) during down-mixing to generate said parametric data (600) complementary to the down-mix output signals (610, 620). Processing of the input signals (CH1 to CH3; 400 to 450) involves including information in the down-mix signals (610, 620) which is useable during subsequent decoding of the down-mix output signals (610, 620) and the parametric data (600) to determine at least some parameter data and thereby enabling representations of the input signals (CH1 to CH3; 400 to 450) to be subsequently regenerated. Coders for use in the encoder (5; 15) for performing essential signal processing operations therein are also elucidated.