Microsoft Complaint

Case 1:16-cv-08415-JMF Document 1 Filed 10/28/16 Page 1 of 15
Case 1:16-cv-08415-JMF Document 1-1 Filed 10/28/16 Page 1 of 1
EXHIBIT A
SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT
FILED UNDER SEAL
EXHIBIT B
U.S. PATENT NO. 5,777,992

USO05777992A
United States Patent [191
[11] Patent Number:

[45] Date of Patent:
Lokho?'
[54]
DECODER FOR DECODING AND ENCODED
[5 8]
DIGITAL SIGNAL AND A RECEIVER

COMPRISING THE DECODER
[75] Inventor: Gerardus C. P. Lokholf. Eindhoven.

Netherlands
[73]
Asslgncg:
[*] Notice:
'
'm'
Feb 111990
[51]
[52]
[Nu
..
pp
N m Hand
e e
370/471
ABSTRACT
An encoded digital signal having frames of diiferent lengths

is 4600464 to Obtain a Widcband digital Signal The decodcr
converts frames having information packets. where the
number of packets in a frame is related to the sampling
frequency of the wideband digital signal. the bitrate of the
encoded digital signal. the number of bits in the information
s """"""""""""" "
Nemerlands '
8901402
packets. and the number of samples of the Wideband digital
signal whose corresponding information is the encoded
"
digital signal in the frame. A receiver for such a signal
Im, (11,6
includes a decoder for converting the frames.
US. Cl. ........................ .. 370/389; 370/470; 370/480;
375/242
21 Claims, 11 Drawing Sheets
FRAME]
I
|
370/480
370/471
1/1996 Matsushige ........................... .. 370/460
[57]
lication Data
Foreign Application Priority Data

2 1989 [NL]
Wharton ........ ..
3 Y hik
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-David R. Treacy
Jun. 7, 1995
N' 532*462 Jun" 1* 1990 abandoned
Primary Examiner-Douglas W. Olms
Continuation of SCI. No. 173,850, Dec 27, 1993, Pat No,

5,606,618, which is aeontinualion of Ser. No. 997,158, Dec.
21, 1992, Pat. No. 5,323,396, which is acontinuation of Set.
[30]
8/1983
Assistant ExaminerShiok Horn
Related US. A
[63]
8/1983 Mathieu m1. ...................... .. 370/473
4,399,329
5,487,067
5.323.396.
Filed:
4,398,290
535396 21334 Lzihogvffm
beyond the expiration dam of Pat- NO-
[22]
Rgferences Cited
5,24 .535
The term of this patent shall not extend
Appl. No; 488,322
370/471. 473. 480. 468; 375/241. 242.

200. 343. 350
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
'
[21]
Field of Search ................................... .. 370/460. 470.
[56]
Phhps Corpomnon' N?w York

'
5,777,992
*Jul. 7, 1998
FRAME] + 1
'1 '8 '5

0I
I
l
>t
-* '
US. Patent
Jul. 7, 1998
Sheet 1 of 11
FRAME j
5,777,992
FIG. 1a
FRAMEIH
FIG. 1b
111
i111
SYNC AND
SYSTEM INFO
ALLOCATION
INFO
SCALE I
FACTORS :
w 11w
FIG. 2
'
SYYNCSITGNAL
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'm'anwis'
'
'FRAME'FORMA'HNW
.91sb11i...1.P23b24,1,.l.P31
v'l
US. Patent
Jul. 7, 1998
BR
Fs
bitrate
sample freq.
(kbits/s)
Sheet 2 0f 11
(kHz)
5,777,992
B
# slots in a frame
128
32
44. 1
48
48
34 + padding
32
192
32
44. 1
48
72
52 + padding
48
256
384
32
96
44 . 1
48
69 + padding
64
32
44 .1
48
144
104 + padding
96
FIE.5
bitrace
(kbits/s)
total # frames in
padding sequence
# frames with
a dummy slot
128
147
122
192
49
12
147
97
49
24
256
3B4
.FIB.B
US. Patent
Jul. 7, 1998
Sheet 3 of 11
Frame type
B11; 24
format A
format B
Bits 25 and 26: Copyright
Bits
27
01. 01
01.olnv 01? mwnuzae2
31
5,777,992
Mode indication
no copyright,
copyright, own recording

copyright, software
Sample Freq.
5213 eC rh ea 0n
4
4.r
3A.r
4.434
3e
42Be
.4
8
B
28
4B2
4.
SS5S.S-~. ee11eae11l
t tt
own rec.
no copyright, software
Emphasis
a
s
.
n5CS 0 C elT huiJnl?.r seS1 .lC7i
P
D.0.
P
W.
m
5
m
m
T
5
//./
./I
FIB.7
mode
channel I
channel II
stereo
2 channel mono
1 channel mono
left
program I
program I
program II
not used
right
S
s
S
s
US. Patent
Jul. 7, 1998
5,777,992
Sheet 4 0f 11
length of samples
allocation
info
in bits
\OQtUl-hLIM
0000
0001
0010
0011
0100
0101
0110
0111
1000
1001
1010
1011
1100
1101
1110
1111
(no samples or scale factors transferred)
not used to prevent incorrect sync detection
F159
slot
I-l
slot
I-5
slot
I-9
slot
I-13
slot
I-17
slot
2:
II-l
3:
I-3
II-3
I-4
II-4
I-7
II?
I-&
II-S
II-5
I-6
II-9
I-lO
II-IO
I-11
II-ll
I-l2
II-l2
I-l4
II-14
I-15
II-lS
I-16
II-16
I-18
III-18
I-l9
-IIl9 I-20
II-20
I-22
III-22
I-23
III-23
I24
II-24
I-26
II-26
I-27
II-27
I2B
III-2B
I-30
III-3O
I-31
III-'31
I-32
III-32
5:
II-l3
121-17
7:
I-21
II-Zl
slot 8:
I-25
II-25
slot 9:
I-29 II-29
FIG.10
slot
I-l
slot
I-5
slot
I-9
slot
I-l3
II-l
II-Z
I-3
III-3
I-4
II-S
II-G
I-7
II-7
I-B
II-Q
I-10
II-lO
I-11
II-ll
I-12
II-lB
I-14
III-14
I-15
III-l5
I-16
FIBH
US. Patent
Jul. 7, 1998
Sheet 5 0f 11
'SYST. INFO
18
2 l f 21 23\ l
I ALLDC. INFO
FIG. I2
MEM
M mm
:5
W.Mmm
~23
5,777,992
m
6L m + C
W!
FIG. I3
26
=2YOI
5\Q|O E/IS
FIG. 15a
SAMPLES
SF I, m SF I], m
FI<L xxxMMMMWMmmm L W0M WWMHMMDEIPL\ILB19

8
PL
m 4%8
FIG. 14
a,
sF
\rm.
ML5
Mmm
rIJL x MuMMPH,UL$UP. Nu B "HmmmmB 1

m
FC. . G 5 L.C
F win I 5 d
US. Patent
Jul. 7, 1998
_ in!I T I SYNC.
I I I SIGNAL
I l I
I
Bits 16 to 19
ER
I|
Sheet 7 0f 11
I blmlbmp?llillbw
|
Ia'Rl
F?|
Pkalbu
I1"? I
l 5;"
: bitrate index
HR
bitrate index sample frequency

(kbits/
48 kHz
sec.)
32
64
96
128
160
192
224
256
288
320
352
384
416
448
5,777,992
# slots
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
ll
12
13
14
8
l6
24
32
4O
48
56
64
72
8O
88
96
104
112
F5
44 . 1 kHz
32 kHz
# slots
8
17
26
34
43
52
6O
69
'78
87
95
104
113
121
ii slots
12
24
36
48
60
72
84
96
108
120
132
144
+ padding
156
168
Bits 20 and 21 : Sample Frequency
Bit 22 : 'padding bit
PO POI-
44.1 kHz
48
kHz
32
kHz
reserved
'1' if the frame contains a 'dummy' slot, Otherwise '0'

Bit 23
: Future Use
reserved for future use,
'0' for the time being.
US. Patent
MODE
t'21. l
Bits 24 and 25
swncu
"I
, "31
O 0
O 1
1 O
stereo
intensity stereo
bilingual
mono
Intensity stereo mode switches
0
1
0
1
subbands
subbands
subbands
subbands
5
9
1 '3
17
33
3-!
32
32
Bit 28
Copyright
Bit 29
Original/Home Copy
in
in
in
in
intensity
intensity
intensity
intensity
stereo
stereo
stereo
stereo
mode
mode
mode
mode
no copyright
Bits 30 and 31 : Emphasis
Mono mode
[MPH
Mode indication
Bits 26 and 27
0
0
1
1
5,777,992
Sheet 8 of 11
J u]. 7, 1998
copyright protected
Copy
Original
O 0
no emphasis
1 0
reserved
CCI'IT J.l7
O 1
50/15 41sec emphasis
'
M = mono signal
slot 2:
14-1
slot 3:
14-9
slot 4:
14-17
slot 5:
14-25
14-2
14-3
14-4
M-S
14-6
14-7
4-8
14-10
14-11
M-lZ
M-13
M-14
M-lS
M16
14-18
14-19
14-20
14-21
14-22
14-23
"3"
M-26
14-27
14-28
14-29
14-30
14-31
M-J2
FIG.Z1
US. Patent
Ju].7,1998
Sheet 10 0f 11
5,777,992
.2:
E
gem;x3
Ex:05312; _xTMIVE.w_ @2350;:
E
l
.
"2.25?E53g,3%2"ms5:n.".5:ias?a;e;E3s2.:
m
1m
m
Q:
y
r
5
we
"
2%
US. Patent
Jul. 7, 1998
5'
Sheet 11 0f 11
5,777,992
TRUNCATED
0 +1
0 0.75
011
no
-- 0.71
-- 0.50
010
m1
"'
" -0.75
110
101
000
-1
100
-0.71
~ -1
k
(a)
110
(b)
(C)
(d)
010
0.50
101
001
011
111
0.25
001
010
110
101
-0.50
-0.75
0,287 " m1
0571
000 '
100
-1.00
0.057 I
(a)
(b)
(C)
100
000
0.25
81
0.057 371
0.00
0,571 I 0'42
0207
0'14
0.00 "
'
(d)
J
PIC;20
5.777.992
2
The subbands need not necessarily correspond to the
DECODER FOR DECODING AND ENCODED

DIGITAL SIGNAL AND A RECEIVER
COMPRISING THE DECODER
bandwidths of the critical bands of the human car. For
This application is a continuation of US. patent appli
masking threshold.
example. the subbands may have equal bandwidths. pro
vided that allowance is made for this in determining the
cation Ser. No. 081173.850 ?led Dec. 27. 1993. now US.
Pat. No. 5.606.618. which is a continuation of US. patent
The invention is also applicable to other types of trans

mission systems. such as those in which blocks of samples
application Ser. No. 071997.158 ?led Dec. 21. 1992. now

US. Pat. No. 5.323.396. which is a continuation of appli
cation Ser. No. 071532.462 ?led on Jun. 1. 1990 by Gerardus
C. P. Lokho? for DIGITAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM.
TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER FOR USE IN THE
TRANSMISSION SYSTEM. AND RECORD CARRIER
OBTAINED BY MEANS OF THE TRANSMITTER IN
are transform coded. Such systems are referred to in the
article Low bit-rate coding of high-quality audio signals.
An introduction to the MASCAM system" by G. Thiele. G.

Stoll and M. Link. published in EBU Technical Review. no.
230. pp. 71-94. August 1988. In such a system the transform
coe?icients correspond to the sub-signals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
THE FORM OF A RECORDING DEVICE. now aban

doned.
An object of the invention is to provide an encoder which
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a decoder for decoding an
20
encoded digital signal that has been obtained by encoding a
wideband digital signal of a speci?c sampling frequency F,.
wideband digital signal. The invention also relates to a

receiver comprising such a decoder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One transmission system of this type is known from an
B of information packets in one frame has a relation to a
value P. such that. if P in the formula
30
signal and n8 is the number of samples of the wideband
encoded digital signal is included in one frame of the
encoded digital signal. the number B of information packets

35
framerate of the encoded digital signal is substantially equal

to Fbjns.
The purpose of dividing the frames into B information

packets is that. for a wide-band digital signal of a sampling
frequency F,. the average frame rate of the encoded digital
signals are signals representing frequency bands. The trans
45
mation related to the number of information packets in a

frame. In a frame comprising B information packets this
information may be equal to the value B. This means that
masked to an optimum extent by the signals in that subband.

if during quantization allowance is made for the noise
masking curve of the human ear. Threshold values for noise
masking by single tones are shown in FIG. 3 of this article.
55
this information corresponds to P for frames comprising P

information packets and to P+1 for frames comprising P+1
information packets. Another possibility is that this infor
mation corresponds to P' for all frames. regardless of
whether a frame comprises P or P'+l information packets.
The additionally inserted (P'+l)th information packet may

60
the respective subbbands. the quantized output signals of the

coder can be represented by an average number of approxi
mately 2.5 bits per signal sample. The quality of the replica
of the music signal does not differ perceptibly from that of

the original music signal in substantially all passages of
substantially all kinds of music signals.
signal received is now such that the duration of a frame in
the digital signal corresponds to the duration occupied by 11,

samples of the wide-band signal.
Preferably. the ?rst frame portion further contains infor
because. based on psycho-acoustic experiments. one can

expect that quantization noise in such a subband will be
at a sample frequency of l/[=44.1 kill. with a suitably

selected bandwidth and a suitable selected quantization for
in one frame is P; and if P is not an integer. the number B

of information packets in a number of frames is P. where P
is the next lower integer below P. and the number of

information packets in the other frames is equal to P'+l so
as to exactly comply with the requirement that the average
article relates to a transmission system in which the sub
The receiver employs a corresponding subband decoding

system.
When applying frequency subband coding to a high
quality digitad music signal. such as one according to the
Compact Disc Standard which uses 16 bits per signal sample
is an integer. where BR is the bitrate of the encoded digital
digital signal Whose corresponding information in the
article. The Critical Band C0der-Digital Encoding of

Speech Signals Based on the Perceptual Requirement of the
Auditory System" by M. E. Krasner. published in Proc.
IEEE ICASSP 80. Vol. 1. pp 327-331. Apr. 9-11. 1980. This
mitter includes a frequency subband coding system in which

the speech signal band is divided into a plurality of subbands
whose bandwidths approximate the bandwidths of the criti
cal bands of the human ear in the respective frequency
ranges (see FIG. 2 of this article). This division is selected
signal so as to obtain a replica of the wideband signal.

According to the invention. the decoder provides a faith
ful replica of the original wideband signal when the number
for example a digital audio signal. in an encoder; and more

particularly to a decoder for such an encoded digital signal
comprising consecutive frames. where each frame com
prises a plurality of information packets. each information

packet comprising N bits. N being larger than 1. A frame
comprises at least a ?rst frame portion including synchro
nization information. The decoder has an input for receiving
the encoded digital signal. and is adapted to convert the
encoded digital signal into a replica of the wideband digital
signal. The decoder has an output to supply the replica of the
can economically decode a digital signal having frames

divided into dilfering numbers of packets.
Another object of the invention is to decode a digital
65
comprise for example merely zeros. In that case this

information packet does not contain any useful information.
Of course. the additional information packet may also be
?lled with useful information.
The ?rst frame portion may further comprise system
information. This may include the sample frequency F, of

the wide-band digital signal applied to the transmitter.
copy-protection codes. the type of wide-band digital signal
applied to the transmitter. such as a stereo-audio signal or a
mono-audio signal. or a digital signal comprising two sub
5.777.992
stantially independent audio signals. However. other system
tion makes it possible for the receiver and thus the decoder
in the receiver to be ?exible and enables the received digital
conceivable. An example of this is a transmission via optical

or magnetic media. Optical-media transmissions may be. for
example. transmissions via glass ?bres or by means of
optical discs or tapes. Magnetic-media transmissions are
possible. for example. by means of a magnetic disc or a
signal.
the format as described in one or more tracks of a record
information is also possible. such as the bitrate. as will
become apparent hereinafter. Including the system informa
signal to be correctly reconverted into the wide-band digital
magnetic tape. The encoded digital signal is then stored in
The frames may comprise second and the third frame
carrier. such as an optical or magnetic disc or a magnetic
tape.
portions. Those frame portions contain other signal
The versatility and ?exibility of the decoder thus resides
information. such as allocation information. quantized
samples and scale factor information. Upon encoding. the
in the special format with which the information in the form
number of M subsignals. M being larger than 1. Those

subsignals are quantized so as to obtain quantized subsig
a record carrier. The decoder extracts said system informa

tion from the data stream and employs it for a correct
of the encoded digital signal is transmitted. for example via
wideband digital signal can be split up so as to generate a
decoding.
nals. For this purpose an arbitrary encoding. such as a

transform coding or a subband coding. may be used. At the
receiving end it is then necessary to apply an inverse
encoding to recover the wideband digital signal.

In order to make the signal information available for
decoding. the decoder is provided with retrieval means for
retrieving the allocation information. the quantized samples
The information packets constitute a kind of ?ctitious

units. which are used to de?ne the length of a frame. This
means that they need not be explicitly discernible in the

information stream of the encoded digital signal. Moreover.
20
the relationship of the information packets with the existing
digital audio interface standard is as de?ned in the IEC

standard no. 958. This standard as normally applied to
consumer products de?nes frames containing one sample of
both the left-hand and the right-hand channel of a stereo
and the scale factor information.

Preferably. the allocation information is inserted in a
frame before the samples. This allocation information is
needed to enable the continuous serial bit stream of the 25 signal. These samples are represented by means of 16-bit
samples in the third frame portion to be subdivided into the
twos complement words. If N=32 is selected. one frame of
various individual quantized samples of the correct number
this digital audio interface standard can transmit exactly one
information packet of the second digital signal. In the digital
of bits at the receiving end. An adaptive bit allocation are

described inter alia in the publication Low bit-rate coding
of high quality audio signals. An introduction to the MAS

CAM system by G. Theile et a1. EBU Technical Review.
audio interface standard the frame rate is equal to the sample

rate. For the present purpose the frame rate should be
selected to be equal to BR/N. This enables the present ICs
in a frame before the samples in a ?'ame has the advantage
used.
No. 230 (August 1988). Inserting the allocation information
employed in standard digital audio interface equipment to be
that in the decoder a simpler decoding becomes possible.
which can be carried out in real time and which produces 35
only a slight signal delay. As a result of this sequence it is
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a second digital signal generated by
no longer necessary to ?rst store all the information in the

third frame portion in a memory in the decoder. Upon an'ival
a transmitter according to the invention. organized as frames
stored in a memory in the decoder. Information content of

the allocation information is much smaller than the infor
FIG. 2 is a diagram of the structure of a frame according

to a preferred embodiment including scale factors.
FIG. 3 is a diagram of the structure of the ?rst portion of
the frame of FIG. 2.
each composed of information packets.
of the encoded digital signal the allocation information is
mation content of the samples in the third frame portion. so

that a substantially smaller store capacity is needed than in
the case that all the samples would have to be stored in the
decoder. Immediately upon arrival of the serial data stream
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a system according to the
45
of the quantized samples in the third frame portion this data
stream can be divided into the various samples having the

number of bits speci?ed by the allocation information. so
that no previous storage of the signal information is neces
sary.
The allocation information may be in the form of 4~bit
words and the scale factor information may be in the form
of 6-bit words. The scale factor information is also inserted
in the third frame portion before the samples. so that it is
possible that during reception the scale factors derived from
sample frequency F,
FIG. 6 is a table showing the numbers of frames in a
50
55
said scale information are ?rst stored in a memory and the
samples are multiplied immediately upon arrival. i.e. with
out a time delay. by the values of said scale factors.

Moreover. it is evident that if after quantisation in the
transmitter the subband signal in a subband is zero. which
broadcast) via the ether. However. other uses are also
padding sequence for different bit rates.

FIG. 7 is a table showing the system information included
in the ?rst portion of a frame.
FIG. 8 is a table showing a distribution of information
between channels for different modes.
FIG. 9 is a table of meanings of allocation information
inserted in the second portion of a frame.
FIGS. 10 and 11 are tables showing sequences in which
allocation information is stored for two different formats.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a receiver according to the
invention.
obviously will be apparent from the allocation information
FIG. 13 is a simplified block diagram of a transmitter

which records the second digital signal on a magnetic record
for the subband. no scale factor information for this subband

need to be transmitted.
The inventive steps may be applied to decoders to be used
in digital transmission systems. for example systems for the

transmission of digital audio signals (digital audio
invention
FIG. 5 is a table showing the number of information
packets B in a frame. for certain values of bit rate BR and
carrier.
65
FIG. 14 is a simpli?ed block diagram of a receiver for
producing a replica signal from the magnetic record carrier

of FIG. 13.
5 .777.992
5
PH information packets is selected in such a way that the

average frame rate is equal to Fs/ns.
Hereinafter it is assumed that N=32 and ns=3 84. The table
arrangement.
FIG. 17 is a diagram of another structure for the ?rst

portion of a frame.
FIG. 18 is a table showing system information included in
the structure of FIG. 17.
FIG. 19 is a diagram of a structure for a portion of the
structure of FIG. 17.
FIG. 20 is a table showing bit codings in an embodiment
of the structure of FIG. 19.
FIG. 21 is a table showing a sequence for allocation
information accommodated in a second frame portion asso
ciated with the ?rst portion of FIG. 17. for a monaural mode.
FIGS. 22a-d are tables showing sequences for allocation
in FIG. 5 gives the number of information packets (slots) in

one frame for these values for N and us and for four values
of the bit rate BR and three values for the sample frequency
F,. It is evident that for a sample frequency FE equal to 44.1
kHz the parameter P is not an integer in all cases and that
consequently a number of frames comprise 34 information

packets and the other frames comprise 35 information
packets (when BR is 128 kbit/s). This is also illustrated in
FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 shows one frame. The frame comprises P infor
mation packets 1P1. IP2. . . . . [P P. Sometimes the frame
comprises P'+1 information packets. This is achieved by

assigning an additional information packet (dummy slot) to
ciated with the ?rst portion of FIG. 17. for a stereo intensity
mode.
comprise P information packets and the other frames will

comprise P'+1 information packets. P is the next lower
integer following P. The number of frames comprising P and
FIGS. l5a-15d are diagrams of different arrangements of

scale factors and samples in the third portion of a frame.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram of one preferred transmitter
20
FIG. 23 is a diagram of a frame structure including an
additional signal.
the frames of P information packets. The second column of

the table of FIG. 6 gives the number of frames in the padding
sequence for a sample frequency of 44.1 kHz and the
aforementioned four bit rates. The third column speci?es
those frames of that number of frames in the sequence which
comprise P'+l information packets. By subtracting the num
FIG. 24 is a binary number diagram relating the sample
with largest absolute value to an intermediate value used for 25 bers in the second and the third column from each other this
scale factor computations.

FIG. 25 is a table showing quantization of scaled samples
to form q-bit digital representations. and
yields the number of frames in the sequence comprising P
FIG. 26 is a table showing dequantization of the (1-bit
It is obvious that the bit rate BR is not necessarily limited

to the four values as given in the tables of FIGS. 5 and 6.
information packets. The ?>'+l)th information packet then
need not contain any information. and may then comprise

for example only zeroes.
digital representations.
Other (for example intermediate) values are also possible.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED

EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically the second digital signal
as generated by the transmitter and transmitted via the

transmission medium. The second digital signal takes the
form of the serial digital data stream. The second digital
35
when applicable. scale factors of the second digital signal.
For a further explanation it is necessary to ?rst describe the
signal comprises frames. two such frames. i.e. the framej

and the frame j+1. being given in FIG. la. The frames. such
operation of the transmitter in the transmission system in

accordance with the invention.
as the frame j. comprise a plurality of information packets
The Transmission System

FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the transmission system
IPI. IP2. 1P3. . . . . see FIG. 1b. Each information packet.
such as 1P3. comprises N bits b0. bl. b2. . . . . bN_l. see FIG.
comprising a transmitter 1 having an input terminal 2 for
10.
Number of Packets
The number of information packets in a frame depends
upon
(a) the bit rate BR with which the second digital signal is
transmitted through the transmission medium.
(b) the number of bits N in an information packet. N being
larger than 1.
(c) the sample frequency F, of the wide-band digital
signal. and
(d) the number of samples n, of the wide-band digital
signal.
The information which corresponds to these packets. and

which after conversion in the transmitter belongs to the
second digital signal. is included in one frame in the
following manner. The parameter P is computed in confor
mity with the formula
If this computation yields an integer for P the number of

information packets B in a frame will be equal to P. If the
computation does not result in an integer some frames will
FIG. 2 shows that a frame comprises three frame portions

FDl. FD2 and FD3 in this order. The ?rst frame portion FDl
contains synchronising information and system information.
The second frame portion FD2 contains allocation informa
tion. The third frame portion FD3 contains samples and.
receiving the wide-band digital signal S. which may be for

example a digital audio signal. In the case of an audio signal.
this may be a mono signal or a stereo signal. in which case
the digital signal comprises a ?rst (left channel) and a second

(right channel) signal component. It is assumed that the
transmitter comprises a coder for subband coding of the
50
wide~band digital signal and that the receiver consequently
comprises a subband decoder for recovering the wide-band
digital signal.
55
The transmitter comprises an analysis filter 3 responsive

to the digital wide-band signal S3,, to divide the wide band
into a plurality M of successive frequency subbands having
band numbers m. where 1<mM. which increase with
frequency. All these subbands may have the same bandwidth
but. alternatively. the subbands may have different band

widths. In that case the subbands may correspond. for
example. to the bandwidths of the critical bands of the
human ear. The analysis ?lter generates subband signals
SSE1 to S5,. for the respective subbands. The transmitter
further comprises circuits for sample-frequency reduction
and block-by-block quantization of the respective subband
65
signals. shown as the block 9 in FIG. 4.

Such a subband coder is known and is described. for
example. in the aforementioned publications by Krasner and
5.777.992
by Theile et al. Reference is also made to the published

European Patent Application 289.080. to which US. Pat.
length (a di?erent number of information packets) than in
No. 4.896.362 corresponds.

For a further description of the operation of the subband
the case of format B. As will become apparent hereinafter.
the second frame portion FD2 in the A format comprises 8
information packets. namely the information packets 1P2 to

[P9 inclusive; and in the B format it comprises 4 information
packets. namely the information packets IP2 to ]P5 inclu
coder reference is made to these publications. which are

therefore incorporated herein by reference. Such a subband
coder enables a signi?cant data reduction to be achieved in
the signal which is transmitted to the receiver 5 through the
transmission medium 4. for example a reduction from 16
sive. The bits 25 and 26 indicate whether copying of the

information is allowed. The bits 27 to 31 indicate the
function mode. This means:
a) the channel mode. which indicates the type of wide
band signal (as stated hereinbefore this may be a stereo
audio signal. a mono audio signal. or an audio signal
bits per sample for the wide-band digital signal S ,3 to 4 bits
per sample if as is 384. This means that there are blocks of
384 samples of the wide-band digital signal. each sample
having a length of 16 bits. If a value M=32 is assumed. the
wide-band digital signal is split into 32 subband signals in
comprising two different signal components for example
the analysis ?lter means 3. Now 32 (blocks of) subband

signals appear on the 32 outputs of the analysis ?lter means.
representing the same text but in two different languages).

FIG. 8 represents the channel mode. It illustrates how the
signal components are divided between the two channels
(channel I and channel 11) in the aforementioned cases.
each block comprising 12 samples (the subbands have equal

width) and each sample having a length of 16 bits. This
means that on the outputs of the ?lter means 3 the informa

tion content is still equal to the information content of the
In the case of formatA the second frame portion has another
b) the sample frequency F_T of the wide-band signal.
20
block of 384 samples of the signal S on the input 2.
The data reduction circuit 9 operates on the output of the

?lter 3 using the knowledge about masking. At least some of
the samples in the 32 blocks of 12 samples. each block for
c) the emphasis which may be applied to the wide-band

digital signal in the transmitter. The values 50 and 15 us are
the time constants of the emphasis and CCl'IT l. The value
17 indicates a speci?c emphasis standard as de?ned by the
CCl'IT (Comit Consultative Internationale de Tlgraphie

et Tlphonie).
one subband. are quantised more roughly and can thus be 25

represented by a smaller number of bits. In the case of a
The content of the frame portion FDZ in FIG. 2 will be
described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 9. l0 and
static bit allocation all the samples per subband per frame are
11. In the A format the second frame portion contains eight
expressed in a ?xed number of bits. This number can be
different for two or more subbands but it can also be equal
information packets. This is based on the assumptions that
for the subbands. for example equal to 4 bits. In the case of

dynamic bit allocation the number of bits selected for every
subband may dilfer viewed in time. so that sometimes even
30
band signals (for every signal portion of the digital signal

S BB). and that an allocation word having a length of four bits
is assigned to every subband. This yields a total of 64

allocation words having a length of 4 bits each. which can
a larger data reduction can be achieved. or a higher quality

with the same bit rate.
The subband signals quantised in the block 9 are applied

to a generator unit 6. Starting from the quantised subband
signals this unit 6 generates the second digital signal as
illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. This second digital signal. as
stated hercinbefore. can be transmitted directly through the
the wide-band digital signal S" is converted into 32 sub
35
be accommodated exactly in eight information packets. In

the B format the second frame portion accommodates the
allocation information for only half the number of subbands.
so that now the second frame portion comprises only 4
information packets.
medium 4. Preferably. however. this second digital signal is
FIG. 9 illustrates the signi?cance of the four-bit allocation

words AW. An allocation word associated with a speci?c
?rst adapted in a signal converter (not shown). such as an

8-to-10 converter. Such an 8-to- 10 converter is described in.
subband speci?es the number of bits by which the samples
for example. European Patent Application 150.082 to which
of the subband signal in the relevant subband are represented

after quantisation in the unit 9. For example. the allocation
US. Pat. No. 4.620.311 corresponds. This converter con
verts 8-bit data words into 10-bit data words. and enables an 45 word AW which is 0100 indicates that the samples are
interleaving process to be applied. De-interleaving. error

correction and l0-to-8 conversion are then performed in the
receiver.
Frame Format
The composition and content of the frames will now be
50
explained in more detail. The ?rst frame portion FDI in FIG.

2 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows that the
?rst frame portion comprises exactly 32 bits and is therefore

exactly equal to one information packet. namely the ?rst
information packet 1P1 of the frame. The ?rst 16 bits of the
information packet form the synchronising signal (or syn

chronising word). and may comprise for example only
55
cance of this information. Bit 24 indicates the type of frame.
FIG. 16 indicates the sequence. in the case that the frame

mode is A. in which the allocation words AW. j.m associated
with the two channels j. where j=I or 11. and the 32 subbands
of the sequence number m. m ranging from 1 to 32. are
ones. The bits 16 to 31 are system information. The bits

16 to 23 represent the number of information packets in a
frame. This number consequently corresponds to P". both for

the frame comprising P information packets and for frames
comprising the additional information packet IP P'+l. P can
be at the most 254 (1111 1110 in bit notation) in order to
avoid resemblance to the synchronising signal. The bits 24
to 31 provide frame format information.
FIG. 7 gives an example of the arrangement and signi?
represented by 5-bit words. Moreover. it follows from FIG.

9 that the allocation word 0000 indicates that no samples
have been generated in the relevant subband. This may
happen. for example. if the subband signal in an adjacent
subband has such a large amplitude that this signal fully
masks the subband signal in the relevant subband. The
allocation word 1111 is not used because it closely resembles
the sync word in the ?rst information packet 1P1.
65
arranged in the second frame portion. The allocation word

AWLI belonging to the ?rst subband signal component of
the ?rst and lowest subband (channel I. subband 1) is
inserted ?rst. After this the allocation word AWILl belong
ing to the second subband-signal component of the ?rst and
lowest subband (channel II. subband 1) is inserted in the
second frame portion FD2. Subsequently. the allocation
word AW'LZ belonging to the ?rst subband-signal compo
nent of the second and lowest but one subband (channel I.
subband 2) is inserted in the ?'ame portion FD2. This is
5.777.992
followed by the allocation word AW 11.2 belonging to the

second subband-signal component of the second subband
(channel I]. subband 2). This sequence continues until the
allocation word AW 11.4 belonging to the second subband
signal component of the fourth subband (channel II. subband
4) is inserted in the second frame portion FD2. The second
information packet 1P2 (slot 2) of the frame. which is the
?rst information packet in the frame portion FD2 of the
frame. is then ?lled exactly. Subsequently. the information
10
two channels. If the allocation word 0000 is not present in

the frame portion FDZ for any of the subband channels this
means that in the present example twelve samples are
inserted in the third frame portion FD3 for each of the 32
subbands and 2 channels. This means that there are 768
samples in total.
packet [P3 (slot 3) is ?lled with AW 1.5; AW 11.5; . . . AW 10
1L8. This continues in the sequence as illustrated in FIG. 10.
FIG. 10 merely gives the indices j-m of the inserted

allocation word AW. j.m. FIG. 11 indicates the sequence for
Scale Factors
In the transmitter the samples may be multiplied by a
scale factor prior to their quantization. For each of the
subbands and channels the amplitudes of the twelve samples
are divided by the amplitude of that sample of the twelve
samples which has the largest amplitude. In that case a scale
factor should be transmitted for every subband and every
channel in order to enable the inverse operation to be
the allocation words in the case of a B-format frame. In this

case only allocation words of the subbands 1 to 16 are
performed upon the samples at the receiving end. For this
inserted. The sequence. as is illustrated in FIG. 10. corre 15
purpose the third frame portion then contains scale factors

SF j.m. one for each of the quantised subband-signal com
ponents in the various subbands.
In the present example. scale factors are represented by
6-bit numbers. the most signi?cant bit ?rst. the values
ranging from 000000 to 111110. The scale factors of the
sponds to the sequence in which the separate samples
belonging to a channel j and a subband m are applied to the
synthesis ?lter means upon reception in the receiver. This

will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.
The serial data stream contains for example only frames
in conformity with the A format. In the receiver the alloca
tion information in each frame is then employed for cor
rectly deriving the samples from the information in the third
frame portion of said frame. The serial data stream may also
comprise. more or less alternately. both frames in confor
mity with the A format and frames in conformity with the B
format. However. the frames in conformity with both for
mats may contain samples for all channels and all subbands
in the third frame portion. A frame in conformity with the B
format then lacks in fact the allocation information required
subbands to which these are allocated. i.e. whose allocation

information is non-zero. are accorrurrodated in the leading
part of the frame portion FD3 before the samples. This

25
30
to derive the samples for the channels I or H of the subbands
17 to 32 from the third frame portion of a B format frame.

The receiver comprises a memory in which the allocation
information included in the second frame portion of an A
means that the scale factors are transmitted before the
transmission of the samples begins. As a result rapid decod

ing in the receiver 5 can be achieved without the necessity
of storing all the samples in the receiver. as will become
apparent hereinafter. A scale factor SF j.m can thus represent
the value by which the samples of the signal in the j-th
channel of the m-th subband have been multiplied.
Conversely. the number one divided by this value may be
stored as the scale factor so that at the receiving end it is not

necessary to divide the scale factors before the samples are
format frame can be stored. If the next frame is a B format 35 scaled up to the correct values.
For the frame format A the maximum number of scale
frame only the allocation information for the subbands 1 to
factors is 64. If the allocation word AW j.m for a speci?c

channel j and a specific subband m has the value 0000.
16 and the channels I and II in the memory is replaced by the

allocation information included in the second frame portion
of the B format frame. The samples for the subbands 17 to
which means that for this channel and this subband no
samples are present in the frame portion FD3. it will not be
32 from the third frame portion of the B format frame are

derived from the allocation information for these subbands
necessary to include a scale factor for this channel and this
derived from the preceding A format frame and still present
in the memory. The reason for the alternate use of A format

frames and B format frames is that for some subbands the
allocation information (in the present case the allocation

information for the higher subbands 17 to 32) does not
change rapidly. Since during quantization the allocation
information for the various subbands is available in the
45
subband. The number of scale factors is then smaller than

64. The sequence in which the scale factors SF j.m are
inserted in the third frame portion FD3 is the same as that in
which the allocation words have been inserted in the second
frame portion. The sequence is therefore as follows:
SF L1; SF ILl; SF 1.2; SF H.2; SF 1.3; SF [1.3; . . . SF 1.32;
SF IL32.
If it is not necessary to insert a scale factor the sequence

transmitter. this transmitter can decide to generate a B
format frame instead of an A format frame if the allocation 50 will not be complete. The sequence may then be for
example:
information for the subbands 17 to 32 inclusive does not
change (signi?cantly). Moreover. this illustrates that now

additional space becomes available for the inclusion of
. . . SF 1.4; SF L5; SF 11.5; SF 11.6; . . .
In this case the scale factors for the fourth subband of

channel 11 and the sixth subband of channel I are not
samples in the third frame portion FD3.
For a speci?c value of P the third frame portion of a B 55 inserted. If the frame is a B format frame it may still be
format frame is four information packets longer than the

third frame portion of an A format frame. This enables the
number of bits by which the samples in the lower subbands
1 to 16 are represented to be increased. so that for these

subbands a higher transmission accuracy can be achieved.
Moreover. if it is required to quantize the lower subbands
more accurately the transmitter can automatically opt for the

generation of B format frames. This may then be at the
expense of the accuracy with which the higher subbands are
quantized.
The third frame portion FD3 in FIG. 2 contains the
samples of the quantised subband-signal components for the
considered to insert scale factors in the third frame portion

for all the subbands and all the channels. However. this is not
the only option. In this case it would also be possible to
insert scale factors in the third frame portion of the frame for
the subbands 1 to 16 only. In the receiver this requires a
memory in which all scale factors can be stored at the instant
at which a previously arriving A format frame is received
Subsequently upon reception of the B format frame only the
scale factors for the subbands I to 16 are replaced by the
65 scale factors included in the B format frame. The scale
factors of the previously received A format frame for the

subbands 17 to 32 are then used in order to restore the
5.777.992
11
12
samples for these subbands included in the third frame

portion of the B format frame to the correct scale.
The samples are inserted in the third frame portion FD3
The allocation information in the second frame portion of
in the same sequence as the allocation Words and the scale
not comprise an allocation word for all the subbands and
the frame can now be stored in the memory 18b.
If the allocation information in the incoming frame does
channels this will have become apparent already from the

detected system information. This may be for example the
factors. one sample for every subband of every channel in

succession. According to this sequence. ?rst all the ?rst
samples for the quantised subband signals for all the sub
information indicating whether the ?'ame is an A-format or

a B-format frame. Thus. under the in?uence of the relevant
bands of both channels are inserted. then all the second

samples. . . . etc. The binary representation of the samples is
arbitrary. the binary word comprising only ones" preferably

not being used again.
The second digital signal generated by the transmitter 1 is
10
subsequently applied to the transmission medium 4 by the
output 7. and by means of the transmission medium 4 this

signal is transferred to the receiver 5. Transmission through
the transmission medium 4 may be a wireless transmission.
such as for example a radio transmission channel. Many
other transmission media are also possible. In this respect
optical transmission may be envisaged. for example over

optical ?bres or optical record carriers. such as Compact
Disc-like media. or transmission by means of magnetic
record carriers utilising RDAT or SDAT-like recording and
reproducing technologies. for which reference is made to the
book "The art of digital audio" by J. Watkinson. Focal Press.
London 1988.
The Receiver
As shown in FIG. 4. the receiver 5 comprises a decoder.
which decodes the signal encoded in the coder 6 of the
transmitter l and converts it into a replica of the wide-band
individual samples in the ?lter 21. each sample having the

25
the ?lter 21 to deemphasis. For a correct deemphasis the

relevant information in the bits 24 to 31 of the ?rst frame
portion should be applied from the memory 180 to the
deemphasis unit 23 over the line 24.
If the system uses scale factors in this format. the receiver
will include the switch 11. the memory 12. and the multiplier
17. and the third frame portion will contain the scale factors
35
frames. The decoding process is then repeated for every
arrives. Address signals are supplied to the memory 12 by
FIG. 12 shows a more detailed version of the receiver 5
of FIG. 4. The coded signal (the second digital signal) is
the processing unit 18 over the line 14. The scale factors are
then stored in the memory 12. which has 64 locations for the
storage of the 64 scale factors. If a B-formar frame is being
applied to a unit 11 through the terminal 10. For every frame.

the unit 19 ?rst detects the sync words situated in the ?rst 16
bits of the ?rst frame portion. Since the sync words of
successive frames are each time spaced apart by an integral
received. the processing unit 18 applies such address signals
multiple of P or P+l information packets. the sync words
length of one information packet is opened after each

occurrence of P information packets. so that only that part
of the incoming information is applied to the sync word
detector in the unit 19. If the sync word is not detected the
time window remains open for the duration of another
information packet because the preceding frame may be a

frame comprising P'+l information packets. From these
sync words a PLL in the unit 19 can derive a clock signal to
control the central processing unit 18.

It is evident from the above that the receiver should lmow
SF j.m. Because of a control signal applied by the processing
unit 18 over the line 13. the switch 11 is in the lower position
at the instant at which the third frame portion F133 of a frame
incoming frame.
can be detected very accurately. Once the receiver is in

synchronism the sync word can be detected in the unit 19.
To accomplish this. a time window having. for example. a
correct number of bits. For this purpose the allocation

information is applied to the ?lter 21 over the line 22.
The receiver further comprises a deemphasis unit 23
which subjects the reconstructed digital signal supplied by
digital signal supplied to the output 8. The essential infor

mation in the incoming signal is contained in the scale
factors and the samples. The remainder of the information in
the second digital signal is merely required for a correct
bookkeeping". to allow a correct decoding. The receiver ?rst
derives the synchronising and system information from the
information contained in the system information. the pro

cessing unit 18 will store the received allocation words at the
correct location in the allocation memory 18b.
It is obvious that in the present example the allocation
memory 18b comprises 64 storage positions. If no scale
factors are transmitted. the elements bearing the reference
numerals 11. 12 and 17 may be dispensed with. and the
content of the third frame portion of a frame is applied
directly by the connection 16 from the input 10 to a synthesis
?lter 21. The samples are applied to the ?lter 21 in the same
sequence as the order in which the ?lter 21 processes the
samples in order to reconstruct the wide-band signal. The
allocation information stored in the memory 18b is required
in order to divide the serial data stream of samples into
45
to the memory 12 that only the scale factors for the subbands
l to 16 are overwritten by the scale factors in the B-format
frame. Subsequently. as a result of another control signal
applied over the line 13. the switch 11 is changed to the
upper position shown in the drawing. so that the samples are
applied to the multiplier 17. Using the allocation
information. which is now applied to the multiplier 17 over
50
the line 22. the multiplier ?rst derives the individual samples
of the correct bit length from the serial data stream applied
over the line 16.
The samples are then multiplied so as to restore them to
the correct values which the original samples had prior to

scaling down in the transmitter. If the scale factors stored in
the memory 12 are the scale factor values by which the
a frame can be applied to the unit 19 over a control-signal

line 20. to open the time window at the correct instants for
samples have been scaled down in the transmitter. these

values should ?rst be inverted (one divided by the value)
before application to the multiplier 17. Obviously. it is also
possible to invert the scale factors upon reception before
they are stored in the memory 12. If the scale factors in the
frames are already equal to the value by which the samples
should be scaled up during reception they can be stored
directly in the memory 12. and can then be applied directly
to the multiplier 17.
received the switch 15 is changed over to the lower position.
samples before the signal processing performed upon the
how many information packets are contained in one frame.

For this purpose the switching means 15 are then in the
upper position shown. to apply the system information to the
processing unit 18. The system information can now be

stored in a memory 18a of the processing unit 18. The
information relating to the number of information packets in

sync-word detection. When the system information is
It is evident that no memory is required to store all these
13
5 777.992
which a sample arrives over the line 16 all the information
required for processing this sample is already available. so
that processing can be carried out immediately. This entire
process is controlled and synchronized by control signals

and clock signals applied to all the parts of the transmitter by
the processing unit 18.
Not all the control signals are shown. This is not necessary
because the details of operation of the receiver will be
applied.
FIGS. 15a-d show a number of other possibilities of

inserting the scale factors and the samples in the third frame
portion FD3 of a frame. FIG. 15a illustrates the above
described method in which the scale factors SF for all the
obvious to those skilled in the art. Under control of the
processing unit 18 the multiplier 17 multiplies the samples

by the appropriate multiplication factors. The samples.
which have now been restored to the correct amplitude. are
applied to the reconstruction ?lter 18 in which the subband

signals are reconverted to form the wide-band digital signal.
Further description of the receiver is not necessary because
such receivers are generally known. for example as
described in the Thiele et al article cited above. Moreover.
it will be evident that if the system information is also
transmitted the receiver can be highly ?exible and can
correctly decode the signals even if the second digital
subbands m and channels (I or II) are inserted in the third
frame portion before the samples. FIG. 15b illustrates the

15 same situation as FIG. 15a, but in this case it diagrammati
cally represents the storage capacity for the scale factors SF
Lin and SF llm and the associated x samples for these two
channels in the subband In. FIG. 15b shows the samples for
the two channels in the subband in combined to blocks.
whereas normally they are distributed within the third frame
signals contain different system information.
portion. The samples have a length of y bits. In the above

example x is 12 and y is now taken to be 8.
Other Embodiments
Stereo Coding
FIG. 13 shows diagrammatically another embodiment of
the transmitter. in the form of a recording device for record

ing the wide-band digital signal on a record carrier such as
a magnetic record carrier 25. The encoder 6 supplies the
14
8-to-l0 conversion and in an interleaving step. the encoded

signal read from the record carrier 25 should ?rst be
de-interleaved and should be subjected to l0-to-8 conver
sion. Moreover. if the encoded signal has been recorded in
a plurality of parallel tracks the reproducing unit shown in
FIG. 14 should arrange the information read from these
tracks in the correct sequence before further processing is
samples contained in the frame begins. At the instant at
25
FIG. 150 shows another format. The two scale factors for
the ?rst and the second channel in the subband are still
present in the third frame portion. However. instead of the x

samples for both channels (the left and right channels for a
stereo signal) in the subband m (i.e. 2x samples in total) only
second digital signal to a recording device 27 comprising a

write head 26 by means of which the signal is recorded in a
x samples for the subband m are included in the third frame

track on the record carrier. It is then possible to record the
second digital signal in a single track on the record carrier. 30 portion. These x samples are obtained. for example. by
adding corresponding samples in each of the two channels to
for example by means of a helical-scan recorder. In this case
the single track can be divided into juxtaposed tracks which
one another. Thus a monophonic signal is generated and
the longitudinal direction of the record carrier. For this the
samples of the mono signal in Z=2y (=16) bits. Such a signal

processing is applied if the phase di?ierence between the
left-hand and the right-hand signal component in a subband
transmitted for this subband m.

are inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the
The x samples in FIG. 150 each have a length of 2 bits. If
record carrier. An example of this is an RDAT-like recording
method. Another method is to split the information and 35 2 is equal to y this saves room in the third frame portion.
which can be used for samples requiring a more accurate
simultaneously recording the split information in a plurality
quantisation. It is alternatively possible to express the x
of juxtaposed tracks which extend on the record carrier in
use of an SDAT-like recording method may be considered.

A comprehensive description of the two above methods can
be found in the aforementioned book The art of a digital
is irrelevant but the waveform of the monophonic signal is
important. This applies in particular to signals in higher
audio by J. Watkinson.
Again it is to be noted that the signal supplied by the unit
6 may be ?rst be encoded in a signal converter. This
encoding may. for example. be an 8-to-l0 conversion fol

lowed by an interleaving process. as described with refer
ence to FIG. 4. If the encoded information is recorded on the
record carrier in a plurality of adjacent parallel track. the

signal converter should also be capable of assigning the
45
subbands because the phase-sensitivity of the ear for the

frequency in these subbands is smaller. By expressing the x
samples of the mono signal in 16 bits the waveform is
quantised more accurately. while the room occupied by these
samples in the third frame portion is equal to that in the
example illustrated in FIG. 15b.
Yet another possibility is to represent the samples by an
intermediate number of bits. for example 12 bits. The signal
50
encoded information to the various tracks.
de?nition is then more accurate than in the example illus
FIG. 14 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of the
receiver 5. which may be used in conjunction with the
trated in FIG. 15b, while at the same time room is saved in
the third frame portion so that the bits saved can be allocated
transmitter of FIG. 13; the two may form one apparatus
which then provides transmission over time instead of
where the need is greater.
distance. The receiver shown is a player or read device for
When the signals included in the third frame portion as
reading the record carrier 25 on which the wide-band digital
illustrated in FIG. 15c are reproduced at the receiving end.
signal has been recorded by means of the device shown in
a stereo effect is obtained which is referred to as intensity
FIG. 13. in the form of the second digital signal described
stereo. Here. only the intensities of the left-channel and the
above. The second digital signal is read from a track on the
right-channel signals (in the subband m) can di?er because
record carrier by the read head 29 and is applied to the
of a different value for the scale factors SF I.m and SF ]I.m.
receiver 5. which may be for example of a construction as
Thus different kinds of information relating to the stereo
nature of the audio signal can be represented by the com
shown in FIG. 12. Again the read device 28 may be
posite signals and other signals which are transmitted

constructed to carry out an RDAT-like or an SDAT-like
FIG. 15d shows still another possibility. In this case there
reproducing method. Both methods are again described
comprehensively in the aforementioned book by Watkinson. 65 is only one scale factor SFm for both signal components in
the subband m. This is a situation which is particularly apt
If the signal supplied by the unit 6 in the recording device
to occur in low-frequency subbands.
shown in FIG. 13 has been converted. for example in an
15
5.777.992
Yet another possibility. which is not shown. is that the x

samples for the channels I and H of the subband m. as in
FIG. 15b, do not have associated scale factors SF Lin and SF
ILm. Consequently. these scale factors are not inserted in the
same third frame portion. In this case the scale factors SF
Lin and SF 11m included in the third frame portion of a
position from the top. coupling the output of the generator
33 to the output 7. and the generator 33 now supplies the

scale factors in the correct sequence. The switch 40 is then
set to the next position. so that the output of the generator 34
is coupled to the output 7. and the generator 34 supplies the
samples in the various subbands in the correct sequence. In
this cycle exactly one frame is applied to the output 7.
Subsequently. the switch 40 is reset to the top position. A
new cycle is then started. in which a subsequent block of 12
samples for each subband is encoded and a subsequent
frame can be generated on the output 7.
In some cases. for example if the sample frequency F, is
44.1 kHz (see FIG. 5) an additional information packet (the
dummy slot. see FIG. 2) must be added. In that case. after
preceding frame must be used for scaling up the samples in

the receiver.
All the possibilities described with reference to FIGS.
15a-d can be employed in the transmitter in order to achieve
a most ef?cient data transfer over the transmission medium.

Thus. frames as described with reference to different ones of
FIGS. 15a-d may occur alternately in the data stream. It will
be appreciated that. if the receiver is to be capable of
correctly decoding these different frames. information about
the structure of these frames must be included somewhere.

such as in the system information.
The Transmitter
FIG. 16 shows the transmitter in more detail. particularly
with respect to combination of the various items of infor
mation to form the serial data stream shown in FIGS. 1. 2
and 3. FIG. 16 in fact shows a more detailed version of the
encoder 6 in the transmitter 1. The encoder has a central
processing unit 30. which controls a number of the encoder
circuits; and also includes a generator 31 for generating the
the generator 34 has ?nished supplying the samples. the
multiplexer or switch 40 will be set to the bottom position.

The output of the generator 35 is now coupled to the output
7. and the generator 35 generates the additional information
packet IP P'+1. After this the switch 40 is reset to the top
position to start the next cycle.
It will be clear that. if the signal received by the trans
mitter is to be corrected for errors caused during transmis
sion of the signal. an appropriate error coding and/or inter
leaving should be applied to the second digital signal. In

addition. prior to transmission some modulation is usually
synchronising information and the system information

described with reference to FIG. 3. a generator 32 for
required. Thus. the digital signal transmitted through the
supplying allocau'on information. a generator 33 (optional)

for supplying the scale factors. a generator 34 for supplying
transmission medium may not be directly identi?able as the

second signal. but will be a signal which has been derived
therefrom.
the samples for a frame. and a generator 35 for generating

the additional information packet IP P'+l.
The outputs of these generators are coupled to associated
inputs of a multiplexer 40 shown as a ?ve-position switch
whose output is coupled to the output 7 of the encoder 6. The
CPU 30 controls the multiplexer or switch 40 over the line

53. and the various generators over the lines 41.1 to 41.4.
The operation of the transmitter will be described for a
16
information as described with reference to FIG. 10 or 11 is

the supplied. After this the switch 40 is set to the third
35
It will to be noted that. for example in the case that the

subbands have different widths. the number of samples for
the various subbands inserted in one third frame portion may
differ and are likely to differ. If it is assumed. for example.
that a division into three subbands is used. including a lower

subband SB 1. a central subband SB2 and an upper subband
8B3. the upper subband may have a bandwidth which is. for
mono signal divided into M subband signals. These M
example. twice as large as that of the other two subbands.
subband signals S5, to SSBM are applied to the encoder
input terminals 45.1. 45.2. . . . . 45.M. If scale factors are to 40 This means that the number of samples inserted in the third
frame portion for the subband SB3 is probably also twice as
be used. blocks of samples of each of the subband signals are
processed together in the optional subband scaling units 46.1
large as for each of the other subbands. The sequence in

which the samples are applied to the reconstruction ?lter in
the receiver may then be: the ?rst sample of SB 1. the ?rst
to 46.M. A number. for example twelve. of samples in a
block are scaled to the amplitude of the largest sample in the
block The M scale factors are supplied to the unit 33 (if 45 sample of SEQ. the ?rst sample of SE2. the second sample of
present) over the lines 47.1 to 47.M. The subband signals are
$33. the second sample of SB 1. the third sample of S133. the
second sample of 5B2. the fourth sample of SE3. . . . etc. The
supplied both to an allocation control unit 49 and (scaled if
sequence in which the allocation information for these
that option is in use) to M quantisers 48.1 to 48.M. For every
subbands is then inserted in the second frame portion will
subband the allocation control unit 49 de?nes the number of
bits with which the relevant subband signal should be 50 then be: ?rst the allocation word for SB 1. then the allocation
quantised. This allocation information is applied to the
word of SE3. and subsequently the allocation word for $13,.
The same applies to the scale factors. Moreover. the receiver
respective quantisers 48.1 to 48.M over the lines 50.1 to
can derive. from the transmitted system information. that in
50.M. so that these quantisers correctly quantise the 12
samples of each of the subband signals; and is also supplied

to the generator 32. The quantized samples of the subband
signals are supplied to the generator 34 over the lines 51.1
to 51.M. The generators 32. 33 and 34 arrange the allocation
information. the scale factors and the samples in the correct
sequence described above.
In the position of the multiplexer or switch 40 shown. the
synchronising and system information associated with the

frame to be generated is supplied by the generator 31 in the
CPU 30 and fed to the encoder output 7. Subsequently. the
multiplexer or switch 40 responds to a control signal sup
plied by the CPU 30 over the line 53. and is set to the second
position from the top so that the output of the generator 32
is coupled to the output 7. The sequence of allocation
this case the cycle comprises groups of four samples each.
55
each group comprising one sample of SB 1. one sample of
$83. one sample of SB2 and subsequently another sample of

3.
Other Frame Arrangements

FIG. 17 shows another structure of the ?rst frame portion
FDl. Again the ?rst frame portion FDl contains exactly 32
bits and therefore corresponds to one information packet.
The first 16 bits again constitute the synchronising signal (or
synchronisation word). The synchronisation word may also
be the same as the synchronisation word of the ?rst frame
portion FDI in FIG. 3. but the information accommodated in

bits 16 through 31 differs from the information in bits 16
through 31 in FIG. 3. The bits b 16 through b1g represent a
EXHIBIT C
l l l l l l l l l l l l l lIl l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l
USOO5323396A
United States Patent [191

Lokhoff
[11]
[45]
[54] DIGITAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM,
TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER FOR USE

IN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM
[75] Inventor:
Gerardus C. P. Lokhoff, Eindhoven,
[73] Assignee:
U.S. Philips Corporation, New York,
Netherlands
NY.
[21] Appl. No.: 997,158

[22] Filed:
[30]
Continuation of Ser. No. 532,462, Jun. 1, 1990, aban

Netherlands ....................... .. 8901402
Netherlands ....................... .. 9000338
[51]
[52]
Int. Cl.5 ........................................... .. GIOL 3/02

U.S. Cl. ................................... .. 370/941; 370/82;
[58]
Field of Search .................. .. 370/941, 60, 84, 82,
375/122; 395/21
370/83, 100.1, 103, 105.1, 106, 105.4; 375/25,

26, 122; 360/31, 5-8, 18, 19.1; 381/29, 31, 30,
32-40
[56]
Jun. 21, 1994
4,569,075
2/1986
Nussbaumer ........................ .. 381/29
4,896,362
l/1990
Veldhuis et al. .................... .. 381/30
4,899,384
2/1990
Crouse et a1. .
4,922,510
5/1990
Brusewitz ......................... .. 375/122
4,620,311 10/1986 Schouhamer Immink
375/19
.... .. 375/122
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
The Critical Band Coder-Digital Encoding of Speech

Signals Based on the Perceptual Requirements of the
Auditory System, Michael A. Krasner, IEEE, 1980,
Low Bit-Rate Coding of High-Quality Audio Sig
doned.
Jun. 2, 1989 [NL]

Feb. 13, 1990 [NL]
5,323,396
pp. 327-331.
Dec. 21, 1992

Related US. Application Da'ta
[63]
Patent Number:
Date of Patent:
References Cited
4,464,782
8/1984
Braud et a1. ..................... .. 375/122
4,535,472
8/1985
Tomcik ............................... .. 381/31
nals, G. Theile et a1, EBU Review-Technical, No 230,

Aug, 1988, pp. 71-94.
Primary Examiner-Douglas W. Olms

Assistant Examiner-Dang Ton
Attorney, Agent, or Firm-David R. Treacy
[57]
ABSTRACT
Digital data are transmitted as packets within frames, at
an average frame rate equal to the sampling rate divided
by the number of samples per frame. When, as a result
of subband or other coding, the number of packets re
quired per frame would not be an integer, frames con
taining the next lower integer are transmitted, followed
by frames containing the next higher integer. Preferably
a ?rst portion of each frame contains synchronization

information, a second portion contains allocation infor
mation, and a third contains samples of, and scale factor
information for, the transmitted signal.
US. Patent
June 21, 1994
FRAME]
Sheet 1 of 10
FRAMEj+1
1I
5,323,396
'
1a
>!
W?
FlG.1b
_________________________ __
--->(
FIG 10
_.>t
F01
m2
|P1
we
TPP M11
FIG. 2
v
'
b0 1
smdsisuk?
1
'
'
'
maawTs'
'
IFRMEYFOR'MAIINFO'
Ulhsbm.HHP?buHHHPsT
QUANTlZER
\SSB FWD
i
855 $
FILTER\
TRANSMITTER
SSBM
6 7
g
I
5
RECEIVER-j
US. Patent
June 21, 1994
BR
F5
bitrate
sample freq.
(kbits/s)
128
192
(kHz)
Sheet 2 of '10
8
# slots in a frame
32
48
44.1
34 + padding
48
32
32
72
44.1
44.1
48
48
96
.
69 + padding
64
32
384
52 + padding
48
32
256
5,323,396
144
44.1
- 104 + padding
48
96
FIGS
bitrate
(kbits/s)
total 1 frames in
padding sequence
# frames with
a dummy slot
128
147
122
192
49
12
256
147
384
49
FIG.6
'
97
24
US. Patent
June 21, 1994
Bit 24
Sheet 3 of 10
Frame type
format A
format 8
Bits 25 and 26: Copyright
01. 01
onsv1.0 6l1. 43rt muw .
Bits 27 31
5,323,396
Mode indication
no copyright, own rec.
copyright, on recording
copyright, software
Sample Freq.
1825 hr.n u
eCCeC aaa2aseaaeeeaa
n
o
n
n.
n
m
o
o.o
s
.
.s
.s
...
2
428e
4284e
824.48
l11eee11
tt t
.m
.m
.w
zzzz
Emphasis
WSIHMWS
cns mi.5 4m3 JPUhl?DH-Ii.ug 1sei7c

C
C
0o
o
0o
O
O
FIG. 7
mode
channel I
stereo
2 channel mono
1 channel mono
program I
program I
left
s
s
s
channel II
right
program II
not used
.s
a
.a
s
.a
s
a
US. Patent
June 21, 1994
allocation
into
length 0! samples
in bits
\OQUIbl-N
0000
0001
0010
0011
0100
0101
0110
0111
1000
1001
1010
1011
1100
'
5,323,396
Sheet 4 of 10
1101
1110
1111
FIGS
slot
I-l
slot
1-5
slot
1-9
slot
I-13
slot
1-17
slot
I-Zl
slot
I-25
slot
1-29
11-1
1-2
II-Z
II-5
I-6
II-6
1-10
II-lO
11-13
1-14
11-17
7:
11-21
8:
I-3
II u
H .5
I
II-4
II-7
I-8
II-8
I-11
n-n
1-12
II-12
II-l4
I-15
II-lS
I-16
II-16
1-18
III-18
I-19
11-19
1-20
II-ZO
1-22
II-2_2
I-23
n-za' I-24
II-24
11-25
1-26
II-26
I-27
n-zv
z-za
III-28
11-29
1-30
II-SO
I-31
II-31
I-32
II-32
II-4
II-9
5:
6:
9:
H610
slot
1-1
11-1
slot 3:
1-5
11-5
slot 4:
1-9
11-9
slot
1-13 II-13
1-2
II-Z
I-3
I-4
1-6
II-6
I-7
I-B
1-10
II-lO
I-11
I-12
I-14
II-14
I-15
FISH
'
II-B
III-12
II-16
US. Patent
June 21, 1994
188
15
h
19\ v
Sheet 5 of 10
SYSF. INFO
20
CPU
5,323,396
ALLOC. INFO
14
2
J
I [21 23\
17 >
__.
-~ MULT -> RECONSTR.
{12
@- FILTER Eouumzen 5
000m
p
FIG. 13
FILTER
5% Sod P5
w
m %8
26
F0
FlG.15a
SAMPLES
SF I, m SF II, m
f-l'L VAXX MWMPPL.ERU.W.LH. mm0W0WQ4nnWWMHMMHR9B1 ,

5
f{|l4 x uw Lnmmm,
SFm
x SAMPLES l, m (y BITS/SAMPLE)
x SAMPLES H, m (y BITS/SAMPLE)
FEl G 41| 5
bC.
FlG.15d
US. Patent
Ml
June 21, 1994
I-
I. l fvllcl
Sheet 7 of 10
I "a I
5,323,396
'
'FUI'MIXI
Bits 16 to 19 : bitrate index
BR
BR

(kbits/
48 kHz
sec.)
1? slots
p5
44. 1 kHz
32 kHz
# slots
32
64
16
17
24
96
24
. 26
36
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
32
40
48
56
64
72
8O
88
34
43
52
60
69
78
87
95
48
60
72
84
96
108
120
132
128
160
192
224
256
288
320
352
# slots
12
' 384
12
96
104
144
416
448
13
14
104
112
113
121
156
168
+ padding
Bits 20 and 21 : Sample Frequency

0
0
1
1
0
1
0
1
44.1 kHz
.48
kHz
32
kHz
reserved
Hit 22 : 'padding bit
'1' if the frame contains a 'dummy slot, Otherwise '0'

Bit 23
: Future Use
'0' for the time being.
US. Patent
June 21, 1994
ma
bu,
Sheet 8 0f 10
svmca
5,323,396
EHPH
"
J21
Bits 24 and 25 : Mode indication

0 0
stereo
O 1
l 0
intensity stereo
bilingual
l l
mono
Bits 26 and 27 : Intensity stereo mode switches :

0 Z0
subbands
0 1
1 O
1 l
subbands
subbands
subbands
5 -
32
9 - 33
13 32
17 32
Bit 28 : Copyright
in intensity stereo mode

no copyright
Bit 29 : Original/Home Copy
copyright protected
Copy
Original
0 0
no emphasis
O 1
l O
1 l
Mono
mode
'
reserved
CCIT'I J.l7
'
M = mono signal
slot
2:
11-1
slot 3:
14-9
slot 4:
M-l?
slot
'
11-2
14-3
11-4
14-5
M-6
14-7
M-8
M-lO
M-ll
M-l2
M-l3
M-14
M-lS
M'16
M-l8
14-19
M-ZO
14-21
14-22
M-23
M'pll
14-30
14-31
"-32
5:
11-25
M-26
11-27
14-28
H621
11-29
US. Patent
June 21, 1994
Sheet 9 of 10
5,323,396
Intensity Stereo mode :
L = left channel, R =- right channel, M I mono signal
Switch bits (bits 26 and 27) are 0 0

slot 2:
slot 3:L-l
14-5
slot 4:
14-13
slot 5:
14-21
slot 6:
11-1
L-2
12-2
L-3
11-13
L-4
11-!
14-6
14-7
14-8
14-9
14-10
14-11
M-12
14-14
14-15
14-16
14-17
14-18
14-19
14-20
14-22
14-23
14-24
14-25
14-26
14-27
14-28
11-29 11-30 11-31
'32
220
Switch bits are 0 1 :
slot 2:
L-l
slot 3:
L-5
slot 4:
11-9
slot
R-l
L-2
R-Z
L-3
R-3
L-h
11-11
R-S
L-6
R-6
L-7
R-7
L-8
R-8
11-12
11-13
14-14
14-15
W16
11-10
11-11
5:
14-17
slot 6:
14-25
14-18
14-19
14-20
14-21
14-22
14-23
H21;
14-26
14-27
14-28
14-29
14-30
14-31
M-BTZ
slot 2:
L-l
slot 3:
L-S
slot
4 :
L-9
slot 5:
14-13
R-l
L-2
R-2
L-3
R-3
L-ll
11-!
R-S
L-6
R-6
L-7
R-7
L-8
R-S
R-9
L-lO
R-lO
L-ll
R-ll
L-12
R-12
slot 6:
14-21
14-14
14-15
14-16
14-17
14-18
14-19
)4-20
14-22
14-23
14-24
14-25
14-26
14-27
14-28
14-29
114-30
14-31
14-32
FlG.22c
slot 2:
L-l
slot 3:
L-5
slot 4:
L-9
slot 5:
L-l3
slot 6:
'
R-1
L-2
R-2
L-3
12-3
11-14
11-11
R-S
L-6
R-6
L-7
12-7
1-8
12-8
11-9
L-lO
12-10
L-11
11-11
11-12
11-12
12-13
L-14
12-14
L-15
12-15
L-16
11-16
11-17
14-18
14-19
11-20
14-21
11-22
11-23
11-211
slot 7:14-25
14-26
14-27
14-28
14-29
14-30
11-31
14-32
US. Patent
'
F01
'
smz
June 21, 1994
FDZ
'
momma
svsrzmrn
Sheet 10 0f 10
F03
5cm! sums
mm
FACTORS:
1m 1 ADDIHMIAL
{m0 {
: F01.
FIG 23
SEN
5,323,396
001m
slum
1--FD6
"
3101"}
1
000000001 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Q)
1--k--{
|smx|
01xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx0000000
FIG 24
MSW-Z
s'
s'
qr + 1
truncated
0.75
011
110
0.71
<~
0.50
010
101
0.42
0.25
001
100
0.14
--
000
011
- 0.14
--
- 0.25
111
010
~- - 0.42
~-
~ 0.50
110
001
-~
--
101
0.71
(0)
0.75
(0)
(2)
(0)
110
010
0.50
0.857
101
001
0.25
0.571
100
000
0.00
0.287
011
111
- 0.25
010
110
- 0.50
- 0.287
001
101
- 0.75
- 0.571
000
100
- 1.00
- 0.857
(0)
(h)
(c)
FIB.Z5
q + 1
r-
0.71
0.42
0.14
0.00
--
0.14
'
0.42
0.71
>
--
(0)"
G0

1
5,323,396
DIGITAL TRANSMISSION SYSTEM,
TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER FOR USE IN THE

TRANSMISSION SYSTEM
This is a continuation of application Ser. No.
07/ 532,462 ?led Jun. 1, 1990 now abandoned.
The invention relates to a digital transmission system
comprising a transmitter and a receiver, for transmitting
a wide-band digital signal having sample frequency F,,

bandwidths of the critical bands of the human ear. Al
ternatively, the subbands may have other bandwidths,

for example they may all have the same bandwidth,
provided that allowance is made for this in determining
the masking threshold.
It is an object of the invention to provide a number of
steps for the transmission system, in particular a very
speci?c choice for the format with which the digital

wide-band signal, after conversion into the second digi
for example a digital audio signal, via a transmission

tal signal, can be transmitted via the transmission me
medium, and for receiving said signal; and more partic
dium, in such away that a flexible and highly versatile
ularly to such a system which transmits a second digital s-a 5 transmission system is obtained. This is to be understood
signal which comprises consecutive frames, and each

frame comprising a plurality of information packets,
each information packet comprising N bits, N being
larger than 1. The receiver comprises a decoder having
to mean that the transmitter should be capable of con
decoder has an output coupled to an output terminal to
kHz, as laid down in the digital audio interface standard
an input for receiving the second digital signal, and a
supply the wide-band digital signal.
The invention also relates to a transmitter and a re
ceiver for use in the transmission system, to a transmit

ter in the form of a device for recording the second
digital signal in a track on a record carrier, to a record
carrier obtained by means of the transmitter, and to a
receiver in the form of a device for reading the second
digital signal from the track on the record carrier.
30
A transmission system of the type de?ned in the
opening sentence is known from the article The Criti
cal Band CoderDigital Encoding of Speech signals

based on the Percentual requirements of the Auditory
System by ME. Krasner in Proc. IEEE ICASSP 80,
verting wide-band digital signals of different formats

(which formats differ inter alia in respect of the sample
frequency P5 of the wide-band digital signal, which may

have different values such as 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz and 48
of the ABS and the EBU) into the second digital signal.
Similarly, the receiver should be capable of deriving
a wide-band signal of the correct format from said sec
ond digital signal. In accordance with the invention the

number of packets per frame is adjusted such that, if P
in the formula
BR
P-NX
is an integer, where BR is the bit rate of the second
digital signal; n, is the number of samples of the wide
Vol. 1, pp 327-331, Apr. 9-11, 1980. This article relates
band digital signal whose corresponding information,
ploys a subband coding system and the receiver em

ploys a corresponding subband decoding system, but
information packets B in one frame is P. If P is not an
to a transmission system in which the transmitter em
which belongs to the second digital signal, is included in

one frame of the second digital signal;~the number of
the invention is not limited to such a coding system, as 40 integer, the number of information packets in a number
V of the frames is P, P being the next lower integer
will become apparent hereinafter.
In the system known from said publication the speech

signal band is divided into a plurality of subbands whose
bandwidth approximately corresponds to the band
widths of the critical bands of the human ear in the 45
following P, and the number of information packets in
the number W of other frames is equal to P'+ l, and the

numbers V and W are selected to comply exactly with
the requirement that the average frame rate of the sec
respective frequency ranges (cf. FIG, 2 in the article of
ond digital signal should be substantially equal to FS/nS
ground of psycho-acoustic experiments it is foreseeable
portion including the synchronising information.
which in conformity with the Compact Disc Standard

is represented by 16 bits per signal sample in the case of
a sample frequency of l/T=44.l kI-lz, it is found that
information-packet basis, which is simpler and more
lected quantisation for the respective subbands the use
and also necessary, to provide a frame with P+1 in

stead of P information blocks, so that the average frame
Krasner). This division has been selected because on the
and that a frame should comprise at least a ?rst frame
The purpose of dividing the frames into B informa

that the quantisation noise in such a subband will be
tion packets is that for a wide-band digital signal of an
masked to an optimum extent by the signals in this sub
arbitrary sample frequency F, the average frame rate of
band if in the quantisation allowance is made for the
the second digital signal transmitted by the transmitter
noise-masking curve of the human ear (this curve gives
is now such that the average duration of a frame in the
the threshold value for noise masking in a critical band
second digital signal corresponds to the duration occu
by a single tone in the centre of the critical band, cf.
FIG. 3 in the article by Krasner).
'
55 pied by n; samples of the wide-band signal. Moreover,
this enables the synchronisation to be maintained on an
In the case of a high-quality digital music signal,
with a suitably selected bandwidth and a suitably se
of this known subband-coding system yields quantised
reliable than maintaining the synchronisation on a bit

basis. Thus, in those cases where P is not an integer, the
transmitter is capable, at instants at which this possible
rate of the second digital signal can be maintained equal

output signals of the coder which can be represented by
to Fs/ns. Since in this case the spacing between the
an average number of approximately 2.5 bits per signal
sample, the quality of the replica of the music signal not 65 synchronising information (synchronising signals or
synchronising words) included in the first frame portion
differing perceptibly from that of the original music
of succeeding frames is also an integral multiple of the
signal in substantially all passages of substantially all
length of an information packet it remains possible to
kinds of music signals.

5,323,396
maintain the synchronisation on an information packet

basis.
Preferably, the ?rst frame portion further contains
information related to the number of information pack
ets in a frame. In a frame comprising B information
packets this information may be equal to the value B.

This means that this information corresponds to P for
frames comprising P information packets and to P+1
'
tion is needed to enable the continuous serial bit stream
of the samples in the third frame portion to be subdi

vided into the various individual samples of the correct
number of bits at the receiving end.
The allocation information may require that all sam
ples are represented by a ?xed number of bits per sub
band per frame. This is referred to as a transmitter based
on ?xed or static bit allocation. The allocation informa
for frames comprising P'+1 information packets.
tion may also imply that a number of bits variable in

time is used for the samples in a subband. This is re
frame comprises P or P+1 information packets. The
ive or dynamic bit allocation; Fixed and adaptive bit

allocation are described inter alia in the publication
Another possibility is that this information corre

sponds to P for all frames, regardless of whether a
additionally inserted (P'+1)th information packet may
comprise for example merely zeros. In that case this

information packet does not contain any useful informa
tion. Of course, the additional information packet may
also be ?lled with useful information.
ferred to as a transmitter based on the system of adapt
Low bit-rate coding of high quality audio signals. An
introduction to the MASCAM system by G. Theile et
a1, EBU Technical Review, No. 230 (August 1988).
Inserting the allocation information in a frame before
The ?rst frame portion may further comprise system

the samples in a frame has the advantage that at the
information. This may include the sample frequency F,
receiving end a simpler decoding becomes possible,
of the wide-band digital signal applied to the transmit 20 which can be carried out in real time and which pro
ter, copy-protection codes, the type of wide-band digi
duces only a slight signal delay. As a result of this se
tal signal applied to the transmitter, such as a stereo
audio signal or a mono-audio signal, or a digital signal
comprising two substantially independent audio signals.
quence it is no longer necessary to ?rst store all the

information in the third frame portion in a memory in
the receiver. Upon arrival of the second digital signal
However, other system information is also possible, as 25 the allocation information is stored in a memory in the
will become apparent hereinafter. Including the system
receiver. Information content of the allocation informa
information makes it possible for the receiver to be also
tion is much smaller than the information content of the
?exible and enables the received second digital signal to
samples in the third frame portion, so that a substan
be correctly reconverted into the wide-band digital
tially smaller store capacity is needed than in the case
signal. The second and the third frame portions of a 30 that all the samples would have to be stored in the re
frame contain signal information.
ceiver. Immediately upon- arrival of the serial data
The transmitter may comprise a coder comprising
stream of the samples in the third frame portion this
signal-splitting means responsive to the wide-band digi
data stream can be divided into the various samples
tal signal to generate a second digital signal in the form
having the number of bits speci?ed by the allocation
of a number of M subsignals, M being larger than 1, and 35 information, so that no previous storage of the signal
comprising means for quantising the respective sub
information is necessary. The allocation information for
signals. For this purpose an arbitrary transform coding,
all the subbands can be included in a frame. However,
such as the fast Fourier transform (FFT) may be used.
this is not necessary, as will become apparent hereinaf
In that case the transmission system is characterized in
ter.
that the second frame portion of a frame contains allo 40
The transmission system may be characterized fur
cation information which, for at least a number of sub
ther in that in addition the third frame portion includes
signals, indicates the number of bits representing the
information related to scale factors, a scale factor being
samples of the quantised subsignals derived from said
associated with at least one of the quantised subband
subsignals, and in that the third frame portion contains
signals contained in the third frame portion, and in that
the samples of at least said quantised subsignals (if pres 45 the scale factor information is included in the third
ent). At the receiving end it is then necessary to apply
frame portion before the quantised subband signals. The
an inverse transform coding, for example an inverse
samples can be coded in the transmitter without being
Fourier transform (IFFT), to recover the wide-band
normalised, i.e. without the amplitudes of a block of
digital signal.
samples in a subband having been divided by the ampli
quency reduction, into successive subbands having

band numbers m increasing with the frequency, and the
quantisation means are adapted to quantise the respec
tive subband signals block by block. Such a transmission
frame portion before the samples it is possible that dur

ing reception the scale factors to be derived from said
In a system employing subband coding as described 50 tude of the sample having the largest amplitude in this
above, the transmitter signal-splitting means take the
block. In that case no scale factors have to be transmit
form of analysis-?lter means responsive to the wide
ted. If the samples are normalised during coding, scale
band digital signal to generate a number of M subband
factor information has to be transmitted to provide a
signals. The analysis-?lter means divide the signal band
measure of said largest amplitude. If in this case the
of the wide-band digital signal, using a sample-fre 55 scale factor information is also inserted in the third
system is characterized further in that for at least a
number of the subband signals the allocation informa

tion in the second frame portion of a frame speci?es the
number of bits representing the samples of the quantised

subband signals derived from said subband signals and
scale information are ?rst stored in a memory and the
samples ~are multiplied immediately upon arrival, i.e.

without a time delay, by the inverse values of said scale
factors.
The scale factor information may be constituted by
the scale factors themselves. It is obvious that a scale

factor as inserted in the third frame portion may also be
in that the third frame portion contains the samples of at 65 the inverse of the amplitude of the largest sample in a
least said quantised subband signals (if present). This
means in fact that the allocation information is inserted

in a frame before the samples. This allocation informa
block, so that in the receiver it is not necessary to deter
mine the inverse value and consequently decoding can

be faster. Alternatively, the values of the scale factors
5,323,396
may be encoded prior to insertion in the third frame

portion as scale factor information and subsequent
transmission. Moreover, it is evident that if after quanti
sation in the transmitter the subband signal in a subband

is zero, which obviously will be apparent from the allo
cation information for the subband, no scale factor in
formation for this subband has to be transmitted.
The transmission system, in which the receiver com
prises a decoder comprising synthesis-?lter means re
sponsive to the respective quantised subband signals to

construct a replica of the wide-band digital signal, and
in which the synthesis-?lter means combine the sub
magnetic disc or a magnetic tape. The second digital

signal is then stored in the format as proposed by the
invention in one or more tracks of a record carrier, such
as an optical or magnetic disc or a magnetic tape. The
versatility and flexibility of the transmission system thus

resides in the special format with which the information
in the form of the second digital signal is transmitted,
for example via a record carrier. This is combined with

the special construction of the transmitter which is
capable of generating this special format for various

types of input signals. The transmitter generates the
system information required for every type of signal
bands applying sample-frequency increase to form the

and inserts this information in the data stream to be
signal band of the wide-band digital signal, may be
transmitted. At the receiving end this is achieved by
characterized in that the samples of the subband signals 15 means of a speci?c receiver, which extracts said system
(if present) are inserted in the third frame portion in a
information from the data stream and employs it for a
sequence corresponding to the sequence in which said
correct decoding.
samples are applied to the synthesis-?lter means upon
reception in the receiver. Inserting the samples in the
The information packets then constitute a kind of
?ctitious units, which are used to de?ne the length of a

third frame portion in the same sequence as that in 20
frame. This means that they need not be explicitly dis
which they are applied to the synthesis-?lter means in
cernible in the information stream of the second digital

the receiver also results in fast decoding, which again
signal. Moreover, the relationship of the information
does not require additional storage of the samples in the
packets with the existing digital audio interface stan
receiver before they can be further processed. Conse
quently, the storage capacity required in the receiver 25 dard is as de?ned in the IEC standard no. 958. This
standard as normally applied to consumer products
can be limited substantially to the storage capacity
de?nes frames containing one sample of both the left
needed for the storage of the system information, the
hand and the right-hand channel of a stereo signal.
allocation information and, if applicable, the scale factor
These
samples are represented by means of 16-bit twos
information. Moreover, a limited signal delay is pro
duced, which is mainly the result of the signal process
ing performed upon the samples.
complement words. If N=32 is selected, one frame of

this digital audio interface standard can transmit exactly
portion in the same sequence as that in which the sam
one information packet of the second digital signal. In

the digital audio interface standard the frame rate is
equal to the sample rate. For the present purpose the
sation in the quantisation means are converted to form
BR and the sample frequency F5,
The allocation information for the various quantised

subband signals is suitably inserted in the second frame
ples of the subband signals are included in the third 35 frame rate should be selected to be equal to BR/N. This
enables the present ICs employed in standard digital
frame portion. The same applies to the sequence of the
audio interface equipment to be used.
scale factors. If desired, the frames may also be divided
Embodiments of the invention will now be described
into four portions, the ?rst, the second and the third
in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the
frame portion being as described hereinbefore. The last
drawing.
(fourth) frame portion in the frame may then contain
error-detection and/or error-correction information.
Upon reception of this information in the receiver it is
FIGS. l(a)1(c) show the second digital signal gener
possible to apply a correction for errors produced in the
ated by the transmitter and made up of frames, each
second digital signal during transmission already stated,
the wide-band digital signal may be a monophonic sig 45 frame being composed of information packets,
FIG. 2 gives the structure of a frame,
nal. Alternatively, the wide-band digital signal may be a
FIG. 3 shows the structure of the ?rst frame portion
stereo audio signal made up of a ?rst (left) and a second
of a frame,
(right) channel component. If the transmission system is
FIG. 4 gives an example of the transmission system,
based on a subband-coding system the transmitter will
FIG. 5 is a table specifying the number of information
supply subband signals each comprising a ?rst and a 50
packets B in a frame for speci?c values of the bit rate
second subband-signal component, which after quanti
?rst and second quantised subband signal components.
In this case the frames should also include allocation
FIG. 6 gives the number of frames in a padding se

quence and a number of frames thereof comprising an
information and scale-factor information (if the samples 55 additional information packet (dummy slot) for a num
ber of values of the bit rate BR,
have been scaled in the transmitter). The sequence is
also important here. It is obvious that the system can be
FIG. 7 represents the system information included in
extended to handle a wide-band digital signal compris
the ?rst frame portion of a frame,
ing more than two signal components.
FIG. 8 illustrates the distribution of the digital infor
The inventive steps may be applied to digital trans
mation about the various (two) channels for a number of
mission systems, for example systems for radiated trans
modes,
mission of digital audio signals (digital audio broadcast)
FIG. 9 illustrates the signi?cance of the allocation
over radio or TV channels. However, other uses are
information as inserted in the second frame portion,
also conceivable. An example of this is a transmission
FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate the sequence in which the
via optical or magnetic media. Optical-media transmis 65 allocation information is stored in the second frame
sions may be, for example, transmissions via glass ?bres
portion for two formats, format A and format B respec
or by means of optical discs or tapes. Magnetic-media
tively.
transmissions are possible, for example, by means of a
FIG. 12 shows an example of a receiver,
5,323,396
FIG. 13 shows a transmitter in the form of a device
N=32 and n,=384. The table in FIG. 5 gives the num

ber of information packets (slots) in one frame for these
for recording the second digital signal on a magnetic

record carrier,
values for N and ns and for four values of the bit rate BR
FIG. 14 shows the receiver in the form of a device for
reproducing the second digital signal from a magnetic
record carrier,
FIGS. 15(a)-15(a') show some further possibilities of
including the scale factors and samples in the third
frame portion of a frame,
FIG. 16 shows a further modi?cation of the transmit

ter,
FIG. 17 shows another structure of the ?rst frame
portion of a frame,
FIG. 18 shows the system information included in the
and three values for the sample frequency FS. It is evi

dent that for a sample frequency F, equal to 44.1 kHz
the parameter P is not an integer in all cases and that
consequently a number of frames comprise 34 informa

tion packets and the other frames comprise 35 informa
tion packets (when BR is 128 kbit/s). This is also illus
trated in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 shows one frame. The frame

comprises P information packets IPl, 1P2, . . . , IP P.
Sometimes a frame comprises P'+1 information pack

ets. This is achieved by assigning an additional informa
tion packet (dummy slot) to the frames of P information
?rst frame portion illustrated in'FIG. 17,
15 packets. The second column of the table of FIG. 6 gives
FIGS. 19 and 20 show in more detail the information
the number of frames in the padding sequence for a
in the ?rst frame portion illustrated in FIG. 17,
sample frequency of 44.1 kHz and the aforementioned
FIGS. 21 and 22(a)-22(d) illustrate the sequence in
four bit rates. The third column speci?es those frames
which the allocation information is accommodated in
of said number of frames in the sequence which com
the second frame portion associated with the ?rst frame
prise P'+1 information packets. By subtracting the
portion of FIG. 17,
numbers in the second and the third column from each

other this yields the number of frames in the sequence
FIG. 23 gives the structure of a frame ?lled with an
additional signal,
'
comprising P information packets. The (P+1)th infor
FIG. 24 illustrates how the scale factors are derived,

FIG. 25 illustrates the quantisation of the scaled sam
mation packet then need not contain any information.
The (P'+1)th information packet may then comprise
ples to form q-bit digital representations, and
for example only zeroes. It is obvious that the bit rate

BR is not necessarily limited to the four values as given
in the tables of FIGS. 5 and 6. Other (for example inter
mediate) values are also possible. FIG. 2 shows that a
FIG. 26 illustrates the dequantisation of the q-bit
frame comprises three frame portions FDl, FD2 and

FD3 in this order. The ?rst frame portion FDl contains
FIGS. 1(a)-1(c) show diagrammatically the second
digital signal as generated by the transmitter and trans
synchronising information and system information. The
mitted via the transmission medium. The second digital
second frame portion FD2 contains allocation informa
signal takes the form of the serial digital data stream. 35 tion. The third frame portion FD3 contains samples
The second digital signal comprises frames, two such
and, when applicable, scale factors of the second digital
frames, i.e. the frame j and the frame j+1, being given
signal. For a further explanation it is necessary to ?rst
'
EMBODIMENTS
in FIG. 1a. The frames, such as the frame j, comprise a
describe the operation of the transmitter in the transmis

sion system in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the transmission sys
tem comprising a transmitter 1 having an input terminal
plurality of information packets 1P1, 1P2, 1P3, . . . , see
FIG. 1b. Each information packet, such as 1P3, com
prises N bits b0, b1, b2, . . . , b1v_1, see FIG. 10. The
number of information packets in a frame depends upon

(a) the bit rate BR with which the second digital signal
is transmitted via the transmission medium,
2 for receiving the wide-band digital signal $33, which
may be for example a digital audio signal. In the case of
'
an audio signal, this may be a mono signal or a stereo
(b) the number of bits N in an information packet, N
signal in which case the digital signal comprises a ?rst

(left channel) and a second (right channel) signal com
being larger than 1,

(c) F5, being the sample frequency of the wide-band
digital signal, and
ponent. It is assumed that the transmitter comprises a
coder for subband coding of the wide-band digital sig
(d) the number of samples n, of the wide-band digital

signal, the information which corresponds thereto
and which after conversion in the transmitter belongs
to the second digital signal being included in one, on
nal and that the receiver consequently comprises a sub
band decoder for recovering the wide-band digital sig

nal. The transmitter comprises analysis ?lter means 3
responsive to the digital wide-band signal $33 to gener
the average, in the following manner.
ate a plurality of M subband signals S531 to $519M, which

analysis ?lter means divide the signal band of the wide
The parameter P is computed in conformity with the
following formula
55
band signal $33 with sample-frequency reduction into

successive subbands
having
band
numbers
(l mM), which increase with the frequency. All
If this computation yields an integer for P the number

of information packets B in a frame will be equal to P.
If the computation does not result in an integer some
these subbands may have the same bandwidth but, alter

natively, the subbands may have different bandwidths.
In that case the subbands may correspond, for example,
to the bandwidths of the critical bands of the human ear.
The transmitter further comprises quantizers for block

frames will comprise P information packets and the
by-block quantization of the respective subband signals.
other frames will comprise P+1 information packets.
These quantizers means are shown in the block bearing
P is the next lower integer following P. The number of 65 the reference numeral 9 in FIG. 4.
frames comprising P and P'+1 information packets is
Such a subband coder is known per se and is de
obviously selected in such away that the average frame
scribed inter alia in the aforementioned publications by
rate is equal to Fn/m. Hereinafter it is assumed that
Krasner and by Theile et al. Reference is also made to
5,323,396
the published European Patent Application 289,080 to

which U.S. Pat. No. 4,896,362 corresponds.
10
for example only ones. The bits 16 to 31 represent the

system information. The bits 16 to 23 represent the
For a further description of the operation of the sub
number of information packets in a frame. This number
band coder reference is made to said publications. These
consequently corresponds to P, both for the frame
publications are therefore incorporated herewith by 5 comprising P information packets and for frames com
reference. Such a subband coder enables a signi?cant
prising the additional information packet IP P'+1. P
data reduction to be achieved, for example a reduction
can be 254 (1111 1110 in bit notation) at the most in

order to avoid resemblance to the synchronising signal.
The bits 24 to 31 provide frame format information.
FIG. 7 gives an example of the arrangement and
signi?cance of this information. Bit 24 indicates the type
of frame. In the case of format A the second frame
from 16 bits per sample for the wide-band digital signal

$33 to for example 4 bits per sample in the signal which
is transmitted to the receiver 5 via the transmission

medium 4, see FIG. 4. Above n, is assumed to be 384.
This means that there are blocks of 384 samples of the
wide-band digital signal, each sample having a length of
portion has another length (a different number of infor
16 bits. Now it is also assumed that M=32. Conse
quently, the wide-band digital signal is split into 32
subband signals in the analysis ?lter means 3. Now 32

(blocks of) subband signals appear on the 32 outputs of
the analysis ?lter means, each block comprising 12 sam
ples (the subbands have equal width) and each sample
15
mation packets) than in the case of format B. As will
become apparent hereinafter, the second frame portion

FD2 in the A format comprises 8 information packets,
namely the information packets IP2 to 1P9 inclusive and
in the B format it comprises 4 information packets,
namely the information packets 1P2 to 1P5 inclusive.
having a length of 16 bits. This means that on the out 20

The bits 25 and 26 indicate whether copying of the
puts of the ?lter means 3 the information content is still
equal to the information content of the block of 384
samples of the signal 553 on the input 2. The means 9
a)
the channel mode, which indicates the type of wide
now provide data reduction in that, using the knowl
edge about masking, the samples in the 32 blocks of 12 25 band signal (as stated hereinbefore this may be a ste
reo audio signal, a mono audio signal, or an audio
samples, each block for one subband, are quantised
signal comprising two different signal components

more roughly and can thus be represented by a smaller
for example representing the same text but in two
number of bits. In the case of a static bit allocation all
different languages). FIG. 8 represents the channel
the samples per subband per frame are expressed in a
mode. It illustrates how the signal components are
fixed number of bits. This number can be different for 30
divided between the two channels (channel I and
two or more subbands but it can also be equal for the
channel II) in the aforementioned cases.
subbands, for example equal to 4 bits. In the case of
b) the sample frequency F, of the wide-band signal.
dynamic bit allocation the number of bits selected for
every subband may differ viewed in time, so that some
digital signal in the transmitter. The values 50 and 15
times an even larger data reduction or a higher quality 35
1,1,8 are the time constants of the emphasis and CCITT
with the same bit rate can be achieved.
The subband signals quantised in the block 9 are ap
plied to a generator unit 6. Starting from the quantised
subband signals this unit 6 generates the second digital
signal as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. This second digital
signal, as stated hereinbefore, can be transmitted di
rectly via the medium. However, preferably this second

digital signal is ?rst adapted to be transmitted via the
J. The value 17 indicates a speci?c emphasis standard

as de?ned by the CCITT (Comit Consultative Inter
nationale de Tlgraphie et Tlphonie).
The content of the frame portion FD2 in FIG. 2 will

be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 9,
10 and 1. In the A format the second frame portion
contains eight information packets. This is because it is
assumed that the wide-band digital signal S35 is con

transmission medium 4 in a signal converter (not
shown). Such a signal converter comprises, for exam 45 verted into 32 subband signals (for every signal portion
ple, an 8-to~l0 converter. Such an 8-to-l0 converter is
described in, for example, the Applicant's European
Patent Application 150,082, to which US. Pat. No.

4,620,311 corresponds. This converter converts 8-bit
data words into 10-bit data words. Moreover, such a
signal converter enables an interleaving process to be
of the digital signal 533). An allocation word having a

length of four bits is assigned to every subband. This
yields a total of 64 allocation words having a length of

4 bits each, which can be accommodated exactly in
eight information packets. In the B format the second

frame portion accommodates the allocation information
for only' half the number of subbands, so that now the
applied. The purpose of all this is to enable an error

correction to be performed on the information to be
second frame portion comprises only 4 information
nising word). The synchronising signal may comprise
the allocation word 1111 is not used because it bears
packets.
received at the receiving side.
FIG. 9 illustrates the signi?cance of the four-bit allo
It is obvious that the signal received from the trans 55
cation words AW. An allocation word associated with
mission medium 4 by the receiver 5 should then be
a speci?c subband speci?es the number of bits by which
de-interleaved and subjected to a lO-to-B conversion.
the samples of the subband signal in the relevant sub
Frame Format
band are represented after quantisation in the unit 9. For
The composition and content of the frames will now
example: the allocation word AW which is 0100 indi
be explained in more detail. The ?rst frame portion FDI
cates that the samples are represented by 5-bit words.
in FIG. 2 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. FIG. 3
Moreover, it follows from FIG. 9 that the allocation
clearly shows that the ?rst frame portion now com
word 0000 indicates that no samples have been gener
prises exactly 32 bits and is therefore exactly equal to
ated in the relevant subband. This may happen, for
one information packet, namely the ?rst information 65 example, if the subband signal in an adjacent subband
packet 1P1 of the frame. The ?rst 16 bits of the informa
has such a large amplitude that this signal fully masks,
tion packet form the synchronising signal (or synchro
the subband signal in the relevant subband. Moreover,
5,323,396
11
much resemblance to the sync word in the ?rst informa

tion packet 1P1.
FIG. 10 indicates the sequence, in the case that the
frame mode is A, in which the allocation words AW,

j,m associated with the two channels j, were j=I or II,
and the 32 subbands of the sequence number m, m rang
ing from 1 to 32, are arranged in the second frame por

tion. The allocation word AWI,1 belonging to the ?rst
subband signal component of the ?rst and lowest sub
band (channel I, subband 1) is inserted ?rst. After this

the allocation word AWII,1 belonging to the second
subband-signal component of the ?rst and lowest sub
band (channel II, subband 1) is inserted in the second
frame portion FD2. Subsequently, the allocation word
AWI,2 belonging to the ?rst subband-signal component
of the second and lowest but one subband (channel I,

subband 2) is inserted in the frame portion FD2. This is
12
does not change rapidly. Since during quantisation
knows the allocation information for the various sub

bands is available in the transmitter, this transmitter can
decide to generate a B format frame instead of an A
format frame if the allocation information for the sub
bands 17 to 32 inclusive does not change (signi?cantly).
Moreover, this illustrates that now additional space
becomes available for the inclusion of samples in the

third frame portion FD3.
For a speci?c value of P the third frame portion of a
B format frame is four information packets longer than
the third frame portion of an A format frame. Conse
quently, this enables the number of bits by which the
samples in the lower subbands 1 to 16 are represented to
be increased, so that for these subbands a higher trans
mission accuracy can be achieved. Moreover, if it is
required to quantise the lower subbands more accu
rately the transmitter can automatically opt for the

followed by the allocation word AW II,2 belonging to
the second subband-signal component of the second
subband (channel II, subband 2). This continues until 20 expense of the accuracy with which the higher sub
bands are quantised.
the allocation word AW II,4 belonging to the second
subband-signal component of the fourth subband (chan
nel II, subband 4) is inserted in the second frame portion
samples of the quantised subband-signal components for
the two channels. If the allocation word 0000 is not
FD2. The second information packet IP2 (slot 2) of the
frame, which is the ?rst information packet in the frame 25 present in the frame portion FD2 for any of the subband
channels this means that in the present example twelve
portion FD2 of the frame, is then ?lled exactly. Subse
samples are inserted in the third frame portion FD3 for
quently, the information packet 1P3 (slot 3) is ?lled with
AW 1,5; AW 11,5; . . . AW 11,8. This continues in the
sequence as illustrated in FIG. 10.
FIG. 10 merely gives the indices j-m of the inserted 30
allocation word AW, j,m. FIG. 11 indicates the se
quence for the allocation words in the case of a B-for

mat frame. In this case only allocation words of the
subbands 1 to 16 are inserted. The sequence, as is illus
each of the 32 subbands and 2 channels. This means that

there are 768 samples in total.
Scale Factors
scale factor prior to their quantisation. For each of the

subbands and channels the amplitudes of the twelve
trated in FIG. 10, corresponds to the sequence in which 35 samples are divided by the amplitude of that sample of
the twelve samples which has the largest amplitude. In
the separate samples belonging to a channel j and a
subband m are applied to the synthesis ?lter means upon
reception in the receiver. This will be explained in

greater detail hereinafter. The serial data stream con
tains for example only frames in conformity with the A
format. In the receiver the allocation information in
each frame is then employed for correctly deriving the

samples from the information in the third frame portion
of said frame. However, the serial data stream may also
comprise, more or less alternately, both frames in con
that case a scale factor should be transmitted for every

subband and every channel in order to enable the in
verse operation to be performed upon the samples at the

receiving end. For this purpose the third frame portion
then contains scale factors SF j,m, one for each of the
quantised subband-signal components in the various

subbands. In the present example, scale factors are rep
resented by 6-bit numbers, the most signi?cant bit ?rst,
the values ranging from 000000 to 111110. The scale

formity with the A format and frames in conformity
factors of the subbands to which these are allocated, i.e.
with the B format. However, the frames in conformity
whose allocation information is non-zero, are transmit
with both formats may contain samples for all channels
ted before the transmission of the samples begins. This
and all subbands in the third frame portion. A frame in
means that the scale factors are accommodated in the
conformity with the B format then lacks in fact the 50 leading part of the frame portion FD3 before the sam
allocation information required to derive the samples
ples. This enables a rapid decoding in the receiver 5 to
for the channels I or II of the subbands 17 to 32 from the
be achieved without the necessity of storing all the
third frame portion of a B format frame.
samples in the receiver, as will become apparent herein
The receiver comprises a memory in which the allo
after. A scale factor SF j,m can thus represent the value
cation information included in the second frame portion 55 by which the samples of the signal in the j-th channel of
of an A format frame can be stored. If the next frame is
the m-th subband have been multiplied. Conversely, the
a B format frame only the allocation information for the
subbands 1 to 16 and the channels I and II in the mem
samples for the subbands 17 to 32 from the third frame

portion of the B format frame are derived from the
allocation information for these subbands derived from
the preceding A format frame and still present in the
number one divided by said value may be stored as the

scale factor so that at the receiving end it is not neces
sary to divide the scale factors before the samples, are
scaled up' to correct values.
For the frame format A the maximum number of
scale factors is 64. If the allocation word AW j,m for a
speci?c channel j and a speci?c subband m has the value
0000, which means that for this channel and this sub
the allocation information (in the present case the allo

cation information for the higher subbands 17 to 32),
channel and this subband. The number of scale factors is

then smaller than 64. The sequence in which the scale
ory is replaced by the allocation information included in

the second frame portion of the B format frame. The
memory. The reason for the alternate use of A format 65 band no samples are present in the frame portion FD3,
it will not be necessary to include a scale factor for this
frames and B format frames is that for some subbands
13
5,323,396
factors SF j,m are inserted in the third frame portion
FD3 is the same as that in which the allocation words
have been inserted in the second frame portion. The

sequence is therefore as follows:
SF 1,1; SF 11,1; SF 1,2; SF 11,2; SF 1,3; SF 11,3; . . . SF
1,32, SF 11,32.
If it is not necessary to insert a scale factor the se
quence will not be complete. The sequence may then be
for example:
. . . SF 1,4; SF 1,5; SF 11,5; SF 11,6; . . . .

channel 11 and the sixth subband of channel 1 are not
inserted. If the frame is a B format frame it may still be
considered to insert scale factors in the third frame
14
The unit 19 each time detects the sync words situated in

the ?rst 16 bits of the ?rst frame portion of every frame.
Since the sync words of successive frames are each time
spaced apart by an integral multiple of P or P + 1 infor
mation packetsthe sync words can be detected very
accurately.
Once the receiver is in synchronism the sync word
can be detected in the unit 19. In the unit 19 a time
window having, for example, a length of one informa

tion packet is opened after each occurrence of P infor
mation packets, so that only that part of the incoming
information is applied to the sync word detector in the
portion for all the subbands and all the channels. How
unit 19. 1f the sync word is not detected the time win
dow remains open for the duration of another informa
tion packet because the preceding frame may be a frame
possible to insert scale factors in the third frame portion
words a PLL in the unit 19 can derive a clock signal to
ever, this is not necessarily so. In this case it would be
of the frame for the subbands 1 to 16 only. In the re

ceiver this requires a memory in which all scale factors
can be stored at the instant at which a previously arriv
ing A format frame is received. Subsequently upon

reception of the B format frame only the scale factors
for the subbands 1 to 16 are replaced by the scale factors

included in the B format frame. The scale factors of the
previously received A format frame for the subbands 17
to 32 are then used in order to restore the samples for
these subbands included in the third frame portion of

the 13 format frame to the correct scale.
The samples are inserted in the third frame portion
FD3 in the same sequence as the allocation words and
the scale factors, one sample for every subband of every

channel in succession. This means: ?rst all the ?rst sam
ples for the quantised subband signals for all the sub
bands of both channels, then all the second samples, . .
. etc. The binary representation of the samples is arbi
trary, the binary word comprising only ones prefera

bly not being used again.
The second digital signal generated by the transmitter
comprising P'+ 1 information packets. From these sync

It is evident from the above that the receiver should
know how many information packets are contained in
one frame. For this purpose the system information is

applied to the switching means 15 via an input of the
processing unit 18, which switching means are then in
the position shown. The system information can now be
stored in a memory 180 of the processing unit 18. The
information relating to the number of information pack
ets in a frame can be applied to the unit 19 via the con

trol-signal line 20 to open the time window at the cor
rect instants for sync-word detection. When the system
information is received the switch 15 is changed over to
the lower position. The allocation information in the

second frame portion stored in the memory 18b. If the
allocation information in the incoming frame does not
comprise an allocation word for all the subbands and
channels this will have become apparent already from
the detected system information. This may be for exam
ple the information indicating whether the frame is an
A-format or a B-format frame. Thus, under the in?u

1 is subsequently applied to a transmission medium 4 via
ence of the relevant information contained in the system
the output 7, and by means of the transmission medium 40 information the processing unit 18 will store the re
4 this signal is transferred to the receiver 5. The trans
ceived allocation words at the correct location in the
mission via the transmission medium 4 may be a wireless
allocation memory 18b.
transmission, such as for example a radio transmission
channel. However, other transmission media are also
possible. In this respect an optical transmission may be 45 factors are transmitted, the elements bearing the refer
envisaged, for example via optical ?bres or optical re
ence numerals 11, 12 and 17 may be dispensed with and
cord carriers, such as Compact-Disc-like media, or a
the content of the third frame portion of a frame is
transmission by means of magnetic record carriers uti
applied to the synthesis ?lter means via the input 10,
lising RDAT or SDAT-like recording and reproducing
which is coupled to the inputof said ?lter means via the
technologies, for which reference is made to the book
connection 16. The sequence in which the samples are
The art of digital audio by J .Watkinson, Focal press,

London 1988.
The Receiver
The receiver 5 comprises a decoder, which the signal
encoded in the coder 6 of the transmitter 1 and converts
it into a replica of the wide-band digital signal supplied
to the output 8.
FIG. 12 shows a more detailed version of the receiver
applied to the ?lter means 21 is the same as the sequence

in which the ?lter means 21 process the samples in order
to reconstruct the wide-band signal. The allocation

information stored in the memory 18b is required in
order to divide the serial data stream of samples into
individual samples in the ?lter means 21, each sample
having the correct number of bits. For this purpose the
allocation information is applied to the ?lter means 21
via the line 22. The receiver further comprises a deem
5 in FIG. 4. The coded signal (the second digital signal) 60 phasis unit 23 which subjects the reconstructed digital
is applied to a unit 11 via the terminal 10. The essential
signal supplied by the ?lter 21 to deemphasis. For a
information in the incoming signal is contained in the
correct deemphasis the relevant information in the bits
scale factors and the samples. The remainder of the
information in the second digital signal is merely re
24 to 31 of the ?rst frame portion should be applied

from the memory 180 to the deemphasis unit 23 via the
quired for a correct bookkeeping, to allow a correct 65 line 24.
decoding. The decoding process is repeated for every
If the third frame portion also contains the scale fac
incoming frame. The transmitter ?rst derives the syn
tors SF j,m the receiver will comprise the switch 11, the
chronising and system information from the frames.
memory 12 and the multiplier 17. All the instant at

15
5,323,396
which the third frame portion FD3 of a frame arrives

the switch 11 is in the lower position under the in?u
ence of a control signal applied by the processing unit
18 via the line 13. The scale factors can now be applied
to the memory 12. Under the in?uence of address sig
nals applied to the memory 12 by the processing unit 18
via the line 14 the scale factors are stored at the correct
locations in the memory 12. The memory 12 has 64
locations for the storage of the 64 scale factors. Again,

when a B-format frame is received, the processing unit
18 applies such address signals to the memory 12 that
'
16
0nd digital signal to a recording device 27 comprising a

write head 26 by means of which the signal is recorded
in a track on the record carrier. It is then possible to
record the second digital signal in a single track on the

record carrier, for example by means of a helical-scan
recorder, in which case the single track is then in fact
divided into juxtaposed tracks which are inclined rela
tive to the longitudinal direction of the record carrier.
An example of this is an RDAT-like recording method.
Another method is to split the information and simulta
neously recording the split information in a plurality of
only the scale factors for the subbands 1 to 16 are over
juxtaposed tracks which extend on the record carrier in

the longitudinal direction of the record carrier. For this
the use of an SDAT-like recording method may be
the samples are multiplied so as to restore them to the
reference to FIG. 4. If the encoded information is re

corded on the record carrier in a plurality of adjacent
written by the scale factors in the B-format frame. Sub

sequently, the switch 11 changes over to the shown
(upper) position under the in?uence of the control sig
considered. A comprehensive description of the two
nal applied via the line 13, so that the samples are ap
above methods can be found in the aforementioned
plied to the multiplier 17. Under the in?uence of the
book The art of a digital audio by J. Watkinson.
allocation information, which is now applied to the
Again it is to be noted that the signal supplied by the
multiplier 17 via the line 22, the multiplier ?rst derives
unit 6 may be ?rst be encoded in a signal converter.
the individual samples of the correct bit length form the 20 This encoding may again be an 8-to-l0 conversion fol
serial data stream applied via the line 16. Subsequently,
lowed by an interleaving process, as described with
correct values of the samples prior to scaling-down in

the transmitter. If the scale factors stored in the memory
12 are the scale factors by which the samples have been
scaled down in the transmitter these scale factors should
?rst be inverted (one divided by the scale factor) and

should then be applied to the multiplier 17. Obviously,
it is also possible to invert the scale factors upon recep
parallel track, this signal converter should also be capa

ble of assigning the encoded information to the various
tracks.
FIG. 14 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of
the receiver 5, which in the present case takes the form
of a read device for reading the record carrier 25 on

tion before they are stored in the memory 12.
30 which the wide-band digital signal has been recorded in
If the scale factors in the frames are already equal to
the form of the second digital signal by means of the
the value by which the samples should be scaled up

during reception they can be stored directly in the
memory 12 and they can be applied directly to the
multiplier 17. It is evident that no memory is required to
store all these samples before the signal processing per

formed upon the samples contained in the frame begins.
At the instant at which a sample arrives via the line 16
device shown in FIG. 13. The second digital signal is

read from a track on the record carrier by the read head
29 and is applied to the receiver 5, which may be for

example of a construction as shown in FIG. 12. Again
the read device 28 may be constructed to carry out an

RDAT-like or an SDAT like reproducing method.
Both methods are again described comprehensively in

the aforementioned book by Watkinson. If the signal
already available, so that processing; can be carried out 40 supplied by the unit 6 in the recording device shown in
immediately. This entire process is effected under the
FIG. 13 has been converted, for example in an 8-to-l0
in?uence of control signals and clock signals applied to
conversion and in an interleaving step, the encoded
all the parts of the transmitter by the processing unit 18.
signal read from the record carrier 25 should ?rst be
By no means all the control signals are shown. This is
de-interleaved and should be subjected to l0-to-8 con
all the information required for processing this sample is
not necessary because the operation of the receiver will 45 version. Moreover, if the encoded signal has been re
be obvious to those skilled in the art. Under control of
corded in a plurality of parallel tracks the reproducing
the processing unit 18 the multiplier 17 multiplies the
unit shown in FIG. 14 should arrange the information
samples by the appropriate multiplication factors. The
read from these tracks in the correct sequence before
samples, which have now been restored to the correct
further processing is applied.
amplitude, are applied to the reconstruction ?lter 18 in

which the subband signals are reconverted to form the
wide-band digital signal. A further description of the

receiver is not necessary because such receivers are
generally known, see for example the publication Low

bit rate coding of high-quality audio signals. An intro
duction to the MASCAM system by G. Theile et al in
EBU Technical Review, no. 230, August 1988. More
over, it will be evident that if the system information is

also transmitted the receiver can be highly ?exible and
can correctly decode the signals even in the case of
second digital signals with different system information.

Other Embodiments
FIG. 13 shows diagrammatically yet another embodi
ment of the transmitter, which now takes the form of a
recording device for recording the wide-band digital
signal on the record carrier, in the present case a mag

netic record carrier 25. The encoder 6 supplies the sec
FIGS. 15(a)15(d) show a number of other possibili

ties of inserting the scale factors and the samples in the
third frame portion FD3 of a frame. FIG. 15a illustrates

the above described method in which the scale factors
SF for all the subbands m and channels (I or II) are
inserted in the third frame portion before the samples.
FIG. 15b illustrates the same situation as FIG. 15a, but
in this case it diagrammatically represents the storage

capacity for the scale factors SF Lm and SF II,m and
the associated x samples for these two channels in the
subband 111. FIG. 15b shows the samples for the two
channels in the subband m combined to blocks, whereas
normally they are distributed within the third frame
portion. The samples have a length of y bits. In the
above example x is 12 and y is now taken to be 8. FIG.
15c shows another format. The two scale factors for the
?rst and the second channel in the subband are still
present in the third frame portion. However, instead of

the xy samples for both channels (the left and right chan
17
5,323,396
nels for a stereo signal) in the subband m (i.e. 2Xsam

ples in total) only it samples for the subband m are in
cluded in the third frame portion. These x samples are
obtained, for example, by adding corresponding sam
ples in each of the two channels to one another. In fact,

a monophonic signal is obtained in this subband m. The
x samples in FIG. 15c each have a length of 2 bits. If 2
is equal to y this saves room in the third frame portion,
which can be used for samples requiring a more accu
rate quantisation. It is alternatively possible to express

the x samples of the mono signal in Z=2y (=16) bits.
Such a signal processing is applied if the phase differ
ence between the left-hand and the right-hand signal
component in a subband is irrelevant but the waveform
of the monophonic signal is important. This applies in

particular to signals in higher subbands because the
phase-sensitivity of the ear for the frequency in these

subbands is smaller. By expressing the x samples of the
mono signal in 16 bits the waveform is quantised more
18
the scale factors, a generator 34 for de?ning the samples

for a frame. The generator 35 is a generator which is
capable of generating the additional information packet
IP P'+ 1. The outputs of these generators are coupled to

associated inputs of switching means 40 in the form of a
?ve-position switch whose output is coupled to the"

output 7 of the encoder 6. The switching means 40 are
also controlled by the processing unit 30. The various
generators are controlled via the lines 41.1 to 41.4.
The operation of the transmitter will be described for
a mono signal divided into M subband signals. These M
subband signals S5131 to $55M are applied to the termi
nals 45.1, 45.2, . . . , 45M. For example, blocks of 12
samples of each of the subband signals are taken to
15 gether. In the unit 46.1 to 46M, if present, the twelve
samples in a block are scaled to the amplitude of the

largest sample in the block. The M scale factors are
applied to the unit 33 (if present) via the lines 47.1 to

47.M. The subband signals are applied both to the M
20
quantisers 48.1 to 48.M and to a unit 49. For every
subband the unit 49 defines the number of bits with
illustrated in FIG. 1512. Yet another possibility is to
which the relevant subband signal should be quantised.
represent the samples in FIG. 15 by for example 12 bits.
This information is applied to the respective quantisers
The signal de?nition is then more accurate than in the
example illustrated in FIG. 15b whilst in addition room 25 48.1 to 48.M via the lines 50.1 to 50.M, so that these
quantisers correctly quantise the 12 samples of each of
is saved in the third frame portion. When at the receiv
the subband signals. Moreover this (allocation) informa
ing end the signals included in the third frame portion as
tion is applied to the unit 32. The samples of the quan
illustrated in FIG. 150 are reproduced a stereo effect is
tised subband signals are applied to the unit 34 via the
obtained which is referred to as intensity stereo.
lines 51.1 to 51.M. The units 32, 33 and 34 arrange the
I-Iere, only the intensities of the left-channel and the
allocation information, the scale factors and the samples
right-channel signals (in the subband m) can differ be
accurately, while the room occupied by these samples

in the third frame portion is equal to that in the example
cause of a different value for the scale factors SF I,m
and SF II,m.
FIG. 15a gives still another possibility. In this case
in the correct sequence i.e. in the sequence as described
hereinbefore. Moreover, the processing unit 30 has

generated the synchronising information and the system
there is only one scale factor SFm for both signal com 35 information associated with the frame to be generated,
in which said information stored in the units 32, 33 and
ponents in the subband m. This is a situation which may
34 should be inserted.
occur in particular for low-frequency subbands. Yet
In the shown position of the switching means 40 the
another possibility, which is not shown, is that the x
synchronising and system information for a frame is
samples for the channels I and II of the subband m, as in
supplied by the generator 31 and fed to the output 7.
FIG. 15b, do not have associated scale factors SF I,m
Subsequently, the switch 40 is set to the second position
and SF II,m. Consequently, these scale factors are not
from the top under the influence of the control signal
inserted in the same third frame portion. In this case the
supplied by the CPU 30, via the line 53 so that the
scale factors SF I,m and SF II,m included in the third
output of the generator 32 is coupled to the output 7.
frame portion of a preceding frame must be used for
scaling up the samples in the receiver.
45 Now the allocation information is applied to the output
7 by the generator 32. The sequence of the allocation
All the possibilities described with reference to FIG.
information is as described with reference to FIG. 10 or
15 can be employed in the transmitter in order to
11. After this the switch 40 is set to the third position
achieve a most efficient data transfer via the transmis
from the top. This means that the output of the genera
sion medium. Thus, frames as described with reference
tor 33 is coupled to the output 7. The generator 33 now
to FIG. 15 may occur alternately in the data stream. It
supplies the scale factors in the correct sequence to the
will be appreciated that, if the receiver should yet be
output 7. The switch 40 is now set to the next position,
capable of correctly decoding these different frames,
so that the output of the generator 34 is coupled to the
information about the structure of these frames should
output 7. Now the generator 34 supplies the samples in
be included in the system information.
The Transmitter
FIG. 16 shows the transmitter in more detail. The
Figure shows how the various items of information can
be combined to form the serial data stream as given in
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. FIG. 16 in fact shows a more detailed
version of the encoder 6 in the transmitter 1. The en
coder comprises a central processing unit 30, which
55 the various subbands in the correct sequence to the
output 7. In this cycle exactly one frame is applied to
the output 7. Subsequently, the switch 40 is reset to the

top position. A new cycle is started, in which a subse
quent block of 12 samples for each subband is encoded
and a subsequent frame can be generated on the output
7. In some cases, for example if the sample frequency F;
is 44.1 kHz, see FIG. 5, an additional information packet
controls a number of devices in the encoder. The en
(the dummy slot, see FIG. 2) must be added. In that case
coder comprises a generator 31 included in the process
the switch will be set from the position in which the
ing unit 30 for generating the synchronising information 65 generator 34 is coupled to the bottom position. The
and the system information, as described with reference
output of the generator 35 is now coupled to the output
to FIG. 3, a generator 32 for defining the allocation
7. Now the generator 35 generates the additional infor
information, a generator 33 (optional) for determining
mation packet IP P'+1, which is applied to the output
EXHIBIT D
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
USOO5539829A
United States Patent [19]
[11]
Patent Number:
Lokho? et al.
[45]
Date of Patent:
[54] SUBBAND CODED DIGITAL TRANSMISSION
[58]
SYSTEM USING SOME COMPOSITE

SIGNALS
Netherlands; Yves-Francois Dehery,

Cedex, France; Gerhard J. Stoll;
NY.
[57]
[211 Appl. No.: 488,318

Jun. 7, 1995
[221 Filed:
ABSTRACT
Reproduction accuracy of, for example a digital stereo audio
signal, is improved by transmitting sample data as sub
signals such as frequency subband signals. In one or more
subbands, corresponding components such as left and right
Related US. Application Data
stereo channels are combined so that only one composite
signal is transmitted per subband. An indicator signal is

transmitted, indicating which subbands are combined. Scale
factor signals for all subbands, and for the relative intensity
of the respective subband signals which were combined,
Division of Ser. No. 173,850, Dec. 27, 1993, which is a

continuation of Ser. No. 997,158, Dec, 21, 1992, Pat No.
5,323,396, which is a continuation of Ser. No. 532,462, Jun.
1, 1990, abandoned.
[51]
[52]
8/1994 Hall, ll et al. ........................ .. 381/1 X
Primary ExaminerForester W. Isen

Attorney, Agent, or FirmDavid R. Treacy
[73] Assignee: U.S. Philips Corporation, New York,
Jun. 12, 1989

Feb. 13, 1990
References Cited
5,341,457
Germany
[30]
395/212, 2.14, 2.38
Giinther Theile, both of Munich,
[62]
Jul. 23, 1996
Field of Search .................................. .. 381/2, 29, 30;
[56]
[75] Inventors: Gerardus C. P. Lokho?, Eindhoven,
5,539,829
may also be transmitted. In the receiver a subband signal is
[NL]
Netherlands ......................... .. 8901402
[NL]
Netherlands ......................... .. 9000338
derived for each channel from the composite signal, before

synthesis of the full channel signals which will be repro
duced.
Int. Cl.6 ..................................................... .. H04H 5/00
US. Cl. .............................. .. 381/2; 381/30; 395/212;
395/214; 395/238
oumnzrn
CODER 4
3881 9
FILTER Q } (// /
588 i
2
TRANSMITTER
l l
SSBM
RECEIVER
US. Patent
Jul. 23, 1996
BR
Fs
bitrate
sample freq.
(kbits/s)
128
192
Sheet 2 0f 11
(kHz)
5,539,829
B
# slots in a frame
32
4B
44 . l
34 + padding
48
32
32'
44.1
48
72
52 + padding
48
32
256
44 .J.
48
384
44.1
96
69 + padding
64
32
144
> 104 + padding
48
96
FIGS
bitrate
(kbits/s)
total # frames in
padding sequence
# frames with
a dummy slot
128
14'?
192
49
256
1.4?
9'?
384
49
24
F155
122
'
12
US. Patent
Jul. 23, 1996
Bit 24 :
Sheet 3 of 11
Frame type
Bits 2S and 26: Copyright
0
1
format A
format B
0 0
0 1
no copyright, own rec.

copyright, own recording
1 0
1 1
Bits
27 - 31
Stereo
Stereo
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
l
1
1
0
0
0
O
1
1
0
O
0
1
0
1
0
1
Stereo
Stereo
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
l
1
1
1
l
1
O
0
0
O
1
1
l
1
G
0
0
1
0
D
l
l
0
0
l
l
0
1
0
l
O
1
0
O 0 0 1 0
0 0 0 l 1
1 0
3. 0 0 1
1
l
1
1
1
l
1
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
l
l
1
l
0
O
0
0
0
1
l
0
O
1
0
l
0
l
0
l
0
1 l 0 1. 1
l
1
l
l
1
1
1
1
l
1
1
l
copyright, software
Mode indication
O 0 0 O 0
0 o 0 0 1
0 1 0
5,539,829
0
0
1
l
0
1
0
1
Stereo
Stereo
Emphasis
44 . 1 kHz
44 . 1 kHz
no emphasis
50/15 uses
no emphasis
50/15 1158C
48
48
kHz
kHz
32
kHz
32
kHz
reserved
reserved
2 Chan. 48
1452
2 Chan. 48
kHz
2 Chan.
44 . 1 kHz
2 Chan. 44. 1 kHz

2 Chan. 32
kHz
2 Chan. 32
14112
reserved
reserved
1 Chan. 48
kHz
1 Chan. 48
kHz
1 Chan. 44 .1 kHz
1 Chan.
44 . 1 kHz
1 Chan. 32
kHz
1 Chan. 32
kHz
reserved
1 Chan. 48
kHz
Stereo 48
kHz
2 Chan. 48
KHZ
Stereo 44 .1 kHz
2 Chan.
Stereo
2 Chan.
1 Chan.
1 Chan.
mode
stereo
Sample Freq.
2 channel mono
1 channel mono
44 . 1 kHz
32
32
32
44 .1
channel I
left
program I
program I
FIB.8
kHz
kHz
kHz
kHz
no emphasis
50/15 11sec
no emphasis
50/15 use:
no emphasis
50/15 uses
no emphasis
50/15 14sec
no emphasis
50/15 ,useo
no emphasis
50/15 psec
no emphasis
50/15 uses
CCI'IT
CCI'I'T
CCITT
CCITT
CCIT'I
CCITT
CCITT
CCIT'I
CCIT'I
channel II
right
program II
not used
J. 17
J. 1?
17.17
J.l7
(1.17
J.17
J.l7
J. 17
J. 17
US. Patent
Jul. 23, 1996
allocation
length of samples
0000
0001
0010
0011
01.00
0101
2
3
4
5
6
info
Sheet 4 0f 11
5,539,829
in bits
0110
0111
1000
'7
8
9
1001
10
1.010
11
1.011
1100
1101.
1.110
12
13
14
15
1111
FIGS
slot
1-1
11-1
1-2
II-2
I-3
II-3
I-4
II-4
I-5
II~5
slot 4:
1-9
II-9
1-6
11-6
1-?
11-7
1-8
11-8
I-lO
III-l0
1-11
11-11
1-12
11-12
32-14
11-14
1-15
Ill-15
1-16
11-16
slot
slot
I-13
:
11-13
slot
I~l7 11-17
slot 7:
1-18
11-18
I-l9
II-ILQ
1-20
III-2O
1-21 III-21
slot 8:
I~25 II-25
slot 9:
1-29 III-29
1-22
III-22
1-23
III-23
I-24
II-24
1-26
II-26
I-27
11-27
1-28
11-28
I30
11-30
1-31
III-31
I-32
III-32
FIG.1U
slot. 2:
I-l
II-l
slot
I~2
III-2
I-3
II-3
I-4
II~4
1-5
11-5
1-6
III-6
I-7
III-*7
I-B
II-B
1-9
III-9
1-10
11-10
11-11
II-ll
11-12
11-12
1-13
II-l3
I-14
III-l4
I-lS
II-lS
1*16
II-lS
slot
slot
FIGH
US. Patent
I
SY C.
Jul. 23, 1996

I
bu. 1 , 1" .551. J . .
Bits 16 to 19
BR
Sheet 7 0f 11
1
Big
bitrate index
BR
(kbits/
sec. }
48 kHz
a? slats
l
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
ll
12
13
14
8
l6
24
32
4O
48
56
64
72
80
88
96
1.04
1.12
Bits 20 and 21
p5
44.1 kHz
# slots
8
1.7
26
34
43
52
6O
69
'78
87
95
104
113
121
32 kHz
# slots
+ padding
12
24
36
48
60
72
84
96
108
120
1.32
144
156
168
Sample Frequency
0
0
1
1
Bit 22
has 161""FP19 F? PM. . E"? . . E31
32
64
96
128
160
192
224
256
288
320
352
384
416
448
5,539,829
O
l
0
1
44. 1 kHz
48
kHz
32
kHz
reserved
: padding bit
'1 if the frame contains a 'dummy' slot, Otherwise 0'

Bit 23
Future Use
FIGJB
'0' for the time being_
US. Patent
Jul. 23, 1996
D11. nun:
Sheet 8 of 11
swncn c
5,539,829
{H 114111 b3}
H619
Bits 24 and 25 : Mode indication
0 0
Bits 26 and 2'7

0
0
1
1
stereo
0 l
1 O
intensity stereo
bilingual
1 l
mono
: Intensity stereo mode switches
10
l
0
l
subbands
subbands
subbands
subbands
5
9
1 '3
17
37'33
32
33
in
in
in
in
intensity
intensity
intensity
intensity
stereo
stereo
stereo
stereo
mode
mode
mode
mode
Bit 28 : Copyright
Bit 29 : Original/Home Copy
0 0
0 1
no emphasis
1 0
1. l
reserved
CCITT J.l7
Mono mode
no copyright
copyright protected
Copy
Original
'
M = mono signal
slot 2:
11-1
11-2
14-3
11-4
11-5
16-6
14-7
14-
11-10
11-11
11-12
11-13
11-14
11-15
W1)
14-17
11-18
11-19
11-20
11-21
14-22
11-23
MW?
slot 5:
11-25
11-26
11-27
M-28
11-29
11-30
11-31
1-32
slot
3:
14-9
slot 4:
H521
US. Patent
Jul. 23, 1996
Sheet 10 of 11
.wm
mm
?mm
"A?"
2%?5wQ:2@95:n.H2:g?a;252%
5,539,829
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US. Patent
Jul. 23, 1996
0'
Sheet 11 0f 11
5'
5,539,829
1501100150
0 +1
0 0.?5
011
-- 0.11
0.42
0.50
- 0.25
010
001
101
100
000
011
~ 0.14
-- 0
0.14
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- -0.25
-0.50
111
110
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101
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100
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J
5,539,829
2
SUBBAND CODED DIGITAL TRANSMISSION

SYSTEM USING SOME COMPOSITE
SIGNALS
vided that allowance is made for this in determining the
This application is a division of US. patent application

Ser. No. 08/173,850 ?led Dec. 27, 1993, which is continu
ation of US. patent application Ser. No. 07/997,158 ?led
are transform coded. Such systems are referred to in the
masking threshold.
The invention is also applicable to other types of trans

mission systems, such as those in which blocks of samples
Dec. 21, 1992, now US. Pat. No. 5,323,396, which is a

continuation of application Ser. No. 07/532,462 ?led on Jun.
1, 1990 by Gerardus C. P. Lokhotf for DIGITAL TRANS

MISSION SYSTEM, TRANSMI'ITER AND RECEIVER
FOR USE IN THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, AND '
RECORD CARRIER OBTAINED BY MEANS OF THE

TRANSMITTER IN THE FORM OF A RECORDING
DEVICE, now abandoned.
article Low bit-rate coding of high-quality audio signals.

An introduction to the MASCAM system by G. Thiele, G.
Stoll and M. Link, published in EBU Technical Review, no.
230, pp. 7194, August 1988. In such a system the transform
coefficients correspond to the sub-signals.
The sub-signal transmission systems described above
have the disadvantage that, in some cases, perceptible dif
ferences occur between the replica and the signal which was
to be transmitted. These differences are perceived as a form
of distortion in the replica generated by the receiver. Often
they are the result of the number of bits, available for
quantization of certain of the sub-signals, being too low.
1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a transmission system for pro
20
ducing a replica of a wideband digital signal which includes

at least a ?rst and a second component; and more particu
larly to such a system which comprises an encoder including

an analyzer for altering the digital signal to obtain a number
n of subsignals for said digital signal; a transmitter for
transmitting the sub~signals for reception at a different time
or place; a receiver for receiving the sub-signals; and a
decoder including a synthesizer for combining the received
25
An object of the invention is to enable transmission of
signals representing a wideband digital signal with a sig

ni?cant reduction of the distortion present in the replica
generated in the receiver.
Another object of the invention is to identify sub-signals,
corresponding to ?rst and second signal components which
are related to each other, which can be combined to obtain
a composite signal which is transmitted in place of those
sub-signals.
sub-signals to obtain respective replicas of the digital signal.
The invention also relates to an encoding transmitter, and a 30
Another object of the invention is to transmit digital

signals corresponding to stereo audio signals with reduced
distortion in the generated replica.
article, The Critical Band Coder~Digital Encoding of

Speech Signals Based on the Perceptual Requirement of the
Auditory System by M. E. Krasner, published in Proc.
IEEE ICASSP 80, Vol. 1, pp 327331, Apr. 91 1, 1980. This
further comprises control circuitry for determining and
decoding receiver for such a system.

2. Description of the Prior Art
One transmission system of this type is known from an
According to the invention, a system as described above
35
bining selected corresponding subsignals from the ?rst and

second components of the original digital signal to obtain
one or more composite sub-signals, and an indicator gen
article relates to a transmission system in which the sub
signals are signals representing frequency bands. The trans

mitter includes a frequency subband coding system in which
the speech signal band is divided into a plurality of subbands
whose bandwidths approximate the bandwidths of the criti
cal bands of the human ear in the respective frequency

ranges (see FIG. 2 of this article). This division is selected
because, based on psycho-acoustic experiments, one can
expect that quantization noise in such a subband will be
40
45
masked to an optimum extent by the signals in that subband,

if during quantization allowance is made for the noise
masking curve of the human ear. Threshold values for noise
masking by In single tones are shown in FIG. 3 of this
article. The receiver employs a corresponding subband
erator for generating an indicator signal indicating that these

corresponding sub-signals are combined. The receiver is
responsive to the indicator signal, for generating a signal
relating to that composite signal and related to at least one
of said first and second components. Preferably, the receiver
includes a decoder which synthesizes a signal which is the
desired replica, by combining the transmitted subsignals

and composite sub-signals.
The invention is based on recognition that the numbers of

bits made available for different sub-signals are not opti
mally allocated, so that quantization of certain sub-signals is
too rough. This leads to audible distortion in a replica
resulting from decoding of the received signal. By selec

tively combining subsignals which have a correspondence or
decoding system.
When applying frequency subband coding to a high

quality digital music signal, such as one according to the
Compact Disc Standard which uses 16 bits per signal sample
at a sample frequency of 1/T:44.1 kHz, with a suitably
optimizing bit allocation, and a signal combiner for com
relationship to each other, and quantizing only one compos

55
ite sub-signal, so as to make more bits available for quan
tizing of those sub-signals which are transmitted, the
reduced quantizing distortion may more than compensate for
the slight loss of information in the replica. This is especially
selected bandwidth and a suitable selected quantization for
the respective subbbauds, the quantized output signals of the
true when the sub-signals which are combined are signals

corresponding to a same frequency subband, such as left and
coder can be represented by an average number of approxi
mately 2.5 bits per signal sample. The quality of the replica
right stereo, or other spatial-differentiating signals, in music
the original music signal in substantially all passages of

substantially all kinds of music signals.
tized with a greater number of bits than if the two sub
of the music signal does not dilfer perceptibly from that of

bandwidths of the critical bands of the human ear. For
example, the subbands may have equal bandwidths, pro
or audio transmission.
Alternatively, the composite signal may itself be quan
65
signals were quantized separately.
In a preferred embodiment, a control or central processing

unit, and an allocation control unit, together functioning as
5,539,829
combine in each of a number 1111 of said subbands the

subband signals of the ?rst and second components in those
subbands, to obtain m1, composite signals in said rn1 sub

bands, where m1 is greater than 1. The signal generator
generates an indicator signal identifying which subbands
sample frequency F5,
FIG. 6 is a table showing the numbers of frames in a
had their corresponding sub-signals combined. This indica
padding sequence for different bit rates,

FIG. 7 is a table showing the system information included
in the ?rst portion of a frame,
tor signal will function as a steering control signal. The
transmitter transmits these composite signals in the m1

subbands, the indicator signal, and the remaining sub-signals
FIG. 8 is a table showing a distribution of information
which have not been combined. In this embodiment, the

receiver decoder has a deriving circuit for deriving m1
subband signals from the composite signals in the m1
subbands, and combining these with the subband signals
between channels for dilfferent modes,

FIG. 9 is a table of meanings of allocation information
inserted in the second portion of a frame,
FIGS. 10 and 11 are tables showing sequences in which
allocation information is stored for two different formats,
which were transmitted.
A variation of this embodiment allows a still greater

reduction of the data. An allocation control circuit in the
transmitter determines the bit availability after the m1 sub
bands have been processed to form the composite sub- '
signals. If bit availability is still such that quantization of
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of a receiver according to the
invention,
20
some subbands will be too rough, then a second evaluation
is made with a greater number of subbands being combined.

For example, in each of a number m2 subbands the subband
signals of said signal components are combined to obtain m2
composite signals in said m2 subbands. The value m2 will be
greater than m1, and will preferably include all of the m1
subbands.
In this embodiment the signal generator will then generate
a different indicator signal, identifying the m2 subbands, and
the transmitter transmits these composite signals in the m2

subbands. In the receiver the deriving circuit derives ?rst the
m2 composite signals in the m2 subbands from the signal

received, and then derives from these m2 composite signals,
in response to the indicator signal, subband signals in the m2
subbands corresponding to said signal portions.
FIG. 14 is a simpli?ed block diagram of a receiver for
25
30
35
if M=32, the highest (highest frequency) 16 bands may
45
m4=28.
FIG. 19 is a diagram of a structure for a portion of the

structure of FIG. 17,
FIG. 20 is a table showing bit codings in an embodiment
of the structure of FIG. 19,
FIG. 21 is a table showing a sequence for allocation
ciated with the ?rst portion of FIG. 17 , for a monaural mode,
FIGS. 22a-d are tables showing sequences for allocation
ciated with the ?rst portion of FIG. 17, for a stereo intensity
mode,
FIG. 23 is a diagram of a frame structure including an
50
with largest absolute value to an intermediate value used for
55
scale factor computations,

FIG. 25 is a table showing quantization of scaled samples
to form q-bit digital representations, and
FIG. 26 is a table showing dequantization of the q-bit
EMBODIMENTS

60
FIG. 1 shows diagrammatically the second digital signal
as generated by the transmitter and transmitted via the

transmission medium. The second digital signal takes the
form of the serial digital data stream. The second digital
a transmitter according to the invention, organized as frames
each composed of information packets,
FIG. 2 is a diagram of the structure of a frame according
to a preferred embodiment including scale factors,

FIG. 3 is a diagram of the structure of the ?rst portion of
the frame of FIG. 2,
FIG. 17 is a diagram of another structure for the ?rst
additional signal,
FIGS. 24 is a binary number diagram relating the sample
the receiver is adapted to detect the scale factors which have

been transmitted, and to control a multiplier for the subband
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a second digital signal generated by
arrangement,
portion of a frame,
FIG. 18 is a table showing system infonnation included in
the structure of FIG. 17,
required, then the m2 subbands are the m2 highest subbands.

This method of combining takes advantage of the fact that
the human ear is less phase sensitive in those frequency
bands. In one embodiment discussed more fully below, the
value m1 is half of the number M of subbands. For example,
signals before the full bandwidth signal is reconstructed in

a synthesis ?lter. Correction for any pre~emphasis is made
after reconstruction.
producing a replica signal from the magnetic record carrier

of FIG. 13,
FIGS. 15a-15d are diagrams of different arrangements of

scale factors and samples in the third portion of a frame,
FIG. 16 is a block diagram of one preferred transmitter
In a typical audio subband division, the m1 subbands are
In yet another preferred embodiment, the transmitter

comprises a scale factor determiner, for determining a scale
factor for time equivalent signal blocks of the ?rst and
second components in the subband signals; and the trans
mitting section transmits these scale factors. The detector in
FIG. 13 is a simpli?ed block diagram of a transmitter

which records the second digital signal on a magnetic record
carrier,
the m1 highest subbands; and if further combining is
initially be selected for combining. A value of 20 may be

used for m2, and the process can be repeated for m3=24 and
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a system according to the

invention
FIG. 5 is a table showing the number of information
packets B in a frame, for certain values of bit rate BR and
control or steering circuits, control the signal combiner to
signal comprises frames, two such frames, i.e. the frame j
65
and the frame j+l , being given in FIG. 1a. The frames, such
as the frame j, comprise a plurality of information packets
IPl, IP2, 1P3, . . . , see FIG. 1b. Each information packet,
5,539,829
6
The Transmission System
FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically the transmission system
such as [P3, comprises N bits b0, b1, b2, . ..,bN_1, see FIG.
1c.
Number of Packets
The number of information packets in a frame depends
upon
(a) the bit rate BR with which the second digital signal is
transmitted through the transmission medium,
(b) the number of bits N in an information packet, N being
larger than l,
(c) the sample frequency FS of the wide-band digital
signal, and
comprising a transmitter 1 having an input terminal 2 for

receiving the wide-band digital signal S B B, which may be for
example a digital audio signal. In the case of an audio signal,
this may be a mono signal or a stereo signal, in which case
the digital signal comprises a ?rst (left channel) and a second
(right channel) signal component. It is assumed that the
transmitter comprises a coder for subband coding of the

1O
comprises a subband decoder for recovering the wide-band
digital signal.
(d) the number of samples nx of the wide-band digital
signal.
The information which corresponds to these packets, and

which after conversion in the transmitter belongs to the
second digital signal, is included in one frame in the
following manner. The parameter P is computed in confor
mity with the formula
wideband digital signal and that the receiver consequently
The transmitter comprises an analysis ?lter 3 responsive
to the digital wide-band signal S BB to divide the wide band

15
into a plurality M of successive frequency subbands having

band numbers m, where lmM, which increase with
frequency. All these subbands may have the same bandwidth

but, alternatively, the subbands may have different band
widths. In that case the subbands may correspond, for
example, to the bandwidths of the critical bands of the
human ear. The analysis ?lter generates subband signals

S5,},1 to SSBM, for the respective subbands. The transmitter
If this computation yields an integer for P the number of

information packets B in a frame will be equal to P. If the
further comprises circuits for sample-frequency reduction
and block-by-block quantization of the respective subband
computation does not result in an integer some frames will 25 signals, shown as the block 9 in FIG. 4.
comprise P information packets and the other frames will
Such a subband coder is known and is described, for
comprise P'+l information packets. P is the next lower

integer following P. The number of frames comprising P' and
P'+l information packets is selected in such a way that the
average frame rate is equal to Fslns.
Hereinafter it is assumed that N=32 and ns=384. The table
example, in the aforementioned publications by Krasner and

by Theile et al. Reference is also made to the published
European Patent Application 289,080, to which US. Pat.

30
in FIG. 5 gives the number of information packets (slots) in

one frame for these values for N and ns and for four values
of the bit rate BR and three values for the sample frequency
FJ. It is evident that for a sample frequency F5 equal to 44.1
35
kHz the parameter P is not an integer in all cases and that
consequently a number of frames comprise 34 information

packets and the other frames comprise 35 information
packets (when BR is 128 kbit/s). This is also illustrated in
No. 4,896,362 corresponds.
For a further description of the operation of the subband

coder reference is made to these publications, which are
therefore incorporated herein by reference. Such a subband
coder enables a signi?cant data reduction to be achieved in
the signal which is transmitted to the receiver 5 through the
transmission medium 4, for example a reduction from 16
bits per sample for the wide-band digital signal S BB to 4 bits
per sample if n3 is 384. This means that there are blocks of
384 samples of the wide-band digital signal, each sample
FIG. 2.
40 having a length of 16 bits. If a value M:32 is assumed, the
FIG. 2 shows one frame. The frame comprises P infor
wide-band digital signal is split into 32 subband signals in
the analysis ?lter means 3. Now 32 (blocks of) subband

signals appear on the 32 outputs of the analysis ?lter means,
mation packets IPl, IP2 . . . IP P. Sometimes the frame
comprises P'+l information packets. This is achieved by

assigning an additional information packet (dummy slot) to
the frames of P' information packets. The second column of

the table of FIG. 6 gives the number of frames in the padding
sequence for a sample frequency of 44.1 kHz and the
aforementioned four bit rates. The third column speci?es
those frames of that number of frames in the sequence which
comprise P+l information packets. By subtracting the num
bers in the second and the third column from each other this
yields the number of frames in the sequence comprising P

information packets. The (P'+l)th information packet then
need not contain any information, and may then comprise
for example only zeroes.
It is obvious that the bit rate BR is not necessarily limited
to the four values as given in the tables of FIGS. 5 and 6.
Other (for example intermediate) values are also possible.
FIG. 2 shows that a frame comprises three frame portions

FDl, FDZ and FD3 in this order. The ?rst frame portion FDI
contains synchronising information and system information.
The second frame portion FD2 contains allocation informa

tion. The third frame portion FD3 contains samples and,
when applicable, scale factors of the second digital signal.
45
each block comprising 12 samples (the subbands have equal

width) and each sample having a length of 16 bits. This
means that on the outputs of the ?lter means 3 the informa
tion content is still equal to the information content of the
block of 384 samples of the signal 833 on the input 2.
The data reduction circuit 9 operates on the output of the
50
?lter 3 using the knowledge about masking. At least some of

the samples in the 32 blocks of 12 samples, each block for
one subband, are quantised more roughly and can thus be
represented by a smaller number of bits. In the case of a
static bit allocation all the samples per subband per frame are
55
expressed in a ?xed number of bits. This number can be

different for two or more subbands but it can also be equal
for the subbands, for example equal to 4 bits. In the case of

dynamic bit allocation the number of bits selected for every
subband may differ viewed in time, so that sometimes even
a larger data reduction can be achieved, or a higher quality

with the same bit rate.
The subband signals quantised in the block 9 are applied

to a generator unit 6. Starting from the quantised subband
signals this unit 6 generates the second digital signal as
For a further explanation it is necessary to ?rst describe the 65 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. This second digital signal, as
operation of the transmitter in the transmission system in

accordance with the invention.
stated hereinbefore, can be transmitted directly through the
medium 4. Preferably, however, this second digital signal is
5,539,829
7
?rst adapted in a signal converter (not shown), such as an

8-to-l0 converter. Such an 8-to-l0 converter is described in,
FIG. 9 illustrates the signi?cance of the four-bit allocation

words AW. An allocation word associated with a speci?c
subband speci?es the number of bits by which the samples
of the subband signal in the relevant subband are represented
after quantisation in the unit 9. For example, the allocation
word AW which is 0100 indicates that the samples are
represented by 5-bit words. Moreover, it follows from FIG.
9 that the allocation word 0000 indicates that no samples
have been generated in the relevant subband. This may
for example, European Patent Application 150,082 to which
US. Pat. No. 4,620,311 corresponds. This converter con

verts 8bit data words into 10-bit data words, and enables an
interleaving process to be applied. De-interleaving, error
correction and l0-to-8 conversion are then performed in the
receiver.
Frame Format
The composition and content of the frames will now be
explained in more detail. The ?rst frame portion FD1 in FIG.
2 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. FIG. 3 shows that the
happen, for example, if the subband signal in an adjacent

subband has such a large amplitude that this signal fully
masks the subband signal in the relevant subband. The

allocation word 1111 is not used because it closely
resembles the sync word in the ?rst information packet 1P1.
?rst frame portion comprises exactly 32 bits and is therefore

exactly equal to one information packet, namely the ?rst
information packet 1P1 of the frame. The ?rst 16 bits of the
FIG. 10 indicates the sequence, in the case that the frame
information packet form the synchronising signal (or syn

chronising word), and may comprise for example only
mode is A, in which the allocation words AW, j,m associated

with the two channels j, where j=I or II, and the 32 subbands
ones The bits 16 to 31 are system information. The bits 16

to 23 represent the number of information packets in a
frame. This nu consequently corresponds to P', both for the
of the sequence number m, m ranging from 1 to 32, are
frame comprising P information packets and for frames

comprising the additional information packet IP P'+l. P can
be at the most 254(1111 1110 in bit notation) in order to
avoid resemblance to the synchronising signal. The bits 24

to 31 provide frame format information.
FIG. 7 gives an example of the arrangement and signi?
cance of this information. Bit 24 indicates the type of frame.
In the case of format A the second frame portion has another
length (a different number of information packets) than in
the case of format B. As will become apparent hereinafter,
the second frame portion FD2 in the A format comprises 8
25
nent of the second and lowest but one subband (channel I,

subband 2) is inserted in the frame portion FD2. This is
30
information packets, namely the information packets 1P2 to
IP9 inclusive; and in the B format it comprises 4 information

packets, namely the information packets 1P2 to 1P5 inclu
sive. The bits 25 and 26 indicate whether copying of the
signal component of the fourth subband (channel 11, subband
35
a) the channel mode, which indicates the type of wide

band signal (as stated hereinbefore this may be a stereo
11,8. This continues in the sequence as illustrated in FIG. 10.
FIG. 10 merely gives the indices j-m of the inserted

allocation word AW, j,m. FIG. 11 indicates the sequence for
comprising two different signal components for

example representing the same text but in two different
the allocation words in the case of a B-format frame. In this

case only allocation words of the subbands 1 to 16 are
inserted. The sequence, as is illustrated in FIG. 10, corre
45

digital signal in the transmitter. The values 50 and 15 us
are the time constants of the emphasis and CCITT J.
50
55
the wide-band digital signal S88 is converted into 32 sub
band signals (for every signal portion of the digital signal
S BB), and that an allocation word having a length of four bits

is assigned to every subband. This yields a total of 64
allocation words having a length of 4 bits each, which can
60
be accommodated exactly in eight information packets. In
the B format the second frame portion accommodates the

allocation information for only half the number of subbands,
so that now the second frame portion comprises only 4
information packets.
synthesis ?lter means upon reception in the receiver. This

will be explained in greater detail hereinafter.
The serial data stream contains for example only frames
in conformity with the A format. In the receiver the alloca
tion information in each frame is then employed for cor
rectly deriving the samples from the information in the third
Internationale de Telegraphic et Telephonie).
The content of the frame portion FD2 in FIG. 2 will be

described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 9, 10 and
11. In the A format the second frame portion contains eight
information packets. This is based on the assumptions that
sponds to the sequence in which the separate samples
belonging to a channel j and a subband m are applied to the
b) the sample frequency F, of the wide-band signal.
The value 17 indicates a speci?c emphasis

standard as de?ned by the CCITT (Comite Consultative
information packet 1P2 (slot 2) of the frame, which is the

?rst information packet in the frame portion FD2 of the
frame, is then ?lled exactly. Subsequently, the information
packet 1P3 (slot 3) is ?lled with AW 1,5; AW 11,5; . . . AW
audio signal, a mono audio signal, or an audio signal
the aforementioned cases.
followed by the allocation word AW 11,2 belonging to the

second subband-signal component of the second subband
(channel II, subband 2). This sequence continues until the
allocation word AW 11,4 belonging to the second subband
4) is inserted in the second frame portion FD2. The second
languages). FIG. 8 represents the channel mode. It

illustrates how the signal components are divided
between the two channels (channel I and channel II) in
arranged in the second frame portion. The allocation word

AWl,1 belonging to the ?rst subband signal component of
the ?rst and lowest subband (channel I, subband 1) is
inserted ?rst. After this the allocation word AWII,1 belong
ing to the second subband-signal component of the ?rst and
lowest subband (channel II, subband 1) is inserted in the
second frame portion FD2. Subsequently, the allocation
word AWl,2 belonging to the ?rst subband-signal compo
frame portion of said frame. The serial data stream may also
comprise, more or less alternately, both frames in confor
mity with the A format and frames in conformity with the B
format. However, the frames in conformity with both for
mats may contain samples for all channels and all subbands
in the third frame portion. A frame in conformity with the B
format then lacks in fact the allocation information required
to derive the samples for the channels I or II of the subbands
17 to 32 from the third frame portion of a B format frame.
The receiver comprises a memory in which the allocation
information included in the second frame portion of an A
format frame can be stored. If the next frame is a B format
65
frame only the allocation information for the subbands 1 to

16 and the channels I and 11 in the memory is replaced by the
allocation information included in the second frame portion
5,539,829
10
of the B format frame. The samples for the subbands 17 to

32 from the third frame portion of the B format frame are
derived from the allocation information for these subbands
which means that for this channel and this subband no
samples are present in the frame portion FD3, it will not be
necessary to include a scale factor for this channel and this
derived from the preceding A format frame and still present
subband. The number of scale factors is then smaller than

64. The sequence in which the scale factors SF j,m are
inserted in the third frame portion F D3 is the same as that in
which the allocation words have been inserted in the second
frame portion. The sequence is therefore as follows: SF I, 1;
in the memory. The reason for the alternate use of A format

frames and B format frames is that for some subbands the
allocation information (in the present case the allocation

information for the higher subbands 17 to 32) does not
change rapidly. Since during quantization the allocation
information for the various subbands is available in the
1O
transmitter, this transmitter can decide to generate a B

format frame instead of an A format frame if the allocation
information for the subbands 17 to 32 inclusive does not

channel II and the sixth subband of channel I are not
inserted. If the frame is a B format frame it may still be
considered to insert scale factors in the third frame portion
for all the subbands and all the channels. However, this is not
samples in the third frame portion FD3.
For a speci?c value of P the third frame portion of a B
format frame is four information packets longer than the
third frame portion of an A format frame. This enables the

number of bits by which the samples in the lower subbands
the only option. In this case it would also be possible to

insert scale factors in the third frame portion of the frame for
the subbands 1 to 16 only. In the receiver this requires a
1 to 16 are represented to be increased, so that for these

subbands a higher transmission accuracy can be achieved.
memory in which all scale factors can be stored at the instant
Moreover, if it is required to quantize the lower subbands
at which a previously arriving A format frame is received.
Subsequently upon reception of the B format frame only the
25
quantized.
Scale Factors
samples for these subbands included in the third frame
30
35
In the present example, scale factors are represented by

6-bit numbers, the most signi?cant bit ?rst, the values
ranging from 000000 to 111110. The scale factors of the
samples, . . . etc. The binary representation of the samples is
40
45
50
means that the scale factors are transmitted before the
channel of the m-th subband have been multiplied. Con

versely, the number one divided by this value may be stored
not being used again.

The second digital signal generated by the transmitter 1 is
subsequently applied to the transmission medium 4 by the
output 7, and by means of the transmission medium 4 this

signal is transferred to the receiver 5. Transmission through
the transmission medium 4 may be a wireless transmission,
such as for example a radio transmission channel. Many
other transmission media are also possible. In this respect
optical transmission may be envisaged, for example over
optical ?bres or optical record carriers, such as Compact
Disc-like media, or transmission by means of magnetic
record carriers utilising RDAT or SDAT-like recording and
reproducing technologies, for which reference is made to the
book The art of digital audio by J. Watkinson, Focal Press,
part of the frame portion FD3 before the samples. This
the value by which the samples of the signal in the j-th
samples for the quantised subband signals for all the sub
arbitrary, the binary word comprising only ones preferably
subbands to which these are allocated, i.e. whose allocation

information is non-zero, are accommodated in the leading
transmission of the samples begins. As a result rapid decod

ing in the receiver 5 can be achieved without the necessity
of storing all the samples in the receiver, as will become
apparent hereinafter. A scale factor SF j,m can thus represent
portion of the B format frame to the correct scale.

The samples are inserted in the third frame portion FD3
in the same sequence as the allocation words and the scale
factors, one sample for every subband of every channel in
succession. According to this sequence, ?rst all the ?rst
bands of both channels are inserted, then all the second
scale factor prior to their quantization. For each of the

subbands and channels the amplitudes of the twelve samples
are divided by the amplitude of that sample of the twelve
samples which has the largest amplitude. In that case a scale
factor should be transmitted for every subband and every
channel in order to enable the inverse operation to be
performed upon the samples at the receiving end. For this
purpose the third frame portion then contains scale factors
SF j,m, one for each of the quantised subband-signal com
ponents in the various subbands.
scale factors for the subbands 1 to 16 are replaced by the

scale factors included in the B format frame. The scale
factors of the previously received A format frame for the
subbands 17 to 32 are then used in order to restore the
samples of the quantised subband-signal components for the
samples in total.
'
. . . SF I,4; SF LS; SF II,5; SF II,6; . . . .
additional space becomes available for the inclusion of
two channels. If the allocation word 0000 is not present in

the frame portion FD2 for any of the subband channels this
means that in the present example twelve samples are
inserted in the third frame portion FD3 for each of the 32
subbands and 2 channels. This means that there are 768
will not be complete. The sequence may then be for

example:
change (signi?cantly). Moreover, this illustrates that now
more accurately the transmitter can automatically opt for the

expense of the accuracy with which the higher subbands are
SF II, 1; SF I,2; SF II,2; SF 1,3; SF II,3; . . . SF L32; SF 11,32.

If it is not necessary to insert a scale factor the sequence
55
London 1988.
The Receiver
As shown in FIG. 4, the receiver 5 comprises a decoder,
which decodes the signal encoded in the coder 6 of the
transmitter 1 and converts it into a replica of the wide-band
digital signal supplied to the output 8. The essential infor

mation in the incoming signal is contained in the scale
factors and the samples. The remainder of the information in

the second digital signal is merely required for a correct
bookkeeping, to allow a correct decoding. The receiver ?rst
derives the synchronising and system information from the
frames. The decoding process is then repeated for every
as the scale factor so that at the receiving end it is not

necessary to divide the scale factors before the samples are
scaled up to the correct values.
For the frame format A the maximum number of scale 65 incoming frame.
factors is 64. If the allocation word AW j,m for a speci?c
FIG. 12 shows a more detailed version of the receiver 5
channel j and a speci?c subband m has the value 0000,
of FIG. 4. The coded signal (the second digital signal) is
5,539,829
11
12
applied to a unit 11 through the terminal 10. For every frame,

the unit 19 ?rst detects the sync words situated in the ?rst 16
bits of the ?rst frame portion. Since the sync words of
successive frames are each time spaced apart by an integral
multiple of P or P'+l information packets, the sync words
can be detected very accurately. Once the receiver is in
synchronism the sync word can be detected in the unit 19.
To accomplish this, a time window having, for example, a
length of one information packet is opened after each
occurrence of P information packets, so that only that part
of the incoming information is applied to the sync word
detector in the unit 19. If the sync word is not detected the
time window remains open for the duration of another
information packet because the preceding frame may be a
then stored in the memory 12, which has 64 locations for the
storage of the 64 scale factors. If a B-format frame is being
received, the processing unit 18 applies such address signals
to the memory 12 that only the scale factors for the subbands
1 to 16 are overwritten by the scale factors in the B-format
frame. Subsequently, as a result of another control signal
applied over the line 13, the switch 11 is changed to the
upper position shown in the drawing, so that the samples are
applied to the multiplier 17. Using the allocation informa
10
tion, which is now applied to the multiplier 17 over the line
22, the multiplier ?rst derives the individual samples of the
correct bit length from the serial data stream applied over the
line 16.
The samples are then multiplied so as to restore them to
the correct values which the original samples had prior to

scaling down in the transmitter. If the scale factors stored in
frame comprising P'+1 information packets. From these

sync words a PLL in the unit 19 can derive a clock signal to

It is evident from the above that the receiver should know
the memory 12 are the scale factor values by which the
upper position shown, to apply the system information to the
possible to invert the scale factors upon reception before

they are stored in the memory 12. If the scale factors in the
frames are already equal to the value by which the samples
should be scaled up during reception they can be stored
directly in the memory 12, and can then be applied directly
to the multiplier 17.
samples have been scaled down in the transmitter, these
values should ?rst be inverted (one divided by the value)

how many information packets are contained in one frame.
For this purpose the switching means 15 are then in the 20 before application to the multiplier 17 . Obviously, it is also
processing unit 18. The system information can now be
stored in a memory 18a of the processing unit 18. The
information relating to the number of information packets in
a frame can be applied to the unit 19 over a control-signal 25

line 20, to open the time window at the correct instants for
sync-word detection. When the system information is

received the switch 15 is changed over to the lower position.
The allocation information in the second frame portion of
It is evident that no memory is required to store all these
samples before the signal processing performed upon the
samples contained in the frame begins. At the instant at

which a sample arrives over the line 16 all the information
the frame can now be stored in the memory 181;.
If the allocation information in the incoming frame does

not comprise an allocation word for all the subbands and
channels this will have become apparent already from the
detected system information. This may be for example the
required for processing this sample is already available, so
information contained in the system information, the pro

cessing unit 18 will store the received allocation words at the
because the details of operation of the receiver will be
that processing can be carried out immediately. This entire
process is controlled and synchronized by control signals

and clock signals applied to all the parts of the transmitter by
information indicating whether the frame is an A-format or 35 the processing unit 18.
Not all the control signals are shown. This is not necessary
a B-format frame. Thus, under the in?uence of the relevant
obvious to those skilled in the art. Under control of the
processing unit 18 the multiplier 17 multiplies the samples

by the appropriate multiplication factors. The samples,
correct location in the allocation memory 18b.

factors are transmitted, the elements bearing the reference
numerals 11, 12 and 17 may be dispensed with, and the
content of the third frame portion of a frame is applied
directly by the connection 16 from the input 10 to a synthesis
?lter 21. The samples are applied to the ?lter 21 in the same
which have now been restored to the correct amplitude; are
applied to the reconstruction ?lter 18 in which the subband

45
sequence as the order in which the ?lter 21 processes the
samples in order to reconstruct the wide-band signal. The

allocation information stored in the memory 18b is required
in order to divide the serial data stream of samples into
50
individual samples in the ?lter 21, each sample having the
FIG. 13 shows diagrammatically another embodiment of

the transmitter, in the form of a recording device for record
ing the wide-band digital signal on a record carriersuch as a
55
the ?lter 21 to deemphasis. For a correct deemphasis the

relevant information in the bits 24 to 31 of the ?rst frame
portion should be applied from the memory 18a to the

deemphasis unit 23 over the line 24.
If the system uses scale factors in this format, the receiver
will include the switch 11, the memory 12, and the multiplier
17, and the third frame portion will contain the scale factors
SF j,m. Because of a control signal applied by the processing
correctly decode the signals even if the second digital

signals contain different system information.
Other embodiments
correct number of bits. For this purpose the allocation

information is applied to the ?lter 21 over the line 22.
The receiver further comprises a deemphasis unit 23
which subjects the reconstructed digital signal supplied by
signals are reconverted to form the wide-band digital signal.

Further description of the receiver is not necessary because
such receivers are generally known, for example as
described in the Thiele et al article cited above. Moreover,
it will be evident that if the system information is also
transmitted the receiver can be highly ?exible and can
60
magnetic record carrier 25. The encoder 6 supplies the

second digital signal to a recording device 27 comprising a
write head 26 by means of which the signal is recorded in a

track on the record carrier. It is then possible to record the
second digital signal in a single track on the record carrier,
for example by means of a helical-scan recorder. In this case
the single track can be divided into juxtaposed tracks which
are inclined relative to the longitudinal direction of the
record carrier. An example of this is an RDAT-like recording
method. Another method is to split the information and
unit 18 over the line 13, the switch 11 is in the lower position
at the instant at which the third frame portion FD3 of a frame 65 simultaneously recording the split information in a plurality
of juxtaposed tracks which extend on the record carrier in
arrives. Address signals are supplied to the memory 12 by
the longitudinal direction of the record carrier. For this the
the processing unit 18 over the line 14. The scale factors are
13
5,539,829
audio by I. Watkinson.
Again it is to be noted that the signal supplied by the unit
subbands because the phase-sensitivity of the ear for the

frequency in these subbands is smaller. By expressing the x
samples of the mono signal in 16 bits the waveform is
quantised more accurately, while the room occupied by these
samples in the third frame portion is equal to that in the
example illustrated in FIG. 15b.
Yet another possibility is to represent the samples by an
intermediate number of bits, for example 12 bits. The signal
6 may be ?rst be encoded in a signal converter. This

encoding may, for example, be an 8-to-l0 conversion fol
lowed by an interleaving process, as described with refer
ence to FIG. 4. If the encoded information is recorded on the
record carrier in a plurality of adjacent parallel track, the

signal converter should also be capable of assigning the
encoded information to the various tracks.
FIG. 14 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of the
receiver 5, which may be used in conjunction with the

transmitter of FIG. 13; the two may form one apparatus
which then provides transmission over time instead of
distance. The receiver shown is a player or read device for
15
reading the record carrier 25 on which the wide-band digital

signal has been recorded by means of the device shown in
FIG. 13, in the form of the second digital signal described
above. The second digital signal is read from a track on the
record carrier by the read head 29 and is applied to the
receiver 5, which may be for example of a construction as
shown in FIG. 12. Again the read device 28 may be
of a different value for the scale factors SF I,m and SF II,m.

Thus different kinds of information relating to the stereo
nature of the audio signal can be represented by the com
constructed to carry out an RDAT-like or an SDAT-like 25
shown in FIG. 13 has been converted, for example in an

8-to-l0 conversion and in an interleaving step, the encoded
signal read from the record carrier 25 should first be de
interleaved and should be subjected to 10-to-8 conversion.
Moreover, if the encoded signal has been recorded in a
to occur in low-frequency subbands.

Yet another possibility, which is not shown, is that the x
samples for the channels I and II of the subband m, as in
plurality of parallel tracks the reproducing unit shown in
35
applied.
FIGS. 15ad show a number of other possibilities of
inserting the scale factors and the samples in the third frame
portion FD3 of a frame. FIG. 15a illustrates the above

described method in which the scale factors SF for all the
subbands m and channels (I or H) are inserted in the third
FIG. 1511, do not have associated scale factors SF I,m and SF

II,m. Consequently, these scale factors are not inserted in the
same third frame portion. In this case the scale factors SF
I,m and SF II,m included in the third frame portion of a
preceding frame must be used for scaling up the samples in
the receiver.
All the possibilities described with reference to FIGS.
15aa' can be employed in the transmitter in order to achieve
a most efficient data transfer over the transmission medium.
Thus, frames as described with reference to different ones of
FIGS. 15ad may occur alternately in the data stream. It will
frame portion before the samples. FIG. 15b illustrates the
be appreciated that, if the receiver is to be capable of
correctly decoding these different frames, information about
same situation as FIG. 15a, but in this case it diagrammati
45
I,m and SF ILm and the associated x samples for these two
channels in the subband In FIG. 15b shows the samples for
the two channels in the subband m combined to blocks,
whereas normally they are distributed within the third frame

portion. The samples have a length of y bits. In the above
posite signals and other signals which are transmitted.
FIG. 15d shows still another possibility. In this case there

is only one scale factor SFm for both signal components in
the subband m. This is a situation which is particularly apt
comprehensively in the aforementioned book by Watkinson.

If the signal supplied by the unit 6 in the recording device
cally represents the storage capacity for the scale factors SF
definition is then more accurate than in the example illus

trated in FIG. 15b, while at the same time room is saved in
the third frame portion so that the bits saved can be allocated
where the need is greater.
When the signals included in the third frame portion as
illustrated in FIG. 150 are reproduced at the receiving end,
a stereo effect is obtained which is referred to as intensity
stereo. Here, only the intensities of the left-channel and the

right-channel signals (in the subband m) can differ because
reproducing method. Both methods are again described
FIG. 14 should arrange the information read from these

tracks in the correct sequence before further processing is
14
processing is applied if the phase difference between the

left-hand and the right-hand signal component in a subband
is irrelevant but the waveform of the monophonic signal is
important. This applies in particular to signals in higher
use of an SDAT-like recording method may be considered.

A comprehensive description of the two above methods can
be found in the aforementioned book The art of a digital
50
example x is 12 and y is now taken to be 8.
Stereo coding
the structure of these frames must be included somewhere,

such as in the system information.
The transmitter
FIG. 16 shows the transmitter in more detail, particularly

with respect to combination of the various items of infor
mation to form the serial data stream shown in FIGS. 1, 2
and 3. FIG. 16 in fact shows a more detailed version of the
encoder 6 in the transmitter 1. The encoder has a central
processing unit 30, which controls a number of the encoder
circuits; and also includes a generator 31 for generating the
FIG. 15c shows another format. The two scale factors for
the ?rst and the second channel in the subband are still
present in the third frame portion. However, instead of the x 55 synchronising information and the system information
samples for both channels (the left and right channels for a
described with reference to FIG.3, a generator 32 for sup
stereo signal) in the subband m (i.e. 2x samples in total) only
x samples for the subband m are included in the third frame
portion. These x samples are obtained, for example, by

adding corresponding samples in each of the two channels to
one another. Thus a monophonic signal is generated and
transmitted for this subband m.
The x samples in FIG. 150 each have a length of Z bits. If
2 is equal to y this saves room in the third frame portion,
which can be used for samples requiring a more accurate 65
quantisation. It is alternatively possible to express the x

samples of the mono signal in Z=2y (:16) bits. Such a signal
plying allocation information, a generator 33 (optional) for

supplying the scale factors, a generator 34 for supplying the
samples for a frame, and a generator 35 for generating the
additional information packet IP P'l.
The outputs of these generators are coupled to associated

inputs of a multiplexer 40 shown as a ?ve-position switch
whose output is coupled to the output 7 of the encoder 6. The
CPU 30 controls the multiplexer or switch 40 over the line
53, and the various generators over the lines 41.1 to 41.4.
The operation of the transmitter will be described for a
mono signal divided into M subband signals. These M
15
5,539,829
subband signals SS,31 to SSBM are applied to the encoder

input terminals 45.1, 45.2, . . . , 45.M. If scale factors are to
frame portion for the subband SB3 is probably also twice as

large as for each of the other subbands. The sequence in
which the samples are applied to the reconstruction ?lter in
the receiver may then be: the ?rst sample of SB, the ?rst
be used, blocks of samples of each of the subband signals are
processed together in the optional subband scaling units 46.1
to 46.M. A number, for example twelve, of samples in a

block are scaled to the amplitude of the largest sample in the
sample of SE3, the ?rst sample of SEQ, the second sample of

SE3, the second sample of 5B,, the third sample of SE3, the
block. The M scale factors are supplied to the unit 33 (if

present) over the lines 47.1 to 47.M. The subband signals are
supplied both to an allocation control unit 49 and (scaled if
that option is in use) to M quantisers 48.1 to 48.M. For every
subband the allocation control unit 49 de?nes the number of
bits with which the relevant subband signal should be
second sample of SB2, the fourth sample of S83, . . . etc. The
sequence in which the allocation information for these

subbands is then inserted in the second frame portion will
then be: ?rst the allocation word for SB,, then the allocation
word of SE3, and subsequently the allocation word for SBZ.
quantised. This allocation information is applied to the
The same applies to the scale factors. Moreover, the receiver

can derive, from the transmitted system information, that in
respective quantisers 48.1 to 48.M over the lines 50.1 to
50.M, so that these quantisers correctly quantise the 12

samples of each of the subband signals; and is also supplied
to the generator 32. The quantized samples of the subband
signals are supplied to the generator 34 over the lines 51.1

to 51.M. The generators 32, 33 and 34 arrange the allocation
information, the scale factors and the samples in the correct
sequence described above.
In the position of the multiplexer or switch 40 shown, the
synchronising and system information associated with the
frame to be generated is supplied by the generator 31 in the
CPU 30 and fed to the encoder output 7. Subsequently, the
multiplexer or switch 40 responds to a control signal sup
plied by the CPU 30 over the line 53, and is set to the second
position from the top so that the output of the generator 32
is coupled to the output 7. The sequence of allocation
16
example, twice as large as that of the other two subbands.

This means that the number of samples inserted in the third
this case the cycle comprises groups of four samples each,

each group comprising one sample of 8B1, one sample of
8B3, one sample of SB2 and subsequently another sample of
3.
Other Frame Arrangements

20
FIG. 17 shows another structure of the ?rst frame portion
FD1. Again the ?rst frame portion FD1 contains exactly 32

bits and therefore corresponds to one information packet.
The ?rst 16 bits again constitute the synchronising signal (or

synchronisation word). The synchronisation word may also
25
information as described with reference to FIG. 10 or 11 is 30
the supplied. After this the switch 40 is set to the third
position from the top, coupling the output of the generator

33 to the output 7, and the generator 33 now supplies the
be the same as the synchronisation word of the ?rst frame
portion FD1 in FIG. 3, but the information accommodated in

bits 16 through 31 di?ers from the information in bits 16
through 31 in FIG. 3. The bits b16 through blg represent a
4-bit bit rate index (BR index) number whose meaning is
illustrated in the Table in FIG. 18. If the bit rate index is
equal to the 4-bit digital number 0000 this denotes the

free-format condition, which means speci?ed and that the
decoder has to depend upon the synchronisation word alone
to detect the beginning of a new frame. The 4-bit digital

scale factors in the correct sequence. The switch 40 is then
number 1111 is not employed in order not to disturb the
set to the next position, so that the output of the generator 34 35 synchronisation word detection. In the second column of the
is coupled to the output 7, and the generator 34 supplies the
table of FIG. 18 the bit rate index is represented as a decimal
samples in the various subbands in the correct sequence. In
number corresponding to the 4-bit digital number. The
this cycle exactly one frame is applied to the output 7.

Subsequently, the switch 40 is reset to the top position. A
new cycle is then started, in which a subsequent block of 12
samples for each subband is encoded and a subsequent
40
frame. As shown in FIG. 18, the sample frequency F: is

de?ned by one of the four possible 2-bit digital numbers for
the bits b20 and b21 having the values listed. Bit 22 indicates
frame can be generated on the output 7.
In some cases, for example if the sample frequency F: is

44.1 kHz (see FIG. 5) an additional information packet (the
whether the frame comprises a dummy slot, in which case

b22=l, or does not comprise a dummy slot, in which case
dummy slot, see FIG. 2) must be added. In that case, after
the generator 34 has ?nished supplying the samples, the
multiplexer or switch 40 will be set to the bottom position.

The output of the generator 35 is now coupled to the output
7, and the generator 35 generates the additional information
packet IP P'+l. After this the switch 40 is reset to the top
position to start the next cycle.
It will be clear that, if the signal received by the trans
mitter is to be corrected for errors caused during transmis
sion of the signal, an appropriate error coding and/or inter
leaving should be applied to the second digital signal
addition, prior to transmission some modulation is usually
b22=0. Along with other predetermined information, then,

the information in the bits b16 through b22 makes it possible
to determine how many information packets are actually
50
55
required. Thus, the digital signal transmitted through the
transmission medium may not be directly identi?able as the

second signal, but will be a signal which has been derived
therefrom.
It will to be noted that, for example in the case that the
present in the frame.
From the number of samples of the wide-band signal

whose corresponding information belonging to the second
digital signal is accommodated in one frame, in the present
example nx=384, it is possible to determine how many
information packets B are present in the frame by means of

the data in the Table in FIG. 8, the padding bit b22 and the
formula
60
The bit b23 is intended for specifying a future extension of

the system.
subbands have different widths, the number of samples for
the various subbands inserted in one third frame portion may

differ and are likely to differ. If it is assumed, for example,
that a division into three subbands is used, including a lower
subband 8B1, a central subband SB2 and an upper subband
8B3, the upper subband may have a bandwidth which is, for
corresponding bit rate values are given in column 1.

With this format the ?rst frame portion contains informa
tion related to the number of information packets in the
This future extension will be described hereinafter. For

the time being this bit is assumed to be 0.
65
Indicator Signals
Various indicator and control signals are provided by the

bits b24 through him, which will be described with reference
EXHIBIT E
AUDIO MPEG V DELL - COMPLAINT
(Civil Action No. 1:15 cv 1674)
FILED
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE
EASTERN DISTRICT OF VIRGINIA
(Alexandria Division)
AUDIO MPEG, INC.,

U.S. PHILIPS CORPORATION,
TDF SAS, AND
INSTITUT FUR RUNDFUNKTECHNIK
GMBH
DEC 2 1 2015
CLERK. US DISTRICT COURT
NORFOLK. VA
Civil Action No
COMPLAINT FOR PATENT
INFRINGEMENT AND DEMAND

FOR JURY TRIAL
Plaintiffs,
V.
DELL, INC.,
Defendant.
COMPLAINT FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT
1.
Plaintiffs Audio MPEG, Inc., U.S. Philips Corporation, TDF SAS (formerly
Teledifflision de France), and Institut fur Rundfunktechnik GmbH (collectively, the "Plaintiffs"),
by their counsel and pursuant to Federal Rule ofCivil Procedure 8(a), allege the following in
support oftheir Complaint against Dell, Inc. ("Defendant" or"Dell") for patent infringement:
SUMMARY OF CLAIMS
2.
This case arises as a result of Defendant's intentional and persistent infringement
ofpatented technologies developed by U.S. Philips Corporation, TDF SAS, and Institut fur
Rundfunktechnik GmbH (collectively, the "Patent Owners") that enable consumers to enjoy high
quality music and other audio on electronic devices. Because Defendant's products include the
Patent Owners' inventions, those products can appeal to consumers who seek devices that
incorporate the frinctionality that the patented technologies provide. Defendants' competitors
have recognized the significant value in the Patent Owners' inventions and have licensed and
employed those inventions in millions of consumer devices. Defendant, too, has recognized the
value of the Patent Owners' inventions, and by employingthose inventions in its products.
Defendant has made its devices competitive with products similar to those manufactured by
licensees in good standing.
3.
Yetunlike virtually all of its competitors. Defendant refuses to "play fair," and
has rejected numerous opportunities to license the patented inventions atissue inthis case.
Faced with Defendant's infringement and refusals to license the patents as the vast majority ofits
competitors have, Plaintiffs have been forced to bring this action seeking damages for past use of
the technologies. Inaddition, and because Defendant's infringing conduct constitutes, among
other things, intentional infnngement and disregard ofpatent rights. Plaintiffs seek enhanced
damages and an award of their fees and costs.
4.
This action asserts infnngement of the same three patents as inAudio MPEG, Inc.
V. Hewlett-Packard Co., 2:15-cv-00073 (E.D. Va.) (the "HP Action"). On September 15, 2015,
the Honorable Henry Coke Morgan, Jr., the judge presiding inthe HP Action, stayed that case
pending adetermination by the Patent and Trademark Appeal Board ofwhether to institute inter
partes review based on apetition filed by HP. Concerned about the running ofthe damages
period, Plaintiffs contacted Defendant on November 24, 2015 and sought agreement to toll the
statute and avoid filing this complaint. Although Plaintiffs agreed to edits requested by
Defendant to the tolling agreement Plaintiffs had proposed. Defendant refused to enter into any
such agreement unlike several similarly situated infnngers. Consequently, Plaintiffs filed this
complaint to preserve their claims for damages.
NATURE OF THE ACTION
5.
This is a civil action for infringement of a patent arising under the laws of the
United States relating to patents, including 35 U.S.C. 281.

2
SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION
6.
This civil action arises under the patent laws of the United States, Title 35 U.S.C.
\,et seq. This Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C.
1331 and 1338(a).
PARTIES
7.
Plaintiff Audio MPEG, Inc. ("Audio MPEG") is a corporationorganized under
the laws ofVirginia having itsheadquarters and its sole U.S. place of business at 66 Canal
Center Plaza, Suite 750, Alexandria, Virginia 22314.
8.
Plaintiff U.S. Philips Corporation ("Philips") is a corporation organized under the
laws of Delaware with its principal place of business at 3000 Minuteman Road, M/S 1203,
Andover, MA 01810.
9.
PlaintiffTDF SAS ("TDF") is a corporation organized under the laws of France
having an address at 106 Avenue Marx Dormoy, 92120 Montrouge, France.

10.
PlaintiffInstitut fur Rundfunktechnik GmbH ("IRT") is a corporation organized
under the laws ofGermany having an address atFloriansmuehlstrasse 60, D-80939 Munich,
Germany.
11.
On information and belief. Defendant Dell is a corporation organized and existing
under the laws ofDelaware, with its principal place ofbusiness located at One Dell Way, Round
Rock, Texas.
PERSONAL JURISDICTION AND VENUE
12.
Defendant has made, used, sold, offered for sale, and/or imported into theUnited
States products that comply with the ISO/IEC 11172-3 and/or 13818-3 standards (the "MPEG
Standards"). Such products include capabilities and functionalities required bythe MPEG
Standards in order to be compliant with the Standards.
13.
Uponinformation and belief, Defendant regularly transacts business in this
judicial district and division by offering products and services to customers, business affiliates
and/or partners located in thisjudicial district and division. In addition. Defendant has
committed acts of infringement of one or more claims of the patents-in-suit in thisjudicial
district and division by the sale of infringing devices.
14.
Upon information and belief, Defendant voluntarily placed products which
incorporate capabilities and functionalities required bythe MPEG Standards into the stream of
United States commerce, conscious that Virginia, including thisjudicial district, was the likely
destination of a substantial quantity of such devices.
15.
Upon information and belief, a substantial part ofthe events giving rise to these
claims for patent infringement occurred in Virginia and in this judicial district.
16.
Upon information and belief, Defendant is subject to personal jurisdiction in this
district because it purposeftilly engaged inactivities that gave rise to these claims for patent
infringement and which were directed atresidents ofVirginia and this judicial district.
17.
Defendant is a corporation and resides in this district for purposes of 28 U.S.C.
1391(c) and 1400(b).
18.
Venue for this civil action in this judicial district is proper under 28 U.S.C.
1391(b), 1391(c), and 1400(b) because Defendant is subject to personal jurisdiction in this
judicial district and the infringing activity has occurred inthis judicial district.
BACKGROUND
Deve/opment o/MPS Techno/ogy
19.
The Patent Owners are industry leaders in the development of high-tech audio
technology. Philips is a leader inresearch relating to consumer electronics products, IRT is a

leader inbroadcast technology, and TDF is a leader in telecommunication, communication
4
networks, andmultimedia applications. To develop the technology claimed in the patents, the
Patent Owners formed a research team that merged the strengths of their research laboratories.
20.
Together thePatent Owners developed technology thatwas adopted as the
industry standard for audio compression. The International Organization for Standardization
("ISO") created the MPEG/Audio Working Group ("MPEG/Audio Group") in 1988 to create a
standardized audio coder to be used in conjunction with a planned standardized video coder. The
ISO invited interested parties to contribute their expertise to the standardization effort. The
Patent Owners participated inthis process and the ISO selected their technology as the basis for
the audio compression standard.
21.
The work of the MPEG/Audio Group was embodied in two standards (known as
ISO 11172-3 and ISO 13818-3) directed to MPEG Audio Layers 1,2, and 3 technology. These
standards were finalized in 1991.
22.
The MPEG Standards include the well-known "MP3" technology, which allows
audio signals to be compressed and stored using much less storage space than previous
technologies. The process ofcompressing and storing the audio signal is known as "encoding."
Later the compressed data can be converted into an audio signal and played back, through a
process known as "decoding." To be capable ofdecoding MP3 files, adevice must comply with
the essential elements of the MPEG Standards.
23.
Before MP3 technology was conceived, recorded music and other audio files were
typically stored on a CD, DVD, orhard drive. The technology developed by the Patent Owners
allows audio files to be compressed and stored using much less spaceas a result of the
Asserted Patents (defined below) a user can store thousands of songs in a small portable device
rather than needing hundreds ofCDs orDVDs. The MP3 player, and the patented technology it
incorporates, revolutionized the transmission and storage of digital audio files, and allows
consumers to listen to the music of their choice on-demand in a way that was not possible with
CDs and DVDs
TAeAssertedPatents
24.
The Patent Owners own patents that claim inventions relating to the MPEG
Standards, including U.S. Patent Nos. 5,777,992 (the'"992 Patent"), 5,323,396 (the"'396
Patent"), and 5,539,829 (the"'829 Patent") (collectively, the "Asserted Patents").

25.
The Asserted Patents cover inventions that are essential^requiredfor
implementation ofthe MPEG Standards ("Patented Essential Technologies"). Products using

MPEG Audio compression by compliance with the MPEG Standards necessarily use the
technology ofthe Asserted Patents in order to be in compliance with the Standards and achieve
thebenefits of the Standards. Products compliant with the MPEG Standards therefore practice
the technology claimedby the Asserted Patents.
A.
The '396 Patent
26.
The '396 Patent, entitled "Digital Transmission System, Transmitter and Receiver
for Use inthe Transmission System," was issued on June 21,1994 and is attached as Exhibit A.
The '396 Patent generally relates to encoding and decoding digital audio signals. Itexpired on
June 21,2011.
27.
The '396 Patent describes decoders and receivers that decode compressed signals,
which represent a wideband digital audio signal. One method for reducing the number ofdigital
"bits" required to store and/or transmit such a signal (thereby saving transmission bandwidth,
memory space and battery life) involves breaking down the wideband signal into frequency subband samples, and then quantizing and coding each sub-band using a smaller number ofbits.
The sub-bands can then be transmittedto a receiver in a defined digital format and decoded to
produce a high-quality repHca of the original signal while saving transmission bandwidth,
memory space and battery life.
28.
The '396 Patent further describes decoders and receivers in which information is
transmitted to, and decoded by, the decoder/receiver in "frames" at a particular rate. Each frame
comprises a specified number of information packets that contain the quantized sub-band
information, as well as otherinformation needed to decode andrecombine the sub-bands
properly. According to the patent specification, the decoder can best reproduce the original
wideband signal when the number ofinformation packets inone frame ("P") complies with the
formula P =
x
where BR is the bit rate of the encoded digital signal, N is the number of
N
Fs
bits per information packet,
isthe number ofsamples in one frame, and Fs isthe sampling
frequency. IfP is an integer, the number ofinformation packets inone frame isP. IfP is not an
integer, the number ofinformation packets insome number ofthe frames is P' where P' isthe
highest integer less than P, and the number ofinformation packets in the other frames is P'+l.
The fraction of the frames with P' information packets is selected so that the average rate at
which frames are transmitted to the decoder/receiver is equal to ris This formula is found in each
of the claims of the *396 Patent.
29.
Claim 26 of the '396 Patent claims a formula for calculating the numberof
information packets in one frame, and itclaims the ability to decode content that is structured
according to the formula. Aversion ofthat formula is present in Section 2.4.3.1 ofISO/IEC
11172-3, and is essential to that standard, such that any encoded audio file that complies with the
MPEG Standards must utilize an arrangement of packets per frame that complies with the
formula. Accordingly, products capable ofdecoding an audio signal that has been encoded in
compliance with the MPEG Standards {e.g., an MP3 file) necessarily infiinge the '396 Patent.
B.
The '992 Patent
30.
The '992 Patent, entitled "Decoder for Decoding and Encoded Digital Signal and
a Receiver Comprising the Decoder," was issued on July7,1998, and is attached as Exhibit B.
The '992 Patent generally relates to decoding digital audio signals. It expired on June 21,2011.
31.
The '992 Patent describes decoders and receivers that decode compressed signals,
which represent a wideband digital audio signal in which information is transmitted to, and
decoded by, the decoder/receiver in "frames" attheparticular rate specified in the patent claims.
32.
Claim 1 of the '992 Patent claims a decoder or receiver that includes a specified
number of information packets in one frame. Thesame claim elements are present in at least
Section 2.4.3.1 of ISO/IEC 11172-3, and that Section is essential to that standard. Accordingly,
products capable ofdecoding an audio signal that has been encoded in compliance with the
MPEG Standards (e.g., an MP3 file) necessarily infnnge the '992 Patent.
33.
Claim 2 of the '992 Patent claims a decoder with a "first frame portion [that]
comprises further information relating to the number ofinformation packets in the fi-ame." The
decoder also "comprises retrieval means to retrieve said further information from the first frame
portion in said frame upon reception ofthe encoded digital signal." The elements ofthis claim
are also essential to the MPEG Standards, including without limitation ISO/IEC 11172-3
2.4.2.3 and ISO/IEC 11172-3 0.4.
34.
Claim 7 of the '992 Patent claims a decoder with a "first frame portion [that]
further includes system information, and the decoder comprises retrieval means for retrieving
said system information from the first frame portion in said frame upon reception ofthe encoded
digital signal." The elements ofthis claim are also essential to the MPEG Standards, including
without limitation ISO/IEC 11172-3 0.4 and 2.4.2.3. Accordingly, products capable of
decoding an audio signal that has been encoded in compliance with MPEG Standards {e.g., an
MP3 file) necessarily infiinge the '992 Patent.
35.
Claim 10 of the '992 Patent claims a decoder with "system information [that]
identifies a firame as having one information packet more than other packets." The elements of
this claim are also essential to the MPEG Standards, including without limitation ISO/IEC
11172-3 2.4.2.3. Accordingly, products capable of decoding an audio signal that has been
encoded in compliance with MPEG Standards {e.g., an MP3 file) necessarily infiinge the '992
Patent.
C.
The '829 Patent
36.
The '829 Patent, entitled "Subband Coded Digital Transmission System Using
Some Composite Signals," was issued on July 23,1996, and is attached as Exhibit C. The '829
Patent generally relates to encoding and decoding digital audio signals. It expired on July 23,
2013.
37.
The '829 Patent claims transmitters and receivers that encode and decode,
respectively, compressed signals which represent a wideband digital audio signal, where that
audio signal includes, for example, signals for the left and right channel of a stereo audio input.
One method for reducing the number of digital "bits" required to transmit such a signal (thereby
saving transmission bandwidth, memory space and battery life) involves breaking down the
wideband signal into fi-equency sub-bands, and then quantizing and coding each sub-band using
a smaller number of bits. The sub-bands can then be transmitted to a receiver in a defined digital
format and decoded to produce a high-quality replicaof the original signal.

38.
The '829 Patent claims an invention known as an "intensity stereo" which
includes an apparatus configured to make thesignal replica more accurate. Thetechnology
claimed in the '829 Patent does this by combining certain related sub-bands (such as those that
correspond to the left and right channel in the same frequency sub-band) and using the bits thus
saved to more accurately quantizethe other sub-bands. As its specification explains, "[b]y
selectively combining subsignals which have a correspondence or relationship to each other, and
quantizing onlyonecomposite sub-signal," the invention "make[s] more bits available for
quantizing of those sub-signals which are transmitted," which reduces distortion and "maymore
than compensate for the slight loss of information." The patent discloses methods and apparatus
for analyzing, selecting, and encoding the sub-bands; selecting the sub-bands to be combined;
generating signals that leta receiver know which sub-bands have been combined; appropriately
re-quantizing the remaining sub-bands for transmission; and creating the replica from the
transmitted sub-bands.
39.
Claim 19 of the ' 829 Patent claims "[a] receiver for producing a replica of a
digital signal including a first component and a second component from digital signal
components comprising at least one composite sub-signal, an indicator signal indicating that at
least a first and a second sub-signal are combined, and a plurality of subsignals notincluding
said first and second sub-signal, said digital signal components being representative ofsaid
digital signal." The elements ofthis claim are essential to the MPEG Standards, which require
the ability to decode audio signals encoded in "intensity stereo" mode. (ISO/IEC 11172-3
2.1.76.) Accordingly, products capable of decoding an audio signal that has been encoded in
compliance with MPEG Standards (e.g., MP3 files) necessarily infiinge the *829 Patent.
40.
Claim 20 of the '829 Patent claims "[a] receiver as claimed in claim 19,
characterized in that said first and second components are respective stereo audio signals." This
10
additional element is essential to the MPEG Standards, including without limitation at least
ISO/IEC 11172-3 2.1.138.
Auifio MPEG'sLfcensingProgram
41.
Audio MPEG has the exclusive rights to license and to sue for and collect fees,
costs, and damages, including pastdamages for past infringement of U.S. patents owned by
Philips, TDF, and IRT covering essential elements of the ISO/IEC 11172-3 and 13818-3 MPEG
Standards directed to MPEG Audio Layers I, II, and III technology, including the Asserted
Patents.
42.
Beginning in 1996, the Patent Owners began to offer a joint license as a
convenience to licensees that gaveeach licensee the ability to obtain a license to all of the Patent
Owners' MPEG Audio patents, including theAsserted Patents (prior to their expiration). Each
licensee had the opportunity to choose in itsdiscretion whether to exclude any of the offered
patents from its license.
43.
To date, more than 1,000 manufacturers and sellers of MPEG Audio-enabled
products have taken the license offered bythe Licensing Companies, including major players in
the industry such as Sony, Apple, Lenovo, Samsung, Cisco-Linksys, LG, Panasonic, Sharp, and
Bose.
De//*sfn/ringeMent oftheAsserteiiParents
44.
Defendant advertises, manufactures and/or sells products that contain unlicensed
software that complies with the MPEG Standards (the "MPEG Audio Products"). Such products
manufactured and/or soldby Defendant include, but arenot limited to. Dell computers and
electronic devices containing Cyberlink PowerDVD (such as Latitude D530, Latitude D630,
Latitude D830, and Dell Precision M6300) or Roxio Creator (such as Latitude D630). Without
discovery from Defendant, Plaintiffs are not able to ascertain at thepleading stage allof
11
Defendant's MPEG Audio Products. All products, however, that are capable of decoding an
audio signal that has been encoded in compliance with the MPEG Standards necessarily infringe
the Asserted Patents.
45.
Becausethe MPEG Audio Products comply with the MPEG Audio Standards,
they infnngeat least the claims referred to above of the Asserted Patents.
46.
Audio MPEG notified Defendant that its products infringed the Patent Owners'
patents no later than July 1, 2004. Despite this notification and repeated and patient efforts to
have Defendantlicense the Asserted Patents, Defendanthas refused. Defendant has never taken
a license to any of the Asserted Patents.
FIRST COUNT
(PATENT INFRINGEMENT'396 PATENT)

35 U.S.C. S6 271 AND 281
47.
OnJune 21,1994, United States Patent No. 5,323,396 for a "Digital Transmission
System, Transmitter and Receiver for use in the Transmission System" was duly and legally
issuedto Gerardus C. P. Lokhoff A true and correct copy of the '396 patent is attached hereto
as Exhibit A.
48.
Plaintiffs Philips, TDF, and IRT own the '396 patent.
49.
PlaintiffAudio MPEG has the exclusive right to licensethe '396 patent and to sue
for and collect fees, costs, and damages, including past damages for past infnngement of the
'396 patent.
50.
The '396 patent generally relates to encoding and decoding digital audio signals
as explained in further detail, supra.
51.
Defendant has directly infnnged one or moreof the claims of the '396 patent
(including the claims referred to above) by manufacturing, using, selling, importing, and/or
offering for sale products that include capabilities required by the MPEG Standards, including
12
but not limited to Dell computers and electronic devices containing Cyberlink PowerDVD (such
as Latitude D530, Latitude D630, Latitude D830, and Dell Precision M6300) or Roxio Creator
(such as Latitude D630).
52.
Defendant also indirectly infringed the '396 patent by inducing infringement by
others, such as original equipment manufacturers ("OEMs"), other manufacturers, importers,
resellers, customers, and/or end users, in violation of 35 U.S.C. 271(b). No later than July 1,
2004, Audio MPEG notified Defendant that all Defendant's products incorporating the MPEG
Audio encoding and decoding capabilities required byatleast one ofthe MPEG Standards are
covered bythe '396 patent. Despite having knowledge of such infringement. Defendant
continued to instruct and/or encourage OEMs, manufacturers, importers, resellers, customers,
and/or end user customers to manufacture, offer for sale, sell, import, and/oruse Defendant's
products incorporating capabilities required by at least one ofthe MPEG Standards, which
include but are notlimited to Dell computers and electronic devices containing Cyberlink
PowerDVD (such as Latitude D530, Latitude D630, Latitude D830, and Dell Precision M6300)
orRoxio Creator (such as Latitude D630). On information and belief. Defendant has
intentionally taken these actions knowing that its acts caused infringement ofthe patent and
specifically intending infiingement ofthe '396 patent. These acts include, but are not limited to.
Defendant's offers to sell and sales of Defendant's infringingproducts in the United States, as
well as Dell's promotions on its websites and marketing materials for Defendant's infringing
products andtheirMPEG Audio, MP2, or MP3 capabilities.
53.
Defendant also indirectly infringed the '396 patent by contributing to the
infiingement byothers, such as OEMs, other manufacturers, importers, resellers, customers,

and/or end users, in violation of 35 U.S.C. 271(c). No later than July 1,2004, Audio MPEG
13
notified Defendant of Defendant's infiinging activity. Defendant has contributed to direct
infiingement of the patent by supplying an important component of the infringing products to

others in the United States. Specifically, Defendant supplied, sold, and/or offered to sell in the
United States components providing the capabilities required by the MPEG Standards, including
but not limited to software such as Cyberlink PowerDVD and Roxio Creator, for use with
computers and electronic devices, including butnotlimited to Dell computers and electronic
devices. Thecomponents providing the capabilities required by the MPEG Standards are not
common components suitable for substantial non-infiinging use. Upon information and belief.
Defendant supplied the components with knowledge of the patent and knowledge that the
components were specially made or adapted for use inan infringing manner and that others
directly infiinged the patent in the United States.
54.
Defendant had actual knowledge of the '396 patent and has willfully and
intentionally committed said infringing activities in disregard ofPlaintiffs' patent rights. No

later than July 1, 2004, Audio MPEG notified Defendant ofDefendant's infringing activity.
With actual knowledge. Defendant continued to manufacture, use, sell, import, and/or offer for
sale products that include capabilities required bythe MPEG Standards. Defendant did so despite
an objectively high likelihood that itwas infiinging the '396 patent. Furthermore, the risk of
infringement was obvious such that, even if Defendant did not know ofthe risk ofinfringement,
it should have known of the risk. Under all relevant circumstances. Defendant has willfully
ignored and infringed upon Plaintiffs' valid patent rights.
55.
As a consequence of the infringing activities by Defendant, Plaintiffs have been
damaged in an amount not yet determined.
14
SECOND COUNT

35 U.S.C. SS 271 AND 281
56.
OnJuly 7,1998, United States Patent No. 5,777,992 for a "Decoder for Decoding
an Encoded Digital Signal and a Receiver Comprising the Decoder" was duly and legally issued
to Gerardus C. P. Lokhoff A true and correct copy of the '992 patent is attached hereto as
Exhibit B.
57.
58.
PlaintiffAudio MPEG has the exclusive right to license the '992 patent and to sue
for and collect fees, costs, and damages, including past damages for past infringement of the
'992 patent.
59.
The '992 patent generally relates to decoding digital audio signals as explained in
further detail, supra.
60.
Defendant has directly infringed one or more of the claims of the '992 patent
(including the claims referred to above) by manufacturing, using, selling, importing, and/or
offering for sale products that include capabilities required by the MPEG standards, including
but not limited to Dell computers and electronic devices containing Cyberlink PowerDVD (such
61.
others, such as OEMs, manufacturers, importers, resellers, customers, and/or end users, in
violation of 35 U.S.C. 271(b). No later than July 1, 2004, Audio MPEG notified Defendant
that all products incorporating the MPEG Audio encoding and decoding capabilities required by
at least one of the MPEG standards are covered by the '992 patent. Despite having knowledge of
such infringement. Defendant continued to instruct and/or encourage OEMs, other

15
manufacturers, importers, rescuers, customers, and/or end user customers to manufacture, offer
for sale, sell, import, and/or use Defendant's products incorporating capabilities required by at
least one of the MPEG standards, which include but are not limited to Dell computers and
Latitude D830, and Dell Precision M6300) or Roxio Creator (such as Latitude D630). On
information andbelief. Defendant has intentionally taken theseactions knowing that its acts
caused infringement of the patent and specifically intending infringement of the '992patent.
These acts include, but are not limited to. Defendant's offers to sell and sales of Defendant's
infringing products in the United States, as well as Defendant's promotions on its websites and
marketing materials for Defendant's infringing products and their MPEG Audio, MP2, or MP3
capabilities.
62.
infringement by others, such as OEMs, other manufacturers, importers, resellers, customers,

and/or end users, in violation of 35 U.S.C. 271(c). No later than July 1, 2004, Audio MPEG
notified Defendant of Defendant's infiinging activity. Defendant has contributed to direct
infringement ofthe patent bysupplying an important component ofthe infringing products to

others in the United States. Specifically, Defendant supplied, sold, and/or offered to sell in the
United States components providing the capabilities required bythe MPEG standards, including
but not limited to software suchas Cyberlink PowerDVD and Roxio Creator, for use with
computers and electronic devices, including but not limited to Dell computers and electronic
devices. The components providing the capabilities required by the MPEG standards are not
common components suitable for substantial non-infringing use. Upon information and belief.
16
components were specially made or adapted for use in an infringing manner andthatothers
directly infringed the patent in the United States.
63.
Defendant had actual knowledge of the '992 patent and has willfrilly committed
saidinfringing activities in disregard of Plaintiffs' patent rights. No laterthan July 1,2004,

Audio MPEG notified Defendant of Defendant's infringing activity. With actual knowledge.
Defendant continued to manufacture, use, sell, import, and/or offer for sale products that include
capabilities required by the MPEG standards. Defendant did so despite an objectively high
likelihood thatit was infringing the '992 patent. Furthermore, the risk of infringement was
obvious such that, even if Defendant didnot know of the risk of infringement, it should have
known of the risk. Under all relevant circumstances. Defendanthas willfrilly ignored and
infiinged uponPlaintiffs' valid patent rights.
64.
As a consequence ofthe infringing activities byDefendant complained ofherein.
Plaintiffs havebeen damaged in an amount not yet determined.

THIRD COUNT

.^5 U.S.C. SS 271 AND 281
65.
On July 23,1996, United States Patent No. 5,539,829 for a "Subband Coded
Digital Transmission System Using Some Composite Signals" was duly and legally issued to
Gerardus C. P. Lokhoff, Yves-Francois Dehery, Gerhard J. Stoll, and Giinther Theile. Atrue and
correct copy of the '829 patent is attached hereto as Exhibit C.
66.
67.
PlaintiffAudio MPEG has the exclusive right to licensethe '829 patent and to sue
for and collect fees, costs, and damages, including past damages forpastinfringement of the
'829 patent.
17
68.
The '829 patent generally relates to encoding and decoding digital audio signals
as explained in further detail, supra,
69.
Defendanthas directly infringed one or more of the claims of the '829 patent
(including those claims referred to above) bymanufacturing, using, selling, importing, and/or
offering for sale products that include capabilities required bythe MPEG standards, including
butnot limited to Dell computers and electronic devices containing Cyberlink PowerDVD (such
70.
others, such as OEMs, manufacturers, importers, resellers, customers, and/or end users, in
violation of 35 U.S.C. 271(b). No later than July 1, 2004, Audio MPEG notified Defendant
that all Defendant's products incorporating the MPEG Audio encoding and decoding capabilities
required by at least one ofthe MPEG standards are covered by the '829 patent. Despite having
knowledge ofsuch infnngement, Defendant continued to instruct and/or encourage OEMs, other
manufacturers, importers, resellers, customers, and/or end user customers to manufacture, offer
for sale, sell, import, and/or use Defendant products incorporating capabilities required by at
least oneof the MPEG standards, which include but are not limited to Dell computers and
Latitude D830, and Dell Precision M6300) or Roxio Creator (such as Latitude D630). On
information and belief, Defendant has intentionally taken these actions knowing that its acts
caused infnngement ofthe patent and specifically intending infnngement ofthe '829 patent.
These acts include, but are not limited to, Defendant's offers to sell andsales of Defendant's
infringing products in the United States, as well as Defendant's promotions on its websites and
18
marketing materials for Defendant's infringing products and their MPEG Audio, MP2, or MP3
capabilities.
71.
infringement by others, such as OEMs, other manufacturers, importers, resellers, customers,

and/or end users, in violation of 35 U.S.C. 271(c). No later than July 1, 2004, Audio MPEG
notified Defendant of Defendant's infringing activity. Defendant has contributed to direct
infiingement of the patentby supplying an important component of the infringing products to

others in the United States. Specifically, Defendant supplied, sold, and/oroffered to sell in the
United States components providing thecapabilities required by the MPEG standards, including
but not limited to software such as Cyberlink PowerDVD and Roxio Creator, for use with
computers and electronic devices, including butnot limited to Dell computers and electronic
devices. The components providing the capabilities required by the MPEG standards arenot
common components suitable for substantial non-infringing use. Upon information and belief,
components were specially made or adapted for use in aninfiinging manner and that others
directly infringed the patent in the United States.
72.
Defendant had actualknowledge of the '829 patent and has willfrilly and
intentionally committed said infringing activities in disregard ofPlaintiffs' patent rights. No

later than July 1, 2004, Audio MPEG notified Defendant of Defendant's infiinging activity.
With actual knowledge, Defendant continued to manufacture, use, sell, import, and/or offerfor
sale products that include capabilities required by the MPEG standards. Defendant did so
despite an objectively high likelihood that it was infiinging the '829 patent. Furthermore, the
risk of infiingement was obvious such that, even if Defendant did not know ofthe risk of
19
infringement, it should have known of therisk. Under all relevant circumstances. Defendant has
willfullyignored and infringed upon Plaintiffs' valid patent rights.
73.
As a consequence of the infringing activities by Defendant complained of herein.
Plaintiffs have been damaged in an amount not yet determined.

REQUESTED RELIEF
WHEREFORE Plaintiffs pray forjudgment against Defendant as follows:

A.
Declare that Defendant has infringed, activelyinduced infringement, and/or
committed acts of contributory infringement with respect to theclaims of the '396 patent, the
'992 patent, and/or the '829 patent.
B.
Declare that Defendant's infringement of the '396 patent, the '992 patent, and/or
the '829 patentwas deliberate and/or willful.

C.
OrderDefendant to account for and pay to Plaintiffs all damages causedto
Plaintiffs byreason ofinfringement ofthe '396 patent, the '992 patent, and/or the '829 patent,
and order that such damages attributable to willful infringement and intentional disregard of
Plaintiffs' patent rights be trebled by reason ofthe deliberate and willful infringement ofthe '396
patent, the '992 patent, and/or the '829 patent pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 284.
D.
Grant Plaintiffs prejudgment and post judgment interest onthe damages caused to
them by reason ofDefendant's infringement ofthe '396 patent, '992 patent, and/or the '829
patent.
E.
Grant Plaintiffs' reasonable attorney's fees pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 285.
F.
Grant Plaintiffs such other and furtherrelief as the case may require and the Court
may deem just and proper, together with costs in this action.
20
DEMAND FOR JURY TRIAL
Plaintiffs hereby respectfully request trial by jury pursuant to Rule 38 of the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure of all issues in this action so triable.
lly submitted,
Dated: December 21, 2015
Joona
Bar No. 25367
CANOLES, P.C.
(West Main Street, Suite 2100
Norfolk, VA 23510
Telephone: (757) 624-3000

Facsimile: (888) 360-9092
senoona@kaufcan.com
Garrard R. Beeney {pro hac vice to be
requested)
Stephen J. Elliott {pro hac vice to be requested)

W. Rudolph Kleysteuber {pro hac vice to be
requested)
Michael P. Devlin {pro hac vice to be
requested)
Jamie L. Kringstein {pro hac vice to be

requested)
SULLIVAN & CROMWELL LLP

125 Broad Street
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: (212)558-4000
Facsimile: (212) 558-3588
beeneyg@sullcrom.com
elliotts@sullcrom.com
kleysteuberr@sullcrom.com
devlinm@sullcrom.com
kringsteinj@sullcrom.com
Attorneysfor Plaintiffs Audio MPEG, U.S.

Philips Corp.. TDFSAS, andInstitutjur
Rundfunktechnik GmbH
14453934vl
21

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Case 1:16-cv-08415-JMF Document 1 Filed 10/28/16 Page 1 of 15

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United States Patent [191

[11] Patent Number:

DECODER FOR DECODING AND ENCODED

DIGITAL SIGNAL AND A RECEIVER

[75] Inventor: Gerardus C. P. Lokholf. Eindhoven.

An encoded digital signal having frames of diiferent lengths

frequency of the wideband digital signal. the bitrate of the

encoded digital signal. the number of bits in the information

packets. and the number of samples of the Wideband digital

signal whose corresponding information is the encoded

digital signal in the frame. A receiver for such a signal

includes a decoder for converting the frames.

US. Cl. ........................ .. 370/389; 370/470; 370/480;

21 Claims, 11 Drawing Sheets

1/1996 Matsushige ........................... .. 370/460

Foreign Application Priority Data

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-David R. Treacy

N' 532*462 Jun" 1* 1990 abandoned

Primary Examiner-Douglas W. Olms

Continuation of SCI. No. 173,850, Dec 27, 1993, Pat No,

Assistant ExaminerShiok Horn

8/1983 Mathieu m1. ...................... .. 370/473

535396 21334 Lzihogvffm

beyond the expiration dam of Pat- NO-

The term of this patent shall not extend

Appl. No; 488,322

370/471. 473. 480. 468; 375/241. 242.

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

Field of Search ................................... .. 370/460. 470.

Phhps Corpomnon' N?w York

'1 '8 '5

Case 1:16-cv-08415-JMF Document 1-2 Filed 10/28/16 Page 3 of 31

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Bits 25 and 26: Copyright

01.olnv 01? mwnuzae2

copyright, own recording

Case 1:16-cv-08415-JMF Document 1-2 Filed 10/28/16 Page 6 of 31

(no samples or scale factors transferred)

not used to prevent incorrect sync detection

Case 1:16-cv-08415-JMF Document 1-2 Filed 10/28/16 Page 7 of 31

FI<L xxxMMMMWMmmm L W0M WWMHMMDEIPL\ILB19

rIJL x MuMMPH,UL$UP. Nu B "HmmmmB 1

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Case 1:16-cv-08415-JMF Document 1-2 Filed 10/28/16 Page 9 of 31

bitrate index sample frequency

N' 532462 Jun" 1 1990 abandoned