Audio coding device with fast algorithm for determining quantization step sizes based on psycho-acoustic model

Abstract

An efficient audio coding device that quantizes and encodes digital audio signals with a reduced amount of computation. A spatial transform unit subjects samples of a given audio signal to a spatial transform, thus obtaining transform coefficients of the signal. With a representative value selected out of the transform coefficients of each subband, a quantization step size calculator estimates quantization noise and calculates, in an approximative way, a quantization step size of each subband from the estimated quantization noise, as well as from a masking power threshold determined from a psycho-acoustic model of the human auditory system. A quantizer then quantizes the transform coefficients, based on the calculated quantization step sizes, thereby producing quantized values of those coefficients. The quantization step sizes are also used by a scalefactor calculator to calculate common and individual scalefactors. A coder encodes at least one of the quantized values, common scalefactor, and individual scalefactors.