Method and apparatus for generating a number of output audio channels

1. An apparatus for generating a number of output audio channels, comprising:

means for receiving a data stream comprising a number of input audio channels and parametric audio data, the data stream further comprising decoder tree structure data for a hierarchical decoder structure, the decoder tree structure data comprising at least one data value indicative of channel split characteristics for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure;

means for generating the hierarchical decoder structure in response to the decoder tree structure data; and

means for generating the number of output audio channels from the data stream using the hierarchical decoder structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the decoder tree structure data comprises a plurality of data values, each data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for one channel at one hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a predetermined data value is indicative of no channel split for the channel at the hierarchical layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein a predetermined data value is indicative of a one-to-two channel split for the channel at the hierarchical layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of data values are binary data values.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein one predetermined binary data value is indicative of a one-to-two channel split and another predetermined binary data value is indicative of no channel split.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data stream further comprises an indication of the number of input channels.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data stream further comprises an indication of the number of output channels.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data stream further comprises an indication of a number of one-to-two channel split functions in the hierarchical decoder structure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data stream further comprises an indication of a number of two-to-three channel split functions in the hierarchical decoder structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the decoder tree structure data comprises a data for a plurality of decoder tree structures ordered in response to the presence of a two-to-three channel split functionality.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the decoder tree structure data for at least one input channel comprises an indication of a two-to-three channel split function being present at the root layer followed by binary data wherein each binary data value is indicative of either no split functionality or a one-to-two channel split functionality for dependent layers of the two-to-three split functionality.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the data stream further comprises an indication of a loudspeaker position for at least one of the output channels.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the means for generating the hierarchical decoder structure is arranged to determine multiplication parameters for channel split functions of the hierarchical layers in response to the decoder tree structure data.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the decoder tree structure comprises at least one channel split functionality in at least one hierarchical layer, the at least one channel split functionality comprising:

de-correlation means for generating a de-correlated signal directly from an audio input channel of the data stream;

at least one channel split unit for generating a plurality of hierarchical layer output channels from an audio channel from a higher hierarchical layer and the de-correlated signal; and

means for determining at least one characteristic of the de-correlation filter or the channel split unit in response to the decoder tree structure data.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the de-correlation means comprises a level compensation means for performing an audio level compensation on the audio input channel to generate a level compensated audio signal, and a de-correlation filter for filtering the level compensated audio signal to generate the de-correlated signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the level compensation means comprises a matrix multiplication by a pre-matrix.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the coefficients of the pre-matrix have at least one unity value for a hierarchical decoder structure comprising only one-to-two channel split functionality.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising means for determining the pre-matrix for the at least one channel split functionality in the at least one hierarchical layer in response to parameters of a channel split functionality in a higher hierarchical layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the apparatus comprises means for determining a channel split matrix for the at least one channel split functionality in response to parameters of the at least one channel split functionality in the at least one hierarchical layer.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising means for determining the pre-matrix for the at least one channel split functionality in the at least one hierarchical layer in response to parameters of a two-to-three channel split functionality of a higher hierarchical layer.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the means for determining the pre-matrix is arranged to determine the pre-matrix for the at least one channel split functionality in response to determine a first sub-pre-matrix corresponding to a first input of the two-to-three up-mixer and a second sub-pre-matrix corresponding to a second input of the two-to-three up-mixer.

23. An apparatus for generating a data stream comprising a number output audio channels, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a number of input audio channels;

hierarchical encoding means for parametrically encoding the number of input audio channels to generate the data stream comprising the number of output audio channels and parametric audio data;

means for determining a hierarchical decoder structure corresponding to the hierarchical encoding means; and

means for including decoder tree structure data comprising at least one data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure in the data stream.

24. A method of generating a number of output audio channels, comprising:

receiving a data stream comprising a number of input audio channels and parametric audio data; the data stream further comprising decoder tree structure data for a hierarchical decoder structure, the decoder tree structure data comprising at least on data value indicative of channel split characteristics for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure;

generating the hierarchical decoder structure in response to the decoder tree structure data; and

generating the number of output audio channels from the data stream using the hierarchical decoder structure.

25. A method of generating a data stream comprising a number of output audio channels, the method comprising:

receiving a number of input audio channels;

parametrically encoding the number of input audio channels to generate the data stream comprising the number of output audio channels and parametric audio data;

determining a hierarchical decoder structure corresponding to the hierarchical encoding means; and

including decoder tree structure data comprising at least one data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure in the data stream.

26. A receiver for generating a number of output audio channels, comprising:

means for receiving a data stream comprising a number of input audio channels and parametric audio data; the data stream further comprising decoder tree structure data for a hierarchical decoder structure, the decoder tree structure data comprising at least on data value indicative of channel split characteristics for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure;

means for generating the hierarchical decoder structure in response to the decoder tree structure data; and

means for generating the number of output audio channels from the data stream using the hierarchical decoder structure.

27. A transmitter for generating a data stream comprising a number of output audio channels, the transmitter comprising:

means for receiving a number of input audio channels;

hierarchical encoding means for parametrically encoding the number of input audio channels to generate the data stream comprising the number of output audio channels and parametric audio data;

means for determining a hierarchical decoder structure corresponding to the hierarchical encoding means; and

means for including decoder tree structure data comprising at least one data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure in the data stream.

28. A transmission system comprising a transmitter for generating a data stream and a receiver for generating a number of output audio channels, wherein the transmitter comprises:

means for receiving a number of input audio channels,

hierarchical encoding means for parametrically encoding the number of input audio channels to generate the data stream comprising the number of audio channels and parametric audio data,

means for determining a hierarchical decoder structure corresponding to the hierarchical encoding means,

means for including decoder tree structure data comprising at least one data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure in the data stream, and

means for transmitting the data stream to the receiver; and

the receiver comprises:

means for receiving the data stream,

means for generating the hierarchical decoder structure in response to the decoder tree structure data, and

means for generating the number of output audio channels from the data stream using the hierarchical decoder structure.

29. A method of receiving a data stream, comprising:

receiving a data stream comprising a number of input audio channels and parametric audio data; the data stream further comprising decoder tree structure data for a hierarchical decoder structure, the decoder tree structure data comprising at least on data value indicative of channel split characteristics for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure;

generating the hierarchical decoder structure in response to the decoder tree structure data; and

generating the number of output audio channels from the data stream using the hierarchical decoder structure.

30. A method of transmitting a data stream comprising a number of output audio channels, the method comprising:

receiving a number of input audio channels;

parametrically encoding the number of input audio channels to generate the data stream comprising the number of output audio channels and parametric audio data;

determining a hierarchical decoder structure corresponding to the hierarchical encoding means;

including decoder tree structure data comprising at least one data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure in the data stream; and

transmitting the data stream.

31. A method of transmitting and receiving a data stream, the method comprising:

at a transmitter:

receiving a number of input audio channels,

parametrically encoding the number of input audio channels to generate the data stream comprising the number of audio channels and parametric audio data,

determining a hierarchical decoder structure corresponding to the hierarchical encoding means,

including decoder tree structure data comprising at least one data value indicative of a channel split characteristic for an audio channel at a hierarchical layer of the hierarchical decoder structure in the data stream, and

transmitting the data stream to the receiver; and

at a receiver:

receiving the data stream,

generating the hierarchical decoder structure in response to the decoder tree structure data, and

generating the number of output audio channels from the data stream using the hierarchical decoder structure.