Apparatuses and methods for encoding and decoding a multichannel audio signal

1. A non-transitory computer readable memory storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause at least the following operations to be performed:

transforming a plurality of input audio channels into a plurality of eigenchannels;

providing metadata associated with the plurality of eigenchannels,

wherein each eigenchannel is associated with an eigenvalue and an eigenvector, and

wherein the metadata allows reconstructing the plurality of input audio channels on the basis of the plurality of eigenchannels;

selecting a subset of a plurality of eigenvectors associated with the plurality of eigenchannels on the basis of an absolute difference between (i) geometric and (ii) arithmetic means of a plurality of eigenvalues greater than a first threshold value; and

encoding the plurality of selected eigenchannels.

2. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1 , wherein a number of the plurality of selected eigenchannels is less than or equal to a number of the plurality of input audio channels.

3. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one of (i) a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels and (ii) eigenvectors of a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels.

4. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of input audio signals comprises a plurality of frequency bands.

5. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim further comprising normalizing the eigenvalues that are greater than the first threshold value on the basis of a smallest eigenvalue that is greater than the first threshold value.

6. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1 , further comprising choosing, on the basis of a pre-defined bitrate threshold, between a first encoding mode and a second encoding mode for encoding the plurality of selected eigenchannels,

wherein, in the first encoding mode, the input audio signal is encoded by encoding the plurality of selected eigenchannels and the metadata, and

wherein, in the second encoding mode, the input audio signal is encoded by encoding the plurality of input audio channels.

7. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 6 , further comprising:

estimating a bitrate associated with encoding the plurality of selected eigenchannels and the metadata; and

choosing the first encoding mode in response to the estimated bitrate being less than the pre-defined bitrate threshold.

8. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors executing the instructions includes a Karhunen-Loève Transform (KLT) based pre-processor comprises a selector.

9. A non-transitory computer readable memory storing instructions that when executed by one or more processors, cause at least the following operations to be performed:

decoding a plurality of encoded eigenchannels, wherein each eigenchannel is associated with an eigenvalue;

decoding encoded metadata associated with the plurality of encoded eigenchannels;

selecting a subset of the decoded plurality of eigenchannels on the basis of an absolute difference between (i) geometric and (ii) arithmetic means of a plurality of eigenvalues greater than a first threshold value; and

transforming the selected decoded eigenchannels into a plurality of output audio channels on the basis of the decoded metadata.

10. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 9 , wherein a number of the plurality of selected eigenchannels is less than or equal to a number of the plurality of output audio channels.

11. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 9 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one of: (i) a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels and (ii) eigenvectors of a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels.

12. The non-transitory computer readable memory of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of output audio signals comprises a plurality of frequency bands.

13. A method for encoding an input audio signal comprising a plurality of input audio channels, the method comprising:

estimating, by an apparatus, metadata associated with a plurality of eigenvectors from the plurality of input audio signal,

wherein each eigenchannel of the plurality of input audio channels is associated with an eigenvalue and an eigenvector, and

wherein the metadata allows reconstructing the plurality of input audio channels on the basis of a plurality of eigenchannels;

selecting, by the apparatus, a subset of the plurality of eigenvectors on the basis of an absolute difference between (i) geometric and (ii) arithmetic means of a plurality of eigenvalues greater than a first threshold value;

determining, by the apparatus, the eigenchannels based on the input audio channels and selected eigenvectors;

encoding, by the apparatus, the plurality of selected eigenchannels; and

encoding, by the apparatus, the metadata.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a number of the plurality of selected eigenchannels is less than or equal to a number of the plurality of input audio channels.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one of: (i) a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels and (ii) eigenvectors of a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of input audio signals comprises a plurality of frequency bands.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising normalizing the eigenvalues greater than the first threshold value on the basis of a smallest eigenvalue that is greater than the first threshold value.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising choosing, by the apparatus and on the basis of a pre-defined bitrate threshold, between first and second encoding modes for encoding the plurality of selected eigenchannels,

wherein the first encoding mode encodes the input audio signal by encoding the plurality of selected eigenchannels and the metadata, and

wherein the second encoding mode encodes the input audio signal by encoding the plurality of input audio channels.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

estimating, by the apparatus, a bitrate associated with encoding the plurality of selected eigenchannels and the metadata; and

choosing, by the apparatus, the first encoding mode in response to the estimated bitrate being less than the pre-defined bitrate threshold.

20. A method for decoding an input audio signal comprising a plurality of encoded eigenchannels and encoded metadata, the method comprising:

decoding, by an apparatus, the plurality of encoded eigenchannels, wherein each eigenchannel is associated with an eigenvalue and an eigenvector;

decoding, by the apparatus, the encoded metadata associated with the plurality of encoded eigenchannels;

selecting, by the apparatus, a subset of the decoded plurality of eigenchannels on the basis of an absolute difference between (i) geometric and (ii) arithmetic means of a plurality of eigenvalues greater than a first threshold value; and

transforming, by the apparatus, the selected decoded eigenchannels into a plurality of output audio channels on the basis of the decoded metadata.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein a number of the plurality of selected eigenchannels is less than or equal to a number of the plurality of output audio channels.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the metadata comprises at least one of: (i) a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels and (ii) eigenvectors of a covariance matrix associated with the plurality of input audio channels.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of output audio signals comprises a plurality of frequency bands.