Apparatus and method for determining a quantizer step size

US8756056B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. · DE

Inventors

• Bernhard Grill · Lautenbächle, DE
• Michael Schug · Erlangen, DE
• Bodo Teichmann · Ergolding, DE
• Nikolaus Rettelbach · Nuremberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 2, 2009
• Grant date: Jun 17, 2014
• Expiry date: Mar 10, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G10L2019/0005
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

For determining a quantizer step size for quantizing a signal including audio or video information, a first quantizer step size as well as an interference threshold are provided. Then, the actual interference introduced by the first quantizer step size is determined and compared with the interference threshold. Despite the fact that the comparison reveals that the actually introduced interference exceeds the threshold, a second, coarser quantizer step size is nevertheless used, which will then be used for quantization if it turns out that the interference introduced by the coarser, second quantizer step size falls below the threshold or falls below the interference introduced by the first quantizer step size. Thus, the quantization interference is reduced while the quantization is coarsened and, thus, the compression gain is increased.