Perceptual coding of audio signals

1. A method of processing an ordered time sequence of audio signals partitioned into a set of ordered blocks, each said block having a discrete frequency spectrum comprising a first set of frequency coefficients, the method comprising, for each of said blocks, the steps of:

(a) grouping said first set of frequency coefficients into at least one group, each group comprising at least one frequency coefficient;

(b) generating at least one tonality value, each group having an associated tonality value, said at least one tonality value reflecting the degree to which said time sequence of audio signals comprises tone-like quality;

(c) generating at least one noise masking threshold, each said at least one noise masking threshold being based upon at least a portion of said at least one tonality value; and

(d) quantizing at least one frequency coefficient in said at least one group, said quantizing based upon said at least one noise masking threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said discrete frequency spectrum further comprises a second set of frequency coefficients, said first set of frequency coefficients in combination with said second set of frequency coefficients representing all frequencies present in each said block.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each said group in said at least one group comprising more than one frequency coefficient comprises more than one contiguous frequency coefficient.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of coding said quantized set of groups using Huffman codes.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each said block is representable by a number of bits, said number of bits having a predetermined range, said quantizing is based on said number of bits.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said step of quantizing said at least one frequency coefficient in said at least one group comprises quantizing all frequency coefficients in said first set of frequency coefficients and wherein said method further comprising, for each block, the steps of:

(a) generating an amount of bits needed to represent said first set of frequency coefficients in a quantized form;

(b) comparing said amount of bits to said number of bits;

(c) adjusting each said at least one noise masking threshold; and

(d) repeating set (d) of claim 1 and steps (a) through (c) until said amount of bits is within said predetermined range of said number of bits.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said ordered time sequence of audio signals represents a first channel and a second channel of a stereo signal, the method further comprising, for each of said blocks, the steps of:

(a) generating a first power spectrum, said first power spectrum being representative of said first channel;

(b) generating a second power spectrum, said second power spectrum being representative of said second channel;

(c) adding said first power spectrum to said second power spectrum prior to said determining at least one noise masking threshold; and

(d) applying each of said at least one noise masking threshold to said first channel and said second channel.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first channel is L and the second channel is R.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the first channel is L+R and the second channel represents a difference between L and R.

10. A storage medium manufactured in accordance with a process comprising the steps of:

(a) processing an ordered time sequence of audio signals partitioned into a set of ordered blocks, each said block having a discrete frequency spectrum comprising a first set of frequency coefficients; and

(b) for each of said blocks:

(1) grouping said first set of frequency coefficients into at least one group, each group comprising at least one frequency coefficient;

(2) generating at least one tonality value, each group having an associated tonality value, said at least one tonality value reflecting the degree to which said time sequence of audio signals comprises tone-like quality;

(3) generating at least one noise masking threshold, each said at least one noise masking threshold being based upon at least one tonality value;

(4) quantizing at least one frequency coefficient in said at least one group resulting in a set of quantized frequency coefficients, said quantizing based upon said at least one noise masking threshold;

(5) applying a recording signal to said storage medium, said recording signal comprising signals representing said set of quantized frequency coefficients; and

(6) recording said recording signal onto said storage medium.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said storage medium is a compact disc.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said storage medium is a digital storage means.

13. A method of transmitting audio signals, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) processing an ordered time sequence of audio signals partitioned into a set of ordered blocks, each said block having a discrete frequency spectrum comprising a first set of frequency coefficients; and

(b) for each of said blocks:

(1) grouping said first set of frequency coefficients into at least one group, each group comprising at least one frequency coefficient;

(2) generating at least one tonality value, each group having an associated tonality value, said at least one tonality value reflecting the degree to which said time sequence of audio signals comprises tone-like quality;

(3) generating at least one noise masking threshold, each said at least one noise masking threshold being based upon at least one tonality value;

(4) quantizing at least one frequency coefficient in said at least one group resulting in a set of quantized frequency coefficients, said quantizing based upon said at least one noise masking threshold;

(5) generating a transmission signal comprising signals representing said set of quantized frequency coefficients; and

(6) applying said transmission signal to a transmission medium.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said transmission medium is a broadcast transmission medium.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said transmission medium is an electrical conducting medium.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said transmission medium is an optical transmission medium.

17. A method for generating signals representing an ordered time sequence of audio signals partitioned into a set of ordered blocks, each said block having a discrete frequency spectrum comprising a first set of frequency coefficients, the method comprising, for each of said blocks, the steps of:

(a) grouping said first set of frequency coefficients into a plurality of groups, each group in said plurality of groups representing a critical band of frequencies and comprising at least one frequency coefficient;

(b) generating a tonality value for each said group in said plurality of groups of frequency coefficients, said tonality values reflecting the degree to which said time sequence of audio signals comprises tone-like quality;

(c) generating a noise masking threshold for each said group in said plurality of groups of frequency coefficients, each said noise masking threshold being based upon said tonality value for the respective group; and

(d) quantizing each frequency coefficient in said at least one frequency coefficient in each said group, said quantizing being based upon said noise masking threshold associated with said group and a predetermined number of bits.