An apparatus for level estimation of an encoded audio signal is provided. The apparatus has a codebook determinator for determining a codebook from a plurality of codebooks as an identified codebook. The audio signal has been encoded by employing the identified codebook. Moreover, the apparatus has an estimation unit configured for deriving a level value associated with the identified codebook as a derived level value and for estimating a level estimate of the audio signal using the derived level value.

Methods and apparatuses for indicating the presence of a threshold directional differential pressure between separated adjacent spaces. A conduit contains at least one movable element that indicates whether the pressure difference between the two spaces is at least as high as a threshold pressure difference. The apparatus is adjustable to have different threshold set points by adjusting the pivot arm inclination relative to a horizontal plane.

Methods and apparatuses for indicating the presence of a threshold directional differential pressure between separated adjacent spaces. A conduit contains at least one movable element that indicates whether the pressure difference between the two spaces is at least as high as a threshold pressure difference. The apparatus is adjustable to have different threshold set points by adjusting the pivot arm inclination relative to a horizontal plane.

Provided are a vector quantization device, a voice coding device, a vector quantization method, and a voice coding method which enable a reduction in the calculation amount of voice codec without deterioration of voice quality. In the vector quantization device, a first reference vector calculation unit (201) calculates a first reference vector by multiplying a target vector (x) by an auditory weighting LPC synthesis filter (H), and a second reference vector calculation unit (202) calculates a second reference vector by multiplying an element of the first reference vector by a filter having a high pass characteristic. A polarity preliminary selection unit (205) generates a polar vector by disposing a unit pulse having a positive or negative polarity, which is selected on the basis of the polarity of an element of the second reference vector, in the position of said element.

Methods and apparatuses for indicating the presence of a threshold directional differential pressure between separated adjacent spaces. A conduit contains at least one movable element that indicates whether the pressure difference between the two spaces is at least as high as a threshold pressure difference. The apparatus is adjustable to have different threshold set points by adjusting the pivot arm inclination relative to a horizontal plane.

A coding method, a decoding method, a coder, and a decoder, where the coding method includes obtaining the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining a distribution identifier for identifying the pulse distribution according to the pulse distribution, and generating a coding index that includes the distribution identifier. The decoding method includes receiving a coding index, obtaining a distribution identifier from the coding index, wherein the distribution identifier is configured to identify the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining the pulse distribution, on a track, of all the pulses to be encoded on the track according to the distribution identifier, and reconstructing the pulse order on the track according to the pulse distribution.

A coding method, a decoding method, a coder, and a decoder, where the coding method includes obtaining the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining a distribution identifier for identifying the pulse distribution according to the pulse distribution, and generating a coding index that includes the distribution identifier. The decoding method includes receiving a coding index, obtaining a distribution identifier from the coding index, wherein the distribution identifier is configured to identify the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining the pulse distribution, on a track, of all the pulses to be encoded on the track according to the distribution identifier, and reconstructing the pulse order on the track according to the pulse distribution.

A coding method, a decoding method, a coder, and a decoder, where the coding method includes obtaining the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining a distribution identifier for identifying the pulse distribution according to the pulse distribution, and generating a coding index that includes the distribution identifier. The decoding method includes receiving a coding index, obtaining a distribution identifier from the coding index, wherein the distribution identifier is configured to identify the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining the pulse distribution, on a track, of all the pulses to be encoded on the track according to the distribution identifier, and reconstructing the pulse order on the track according to the pulse distribution.

A coding method, a decoding method, a coder, and a decoder, where the coding method includes obtaining the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining a distribution identifier for identifying the pulse distribution according to the pulse distribution, and generating a coding index that includes the distribution identifier. The decoding method includes receiving a coding index, obtaining a distribution identifier from the coding index, wherein the distribution identifier is configured to identify the pulse distribution, on a track, of the pulses to be encoded on the track, determining the pulse distribution, on a track, of all the pulses to be encoded on the track according to the distribution identifier, and reconstructing the pulse order on the track according to the pulse distribution.

An encoder and a method therein for Pyramid Vector Quantizer, PVQ, shape search, the PVQ taking a target vector x as input and deriving a vector y by iteratively adding unit pulses in an inner dimension search loop. The method comprises, before entering a next inner dimension search loop for unit pulse addition, determining, based on the maximum pulse amplitude, maxamp.sub.y, of a current vector y, whether more than a current bit word length is needed to represent enloop.sub.y, in a lossless manner in the upcoming inner dimension loop. The variable enloop.sub.y is related to an accumulated energy of the vector y. The performing of this method enables the encoder to keep the complexity of the search at a reasonable level.