Method for operating an apparatus for facilitating communications

Claim 1

A method for operating an apparatus for facilitating communications between an analog device and a digital device, said apparatus including a plurality of circuit means for processing signals and a control means for controlling said plurality of circuit means; each of said plurality of circuit means including attenuator means for attenuating signals; said control means including signal burst discrimination means for discriminating utile signals from noise signals, said control means generating a burst indicator when a utile signal is detected; said apparatus being operable in a plurality of stable states, one of said plurality of stable states being an idle state and others of said plurality of stable states being associated with respective of said plurality of circuit means; said apparatus also being operable in a plurality of transitional states, said plurality of transitional states accommodating said apparatus changing among said plurality of stable states; said plurality of transitional states including a plurality of up-transition states and a plurality of down-transition states; the method comprising the steps of: (1) initially establishing said apparatus in said idle state; (2) evaluating each of said plurality of circuit means by said signal burst discrimination means; (3) responding to detection of said burst indicator during said evaluation by setting a state indicator to the respective of said plurality of up-transition states associated with the respective of said plurality of stable states associated with the respective of said plurality of circuit means which occasioned said burst indicator; (4) incrementally adjusting said attenuator means in said plurality of circuit means to lessen attenuation losses in the respective of said plurality of circuit means which occasioned said burst indicator and to increase attenuation losses in others of said plurality of circuit means; (5) repeating step (4) until said attenuator means are at predetermined settings, said predetermined settings being associated with said respective of said plurality of stable states extant in said state indicator; (6) periodically checking for presence of said burst indicator; (7) on detection of cessation of said burst indicator, setting said state indicator to the respective of said plurality of down-transition states associated with the respective of said plurality of stable states extant in said state indicator; (8) incrementally adjusting said attenuator means to redistribute attenuation losses among said plurality of circuit means; (9) if no burst indicator is detected, continuing step (8) until said apparatus returns to said idle state, then performing steps (2)-(10); (10) if a burst indicator is detected, repeating steps (3)-(9).

Claim 2

A method for operating an apparatus for facilitating communications between an analog device and a digital device, said apparatus including a plurality of circuit means for processing signals and a control means for controlling said plurality of circuit means; each of said plurality of circuit means including attenuator means for attenuating signals; said control means including signal burst discrimination means for discriminating utile signals from noise signals, said control means generating a burst indicator when a utile signal is detected; said apparatus being operable in a plurality of stable states, one of said plurality of stable states being an idle state and others of said plurality of stable states being associated with respective of said plurality of circuit means; said apparatus also being operable in a plurality of transitional states, said plurality of transitional states accommodating said apparatus changing among said plurality of stable states; said plurality of transitional states including a plurality of up-transition states and a plurality of down-transition states; the method comprising the steps of: (1) initially establishing said apparatus in said idle state; (2) evaluating each of said plurality of circuit means by said signal burst discrimination means; (3) responding to detection of said burst indicator during said evaluation by setting a state indicator to the respective of said plurality of up-transition states associated with the respective of said plurality of stable states associated with the respective of said plurality of circuit means which occasioned said burst indicator; (4) incrementally adjusting said attenuator means in said plurality of circuit means to lessen attenuation losses in the respective of said plurality of circuit means which occasioned said burst indicator and to increase attenuation losses in others of said plurality of circuit means; (5) repeating step (4) until said attenuator means are at predetermined settings, said predetermined settings being associated with said respective of said plurality of stable states extant in said state indicator; (6) periodically checking for presence of said burst indicator; (7) on detection of cessation of said burst indicator, setting said state indicator to the respective of said plurality of down-transition states associated with the respective of said plurality of stable states extant in said state indicator; (8) incrementally adjusting said attenuator means to redistribute attenuation losses among said plurality of circuit means; (9) if no burst indicator is detected, continuing step (8) until said apparatus returns to said idle state, then performing steps (2)-(10); (10) if a burst indicator is detected, repeating steps (3)-(9).