Method of and apparatus for baud rate detection

Claim 2

A communications system for coordinating communications between a processor and a plurality of terminal devices, some or all of which terminal devices communicate at a different baud rate than others and each of which terminal devices is capable of prefacing a communication with a baud-rate-code, which baud-ratecode is represented as two or more signal state transitions the predetermined intervals of which specify the baud rate at which the communication shall be transmitted, comprising: A. monitoring means for detecting signal state transitions of a baud-rate-code signal; B. computational means responsive to said monitoring means detecting a said change of state to provide an indication of the time of occurrence of said change of state and responsive to at least two of said time of occurrence indications to compute the transition interval therebetween and to indicate the baud rate corresponding thereto; and C. means responsive to a said indication of baud rate to receive the message at the baud rate specified by said baud-rate-code.

Claim 3

A communications system according to claim 1 wherein; said computational means is included in a data processor; and said monitoring means is Included in a communication device and is responsive to detection of a said transition to generate and transmit to said processor a baud-rate- detection-interrupt, which processor is responsive to a said baud-rate-detection-interrupt to store the time of a clock as an indication of the time of occurrence of said transition and which processor operates upon at least two of said indications of time to compute the transition interval therebetween and transmits to said communication device a signal representation of the baud rate corresponding thereto to condition said communication device to receive said message at said baud rate.

Claim 4

transmitting a message as a signal having signal state transitions, which signal state transitions define at least one interval corresponding to the baud-rate-code interval of the baud rate at which said message is transmitted;

Claim 5

transmitting a message as a signal having signal state transitions, which signal state transitions define at least one interval corresponding to the baud-rate-code interval of the baud rate at which said message is transmitted;

Claim 6

In a communications system wherein communications are transmitted between a processor and a terminal device at a plurality of baud rates and wherein the baud rate of a particular communication is represented as at least one interval between signal state transitions in the initial portion of the signal by which the communication is transmitted, means for determining the baud rate of a transmission, comprising: means responsive to signal state transitions of a received transmission to generate the discrete value of the difference in time of occurrence between pairs of said transitions; means for converting a said discrete value of time to the baud-rate-code corresponding thereto and for indicating the baud rate of said baud-rate-code; and means responsive to a said indication of baud rate to receive the transmission at the rate corresponding to said baud-rate-code.

Claim 7

In a communications system wherein communications are transmitted between a processor and a terminal device at a plurality of baud rates and wherein the baud rate of a particular communication is represented as at least one interval between signal state transitions in the initial portion of the signal by which the communication is transmitted, means for determining the baud rate of a transmission, comprising: means responsive to signal state transitions of a received transmission to generate the discrete value of the difference in time of occurrence between pairs of said transitions; means for converting a said discrete value of time to the baud-rate-code corresponding thereto and for indicating the baud rate of said baud-rate-code; and means responsive to a said indication of baud rate to receive the transmission at the rate corresponding to said baud-rate-code.

Claim 8

receiving said signal;

Claim 9

receiving said signal;

Claim 10

detecting signal state transitions of said signal and recording an indication of the time of occurrence thereof;

Claim 11

detecting signal state transitions of said signal and recording an indication of the time of occurrence thereof;

Claim 14

operating on at least a pair of said time of occurrences to compute a said time interval corresponding to said baud-rate-code interval;

Claim 15

operating on at least a pair of said time of occurrences to compute a said time interval corresponding to said baud-rate-code interval;

Claim 16

In a communication system for coordinating communications between a processor and a plurality of terminal devices in which at least one terminal device communicates at a baud rate different from the communication rate of at least one other terminal and wherein at least one of the terminals or the processor includes receiving means for receiving data at a selected one of at least two of said baud rates, and in which system the communication rate at which a communication shall be transmitted is signified by a baud-rate-code as two or more signal state transitions defining a predetermined interval which corresponds to said communication rate, the improvement comprising: A. monitoring means for detecting a signal state transition of a baud rate code signal; and B. computational means responsive to said monitoring means detecting a said transition to provide an indication of the time of occurrence of said transition and responsive to a detection of the last of a predetermined number of said transitions to compute at least one transition interval defined by two of said transitions and to provide a baud rate code corresponding to said at least one transition interval for conditioning a said receiving means to receive a communication at the communication rate corresponding to said baud rate code interval.

Claim 17

In a communication system for coordinating communications between a processor and a plurality of terminal devices in which at least one terminal device communicates at a baud rate different from the communication rate of at least one other terminal and wherein at least one of the terminals or the processor includes receiving means for receiving data at a selected one of at least two of said baud rates, and in which system the communication rate at which a communication shall be transmitted is signified by a baud-rate-code as two or more signal state transitions defining a predetermined interval which corresponds to said communication rate, the improvement comprising: A. monitoring means for detecting a signal state transition of a baud rate code signal; and B. computational means responsive to said monitoring means detecting a said transition to provide an indication of the time of occurrence of said transition and responsive to a detection of the last of a predetermined number of said transitions to compute at least one transition interval defined by two of said transitions and to provide a baud rate code corresponding to said at least one transition interval for conditioning a said receiving means to receive a communication at the communication rate corresponding to said baud rate code interval.

Claim 18

comparing said computed time interval with said set of baud-rate-codes to determine the baud rate corresponding to said computed time interval;

Claim 19

comparing said computed time interval with said set of baud-rate-codes to determine the baud rate corresponding to said computed time interval;

Claim 20

decoding the message at said determined baud rate.

Claim 21

decoding the message at said determined baud rate.