Multipath interference reduction system

Claim 1

A system for reducing multipath return interference in a multiple user communication system comprising: a plurality of user communications apparatus, one for each user, being operable to communicate with each other in respective time slots of a plurality of mutually adjacent time slot channels; each said communications apparatus including means for receiving and detecting pulse type signals including a desired signal and any multipath return signals and providing pulse type video signals thereof having respective amplitudes and pulsewidths, and a plurality of cascaded signal subtractor units each comprised of signal combiner means having a pair of inputs and being operable to provide a difference signal at an output in response to respective input signals applied to said pair of inputs, time delay means providing a time delay equal to the multiple of the pulsewidth of the detected desired video signal and varible gain signal coupling means coupling said time delay means to one of said pair of inputs, and means responsive to the amplitude of the detected multipath return video signal coupled to and controlling the gain of signal coupling means, said multiple of the pulsewidth increasing in discrete numerical steps beginning with the first of said plurality of subtractor units to the last, and means coupling detected video signals in sequence first from said detector means and then from said output of the preceding signal combiner means to the other of said pair of inputs of said combiner means and said time delay means in synchronism, whereby video signals sequentially applied to each subtractor unit are selectively delayed, varied in amplitude and subtracted from the same respective undelayed video signals, causing the multipath return signals to be selectively cancelled while providing an output of the desired signal.

Claim 2

A system for reducing multipath return interference in a multiple user communication system comprising: a plurality of user communications apparatus, one for each user, being operable to communicate with each other in respective time slots of a plurality of mutually adjacent time slot channels; each said communications apparatus including means for receiving and detecting pulse type signals including a desired signal and any multipath return signals and providing pulse type video signals thereof having respective amplitudes and pulsewidths, and a plurality of cascaded signal subtractor units each comprised of signal combiner means having a pair of inputs and being operable to provide a difference signal at an output in response to respective input signals applied to said pair of inputs, time delay means providing a time delay equal to the multiple of the pulsewidth of the detected desired video signal and varible gain signal coupling means coupling said time delay means to one of said pair of inputs, and means responsive to the amplitude of the detected multipath return video signal coupled to and controlling the gain of signal coupling means, said multiple of the pulsewidth increasing in discrete numerical steps beginning with the first of said plurality of subtractor units to the last, and means coupling detected video signals in sequence first from said detector means and then from said output of the preceding signal combiner means to the other of said pair of inputs of said combiner means and said time delay means in synchronism, whereby video signals sequentially applied to each subtractor unit are selectively delayed, varied in amplitude and subtracted from the same respective undelayed video signals, causing the multipath return signals to be selectively cancelled while providing an output of the desired signal.