PCM Signal processor with error detection and correction capability provided by a data error pointer

Claim 1

A pulse code modulation (PCM) signal processor for extracting data and check words from a serial PCM data block also containing an error detection and correction code, said signal processor comprising: serial-to-parallel converter means for converting said serial PCM data block into a parallel format, said serial-to-parallel converting means having terminals each outputting in parallel a different one of said data and check words and said error detection and correction code; means connected to said terminals of said serial-to-parallel converter means for forming an error pointer from said data and check words and said error detection and correction code, said error pointer indicating which of said data and check words at said outputs of said serial-to-parallel converter means contains an error; de-interleave means connected to said terminals of said serial-to-parallel converter means for adding different delays to said data and check words such that all of said data and check words appear synchronously at the output of said de-interleave means; means connected to said de-interleave means for forming an auxiliary error pointer indicating whether any of said data and check words at the output of said de-interleave means contains an error, said auxiliary error pointer identifying which of said data and check words at the output of said de-interleave means contains an error; an error pointing delay means for combining said error pointer and said auxiliary error pointer to form data word error pointers, each data word error pointer corresponding to a different data and check word and indicating whether the corresponding data or check word contains an error, said error pointing delay means also synchronizing each said data word error pointer with its corresponding data word; and means for detecting and correcting errors in said data words using said data word error pointers.