Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
332 words
A method of detecting and correcting errors in digital audio signals, the method comprising the steps of: assembling digital words, each of which corresponds to a digital audio signal representing a sample of an analog audio signal, into units consisting of m rows by n columns of said data words; assembling with each said unit a plurality of redundant words derived by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words in each row and each column of said unit; shuffling the order of said data words and said redundant words and then assembling the shuffled words into sub-blocks, deriving from said words in each said sub-block a plurality of error detection code words and adding said code words to the respective sub-block; recording and reproducing each said sub-block; after reproduction, using said code words of each said sub-block to set the logic state of error flags that have been added to each said word in said sub-block; de-shuffling the order of said shuffled words and then re-forming said units and assembling with each said reproduced unit a plurality of horizontal and vertical syndromes derived by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row and each column of said unit; comparing selected ones of said horizontal and vertical syndromes associated with said sub-block and resetting the logic state of said error flags in dependence on said comparison; deriving further horizontal syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that row flagged as being in error, correcting that error word using said further horizontal syndrome; and deriving further vertical syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each column of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that column flagged as being in error, correcting that error word using said further vertical syndrome.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
332 words
A method of detecting and correcting errors in digital audio signals, the method comprising the steps of: assembling digital words, each of which corresponds to a digital audio signal representing a sample of an analog audio signal, into units consisting of m rows by n columns of said data words; assembling with each said unit a plurality of redundant words derived by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words in each row and each column of said unit; shuffling the order of said data words and said redundant words and then assembling the shuffled words into sub-blocks, deriving from said words in each said sub-block a plurality of error detection code words and adding said code words to the respective sub-block; recording and reproducing each said sub-block; after reproduction, using said code words of each said sub-block to set the logic state of error flags that have been added to each said word in said sub-block; de-shuffling the order of said shuffled words and then re-forming said units and assembling with each said reproduced unit a plurality of horizontal and vertical syndromes derived by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row and each column of said unit; comparing selected ones of said horizontal and vertical syndromes associated with said sub-block and resetting the logic state of said error flags in dependence on said comparison; deriving further horizontal syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that row flagged as being in error, correcting that error word using said further horizontal syndrome; and deriving further vertical syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each column of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that column flagged as being in error, correcting that error word using said further vertical syndrome.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein each said data word and each said redundant word is a 16-bit word.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 2 wherein said data words and said redundant words are split into 8-bit words for assembly into said sub-blocks.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein m is 2 and n is 3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein said code words are cyclic redundancy check code words.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein, when an error word is corrected using said further horizontal syndrome, the error flag associated with said word is re-set so that the word is no longer flagged as being in error.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
A method according to claim 1 wherein, when a word is corrected using said further vertical syndrome, the error flag associated with said word is reset so that the word is no longer flagged as being in error.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
403 words
Apparatus for detecting and correcting errors in digital audio signals, the apparatus comprising: means for assembling digital data words, each of which corresponds to a digital audio signal representing a sample of an analog audio signal, into units consisting of m rows by n columns of said data words; means receiving said units of data words to derive a plurality of redundant words by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words in each row and each column of said unit and to assemble said redundant words with said unit; means receiving said assembled unit of data words and respective redundant words to shuffle the order of said data words and said redundant words; means receiving said shuffled data words and redundant words to assemble said data words and said redundant words into sub-blocks, to derive from said words in each said sub-block a plurality of error detection code words, and to add said code words to the respective sub-block; means to record and reproduce each said sub-block; means operative after reproduction for using said code words of each said sub-block to set the logic state of error flags added to each said word in that said sub-block; means to de-shuffle the order of said shuffled data words and redundant words; means receiving said de-shuffled data words and redundant words to re-form said units and to derive by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row and each column of said unit a respective first horizontal and vertical syndrome and to associate said syndromes with said unit; means to compare selected ones of said first horizontal and vertical syndromes and to reset the logic state of said error flags in dependence on said comparison; means receiving said re-formed units to derive second horizontal syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that row flagged as being in error, to correct that error word using said second horizontal syndrome; and means receiving said re-formed units for deriving second vertical syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each column of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that column flagged as being in error, correcting that error word using said second vertical syndrome.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
403 words
Apparatus for detecting and correcting errors in digital audio signals, the apparatus comprising: means for assembling digital data words, each of which corresponds to a digital audio signal representing a sample of an analog audio signal, into units consisting of m rows by n columns of said data words; means receiving said units of data words to derive a plurality of redundant words by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words in each row and each column of said unit and to assemble said redundant words with said unit; means receiving said assembled unit of data words and respective redundant words to shuffle the order of said data words and said redundant words; means receiving said shuffled data words and redundant words to assemble said data words and said redundant words into sub-blocks, to derive from said words in each said sub-block a plurality of error detection code words, and to add said code words to the respective sub-block; means to record and reproduce each said sub-block; means operative after reproduction for using said code words of each said sub-block to set the logic state of error flags added to each said word in that said sub-block; means to de-shuffle the order of said shuffled data words and redundant words; means receiving said de-shuffled data words and redundant words to re-form said units and to derive by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row and each column of said unit a respective first horizontal and vertical syndrome and to associate said syndromes with said unit; means to compare selected ones of said first horizontal and vertical syndromes and to reset the logic state of said error flags in dependence on said comparison; means receiving said re-formed units to derive second horizontal syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each row of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that row flagged as being in error, to correct that error word using said second horizontal syndrome; and means receiving said re-formed units for deriving second vertical syndromes by a respective exclusive-OR operation on said data words and said redundant word in each column of said reproduced unit and, where there is only a single word in that column flagged as being in error, correcting that error word using said second vertical syndrome.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein each said data word and each said redundant word is a 16-bit word.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising means to split said data words and said redundant words into 8-bit words for assembly into said sub-blocks.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
13 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein m is 2 and n is 3.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said code words are cyclic redundancy check code words.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising means operative when an error word is corrected using said second horizontal syndrome to re-set the error flag associated with said word so that the word is no longer flagged as being in error.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising means operative when a word is corrected using said second vertical syndrome to re-set the error flag associated with said word so that the word is no longer flagged as being in error.