Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A framing circuit for detecting framing bits in a predetermined framing bit pattern in a time channel of a t.d.m. bit stream, comprising: a RAM for storing in respect of each time channel a plurality of most recent information bits of the time channel and one or more other bits; means for detecting the framing bit pattern in the current and stored information bits of each time channel; means for modifying said other bits for the respective time channel in dependence upon such detection; and means for producing a framing signal in dependence upon said other bits.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
97 words
A framing circuit for detecting framing bits in a predetermined framing bit pattern in a time channel of a t.d.m. bit stream, comprising: a RAM for storing in respect of each time channel a plurality of most recent information bits of the time channel and one or more other bits; means for detecting the framing bit pattern in the current and stored information bits of each time channel; means for modifying said other bits for the respective time channel in dependence upon such detection; and means for producing a framing signal in dependence upon said other bits.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
78 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the RAM comprises an addressable location in respect of each time channel, each location storing said plurality of information bits and said other bits for the respective time channel, the framing circuit comprising means for cyclically addressing said locations, means for reading said information bits and said other bits from the addressed location, and means for writing the updated information bits and updated other bits to the addressed location.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
46 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for modifying said other bits is responsive to the cyclically addressing means to modify said other bits of each time channel in only one of every n address cycles, where n is a plural integer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
10 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 3 wherein n=3.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
70 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for modifying said other bits for the respective time channel in dependence upon the framing bit pattern detection comprises means for incrementing said other bits, up to a predetermined maximum value, in response to detection of the pattern, and means for decrementing said other bits, down to a predetermined minimum value, in response to no detection of the pattern.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the means for modifying said other bits further comprises means for selectively passing said other bits without modification thereof.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 5 wherein the means for modifying said other bits further comprises means for selectively setting said other bits for each time channel to a predetermined value.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
76 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for detecting the framing bit pattern comprises means for detecting each of a plurality of phases of the pattern in the current and stored information bits of each time channel and for producing a frame detection signal in response to detection of any of said phases, and means for producing a superframe detection signal in response to detection of a predetermined one of said phases.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
59 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for producing a framing signal in dependence upon said other bits comprises means for comparing said other bits with a predetermined threshold value and for producing the framing signal in respect of a time channel in response to said other bits of the time channel exceeding the threshold.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 9 wherein the means for producing the framing signal further comprises means for comparing said other bits with a second predetermined threshold value and for terminating the production of the framing signal in repect of a time channel in response to said other bits of the time channel falling below the second threshold.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 1 wherein the RAM stores a plurality of p information bits and a plurality of q said other bits in respect of each time channel, where p and q are integers and p+q≦8.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
10 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 11 wherein p+q=8.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 12 wherein p=5 and q=3.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
A framing circuit as claimed in claim 13 wherein a bit of the predetermined framing bit pattern occurs in the t.d.m. bit stream every 772 bits thereof, the RAM comprising 772 addressable storage locations.