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US4648100A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Carrier recovery circuit

Assignee: Nokia Bell Labs
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Filing: 1985-03-28
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Granted: 1987-03-03
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Expires: 2005-03-28
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Abstract

Abstract A carrier recovery circuit which phase aligns receiver-generated, quadrature-related carrier signals to incoming modulated, quadrature-related carrier signals is disclosed. The amplitudes of these modulated carriers determine data points in a signal-space diagram. In the carrier recovery circuit, the amplitude of each of said modulated carrier signals is sensed relative to thresholds which pass through the outermost data points in the signal-space diagram. These outermost data points form a periphery when interconnected by straight lines which encompass all of the data points. A phase error signal is generated which maintains phase alignment of the receiver-generated carriers to the incoming carriers when the sensed amplitudes fall in selected regions of the signal-space diagram lying outside of the aforementioned periphery.

Inventors

  • 👤 John Mardirosian

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-26 17:15
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L27/00; H04L27/32; H04L27/34; H04L27/38; H04L27/3818

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim 140 words
A carrier recovery circuit for use in a communications system wherein the amplitudes of quadrature-related carrier signals determine data points in a signal-space diagram, said circuit comprising means for generating quadrature-related reference carriers, means for sensing the amplitudes of said quadrature-related carrier signals relative to thresholds passing through outermost ones of said data points, said outermost data points forming a periphery, when interconnected by straight lines, which encompasses all of said data points, and means responsive to said sensing means for generating a phase error signal which drives said reference carriers toward phase alignment with said carrier signals, said generating means generating said phase error signal when said sensed amplitudes fall only in selected regions of said signal-space diagram lying outside of said periphery and not when said sensed amplitudes fall in regions of said signal-space diagram within said periphery.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 140 words
A carrier recovery circuit for use in a communications system wherein the amplitudes of quadrature-related carrier signals determine data points in a signal-space diagram, said circuit comprising means for generating quadrature-related reference carriers, means for sensing the amplitudes of said quadrature-related carrier signals relative to thresholds passing through outermost ones of said data points, said outermost data points forming a periphery, when interconnected by straight lines, which encompasses all of said data points, and means responsive to said sensing means for generating a phase error signal which drives said reference carriers toward phase alignment with said carrier signals, said generating means generating said phase error signal when said sensed amplitudes fall only in selected regions of said signal-space diagram lying outside of said periphery and not when said sensed amplitudes fall in regions of said signal-space diagram within said periphery.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 1 wherein said signal-space diagram has an origin and said outermost data points are those points furthest from said origin.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 1 wherein said periphery formed encompasses all of said data points in a minimum area.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 17 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 1 wherein said sensing means senses said amplitudes at selected times.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 12 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 1 wherein said thresholds are fixed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 23 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 1 wherein said thresholds are varied so as to compensate for distortion in said quadrature-related carrier signals.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 14 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 1 wherein said sensing means comprises analog-to-digital converters.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 1 wherein said selected regions include first and second portions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 21 words
The carrier recovery circuit of claim 8 wherein said phase error signal has a different polarity for each of said portions.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 118 words
Apparatus for detecting the phase of amplitude-modulated, quadrature-related carrier signals relative to reference carrier signals wherein the amplitudes of said quadrature-related carriers determine data points in a signal-space diagram, said apparatus comprising means for sensing the amplitudes of said carriers relative to thresholds passing through outermost ones of said data points, said outermost data points forming a periphery when interconnected by straight lines which encompasses all of said data points, and means responsive to said sensing means for generating a phase error signal when the sensed amplitudes fall only in selected regions of said signal-space diagram lying outside of said periphery and not when said sensed amplitudes fall in regions of said signal space diagram within said periphery.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 118 words
Apparatus for detecting the phase of amplitude-modulated, quadrature-related carrier signals relative to reference carrier signals wherein the amplitudes of said quadrature-related carriers determine data points in a signal-space diagram, said apparatus comprising means for sensing the amplitudes of said carriers relative to thresholds passing through outermost ones of said data points, said outermost data points forming a periphery when interconnected by straight lines which encompasses all of said data points, and means responsive to said sensing means for generating a phase error signal when the sensed amplitudes fall only in selected regions of said signal-space diagram lying outside of said periphery and not when said sensed amplitudes fall in regions of said signal space diagram within said periphery.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 18 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said periphery encompasses all of said data points in a minimum area.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 23 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said signal-space diagram has an origin and said outermost data points are those furthest from said origin.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 21 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said thresholds are adjusted to compensate for the effects of distortion in said amplitude-modulated carriers.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 20 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said sensing means sense the amplitudes of said amplitude modulated carriers at selected times.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 10 words
The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said thresholds are fixed.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 134 words
A carrier recovery circuit comprising means for demodulating a received signal into a pair of signals using quadrature-related reference carriers, each signal in said pair having an amplitude, means for comparing the amplitude of each signal in said pair to an associated plurality of threshold values, the largest and smallest threshold values associated with each signal in said pair defining a range, and means responsive to said comparison means for generating a phase error signal which varies the phase of said reference carriers with respect to said quadrature-related carriers when the amplitude of one signal in said pair of outside of the associated range and the amplitude of the other signal in said pair is within the associated range and not when the amplitude comparisons of each signal in said pair yield different results.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 134 words
A carrier recovery circuit comprising means for demodulating a received signal into a pair of signals using quadrature-related reference carriers, each signal in said pair having an amplitude, means for comparing the amplitude of each signal in said pair to an associated plurality of threshold values, the largest and smallest threshold values associated with each signal in said pair defining a range, and means responsive to said comparison means for generating a phase error signal which varies the phase of said reference carriers with respect to said quadrature-related carriers when the amplitude of one signal in said pair of outside of the associated range and the amplitude of the other signal in said pair is within the associated range and not when the amplitude comparisons of each signal in said pair yield different results.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 12 words
The circuit of claim 16 wherein said associated ranges are the same.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 11 words
The circuit of claim 16 wherein said associated ranges are different.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 113 words
A phase detector for a carrier recovery circuit wherein an incoming signal is demodulated into a pair of signals, said phase detector comprising means for comparing each amplitude of said pair of signals to an associated plurality of threshold values, the largest and smallest threshold values associated with each signal in said pair defining a range, and means responsive to said comparison means for generating an output signal when the amplitude of one signal in said pair is outside of the associated range and the amplitude of the other signal in said pair is within the associated range and not when the amplitude comparisons of each signal in said pair yield different results.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 113 words
A phase detector for a carrier recovery circuit wherein an incoming signal is demodulated into a pair of signals, said phase detector comprising means for comparing each amplitude of said pair of signals to an associated plurality of threshold values, the largest and smallest threshold values associated with each signal in said pair defining a range, and means responsive to said comparison means for generating an output signal when the amplitude of one signal in said pair is outside of the associated range and the amplitude of the other signal in said pair is within the associated range and not when the amplitude comparisons of each signal in said pair yield different results.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4057762A Cited
US4283682A Cited
US4538111A Cited
US4458356A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1990-03-02 1990-09-01 1991-03-03 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1994-03-02 1994-09-01 1995-03-03 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1998-03-02 1998-09-01 1999-03-03 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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