Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
181 words
A method of analyzing electrical signals which increases the rate at which data may be processed in a signal processing channel, comprising the steps of: generating an analog electrical signal from binary coded data read by a transducer from a data storage medium; with an auxiliary clock iterating successive sets of clock cycles every n cycles of a primary clock; converting the analog signal into digital electrical output signals constituting digital sample values at successive clock cycles using a state-dependent sequence detection algorithm including n groups of appropriate functional expressions of digital sample values, which expressions in each group are identical in structure but offset one bit count from the next; and during each iterating step, with electronic circuitry, including a decoder, precomputing the value of each expression in the said n groups of expressions from a preselected number of sample values ahead of a then current sample value Y 0 using a different number of sample values greater than said preselected number further ahead of the current sample value in order to allow sufficient time for clocking predetermined logic operations.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
181 words
A method of analyzing electrical signals which increases the rate at which data may be processed in a signal processing channel, comprising the steps of: generating an analog electrical signal from binary coded data read by a transducer from a data storage medium; with an auxiliary clock iterating successive sets of clock cycles every n cycles of a primary clock; converting the analog signal into digital electrical output signals constituting digital sample values at successive clock cycles using a state-dependent sequence detection algorithm including n groups of appropriate functional expressions of digital sample values, which expressions in each group are identical in structure but offset one bit count from the next; and during each iterating step, with electronic circuitry, including a decoder, precomputing the value of each expression in the said n groups of expressions from a preselected number of sample values ahead of a then current sample value Y 0 using a different number of sample values greater than said preselected number further ahead of the current sample value in order to allow sufficient time for clocking predetermined logic operations.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1, including, during each iterating step, the step of: using a comparator, comparing preselected ones of the said expression values against corresponding thresholds to provide respective binary decision outputs corresponding to each of said n groups.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the comparing step includes: comparing the value of each of said expressions against an appropriate threshold which is the same for the corresponding expressions in each of said groups.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 2, including during the determining step: using said binary decision outputs from the comparator for the first of the n groups in conjunction with a then the current state value, determining the first of n next successive state values; using said binary decision outputs for the second of the n groups in conjunction wi th the first state value, determining the second of said n successive state values; and repeating the preceding step for each of the remaining (n-2) groups until the last of the n successive state values, which becomes the current state value for the next iteration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 1, including the step of: combining some of the results of the comparing step and the said current and next (n-1) state values into n erasure pointers that indicate presence of any error in a previous decoding decision.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said different number is at least 10.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 4, including the step of: logically combining the said current and next (n-1) state values to determine corresponding sets of n bits representative of the coded binary data at each successive iteration.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method of claim 1, including during the precomputing step: precomputing a peak position check which includes expressions that use up to six sample values ahead of the then current sample value y 0 .
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said functional expressions include, as one of the groups, for calculating a peak position check: (y.sub.0 +y.sub.1)-(y.sub.2 +y.sub.3), and (y.sub.0 +y.sub.1 -y.sub.2 +2y.sub.4), and (y.sub.0 +y.sub.1 -y.sub.2 +y.sub.4 -y.sub.5), where y denotes sample value of an analog read signal, and the subscripts denote the look ahead count of that sample value from the then current sample value y 0 .
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 9, wherein said functional expressions also include as another group, for calculating the peak position check: (y.sub.1 +y.sub.2)-(y.sub.3 +y.sub.4), and (y.sub.1 +y.sub.2 -y.sub.3 +2y.sub.5), and (y.sub.1 +y.sub.2 -y.sub.3 +y.sub.5 -y.sub.6), where y denotes sample value of an analog read signal, and the subscripts denote the look ahead count of that sample value from the then current sample value y 0 .
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 8, wherein said expressions are provided with thresholds specifically constructed to overcome distortions due to nonlinearities in the signal peculiar to magnetic and optical recording.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the precomputing step is performed using the electronic circuitry in a pipelined configuration.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the sets are pairs and n=2.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
178 words
Apparatus for increasing the rate at which analog electrical signals read by a transducer from a data storage medium can be processed in a signal processing channel, comprising: a primary clock; an auxiliary clock iterating successive sets of clock cycles every n cycles of the primary clock, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) triggered by the primary clock for converting the analog electrical signals into digital electrical output signals constituting digital sample values at successive cycles of the primary clock using a state-dependent sequence detection algorithm that includes n groups of appropriate groups are identical in structure but offset one bit count from the next; and means, including a decoder, for precomputing the value of each expression in the said n groups of expressions from a preselected number of sample values ahead of a then current sample value using a different number of sample values greater than said preselected number further ahead of said then current sample value to allow sufficient time for clocking predetermined logic operations to increase the rate at which the analog electrical signals can be processed.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
178 words
Apparatus for increasing the rate at which analog electrical signals read by a transducer from a data storage medium can be processed in a signal processing channel, comprising: a primary clock; an auxiliary clock iterating successive sets of clock cycles every n cycles of the primary clock, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) triggered by the primary clock for converting the analog electrical signals into digital electrical output signals constituting digital sample values at successive cycles of the primary clock using a state-dependent sequence detection algorithm that includes n groups of appropriate groups are identical in structure but offset one bit count from the next; and means, including a decoder, for precomputing the value of each expression in the said n groups of expressions from a preselected number of sample values ahead of a then current sample value using a different number of sample values greater than said preselected number further ahead of said then current sample value to allow sufficient time for clocking predetermined logic operations to increase the rate at which the analog electrical signals can be processed.