Phase modulator having individually placed edges

Claim 2

A dynamic phase modulator comprising: a programmable pulse generator for producing a pulsed output signal wherein the position of each pulse edge of the output signal is determined in response to a control value provided to the programmable pulse generator; and a control value source coupled to the programmable pulse generator for producing a dynamic sequence of control values, the control values determining the times between successive output pulses.

Claim 3

The phase modulator of claim 1 wherein the control value source comprises memory.

Claim 4

The phase modulator of claim 2 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable interval counter.

Claim 5

The phase modulator of claim 2 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable delay circuit.

Claim 6

The phase modulator of claim 1 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable interval counter.

Claim 7

The phase modulator of claim 1 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable delay circuit.

Claim 8

The phase modulator of claim 1 wherein the next control value in the sequence is loaded in response to an edge of the output signal.

Claim 9

The phase modulator of claim 1 wherein each control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable pulse generator in response to each respective edge of the output signal.

Claim 10

A phase modulator for modulating a waveform comprising: a programmable pulse generator, coupled to receive the waveform, for producing a pulsed output signal wherein the position of each edge of the output signal relative to the waveform is determined in response to a control value provided to the programmable pulse generator; and a control value source coupled to the programmable pulse generator for producing a sequence of control values wherein the next control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable pulse generator in response to an edge of the output signal.

Claim 11

A phase modulator for modulating a waveform comprising: a programmable pulse generator, coupled to receive the waveform, for producing a pulsed output signal wherein the position of each edge of the output signal relative to the waveform is determined in response to a control value provided to the programmable pulse generator; and a control value source coupled to the programmable pulse generator for producing a sequence of control values wherein the next control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable pulse generator in response to an edge of the output signal.

Claim 12

The phase modulator of claim 9 wherein the control value source comprises memory.

Claim 13

The phase modulator of claim 10 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable interval counter.

Claim 14

The phase modulator of claim 10 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable delay circuit.

Claim 15

The phase modulator of claim 9 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable interval counter.

Claim 16

The phase modulator of claim 9 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable delay circuit.

Claim 17

The phase modulator of claim 14 wherein the programmable delay circuit further comprises first and second programmable delay lines coupled in parallel to receive the waveform, the first programmable delay line producing a first intermediate signal responsive to the odd ordered control values in the sequence, the second programmable delay line producing a second intermediate signal responsive to the even ordered control values in the sequence, the first and second intermediate signals being multiplexed to produce an output signal.

Claim 18

The phase modulator of claim 9 wherein the waveform comprises a square wave signal produced by an oscillator.

Claim 19

The phase modulator of claim 9 wherein the control value source includes a numerical processor for converting a first value, corresponding to the time difference between the position of an edge of the output signal and its position if the waveform had not been modulated, to a second value corresponding to the time difference between successive edges of the output signal, the second value being the control value.

Claim 20

A phase modulator for modulating a waveform comprising: a programmable pulse generator, coupled to receive the waveform, for producing a pulsed output signal wherein the position of each pulse edge of the output signal relative to the waveform is determined in response to a control value provided to the programmable pulse generator; and a control value source coupled to the programmable pulse generator for producing a sequence of control values wherein the next control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable pulse generator at a time between successive edges of the output signal which assures desired edge generation.

Claim 21

A phase modulator for modulating a waveform comprising: a programmable pulse generator, coupled to receive the waveform, for producing a pulsed output signal wherein the position of each pulse edge of the output signal relative to the waveform is determined in response to a control value provided to the programmable pulse generator; and a control value source coupled to the programmable pulse generator for producing a sequence of control values wherein the next control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable pulse generator at a time between successive edges of the output signal which assures desired edge generation.

Claim 22

The phase modulator of claim 18 wherein the control value source comprises memory.

Claim 23

The phase modulator of claim 19 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable interval counter.

Claim 24

The phase modulator of claim 19 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable delay circuit.

Claim 25

The phase modulator of claim 18 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable interval counter.

Claim 26

The phase modulator of claim 18 wherein the programmable pulse generator comprises a programmable delay circuit.

Claim 27

The phase modulator of claim 23 wherein the pulsed output signal has a 50% duty cycle and differences between succeeding control values are bounded to further assure desired edge generation.

Claim 28

The phase modulator of claim 18 wherein the control value source includes a numerical processor for converting a first value, corresponding to the time difference between the position of an edge of the output signal and its position if the waveform had not been modulated, to a second value corresponding to the time difference between successive edges of the output signal, the second value being the control value.

Claim 29

A phase modulator for modulating a waveform comprising: a programmable interval counter, coupled to receive the waveform, for producing a pulsed intermediate signal wherein the position of each edge of the intermediate signal relative to the waveform is determined in response to a first control value provided to the programmable interval counter; a first control value source coupled to the programmable interval counter for producing a sequence of first control values wherein the next first control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable interval counter in response to an edge of the intermediate signal; a programmable delay circuit, coupled to receive the intermediate signal, for producing a pulsed output signal wherein the position of each edge of the output signal relative to the intermediate signal is determined in response to a second control value provided to the programmable delay circuit; and a second control value source coupled to the programmable delay circuit for producing a sequence of second control values wherein the next second control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable delay circuit in response to an edge of the output signal.

Claim 30

A phase modulator for modulating a waveform comprising: a programmable interval counter, coupled to receive the waveform, for producing a pulsed intermediate signal wherein the position of each edge of the intermediate signal relative to the waveform is determined in response to a first control value provided to the programmable interval counter; a first control value source coupled to the programmable interval counter for producing a sequence of first control values wherein the next first control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable interval counter in response to an edge of the intermediate signal; a programmable delay circuit, coupled to receive the intermediate signal, for producing a pulsed output signal wherein the position of each edge of the output signal relative to the intermediate signal is determined in response to a second control value provided to the programmable delay circuit; and a second control value source coupled to the programmable delay circuit for producing a sequence of second control values wherein the next second control value in the sequence is provided to the programmable delay circuit in response to an edge of the output signal.

Claim 31

The phase modulator of claim 26 wherein the first and second control value sources comprise a common memory.

Claim 32

The phase modulator of claim 26 wherein the waveform comprises a square wave signal produced by an oscillator.

Claim 33

The phase modulator of claim 26 wherein the first control value source includes a numerical processor for converting a first value, corresponding to the time difference between the position of an edge of the intermediate signal and its position if the waveform had not been modulated, to a second value corresponding to the time difference between successive edges of the intermediate signal, the second value being the first control value.

Claim 36

The method of claim 30 wherein the step of producing the sequence of control values comprises converting a first value, corresponding to the time difference between the position of an edge of the output signal and its position if the waveform had not been modulated, to a second value corresponding to the time difference between successive edges of the output signal, the second value being the control value.

Claim 37

The method of claim 30 wherein the step of receiving the waveform comprises receiving a square wave signal produced by an oscillator.