US5504785A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital receiver for variable symbol rate communications
Assignee: TV/COM TECHNOLOGIES Inc
•
Filing: 1993-05-28
•
Granted: 1996-04-02
•
Expires: 2013-05-28
Abstract
Abstract A digital receiver includes a tuner and a demodulator that obtains the baseband signal carried in a received analog signal. A first sampler operates at a preselected fixed sampling rate asynchronous with the baseband component to produce a first sampler output. A controllable digital filter resamples the first sampler output to produce a filter output with a selectable resampling rate. The resampled output is time-position locked to the baseband signal epochs. The second sampling is processed to ascertain the symbol bit stream of the baseband signal. The controllable filter sampling rate is automatically varied to correspond to the symbol rate of the baseband signal, so that the sampling rate of the first sampler need not change. Initial signal acquisition is achieved by operating the receiver as a frequency spectrum analyzer. A single signal-carrying band is identified and demodulated, and a menu carried on a transport layer is read. This menu provides the center frequencies and bandwidths For all of the signals within an available frequency range, so that the receiver can be reconfigured for any desired signal. Changes in transmission characteristics of the signal can later be accommodated seamlessly by reading a change notice transmitted in the transport layer and reconfiguring the receiver for the new transmission characteristics.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald W. Becker
- 👤 Fred Harris
- 👤 James C. Tiernan
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 05:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L7/00; H04L7/0016; H04L7/002; H04L7/0029
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
A digital receiver for an analog signal wherein a symbol rate of the analog signal can be varied over a range, the digital receiver comprising: a source of a baseband received analog signal; a first sampler having an input of the baseband analog signal and a digital first sampler output; a controllable digital filter having a first input of the digital first sampler output and a second input of a time-shifting command signal, and an output of a controllable digital resampled signal, said digital resampled signal including a symbol bit stream having a symbol rate; means for determining a timing error signal of the symbol bit stream; a timing loop having an input of the timing error signal of the symbol bit stream and an output of the time-shifting command signal to the controllable digital filter; and a clock coupled to the first sampler to operate the first sampler at a preselected fixed sampling rate asynchronous to the symbol rate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
A digital receiver for an analog signal wherein a symbol rate of the analog signal can be varied over a range, the digital receiver comprising: a source of a baseband received analog signal; a first sampler having an input of the baseband analog signal and a digital first sampler output; a controllable digital filter having a first input of the digital first sampler output and a second input of a time-shifting command signal, and an output of a controllable digital resampled signal, said digital resampled signal including a symbol bit stream having a symbol rate; means for determining a timing error signal of the symbol bit stream; a timing loop having an input of the timing error signal of the symbol bit stream and an output of the time-shifting command signal to the controllable digital filter; and a clock coupled to the first sampler to operate the first sampler at a preselected fixed sampling rate asynchronous to the symbol rate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
96 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the source of the baseband signal comprises a tuner having the received radio frequency analog signal as an input and a received intermediate frequency analog signal as an output, a demodulator having a first input of the received intermediate frequency analog signal and a second input of a mixer waveform, and an output of the baseband signal modulated on the received analog signal, and a low pass analog filter having an input of the baseband signal and an output of a filtered baseband signal comprising the baseband analog signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
96 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the source of the baseband signal comprises a tuner having the received radio frequency analog signal as an input and a received intermediate frequency analog signal as an output, a demodulator having a first input of the received intermediate frequency analog signal and a second input of a mixer waveform, and an output of the baseband signal modulated on the received analog signal, and a band pass analog filter having an input of the baseband signal and an output of a filtered baseband signal comprising the baseband analog signal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, further including a voltage controlled oscillator having an input of a voltage control signal and an output of the mixer waveform.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the means for determining a timing error signal includes a matched filter having an input of the controllable digital resampled signal, and a first output of a spectrally shaped symbol bit stream and a second output of a timing error signal of the symbol bit stream.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, further including means for identifying the bandwidth and center frequency of a transmitted analog signal at the initiation of operation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
75 words
The digital receiver of claim 6, wherein the means for identifying includes means for controlling the controllable digital filter to operate at a narrow bandwidth; means for sweeping the narrow bandwidth of the controllable digital filter over a range of narrow bandwidths; means for determining the power spectrum of the outputs of the controllable digital filter over the range of narrow bandwidths; and means for selecting a center frequency and bandwidth from the power spectrum.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, further including a system clock that provides a clock rate to the first sampler.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the controllable digital filter is a multirate polyphase filter.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, wherein the controllable digital filter is a variable rate polyphase filter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
The digital receiver of Claim 1, wherein the controllable digital filter and the means for determining a timing error signal of the symbol bit stream are embodied as a single polyphase filter.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
20 words
The digital receiver of claim 1, further including means for reading a header data signal of the symbol bit stream.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4004226A
Cited
US3978407A
Cited
US4253186A
Cited
US4262360A
Cited
US4320517A
Cited
EP0092400A2
Cited
US4599732A
Cited
EP0174125A2
Cited
US4733403A
Cited
EP0282298A2
Cited
US4815103A
Cited
EP0490552A2
Cited
EP0498022A2
Cited
US5255289A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-04-02 | 1999-10-02 | 2000-04-02 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-04-02 | 2003-10-02 | 2004-04-02 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-04-02 | 2007-10-02 | 2008-04-02 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |