Channel training of multi-channel receiver system

Claim 2

A receiver comprising; N receiver channels, each receiver channel having an input and an output; where N is an integer greater than 1; each receiver channel being adapted to receive, at its input, a different portion of an original signal to be reconstituted from the various portions; first coupling means for coupling the outputs of the N receiver channels to a merging circuit for combining the different portions of the received signals and reconstituting the originally transmitted signal; each one of said N receiver channels including adaptive filter means coupled between the input and the output of its receiver channel and along which the signal is propagated; each adaptive filter means being adjustable to compensate for distortions in the signal received at its receiver channel input; each receiver channel including switching means for selectively switching its receiver channel to a first, filter adapter, configuration during a training phase and to a second, data processing and propagating, configuration during a data transmission phase; and second coupling means for selectively coupling the output of a receiver channel switched to said second configuration to the output of another receiver channel switched to said first configuration.

Claim 3

A receiver as claimed in claim 1, wherein the adaptive filter means of each receiver channel includes an adaptive feed-forward filter, an adaptive feedback filter, a slicer circuit, and first and second adders; wherein the feed-forward filter has an input coupled to the input of its receiver channel and has an output coupled to an input of the first adder; wherein the feedback filter has an input coupled to the output of its receiver channel and has an output coupled to another input of the first adder; wherein the first adder has an output, for producing a difference signal, coupled to a first input, the first input being an input of the slicer circuit and to a second input, the second input being a first input of the second adder; wherein the output of the receiver channel is coupled to a second input of the second adder; and wherein the output of the slicer circuit of a receiver channel is connected to the output of its receiver channel for forming said second configuration and is disconnected from the output of its receiver channel for forming said first configuration.

Claim 4

A receiver as claimed in claim 2 wherein said second adder of each receiver channel produces an error signal which is coupled: (a) via a first multiplier to the feed-forward filter of its receiver channel to adjust it; and via a second multiplier to the feed-back filter of its receiver channel to adjust it.

Claim 5

A receiver as claimed in claim 3, wherein N is equal to two.

Claim 6

A receiver as claimed in claim 1 wherein each adaptive filter means is a decision feed-back equalizer (DFE).

Claim 7

A receiver as claimed in claim 1 further including third coupling means for selectively coupling to the output of a receiver channel switched to said first configuration a receiver generated training signal.

Claim 8

A receiver comprising; N receiver channels, each receiver channel having an input and an output; where N is an integer greater than 1, each receiver channel being adapted to receive, at its input, a different portion of an original signal to be reconstituted from the various portions; first coupling means for coupling the outputs of the N receiver channels to a merging circuit for combining the different portions of the received signals and reconstituting the originally transmitted signal; each one of said N receiver channels including adaptive filter means coupled between the input and the output of its receiver channel and along which the signal is propagated; each adaptive filter means being adjustable to compensate for distortions in the signal received at its receiver channel input; and second coupling means for selectively coupling the output of a first one of the N receiver channels configured in a data propagating configuration to a second one of the N receiver channels configured in a channel training configuration for adjusting the adaptive filter means of said second one of said N receiver channels.

Claim 9

A receiver comprising; N receiver channels, each receiver channel having an input and an output; where N is an integer greater than 1, each receiver channel being adapted to receive, at its input, a different portion of an original signal to be reconstituted from the various portions; first coupling means for coupling the outputs of the N receiver channels to a merging circuit for combining the different portions of the received signals and reconstituting the originally transmitted signal; each one of said N receiver channels including adaptive filter means coupled between the input and the output of its receiver channel and along which the signal is propagated; each adaptive filter means being adjustable to compensate for distortions in the signal received at its receiver channel input; and second coupling means for selectively coupling the output of a first one of the N receiver channels configured in a data propagating configuration to a second one of the N receiver channels configured in a channel training configuration for adjusting the adaptive filter means of said second one of said N receiver channels.

Claim 10

A receiver as claimed in claim 7, wherein the adaptive filter means of each receiver channel includes an adaptive feed-forward filter, an adaptive feedback filter, a slicer circuit, and first and second adders; each adder having two inputs and an output; wherein the feed-forward filter is coupled at its input to the receiver channel input and at its output to an input of the first adder and the feedback filter is coupled at its input to its receiver channel output and at its output to another input of the first adder; wherein the output of the first adder is connected to an input of the second adder and to the input of the slicer circuit; and wherein the output of the receiver channel is connected to another input of the second adder.

Claim 11

A receiver as claimed in claim 8 wherein said second coupling means for selectively coupling the output of the first one of the N receiver channels to the second one of the N receiver channels includes third coupling means for selectively coupling the output of the first one of the N receiver channels to the output of said second one of the N receiver channels.

Claim 12

A receiver as claimed in claim 8 wherein the output of each receiver channel includes a switching means for selectively coupling the channel output to one of: (a) the slicer circuit output; (b) the output of a receiver based generator producing training signals; and (c) the output of another receiver channel.

Claim 13

A receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein N is equal to 2 and wherein the output of said first receiver channel is selectively applied to the output of the second receiver channel for training the second receiver channel.

Claim 14

A receiver as claimed in claim 10, wherein each adaptive feed-forward filter is a fractionally spaced equalizer.

Claim 15

A receiver comprising; N receiver channels, each receiver channel having an input and an output; where N is an integer greater than 1; each receiver channel being adapted to receive, at its input, a different portion of an original signal to be reconstituted from the various portions; means for connecting the outputs of the N receiver channels to a merging circuit for combining the different portions of the received signals and reconstituting the originally transmitted signal; each one of said N receiver channels including adaptive filter means coupled between its input and its output; each adaptive filter means including: (a) a feed-forward filter having an input coupled to the input of its receiver channel, and having an output coupled to an adding means; (b) a feedback filter having an input coupled to the output of the receiver channel, and having an output coupled to the adding means; (c) a slicer circuit having an input and an output; and (d) said adding means for supplying a first difference signal which is a function of the difference in the outputs of said feed-forward and feedback filters to the input of the slicer circuit; and each one of said N receiver channels including switching means for selectively coupling the receiver channel output to one of: (a) the output of its slicer circuit; (b) the slicer circuit output of another receiver channel; and (c) the output of a training signal generator.

Claim 16

A receiver comprising; N receiver channels, each receiver channel having an input and an output; where N is an integer greater than 1; each receiver channel being adapted to receive, at its input, a different portion of an original signal to be reconstituted from the various portions; means for connecting the outputs of the N receiver channels to a merging circuit for combining the different portions of the received signals and reconstituting the originally transmitted signal; each one of said N receiver channels including adaptive filter means coupled between its input and its output; each adaptive filter means including: (a) a feed-forward filter having an input coupled to the input of its receiver channel, and having an output coupled to an adding means; (b) a feedback filter having an input coupled to the output of the receiver channel, and having an output coupled to the adding means; (c) a slicer circuit having an input and an output; and (d) said adding means for supplying a first difference signal which is a function of the difference in the outputs of said feed-forward and feedback filters to the input of the slicer circuit; and each one of said N receiver channels including switching means for selectively coupling the receiver channel output to one of: (a) the output of its slicer circuit; (b) the slicer circuit output of another receiver channel; and (c) the output of a training signal generator.

Claim 17

A receiver as claimed in claim 13 wherein each one of said adaptive filter means includes: (a) additional adder means for generating an error signal indicative of the difference between the signal at its receiver output and the first difference signal; (b) a first multiplier for multiplying said error signal by a preselected first constant and for producing an output signal coupled to the feed-forward filter for adjusting its coefficients; and (c) a second multiplier for multiplying said error signal by a preselected second constant and for producing an output signal coupled to the feedback filter for adjusting its coefficients.

Claim 18

A receiver as claimed in claim 13, wherein the switching means of one receiver channel couples the output of its receiver channel to the output of another receiver channel for causing the output of another channel to be applied to the adaptive filter means of the one receiver channel for training the adaptive filter means of the one receiver channel.