Abstract: A multi-tap, digital-pulse-driven mixer advantageously avoids local oscillator (11) leakage by shifting the local oscillator frequency (FLO) out of the received frequency band. Low noise figures are advantageously realized by the use of digital pulses (51, 52) as mixer drive signals (16).

Abstract: A packet signal, formed according to an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) format, received by a receiver is decoded in a decoder device of the receiver. The packet signal includes a data code and a control code having a formula for decoding the data code. The control code is first decoded and analyzed to obtain the decoding formula contained therein. The data code is decoded during a period in which the control code is being analyzed, based on plural decoding formulae one of which coincides with the decoding formula contained in the control code. Data signals decoded based on the respective decoding formulae are sent to an output selector together with the decoding formula obtained from the control code. The output selector selects a data signal which is decoded based on a decoding formula that coincides with the decoding formula obtained from the control code.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for iterative parameter estimation are described. The iterative parameter estimation includes performing a first estimation of a first portion of a signal to obtain first parameters of the portion of the signal, wherein the signal contains no known data symbols. The first portion of the signal is demodulated using the first parameters to recover data symbols. The demodulated first portion of the signal is checked to confirm correct demodulation of the first portion of the signal. A second estimation of the first portion of the signal is performed using the recovered data symbols to obtain second parameters of the first portion of the signal. Then, a second portion of the signal is demodulated using the second parameters when the first portion of the signal is correctly demodulated.

Abstract: A transmission diversity detection system that detects the presence or absence of a STTD (Space-Time Transmit Diversity) transmission diversity by a simple arithmetic operation. The transmission diversity detection circuit notifies presence or absence of a transmission diversity of spread spectrum communication by modulation of a synchronization channel (SCH).

Abstract: This invention provides a method for initializing the filter coefficients of a hybrid frequency-time domain adaptive equalizer device implementing frequency domain (FD) filter equalization in a forward path and a time domain (TD) filter equalization in a feedback path, with each filter unit having a plurality of adaptable filter taps. Preferably, in initializing the equalizer, the relation 1 + F G = H is obeyed “where (G) is the forward FD equalizer taps, (F) is” the Fast Fourier Transform of the feedback TD equalizer taps, and (H) is the estimated (frequency domain) response of the communications channel.

Abstract: In a digital receiver, an equalizing unit includes a power controller adapted to scale received components of a quadrature amplitude modulated signal based on a constellation size of the quadrature amplitude modulated signal. Alternatively, a method of scaling components of a quadrature amplitude modulated signal includes the steps of searching the quadrature amplitude modulated signal to determine a constellation size, and scaling the components of the quadrature amplitude modulated signal based on the constellation size.

Abstract: A delay spread is created in a digital radio signal to reduce the coherence bandwidth and facilitate frequency hopping to reduce the effect of fading losses within an enclosed propagation environment The delay spread is introduced into the signal in several ways. One technique disclosed employs a transmitter with two separate antennas one of which transmits the digital signal and the other of which transmits the same signal after a phase delay has been introduced into the signal. The carrier frequency of the signals is hopped between at least two frequencies and the receiver processes the resulting signals. In another embodiment, a single transmit antenna is used but the signal is received by two different antennas with the output signal from one of those antennas being phase delayed before combining it with the other prior to processing by the receiver circuitry.

Abstract: In a radio communication system (100), enhanced communication capability is provided while maintaining standard channel modulation compatibility. At a transmitter (110, 200, 600), a first information signal is generated from data according to a predefined standard modulation scheme (212, 613). A second information signal is generated from data that provides supplemental information to the standard modulated data (213, 616). For transmission, the first and second information signals are combined into a composite signal (214, 619) that represents the first information signal when interpreted according to the predefined standard modulation scheme.

Abstract: A sample-hold circuit, which is constituted by a capacitor and a differential amplifier or a capacitor and an inversion amplifier, is provided with a first switch for short-circuiting the input and output, a second switch for switching the input-side terminal of the input capacitor to a reference voltage input, a third switch for switching the output-side terminal of the feedback capacitor to the reference voltage input, and a fourth switch for switching the input-side terminal of the input capacitor to an input voltage; thus a refreshing operation is available. Consequently, it is possible to compensate for deviations in offset voltage that are inherently caused by process deviations of MOS amplifiers, and to improve the precision of the output of the matched filter.

Abstract: A system and method for transmitting digital information through a medium such as atmospheric free-space includes a transmitter which generates a signal based on a basis set of mutually orthogonal, spectrally-shaped, sequences of substantially equal length and having predetermined autocorrelation values. The sequences may resemble noise in at least some of their characteristics. The orthogonality or cross-correlation characteristics, the autocorrelation characteristics and the resemblance to noise are due to features derived from sequences of pseudo-random numbers which themselves resemble noise in at least some of their characteristics. The waveform set based on the sequences is modulated digitally. The modulated set may be summed together along with a wideband reference signal of reduced amplitude and optionally an FM analog signal to form a composite signal which is broadcast typically through free space to at least one receiver.

Abstract: An invention for providing diversity for direct sequence spread spectrum wireless communication systems is presented. The invention provides a receiver technique in which M antennas are utilized at the receiver. Distinct weighting signals are applied to information signals received at each of the M antennas, with the weighing signals being, for example, distinct changes in either phase or amplitude. Applying weighing signals to each of the information signals received at the M receiver antennas results in constructive addition of derived signal vectors at predetermined intervals, which eliminates deep fading at the receiver. Each different time varying weighting signal is determined independently of the corresponding information signal and the combined received input signal.

Abstract: A method is described for eliminating the impact on an output of an adaptive equalizer due to the occurrence of "false" coefficients of such an equalizer. In particular, a method is provided for selecting a threshold as representing the smallest expected "ghost" value to be encountered by the filter/equalizer, and thereafter causing coefficients having values less than such threshold to be set to zero.

Abstract: Disclosed are digital processing techniques for efficiently receiving, sampling and recovering multiple direct-sequence spread-spectrum signals by multiplexing key signal processing elements across many logical channels. Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers serve to illustrate the technique. They receive many signals, each with independent timing, phase, amplitude, and data modulation, which may arrive on multiple carrier frequencies and at multiple spreading rates. To employ digital processing techniques, the carrier or carriers are reduced to one or more digital sample streams. Digital processing (e.g., products, sums, decisions, etc.) is then used to estimate, or recover, the received signal and its characteristics. When these functions can be partitioned by processing rate, the usual case, the lower-rate functions can be efficiently shared with negligible efficiency loss.

Abstract: An auxiliary data signal is transported with a primary data signal by hiding the auxiliary data signal in the form of colored noise. The colored noise has a spectrum that simulates the spectrum of the primary data signal. By adjusting the gain of individual spread spectrum signal carrier(s) and the power of the colored noise, the auxiliary information stream(s) can be rendered at any desired level below or above an interference threshold in the primary data signal. The power of the colored noise is further compensated to account for a cross-correlation between the primary data signal and the auxiliary data signal to enhance the recovery of the auxiliary data at a decoder.

Abstract: An error rate measurement apparatus for a mobile radio communications system, which quickly and accurately measures the error rate of received signals on a real-time basis with simple hardware. The apparatus is equipped with a plurality of receivers for receiving signals from a single transmission source with antennas spaced apart from each other. A bit comparator compares the received signals bit by bit and sends an error detection pulse signal to an error rate calculator if it has detected a bit error. The error rate calculator counts the number of error detection pulse signals sent from the bit comparator for a predetermined period. The error rate calculator then divides this pulse count by the number of incoming bits received during the predetermined period, and further divides the quotient by the number of reception signals that are compared by the bit comparator, thereby obtaining the error rate of the reception signal.

Abstract: A method is described for producing coefficient leakage in an adaptive filter/equalizer without the need for using an adder/subtractor for each coefficient. Specifically, a method is provided for incrementally reducing the magnitude of one or more coefficients in an adaptive filter/equalizer solely through a defined manipulation of certain bits in that coefficient, such bit manipulation being carried out on a periodic basis. The period for such bit manipulation will generally track the frequency of adaptation iteration for such a filter/equalizer.

Abstract: A bi-directional data transmission system that facilitates communications between a central unit and a plurality of remote units using a frame based discrete multi-tone (DMT) transmission scheme is disclosed. The discrete multi-tone data transmission system has a multiplicity of discrete subchannels including an overhead bus. In a method aspect of the invention, frames transmitted from the plurality of remote units are synchronized at the central unit. When a selected remote desires to initiate communications, it loop times it own clock to the clock of the central unit and transmits a remote initiated synchronization signal to the central unit over a dedicated overhead subchannel in the overhead bus. The central unit responds with a centrally initiated synchronization signal that contains information indicative of a frame boundary phase shift required to synchronize the selected first remote unit with other remote units that are currently communicating with the central unit.

Abstract: A continuous synchronization adjustment algorithm is described, which continuously synchronizes frames used in digital synchronous transmissions. By letting the receiver continuously adjust the assumed frame position, rather than adjusting only once per frame as conventionally done, a significant increase in bit error rate can be achieved. When an incorrect single sync bit is detected in a frame, thereafter during the rest of the frame, the single sync bit positions that would result from an advance or delay of the frame position (e.g., due to a bit slip in the frame) are checked. The frame position is then adjusted immediately, without waiting for the beginning of the next frame. Consequently, there is a significant decrease in the number of data bits that are interpreted incorrectly or disregarded. As such, the bit error rate resulting from the present continuous algorithm is significantly improved over that resulting from prior synchronization algorithms.

Abstract: A complexity determining apparatus is disclosed which comprises a source of a data signal and a subsampler system, coupled to the data signal source, for producing a subsampled signal representing the data signal. A variable bit rate (VBR) encoder is responsive to the subsampled signal and produces an encoded signal representing the subsampled signal. A counter accumulates the number of bits in the encoded signal and produces a complexity representative signal corresponding to the accumulated number of bits.

Abstract: A modem that operates reliably at a symbol rate that corresponds to twice its bandwidth even when it is coupled to a receiving A/D converter that operates under control of a clock is realized by synchronizing the modem's operation to the A/D's clock. The superior operation of this modem advantageously extends to A/D clock frequencies beyond the frequency of twice the modem's bandwidth. To minimize quantization noise, the modem's output is conditioned to minimize intersymbol interference by adjusting the modem's output to the A/D converter's sampling times and slicing levels. When the A/D's clock is higher than twice the bandwidth of the modem's output signal, some intersymbol interference cannot be avoided. In accordance with this invention, the position and value of this interference is computed at the receiver and subtracted from the received signal.