Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for a digital peak detection system including a countdown timer

US6100829A · kind A · utility

14Cited by
6References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 20, 1997
Grant dateAug 8, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 20, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11B5/59683
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A digital peak detection system digitizes analog signals and provides absolute values to a series of one cycle delays, and to a sequence of comparator stages. Each digital sample is parallel compared to a number of preceding samples equal to the number of active comparator stages. Control signals activate comparator stages to determine sample comparison window length, including lengths exceeding the number of samples between recorded peaks. Peak detection is optimized using a variable gain amplifier whose gain is updated based upon amplitude difference between actual and desired peak samples. When sample amplitudes are smaller than a qualifier threshold, a countdown timer increases amplifier gain after lapse of a programmed time without detecting a qualified pulse. Gain is also updated when the analog to digital converter saturates. Initial gain values can be programmed, and gain stored at the end of a servo mode for future use in reducing gain control loop convergence time.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.