Method and apparatus of producing a digital depiction of a signal
US6803868B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 23, 2002 |
| Grant date | Oct 12, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 23, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/12
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An apparatus for producing a digital depiction of a signal (10) which is adaptive to the signal itself. A constant rate sampling means, such as an analogue to digital converter (2), samples the signal (10) at a constant rate and produces a first digital depiction (12) of a signal. A transformation means (14) is responsive to the first digital depiction (12) and produces a second digital depiction based on the evolution of the signal. The transformation means may be capable of determining when a predetermined threshold level has been crossed and measuring the time interval between predetermined threshold level crossings. The transformation means (14) may include a logic arrangement and a timer counter and is run from a clock signal (16) from the same clock (6) as drives the sampling means. A method of adapting a conventional ADC (2) to adaptively sample the signal (10) by adding a transformation means (14) run off the same clock (6) as the ADC (2) is also provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.