Signal quality estimation and control system

• US 20060229751A1
• Filed: 03/31/2006
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Middlesex Savings Bank (Middlesex Bancorp MHC)
• Original Assignee: Middlesex Savings Bank (Middlesex Bancorp MHC)
• Inventors: Barnhill, Matthew S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8106 involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/607 for more than one sound signal, e.g. stereo, multilanguages H04N5/602 takes precedence

Abstract

A signal quality estimation and control system for controlling a signal having noise. The system may include a signal strength determination system having an input configured to receive the signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the strength of the signal, a noise strength determination system having an input configured to receive the signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the strength of the noise in the signal, and a signal quality evaluation system. The signal quality evaluation system may have an input configured to receive the output of the signal strength determination system, an input configured to receive the output from the noise strength determination system, and an output configured to output information indicative of the quality of the signal based on the output from the signal strength determination system and the output from the noise strength determination system. A signal control system may be include that has an input configured to receive the output from the signal quality evaluation system and to control a switching function relating to the signal based on the output from the signal quality evaluation system.

Claims

1. An SAP signal quality estimation and control system for controlling an SAP signal having noise comprising:

a signal quality estimation system having an input configured to receive the SAP signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the quality of the received signal; and

a signal control system having an input configured to receive the output from the signal quality estimation system and to provide a switching function relating to the SAP signal.

2. The SAP signal quality estimation and control system of claim 1 wherein the signal control system is configured to control switching between an SAP channel and stereo channels.

3. The SAP signal quality estimation and control system of claim 1 wherein the signal control system is configured to control switching between an SAP channel and a monaural channel.

4. The SAP signal quality estimation and control system of claim 1 wherein the signal control system is configured to control switching between enabling and disabling selection of an SAP channel by a user.

5. The SAP signal quality estimation and control system of claim 1 wherein the signal control system is configured to control switching between playing and muting an SAP channel.

6. The SAP signal quality estimation and control system of claim 1 wherein the signal quality estimation system is implemented with a digital signal processing system.

7. A signal quality estimation and control system for controlling a signal having noise comprising:

a signal strength determination system having an input configured to receive the signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the strength of the signal;

a noise strength determination system having an input configured to receive the signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the strength of the noise in the signal;

a signal quality evaluation system having an input configured to receive the output of the signal strength determination system, an input configured to receive the output from the noise strength determination system, and an output configured to output information indicative of the quality of the signal based on the output from the signal strength determination system and the output from the noise strength determination system; and

a signal control system having an input configured to receive the output from the signal quality evaluation system and to control a switching function relating to the signal based on the output from the signal quality evaluation system.

8. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 7 wherein the output of the signal quality evaluation system is configured to output information indicative of whether the signal quality is acceptable or not acceptable.

9. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 8 wherein the output of the signal quality evaluation system is based on a comparison between the output information from the signal strength determination system and a predetermined signal strength threshold.

10. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 8 wherein the output of the signal quality evaluation system is based on a comparison between the output information from the noise strength determination system and a predetermined noise strength maximum.

11. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 8 wherein the output of the signal quality evaluation system is based on a comparison between the output information from the signal strength determination system and the output information from the noise strength determination system.

12. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 11 wherein the comparison is between a ratio of the output information from the signal strength determination system to the output information from the noise strength determination system and a predetermined signal-to-noise ratio threshold.

13. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 12 wherein the output of the signal quality evaluation system is also based on a comparison between the output information from the signal strength determination system and a predetermined signal strength.

14. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 7 wherein the signal strength determination system includes:

an envelope extraction system having an input configured to receive an FM signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the magnitude of the envelope of the FM signal; and

an averaging system having an input configured to receive the output from the envelope extraction system and an output configured to output information indicative of an average of the output from the envelope extraction system.

15. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 14 wherein the averaging system includes an integrator.

16. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 7 wherein:

the inputs to the signal strength determination system and the noise strength determination system are configured to receive an SAP signal;

the output from the signal strength determination system is configured to output information indicative of the strength of the SAP signal;

the output from the noise strength determination system is configured to output information indicative of the strength of the noise in the SAP signal; and

the signal control system is configured to control a switching function relating to the SAP signal.

17. The signal quality estimation and control system of claim 7 wherein the signal strength determination system and the noise strength determination system are each implemented with a digital signal processing system.

18. A noise strength determination system for determining the strength of noise in an FM signal having an envelope comprising:

an envelope extraction system having an input configured to receive the FM signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the magnitude of the envelope of the FM signal;

a first averaging system having an input configured to receive the output from the envelope extraction system and an output configured to output information indicative of an average of the output from the envelope extraction system;

a subtracting system having an input configured to receive the output from the envelope extraction system, an input configured to receive the output from the averaging system, and an output configured to output information indicative of the difference between the output from the envelope extraction system and the output from the first averaging system; and

a second averaging system having an input configured to receive information that is based on the output from the subtracting system and an output configured to output information indicative of an average of the information that is based on the output from the subtracting system.

19. The noise strength determination system of claim 18 wherein the first and second averaging systems each include an integrator.

20. The noise strength determination system of claim 18 further comprising a squaring system having an input configured to receive the output from the subtracting system and an output configured to deliver information indicative of approximately the square of the output from the subtracting system to the input of the second averaging system.

21. The noise strength determination system of claim 18 further comprising a noise strength indicator having an input configured to receive information based on the output from the second averaging system and an indicator configured to indicate the strength of the noise to a user.

22. The noise strength determination system of 18 wherein the first and second averaging systems and the subtracting system are each implemented with a digital signal processing system.

23. A noise strength determination system for determining the strength of noise in an AM signal having an envelope comprising:

an extraction system having an input configured to receive the AM signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the magnitude of FM modulation on the AM signal;

a first averaging system having an input configured to receive the output from the extraction system and an output configured to output information indicative of an average of the output from the extraction system;

a subtracting system having an input configured to receive the output from the extraction system, an input configured to receive the output from the averaging system, and an output configured to output information indicative of the difference between the output from the extraction system and the output from the first averaging system; and

a second averaging system having an input configured to receive information that is based on the output from the subtracting system and an output configured to output information indicative of an average of the output from the subtracting system.

24. An FM signal strength determination system comprising:

an envelope extraction system having an input configured to receive the FM signal and an output configured to output information indicative of the magnitude of the envelope of the FM signal; and

an averaging system having an input configured to receive the output from the envelope extraction system and an output configured to output information indicative of an average of the output from the envelope extraction system.

25. The FM signal strength determination system of claim 24 further comprising a signal control system having an input configured to receive the output from the averaging system and configured to provide a switching function relating to the FM signal.

26. The FM signal strength determination system of claim 24 further comprising a signal strength indicator having an input configured to receive information based on the output from the averaging system and an indicator configured to indicate the strength of the signal to a user.