Tone detection

• US 6,006,083 A
• Filed: 09/11/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Tong, Wen, Wang, Rui
• Primary Examiner(s): Eisenzopf, Reinhard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aoki, Makoto
• Application Number:
  US08/927,724
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 379/386, 327/556, 327/551, 455/401
• US Class Current: 455/401
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/46 comprising means for distinguishing between a signalling current of predetermined frequency and a complex current containing that frequency, e.g. speech current

Abstract

AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) ST (signalling tone) is detected by a tone detector in which samples of a demodulated signal are amplitude limited to remove click energy, and the limited signal is bandpass filtered, using a notch filter and summer, to limit it to the range of possible ST frequency. Power of the bandpass filtered signal is detected, and compared with detected power of a version of the bandpass filtered signal from which any sinusoidal signal has been eliminated, independent of frequency, to provide for ST detection. A function [x(k)+x(k-2)]x(k-2)-[x(k-1)+x(k-3)]x(k-3) for successive samples x(k) of the bandpass filtered signal is used for the sinusoidal signal elimination. The invention can also be used to detect other tones.

Claims

1. A tone detector comprising:

a power detector for detecting power of an input signal;

a sinusoidal signal eliminator responsive to the input signal to eliminate any sinusoidal signal therein independently of its frequency within a bandwidth of the input signal;

a power detector for detecting power of an output of the sinusoidal signal eliminator; and

a comparator responsive to the powers detected by the power detectors to provide an indication of the presence or absence of a tone in the input signal;

wherein the input signal comprises a sampled signal having successive samples x(k), and the sinusoidal signal eliminator comprises apparatus for producing at its output samples substantially equal to {x(k)+x(k-2)}x(k-2)-{x(k-1)+x(k-3)}x(k-3).

2. A tone detector as claimed in claim 1 and including a bandpass filter for producing the input signal from an incoming signal.

3. A tone detector as claimed in claim 2 wherein the bandpass filter comprises a notch filter, having a notch at a predetermined frequency of a tone to be detected, for producing a filtered signal from the incoming signal, and a summer for subtracting the filtered signal from the incoming signal to produce the input signal.

4. A tone detector as claimed in claim 3 and including an amplitude limiter via which the incoming signal is supplied to the bandpass filter.

5. A tone detector as claimed in claim 2 and including an amplitude limiter via which the incoming signal is supplied to the bandpass filter.

6. A detector for detecting a signalling tone in a wireless communications system using frequency modulation, comprising:

an amplitude limiter responsive to samples of a demodulated signal for producing a limited signal;

a bandpass filter for filtering the limited signal to produce a filtered signal having a bandwidth corresponding to a possible frequency range of the signalling tone;

a sinusoidal signal eliminator responsive to the filtered signal to eliminate any sinusoidal signal therein independently of its frequency within said bandwidth;

power detectors for determining powers of the filtered signal and an output of the sinusoidal signal eliminator; and

a comparator responsive to the powers determined by the power detectors to determine the presence or absence of the signalling tone;

wherein the sinusoidal signal eliminator is arranged to produce at its output, in response to successive samples x(k) of the filtered signal, samples substantially equal to {x(k)+x(k-2)}x(k-2)-{x(k-1)+x(k-3)}x(k-3).

7. A tone detector as claimed in claim 6 wherein the bandpass filter comprises a notch filter, responsive to the limited signal, and a summer for subtracting an output of the notch filter from the limited signal to produce the filtered signal.

8. A method of tone detection comprising the steps of:

eliminating any sinusoidal signal from an input signal which may contain a tone to be detected, said step of eliminating any sinusoidal signal from the input signal comprising producing output samples substantially equal to {x(k)+x(k-2)}x(k-2)-{x(k-1)+x(k-3)}x(k-3) from successive samples x(k) of the input signal; and

comparing powers of the input signal before and after the sinusoidal signal elimination to detect the tone.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8 and further comprising the step of bandpass filtering an incoming signal to produce the input signal.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the step of bandpass filtering comprises notch filtering the incoming signal and subtracting a result from the incoming signal.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 and further comprising the step of amplitude limiting a demodulated signal to produce the incoming signal.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9 and further comprising the step of amplitude limiting a demodulated signal to produce the incoming signal.