Dynamically adjustable digital gyrator having extendable feedback for stable DC load line

• US 6,888,938 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2001
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cui, Hong, Smith, Lane A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US09/884,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20030026418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 379/387.01, 379/387.02, 379/390.02, 379/399.01, 379/399.02, 379/402, 379/403
• US Class Current: 379/390.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/738 Interface circuits for coupling substations to external telephone lines H04M1/78 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/001 Current supply source at the exchanger providing current to substations

Abstract

A dynamically adjustable digital gyrator device for a telephone line interface (e.g., a DAA) utilizing extended feedback and a dynamically adjustable filter to achieve stable convergence in the control of DC line current on a telephone line a short period of time. The low pass filter of the digital gyrator includes at least two (2) different fast filter settings and at least two (2) different slow filter settings based on possible load terminations (e.g., PBX, TAS, etc.), which can be determined based on the dynamic detection of an oscillation on the line. For instance, in a disclosed example, a voice band modem system is allowed to go off-hook with a 1 Hz cutoff low pass filter, and then the output of the low pass filter is checked for an oscillation. If an oscillation is detected, then the poles and/or zeroes of the low pass filter cutoff are changed to a slower convergence rate cutoff frequency (e.g., to 0.1 Hz). As a result, the exemplary voice band modem will converge stably and quickly (e.g., in less than 1 second) before dialing begins. By controlling the DC line current digitally, software can be used to set the DC line current in accordance with predefined characteristics. Predefined characteristics can be set to accommodate varying country specifications instead of using switches to control resistors and capacitors.

Claims

1. A digital gyrator, comprising:

a digital filter to emulate an inductance on a telephone line serviced by said digital filter, said digital filter being initially settable to a first cutoff frequency; and

an oscillation checker module to detect an amplitude of oscillation on said telephone line serviced by said digital filter, said oscillation checker module adapted to reset said digital filter to a second cutoff frequency lower than said first cutoff frequency as a function of said detected oscillation level;

wherein said gyrator resets said digital filter to a third cutoff frequency after a predetermined period of time after said digital gyrator causes telephone equipment to enter an off-hook condition.

2. The digital gyrator according to claim 1, wherein:

said first cutoff frequency is significantly faster than said third cutoff frequency.

3. The digital gyrator according to claim 1, wherein:

said predetermined period of time is at least one second.

4. The digital gyrator according to claim 1, wherein:

said first cutoff frequency relates to a desired convergence rate when said telephone line is in a pre-charge state.

5. The digital gyrator according to claim 4, wherein:

said third cutoff frequency relates to a desired convergence rate after said telephone line is in a steady state.

6. The digital gyrator according to claim 1, wherein:

said third cutoff frequency relates to a desired convergence rate after said telephone line is in a steady state.

7. The digital gyrator according to claim 1, further comprising:

a digital load line correlation table to correlate values output from said digital filter into a desired voltage level.

8. The digital gyrator according to claim 7, further comprising:

a codec to convert an output from said digital load line correlation table into a voltage signal for output to a DAA servicing said telephone line.

9. A method of regulating a signal on a telephone line, comprising:

digitizing a signal received from said telephone line;

filtering said digitized signal with a digital low pass filter having a first cutoff frequency;

detecting an amplitude of oscillation in said signal at said telephone line;

adjusting said digital low pass filter to have a second cutoff frequency lower than said first cutoff frequency to dampen said detected oscillation if an amplitude of said oscillation indicates an unstable pre-charge state of said telephone; and

after a pre-charge period of said telephone line, adjusting said digital low pass filter to have a third cutoff frequency relating to a steady state of said telephone line.

10. The method of regulating a signal on said telephone line according to claim 9, wherein:

said first cutoff frequency is approximately 1 Hz.

11. The method of regulating a signal on said telephone line according to claim 10, wherein:

said second cutoff frequency is approximately 0.1 Hz.

12. The method of regulating a signal on said telephone line according to claim 9, wherein:

said second cutoff frequency is approximately 0.1 Hz.

13. Apparatus for regulating a signal on a telephone line, comprising:

means for digitizing a signal received from said telephone line;

means for filtering said digitized signal with a digital low pass filter having a first cutoff frequency;

means for detecting an amplitude of oscillation in said signal on said telephone line;

means for adjusting said digital low pass filter to have a second cutoff frequency lower than said first cutoff frequency to dampen said detected oscillation if an amplitude of said oscillation indicates an unstable pre-charge state of said telephone; and

means for adjusting said digital low pass filter after a pre-charge period of said telephone line, to have a third cutoff frequency relating to a steady state of said telephone line.

14. The apparatus for regulating a signal on said telephone line according to claim 13, wherein:

said first cutoff frequency is approximately 1 Hz.

15. The apparatus for regulating a signal on said telephone line according to claim 14, wherein:

said second cutoff frequency is approximately 0.1 Hz.

16. The apparatus for regulating a signal on said telephone line according to claim 13, wherein:

said second cutoff frequency is approximately 0.1 Hz.

17. An integrated circuit including a digital gyrator, comprising:

a digital filter to service a telephone line, said digital filter being initially settable to a first cutoff frequency; and

an oscillation checker module to detect a presence of undesirable oscillation on said telephone line serviced by said digital filter, said oscillation checker module adapted to reset said digital filter to a second cutoff frequency lower than said first cutoff frequency if said undesirable oscillation is present;

wherein said digital gyrator resets said digital filter to a third cutoff frequency associated with a steady state of said telephone line after a predetermined period of time after said digital gyrator causes telephone equipment to enter an off-hook condition.

18. The integrated circuit including a digital gyrator according to claim 17, wherein:

said first cutoff frequency is significantly faster than said third cutoff frequency.

19. The integrated circuit including a digital gyrator according to claim 17, wherein:

said predetermined period of time is at least one second.

20. The integrated circuit including a digital gyrator according to claim 17, wherein:

said first cutoff frequency relates to a desired convergence rate when said telephone line is in a pre-charge state.

21. The integrated circuit including a digital gyrator according to claim 17, further comprising:

a digital load line correlation table to correlate values output from said digital filter into a desired voltage level.

22. The integrated circuit including a digital gyrator according to claim 17, further comprising:

a codec to convert an output from said digital load line correlation table into a voltage signal for output to a DAA servicing said telephone line.