Digital Amplitude Drop Detection Circuit Using Consecutive Flag Verification

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional amplitude drop detectors in signal processing are susceptible to the 'low pass effect,' leading to delayed detection of amplitude drops, which can result in continued processing of invalid data due to false negatives, and increasing the threshold to mitigate this introduces false positives.

Innovation Solution

A method and circuit for detecting amplitude drops by sampling the incoming signal at regular intervals, producing drop flags, and detecting amplitude drops based on at least two consecutive flags, thereby reducing false positives and improving detection speed.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the threshold for amplitude drop detection is lowered to improve detection sensitivity, then detection precision is improved, but false positives increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveamplitude drop detection precisionVSAvoidfalse positive rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The detection process is segmented into multiple independent stages: envelope detection, threshold comparison to generate individual drop flags, and sequential verification requiring multiple consecutive flags. This segmentation allows each stage to perform its specific function optimally while the combination reduces false positives

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary envelope detection and generates drop flags before final amplitude drop confirmation. By requiring multiple consecutive drop flags before declaring an amplitude drop, the system performs preliminary filtering that prevents false positives while maintaining detection precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the threshold for amplitude drop detection is increased to reduce false positives, then reliability is improved, but detection precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefalse positive rateVSAvoidamplitude drop detection precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from multiple consecutive threshold comparisons to confirm amplitude drops. Each threshold comparison provides feedback that contributes to the final detection decision, allowing the system to maintain high reliability through sequential verification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Device complexity

If conventional envelope detection is used, then device complexity is kept low, but detection speed deteriorates due to low pass effect

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedetection circuit complexityVSAvoidamplitude drop detection speed

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The detection process is segmented into discrete sampling intervals with explicit threshold comparisons at each interval. This segmentation eliminates the low-pass filtering effect of continuous envelope detectors while maintaining simple digital circuit implementation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the analog envelope detection mechanism with digital sampling and threshold comparison. This substitution eliminates the inherent low-pass filtering of analog envelope detectors while maintaining simple circuit complexity through digital logic

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Reliability

If multiple consecutive drop flags are required for detection, then reliability is improved by reducing false positives, but detection time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefalse positive reductionVSAvoiddetection delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS8027378B1Circuits, architectures, apparatuses, systems, algorithms and methods and software for amplitude drop detection

Publication Date: 2011.09.27 MARVELL ASIA PTE LTD

AI summary

Methods, circuits, systems, and networks for detecting an amplitude drop in an incoming signal. The methods generally comprise sampling the incoming signal at regular intervals to produce a plurality of sample values, producing a plurality of drop flags in response to the plurality of sample values, and detecting the amplitude drop in response to at least two of the drop flags. The circuits generally comprise a sampling circuit configured to produce a sample signal in response to the incoming signal, a threshold circuit configured to receive the sample signal and to produce a drop flag signal in response to the sample signal, and a drop detection circuit configured to produce an amplitude drop signal in response to at least two values of the drop flag signal. The systems and networks generally comprise the present circuits and/or any circuit embodying the inventive concepts described herein. The present invention advantageously provides for detection of amplitude drops in an incoming signal, operating in the digital (rather than analog) domain. Embodiments of the present invention also reduce the incidence of “false positives” due to transient low amplitudes. Correct detection of amplitude drops can improve the accuracy of signal decoders.