Digital Radio Signal Temporal Alignment via Delay Adjustment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital radio broadcasting systems face challenges in aligning digital and analog signals in real-time with high accuracy, particularly in maintaining synchronization between the transmitter and receiver clocks, which affects the quality of audio reception during signal transitions and outages.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for temporally aligning audio samples of a digital radio broadcast signal with those of an analog signal by measuring and adjusting the delay of digital samples to match the analog samples within a predetermined accuracy, using a processing system and memory to calculate and implement the necessary delay, allowing for real-time alignment without interpolation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If digital and analog signals are processed through separate pathways, then signal processing flexibility is improved, but temporal alignment accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a delay measurement and adjustment mechanism as an intermediary between the digital and analog signal pathways. This intermediary component measures the actual delay experienced by digital samples and adjusts the digital signal timing accordingly to match the analog signal timing, thereby achieving precise temporal alignment while maintaining separate processing pathways
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system measures the actual delay of digital samples through the digital signal pathway and uses this measurement to adjust the timing of digital samples. This closed-loop feedback ensures that temporal alignment accuracy is maintained despite the flexibility of separate processing pathways
2Device complexity
If delay adjustment is performed without interpolation, then processing complexity is reduced, but alignment precision may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by performing delay adjustment only to the extent necessary to achieve temporal alignment, rather than using complex interpolation methods. The system measures the actual delay and applies a corresponding adjustment, which is sufficient to achieve the desired alignment without the added complexity of interpolation algorithms
3Reliability
If real-time alignment is implemented, then audio quality during transitions is improved, but processing time requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs delay measurement and adjustment in real-time as digital samples pass through the digital signal pathway. By measuring and adjusting the delay contemporaneously with signal processing, the system maintains audio quality during transitions without requiring additional processing time beyond what is already necessary for signal processing
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems lor temporally aligning audio samples of digital and analog portions ol a radio broadcast signal involve receiving a radio broadcast signal having analog and digital portions; separating the analog and digital portions; retrieving a stored first time interval of an approximate time for a sample of the digital portion to travel through a digital signal path in a receiver including a digital demodulator: measuring a second time lor the sample of the digital portion to travel from an input of the digital signal path to an input of the digital demodulator; generating a delay amount by adding the first time to the second time; delaying second audio samples of the digital portion by tho delay amount relative to first audio samples of tho analog portion such that the second audio samples are temporally aligned with the first audio samples; and combining ihe first and second audio samples.