System for detecting the characteristics of a time varying multipath component

1. In a system for receiving a composite information modulated carrier signal comprising a main signal modulated carrier component which travels a direct path to said receiving system and a multipath signal modulated carrier component which travels a reflected path to said receiving system, including a demodulator chain having adaptive circuitry controllable in response to a control signal to compensate for the multipath component, a control signal generator, comprising:

a phase error estimator, for generating a phase error signal representing an estimate of the phase error between the information modulated composite carrier signal and the main signal modulated carrier component; and

a controller, responsive to the phase error signal ,for generating said control signal wherein said controller comprises:

a frequency analysis circuit responsive to said phase error signal for generating frequency components representing the magnitudes of the phase error signal at each of a plurality of respective frequencies;

an analysis circuit for comparing frequency components of said phase error signal to threshold values; and

a control circuit responsive to said comparison for generating said control signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said phase error estimator comprises:

a phase error estimator for generating a phase error signal representing an estimate of the phase error between the composite signal and the main component resulting from presence of said multipath component.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the frequency analysis circuit comprises a discrete Fourier transform circuit.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the discrete Fourier transform circuit comprises a fast Fourier transform circuit.

5. In a system for receiving a composite signal including a main component and a multipath component, including a demodulator chain having adaptive circuitry controllable in response to a control signal to compensate for the multipath component, a control signal generator, comprising:

a phase error estimator, for generating a signal representing an estimate of the phase error between the composite signal and the main component; and

a controller, responsive to the phase error signal ,for generating said control signal wherein said controller comprises:

a frequency analysis circuit responsive to said phase error signal for determining frequency components of the phase error signal;

an analysis circuit for comparing frequency components of said phase error signal to threshold values; and

a control circuit responsive to said comparison for generating said control signal;

wherein the frequency analysis circuit comprises a discrete Fourier transform circuit; and

wherein the frequency analysis circuit further comprises a decimator, responsive to the phase error signal, and coupled to the discrete Fourier transform circuit.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the frequency analysis circuit further comprises a magnitude determining circuit, responsive to the discrete Fourier transform circuit.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the frequency analysis circuit further comprises a magnitude-squared determining circuit, responsive to the discrete Fourier transform circuit.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the analysis circuit comprises circuitry for comparing the magnitudes of respective frequency components from the discrete Fourier transform circuit to corresponding threshold values.

9. In a system for receiving a composite signal including a main component and a multipath component, including a demodulator chain having adaptive circuitry controllable in response to a control signal to compensate for the multipath component, a control signal generator, comprising:

a phase error estimator, for generating a signal representing an estimate of the phase error between the composite signal and the main component; and

a controller, responsive to the phase error signal ,for generating said control signal wherein said controller comprises:

a frequency analysis circuit responsive to said phase error signal for determining frequency components of the phase error signal;

an analysis circuit for comparing frequency components of said phase error signal to threshold values; and

a control circuit responsive to said comparison for generating said control signal;

wherein the frequency analysis circuit comprises a discrete Fourier transform circuit;

wherein the analysis circuit comprises circuitry for comparing the magnitudes of respective frequency components from the discrete Fourier transform circuit to corresponding threshold values; and

wherein the threshold values depend on the current state of the adaptive circuitry.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the analysis circuit comprises circuitry for comparing a function of one or more of the magnitudes of respective frequency components from the discrete Fourier transform circuit to corresponding threshold values.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the threshold values depend on the current state of the adaptive circuitry.

12. The system of claim 5 wherein the analysis circuit comprises circuitry for comparing the magnitudes-squared of respective frequency components from the discrete Fourier transform circuit to corresponding threshold values.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the threshold values depend on the current state of the adaptive circuitry.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the analysis circuit comprises circuitry for comparing a function of one or more of the magnitudes of respective frequency components from the discrete Fourier transform circuit to corresponding threshold values.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the threshold values depend on the current state of the adaptive circuitry.