Gain control method for a receiver of signals transmitted in bursts and receiver exploiting it

1. Gain control method for a receiver having to pick up signals corresponding to packets of digital data which are transmitted in bursts, the said receiver having gain adjustment means making it possible to act on the level of the analogue signals obtained from the signals picked up, before conversion of these analogue signals into digital form, when each burst comprises a preamble, the start of which, identical for all of the bursts, results in two particular series of symbols, and when a clock rate is provided for the successive transmission of symbols at particular times after conversion, the method comprising successively:

preadjustment of gain to a high standby level making it possible to take account of even the weakest signals provided within the reception range set for the receiver, this preadjustment being carried out following the end of reception of a burst and while waiting for a gain adjustment which is carried out on receiving a particular sequence of preamble start symbols of a new burst by the receiver;

adjustment of the gain, as a function of a power value of the signal determined from the preamble start symbols, as obtained after conversion, this adjustment, dependent on the recognition at the start of a new burst of at least one sequence of symbols forming part of the two series which appear systematically at the start of the burst preamble, being controlled in order to be carried out during a time scheduled for a symbol which is part of one of the said series where it comes after the symbols constituting a recognized sequence;

wherein the gain is adjusted in two phases dependent on the recognition, at the start of the burst, of two sequences which appear systematically, one in a first of the two series of symbols scheduled at the start of the burst preamble and the other in the second of these two series;

the first phase, dependent on the recognition of the first of the two sequences, resulting in a first gain adjustment, which is usually approximate, to a level for which are obtained, either untruncated signals when the signals which have just been received have been determined as being truncated because of their excessive power, or signals near a scheduled backoff level chosen in advance, if the signals which have just been received are determined as weak;

the second phase, carried out following the recognition of the second of the two sequences, resulting in a fine gain adjustment up to the scheduled backoff level;

the adjustment corresponding to each of these two phases being controlled in order to be carried out during the time for the symbol time succession which is scheduled for a symbol coming after the symbols forming the sequence, causing the adjustment, in the series of symbols where this sequence is contained.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the approximate adjustment of the gain is carried out on recognition, among the first symbols received, of a sequence consisting of the first four symbols of a first series of five in the burst preamble and in that the fine adjustment is carried out on recognition of a sequence, consisting of four symbols of a second series of five which follows the first series in the same burst preamble, the approximate adjustment being carried out during the time allowed for the last of the first five symbols of the first series, the fine adjustment being carried out during the time allowed for the last of the five symbols of the second series.

3. Method according to claim 1 , in which the powers are determined from digital signals obtained by conversion of the analogue signals, by squaring numerical values corresponding to these digital signals.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the recognition of the two sequences provided in the first two series of symbols of the burst preamble is carried out by correlation for each of the sequences.