Method and apparatus for DTX frame detection
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for detecting discontinued transmission (DTX) frames in data frames received over a link or channel, is described, where a DTX frame is a frame that does not carry data and which is transmitted with zero power over the link or channel. The method and apparatus determines whether a received data frame is a DTX frame based on a plurality of metrics. Based on the metrics, the method and apparatus may effectively discriminate a case where a data frame is received as an erasure (e.g., data frame received with errors), and a case where a transmitted data frame is received as a DTX frame.
1. A method of detecting discontinued transmission (DTX) frames in data frames received over a link or channel, the method comprising the step of:
determining whether a received data frame is a DTX frame based on a plurality of comparing steps,
at least a first one of the comparing steps comparing a first unique metric to a first unique threshold and determining that the received data frame is an erasure if the comparison determines that the first unique metric is less than the first unique threshold, wherein an erasure is a transmitted data frame that is received with errors, and
if the first unique metric is greater than or equal to the first unique threshold, at least a second one of the comparing steps comparing a second unique metric to a second unique threshold and determining that the received data frame is a DTX frame if the second unique metric is greater than or equal to the second unique threshold.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique metric is based on a traffic energy value or a symbol error rate (SER) value measured from the received data frame.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique metric is based on at least one of a pilot frame energy value measured from the received data frame, a traffic energy value of an alternative traffic channel that is known, a priori, not to be in DTX, and a symbol error rate (SER) value of said alternative traffic channel known, a priori, not to be in DTX.
4. An apparatus for detecting discontinued transmission (DTX) frames in data frames received over a link or channel, comprising:
at least one processor configured to determine whether a received data frame is a DTX frame based on a plurality of comparing steps,
at least a first one of the comparing steps comparing a first unique metric to a first unique threshold and determining that the received data frame is an erasure if the comparison determines that the first unique metric is less then the first unique threshold, wherein an erasure is a transmitted data frame that is received with errors, and
if the first unique metric is greater than or equal to the first unique threshold, at least a second one of the comparing steps comparing a second unique metric to a second unique threshold and determining that the received data frame is a DTX frame if the second unique metric is greater than or equal to the second unique threshold.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the unique metric is based on at least one of a traffic energy value and a symbol error rate (SER) value measured from the received data frame.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the unique metric is based on at least one of a pilot frame energy value measured from the received data frame, a traffic energy value of an alternative traffic channel that is known, a priori, not to be in DTX, and a symbol error rate (SER) value of said alternative traffic channel known, a priori, not to be in DTX.
7. A method of detecting discontinued transmission (DTX) frames in data frames received over a link or channel, the method comprising:
determining whether a received data frame is a DTX frame or an erasure based on a plurality of comparing steps, an erasure being a transmitted data frame that is received with errors,
at least a first one of the comparing steps comparing a first unique metric to a first unique threshold and determining that the received data frame is an erasure if the comparison determines that the first unique metric is less than the first unique threshold, and
if the first unique metric is greater than or equal to the first unique threshold, at least a second one of the comparing steps comparing a second unique metric to a second unique threshold and determining that the received data frame is a DTX frame if the second unique metric is greater than or equal to the second unique threshold.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first unique metric is at least one of a traffic energy value and a symbol error rate (SER) value measured from the received data frame.
9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the second unique metric is at least one of a pilot frame energy value measured from the received data frame, a traffic energy value of an alternative traffic channel that is known, a priori, not to be in DTX, and a symbol error rate (SER) value of said alternative traffic channel known, a priori, not to be in DTX.