Method and circuit for determining a clock signal sampling instant for symbols of a modulation method

1. A method for determining a sampling instant of a clock signal for a circuit for determining symbols (Se) with discrete amplitudes from a digitized signal S of a modulation method, comprising:

sampling the digitized and demodulated signal at a selectable sampling phase and providing a quadrature sampled signal;

determining a first radius R for the quadrature sampled signal;

determining a first quality value G for the quadrature sampled signal based on a desired radius and the first radius R for a first sampling phase φ i which is defined relative to a base clock instant;

determining a second quality value G* based on the desired radius and a second radius R determined during a second sampling phase φ i2 that is varied relative to the first sampling phase φ i , the second sampling phase φ i2 defined as the first sampling phase φ i plus Δφ; and

comparing the first quality values G and the second quality value G* to ascertain which of the first and second quality values is better, and adjusting the selectable sampling phase based upon which of the first and second quality values is determined to be better.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the digitized and demodulated signal S is at least one of a Phase-Shift Keying and a Quadrature Amplitude Modulation encoded signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , where a frequency correction is determined based on at least one of the first and second quality values G and G* which are assigned to certain signals at time intervals, and based on at least one of the sampling phases φ i and φ i2 employed thereby.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the determination of the first and second quality values G and G* of the signals S is implemented at successive instants with the same sampling phase φ i =φ i2 , and a required frequency correction is indicated based on a change in the first and second quality values G and G*.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the first and second quality values G and G* of the signals are determined as a function of the distribution in the radial component R of the quadrature sampled signal over a plurality of sampling instances.

6. The method of claim 1 , where the first and second quality values G and G* of the signals S are determined in the region of defined radii (R a -R i ) of the modulation method within polar coordinates plane (R, α).

7. The method of claim 1 , where the first and second quality values G and G* of the signals are determined in the region of one or more selected radii (R a -R c ) from a plurality of radii of the modulation method.

8. The method of claim 6 , where the first and second quality values G and G* of the signals S are determined only within defined tolerance zones ΔR around a radii (R b ).

9. The method of claim 5 , where the first and second quality values G and G* of the signals are weighted in the regions around the radii (R a -R i ).

10. The method of claim 1 where after a required shift of the sampling instant relative to the base clock has been determined, the base clock is shifted by a corresponding differential clock pulse duration.

11. The method of claim 1 where the clock pulse duration T of the base clock is corrected in response to a continuous change in the first and second quality values G and G* determined over a plurality of sampling instants.

12. A circuit comprising:

a clock control device to output clock signals (t i ) at discrete sampling instants;

a polar coordinate converter for determining at least one radial component R for quadrature signals S from a digitized signal sd with discrete amplitudes of a modulation method;

at least one storage device to store operational parameters and a radial component R of the signals S;

a control device to control the operational sequence and determine the sampling instant of the clock signal t i , wherein

at least one of the control device and additional components are constructed and designed

to vary at least one of sampling phase φ i and φ i2 of the clock signals (t i ) relative to a base clock instant of a base clock, and

to determine quality values G and G* for signals which are determined for different varied sampling phases φ i or φ i2 , specifically, as a function of the determined radial component R of the signals S relative to the desired radius within the coordinate system of the radial component.

13. The circuit of claim 12 , comprising a switching device for determining the clock signal t i based on a decision-feedback sampling control, or with a value of a varied sampling phase.

14. A method for determining a sampling instant of a clock signal for a circuit for determining symbols (Se) with discrete amplitudes from a digitized and demodulated quadrature signal S, comprising:

sampling the digitized and demodulated quadrature signal at a selectable sampling phase and providing a quadrature sampled signal;

determining a first radius R for the quadrature sampled signal;

determining a first quality value G for the quadrature sampled signal based on a desired radius and the first radius R for a first sampling phase φ i which is defined relative to a base clock instant;

determining a second quality value G* based on the desired radius and a second radius R determined during a second sampling phase φ i2 that is varied relative to the first sampling phase φ i , the second sampling phase φ i2 defined as the first sampling phase φ i plus Δφ; and

comparing the first quality value G and the second quality value G* to ascertain which of the first and second quality values is better, and adjusting the selectable sampling phase based upon which of the first and second quality values is determined to be better, where the comparing to ascertain which of the first and second quality values is better includes determining which one of the first and second quality values has more radius values lying on and in the immediate vicinity of the desired radius.