IP Library Granted Patent US 7,724,843
Granted Patent B2
US 7,724,843 · App. 11/405,887 · Granted May 25, 2010

Clock adjustment for a handheld audio system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,724,843
App. No.
11/405,887
Granted
May 25, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

A handheld audio system having a radio signal decoder that includes a method for adjusting a system clock. Adjusting the system clock includes receiving a signal at a rate of a receive clock, wherein the signal includes data at a transmit rate. An error term is determined between the receive rate and the transmit rate. Based on the receive clock and the error term, where the error term is non-zero, a clock signal is generated.

Claims (49)

1. A radio signal decoder comprising:

a front-end module operably coupled to, when enabled, convert a received radio signal into digital data in accordance with a rate of a receive clock, wherein the received radio signal includes data at a transmit rate; and

a baseband processing module operably coupled to process the digital data and to produce therefrom output digital data, wherein the baseband processing module includes:

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

determine an error term between the rate of the receive clock and the transmit rate by:

recovering a pilot tone from the received signal;

generating a simulated pilot tone based on the receive clock;

mixing the simulated pilot tone with the recovered pilot tone to produce a mixed signal;

producing a difference of the simulated pilot tone and the recovered pilot tone based on the mixed signal; and

producing the error term based on the difference;

determine whether the error term is within an error tolerance; and

when the error term is not within the error tolerance, adjust the rate of the receive clock based on the error term to produce an adjusted receive clock rate.

2. A radio signal decoder comprising:

a front-end module configured to, when enabled, convert a received radio signal into digital data in accordance with a rate of a receive clock, wherein the received radio signal comprises a frequency modulated (“FM”) radio signal, which includes an embedded pilot tone that corresponds to the transmit rate and includes data transmitted at a transmit rate; and

a baseband processing module operably coupled to said front-end module, said baseband processing module configured to process the digital data and to produce therefrom output digital data, wherein the baseband processing module includes:

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

determine an error term between the rate of the receive clock and the transmit rate;

determine whether the error term is within an error tolerance; and

when the error term is not within the error tolerance, adjust the rate of the receive clock based on the error term to produce an adjusted receive clock rate.

3. A radio signal decoder comprising:

a front-end module configured to, when enabled, convert a received radio signal into digital data in accordance with a rate of a receive clock, wherein the received radio signal includes data transmitted at a transmit rate; and

a baseband processing module operably coupled to said front-end module, said baseband processing module configured to process the digital data and to produce therefrom output digital data, wherein the baseband processing module includes:

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

determine an error term between the receive rate and the transmit rate; and

generate a clock signal based on the receive clock and the error term, wherein the error term is non-zero by:

determining a fractional error of the receive clock based upon the error term; and

adjusting the clock signal based on the receive clock and the fractional error.

4. A radio signal decoder comprising:

a front-end module configured to, when enabled, convert a received radio signal into digital data in accordance with a rate of a receive clock, wherein the received radio signal includes data transmitted at a transmit rate; and

a baseband processing module operably coupled to said front-end module, said baseband processing module configured to process the digital data and to produce therefrom output digital data, wherein the baseband processing module includes:

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

determine an error term between the receive rate and the transmit rate by:

recovering a pilot tone from the signal;

generating a simulated pilot tone based on the receive clock;

mixing the simulated pilot tone with the recovered pilot tone to produce a mixed signal;

producing a difference between the simulated pilot tone and the recovered pilot tone based on the mixed signal; and

producing the error term based on the difference; and

generate a clock signal based on the receive clock and the error term, wherein the error term is non-zero.

5. A radio signal decoder comprising:

a front-end module configured to, when enabled, convert a received radio signal into digital data in accordance with a rate of a receive clock, wherein the received radio signal comprises a frequency modulated (“FM”) radio signal, which includes an embedded pilot tone that corresponds to the transmit rate, and includes data transmitted at a transmit rate; and

a baseband processing module operably coupled to said front-end module, said baseband processing module configured to process the digital data and to produce therefrom output digital data, wherein the baseband processing module includes:

a processing module; and

memory operably coupled to the processing module, wherein the memory stores operational instructions that cause the processing module to:

determine an error term between the receive rate and the transmit rate; and

generate a clock signal based on the receive clock and the error term, wherein the error term is non-zero.

Assignments (16)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 037354 FRAME: 0773. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE PATENT RELEASE. Recorded Aug 15, 2016
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SIGMATEL, LLC
Reel/Frame 039723/0777 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2016
From: SIGMATEL, LLC
To: NORTH STAR INNOVATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 037583/0428 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SIGMATEL, INC.
Reel/Frame 037354/0773 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SIGMATEL, INC.
Reel/Frame 037355/0838 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 037356/0553 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
Reel/Frame 037356/0143 →
PATENT RELEASE Recorded Dec 21, 2015
From: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SIGMATEL, INC.
Reel/Frame 037354/0734 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 23, 2015
From: SIGMATEL INC.
To: SIGMATEL, LLC
Reel/Frame 037152/0127 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 12, 2013
From: SIGMATEL, LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031626/0218 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 17, 2013
From: SIGMATEL, LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 030628/0636 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 13, 2010
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 024397/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 10, 2010
From: SIGMATEL, LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 024358/0439 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 16, 2010
From: SIGMATEL, LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 024079/0406 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 15, 2010
From: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 024085/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 9, 2008
From: SIGMATEL, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 021212/0372 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 18, 2006
From: MAY, MICHAEL R.; RAGAN, LAWRENCE HENRY
To: SIGMATEL, INC.
Reel/Frame 017891/0019 →