Robustness improvement for bandwidth limited communication system
View Patent ↗A method and apparatus for the transmission of multiple control characters of the same type to a receiver to improve the retention of transmitter to receiver synchronization in a noisy environment having receiver code that is less complex and does not require an increase in the bandwidth of the system since the control codes are already utilized to initiate other functions. Detection of any of the control characters of the same type by the receiver allows the receiver to maintain proper synchronization. The receiver will detect these control signals and anticipate the occurrence of an event within a predetermined time period.
1. A computer-implemented method of receiving data, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a frame of data from a communication channel, the frame comprising a first 8-bit digital control word, a second 8-bit digital control word, and message data, wherein each of the control words has a unique bit pattern and is associated with a different time interval, each time interval individually indicating where or when message data begins or began in the frame of data relative to the time interval's associated control word;
storing the frame of data as it is received in a buffer that is long enough to store the frame of data, wherein at least one of the control words is transmitted after the message data in the frame of data and indicates where the message data began in the frame of data; and
identifying at least some of the data in the stored frame of data as the message data based upon receipt of the at least one of the control words transmitted after the message data, wherein only one of the control words needs to be received to identify the message data in the stored frame of data.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the control words is transmitted before the message data in the frame of data.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the control words is transmitted before the message data in the frame of data.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the control words comprise a first end-of-frame control word and a second end-of-frame control word.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the frame of data further includes a third control word.
6. A computer-implemented method of communicating data, the method comprising the steps of:
transmitting a frame of data across a communication channel, the frame comprising message data, a first 8-bit digital control word and a second 8-bit digital control word, wherein each of the control words has a unique bit pattern and is associated with a different time interval, each time interval individually indicating where or when the message data begins or began in the frame of data relative to the time interval's associated control word, and wherein at least one of the control words is transmitted after the message data in the frame of data and indicates where the message data began in the frame of data;
receiving as first data the at least one of the control words transmitted after the message data and other data;
storing the received first data in a buffer that is long enough to store the frame of data; and
identifying at least some of the other data in the stored first data as the message data based upon receipt of the at least one of the control words transmitted after the message data, wherein only one of the control words needs to be received to identify the message data from the other data.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the control words is transmitted before the message data in the frame of data.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the control words is transmitted before the message data in the frame of data.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the control words comprise a first end-of-frame control word and a second end-of-frame control word.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the frame of data further includes a third control word.