Instantaneous power estimation in a continuous time digital signal processing system

1. A circuit, comprising:

an input terminal configured to receive a continuous time digital signal processing (CT DSP) token comprising a first signal indicating occurrence of a change and a second signal indicating a direction of the change;

an amplitude generation circuit that generates an amplitude value x in response to said token; and

a power estimation circuit configured to generate a digital power signal as a function of said amplitude value x utilizing the following formula: x 2 ±2x+1.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a CT analog to digital converter (ADC) configured to generate the token in response to conversion of an analog information signal, and wherein the digital power signal provides an instantaneous estimated power of the analog information signal.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the CT ADC processes the analog information signal to generate the first signal indicating occurrence of a change in said analog information signal and the second signal indicating whether the change is an increase beyond a high threshold level or a decrease beyond a low threshold level.

4. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising:

a CT DSP filter circuit configured to filter an information signal and generate a digital output signal; and

a conversion circuit configured to generate the token in response to conversion of the digital output signal, and wherein the digital power signal provides an instantaneous estimated power of the filtered information signal.

5. The circuit of claim 4 , wherein the conversion circuit is a delta encoder circuit configured to process a plurality of bits of the digital output signal to generate the first signal indicating occurrence of a change in said plurality of bits and the second signal indicating whether the change in said plurality of bits is an increment or decrement.

6. The circuit of claim 5 , further comprising a glitch eliminator circuit configured to eliminate changes in said plurality of bits of the digital output signal which occur within a delay time period.

7. The circuit of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of bits of the digital output signal are the two least significant bits of the digital output signal.

8. The circuit of claim 5 , further comprising an additional CT DSP filter circuit coupled to the delta encoder circuit to receive the first signal indicating occurrence of a change in said plurality of bits and the second signal indicating whether the change in said plurality of bits is an increment or decrement, said additional CT DSP filter circuit configured to perform a filtering operation and generate an additional digital output signal.

9. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power estimation circuit comprises an adder circuit including:

a first input terminal configured to receive a third signal;

a second input terminal configured to receive a fourth signal;

a third input terminal configured to receive a fifth signal;

wherein an output of the adder circuit is applied to the first input terminal as the third signal;

a first multiplexer having a first input coupled to receive the amplitude value x and a second input coupled to receive a logic inversion of the amplitude value x and an output applied to the second input terminal as the fourth signal; and

a second multiplexer having a first input coupled to receive a first fixed value and a second input configured to receive a second fixed value and an output applied to the third input terminal as the fifth signal;

wherein selection by the first and second multiplexers is controlled by a logic state of the second signal of the token.

10. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein the first fixed value is +1 and the second fixed value is +3.

11. The circuit of claim 9 , wherein an application of the output of the fourth signal to the second input terminal comprises implementing a left shift.

12. The circuit of claim 11 , wherein implementation of the left shift is made through a hardwiring of bits.

13. The circuit of claim 9 , further comprising a latch circuit configured to latch the output of the adder circuit to generate the third signal, wherein actuation of the latch circuit is controlled by the first signal of the token.

14. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the power estimation circuit comprises an adder circuit including:

a first input terminal configured to receive a third signal;

a second input terminal configured to receive a fourth signal;

a third input terminal configured to receive a fifth signal;

a fourth input terminal configured to receive a sixth signal;

wherein an output of the adder circuit is applied to the first input terminal as the third signal;

a first multiplexer having a first input coupled to receive the amplitude value x and a second input coupled to receive a logic inversion of the amplitude value x and an output applied to the second input terminal as the fourth signal;

a second multiplexer having a first input coupled to receive a first fixed value and a second input configured to receive a second fixed value and an output applied to the third input terminal as the fifth signal; and

an inverter circuit configured to invert the second signal of the token to generate the sixth signal;

wherein selection by the first and second multiplexers is controlled by a logic state of the second signal of the token.

15. The circuit of claim 14 , wherein the first fixed value is +1 and the second fixed value is +2.

16. The circuit of claim 14 , wherein an application of the output of the fourth signal to the second input terminal comprises implementing a left shift.

17. The circuit of claim 16 , wherein implementation of the left shift is made through a hardwiring of bits.

18. The circuit of claim 14 , further comprising a latch circuit configured to latch the output of the adder circuit to generate the third signal, wherein actuation of the latch circuit is controlled by the first signal of the token.

19. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an accumulation circuit configured to accumulate the digital power signal and output an energy signal.

20. The circuit of claim 19 , wherein the accumulation circuit comprises:

an adder circuit configured to add the digital power signal over a time period and periodically output an accumulation of the digital power signal from said adder circuit as said energy signal.

21. The circuit of claim 19 , wherein the accumulation circuit comprises:

an adder circuit configured to add the digital power signal to generate an accumulation signal;

a comparator configured to compare the accumulation signal to a threshold; and

an output circuit configure to output the accumulation signal as said energy signal in response to the comparator determining that the accumulation signal exceeds the threshold.

22. The circuit of claim 19 , wherein the accumulation circuit comprises:

an adder circuit configured to add the digital power signal to generate an accumulation signal;

a comparator configured to compare the accumulation signal to a threshold and generate a pulse signal each time the accumulation signal exceeds the threshold; and

a counter configured to count the pulse signal and periodically output a count value as said energy signal.

23. A method, comprising:

receiving a continuous time digital signal processing (CT DSP) token comprising a first signal indicating occurrence of a change and a second signal indicating a direction of the change;

generating an amplitude value x in response to said token; and

estimating power as a function of said amplitude value x utilizing the following formula: x 2 ±2x+1.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising converting an analog information signal in CT to generate the token in response to conversion of an analog information signal, wherein the estimating power comprises generating an instantaneous estimated power of the analog information signal.

25. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

filtering an information signal generate a digital output signal; and

converting the digital output signal to generate the token, wherein the estimating power comprises generating an instantaneous estimated power of the filtered information signal.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein converting comprises delta encoding a plurality of bits of the digital output signal to generate the token.

27. The method of claim 26 , further comprising eliminating glitches in said plurality of bits of the digital output signal which occur within a delay time period.

28. The method of claim 26 , further comprising further filtering the token produced by said delta encoding to generate a further digital output signal.

29. The method of claim 23 , wherein the estimating power comprises:

adding third, fourth and fifth signals to generate an output signal;

applying the output signal as the third signal;

first selecting between the amplitude value x and a logic inversion of the amplitude value x to generate the fourth signal; and

second selecting between a first fixed value and a second fixed value to generate the fifth signal;

wherein first and second selecting is controlled by a bit of the token.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein the first fixed value is +1 and the second fixed value is +3.

31. The method of claim 30 , wherein the estimating power comprises:

adding third, fourth, fifth and sixth signals to generate an output signal;

applying the output signal as the third signal;

first selecting between the amplitude value x and a logic inversion of the amplitude value x to generate the fourth signal;

second selecting between a first fixed value and a second fixed value to generate the fifth signal; and

inverting a bit of the token to generate the sixth signal;

wherein selection by the first and second multiplexers is controlled by said bit of the token.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the first fixed value is +1 and the second fixed value is +2.

33. The method of claim 23 , further comprising accumulating the estimated power to output an energy signal.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the accumulating comprises:

adding the estimated power over a time period and periodically outputting an accumulation value from said adding as said energy signal.

35. The method of claim 33 , wherein the accumulating comprises:

adding the estimated power to generate an accumulation signal;

comparing the accumulation signal to a threshold; and

outputting the accumulation signal as said energy signal in response to the accumulation signal exceeding the threshold.

36. The method of claim 33 , wherein the accumulating comprises:

adding the estimated power to generate an accumulation signal;

comparing the accumulation signal to a threshold;

generating a pulse signal each time the accumulation signal exceeds the threshold; and

counting the pulse signal to periodically output a count value as said energy signal.