Receiver with improved sample granularity

1. A receive path in a receiver, comprising:

means for deriving a first stream of first digitized samples from a received analog signal at a first sampling rate,

at least one interpolating filter in parallel with the first stream of first digitized samples for generating at least a second stream of digitized samples at the first sampling rate but offset with respect to the first stream by a fraction of a sample time period,

wherein the means for deriving the first stream of first digitized samples from the received analog signal at the first sampling rate comprises:

means for generating a third stream of digitized samples from the received analog signal at a second sampling rate; and

a further interpolating filter receiving the third stream from the means for generating the third stream, to generate the first stream of first digitized samples which are estimates of samples obtainable by sampling the received analog signal at the first sample rate lower than the second sampling rate, the first digitized samples being output at the first sampling rate and including at least one unusable sample.

2. The receive path according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one interpolating filter is a FIR filter.

3. The receive path according to claim 1 , wherein the first and the at least one second streams are fed to a sample extraction block.

4. The receive path according to claim 3 , wherein the sample extraction block is adapted to select a sample from either the first or the at least one second streams as a symbol.

5. The receive path according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a circuit for generating a signal for controlling components of the receive path downstream of the further interpolation filter to prevent processing of the unusable second digitized samples.

6. The receive path according to claim 1 , further comprising a square root raised cosine (SRRC) filter for receiving the first digitized samples, the SRRC filter being configured to process samples at the first sample rate.

7. The receive path according to claim 5 , wherein the circuit for generating a signal is a counter.

8. The receive path according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver is a Bluetooth receiver.

9. The receive path according to claim 1 , wherein the second sampling rate is a fractional multiple of the baseband signal rate.

10. The receive path according to claim 1 , wherein the first sampling rate is a whole integer multiple of the baseband signal rate.

11. A method of operating a receiver, comprising:

deriving a first stream of first digitized samples from a received analog signal at a first sampling rate,

interpolating in parallel with the first stream of first digitized samples to thereby generate at least one second stream of digitized samples at the first sampling rate but offset with respect to the first stream by a fraction of a sample time period,

wherein deriving the first stream of first digitized samples from the received analog signal at the first sampling rate comprises:

generating a third stream of digitized samples from the received analog signal at a second sampling rate; and

interpolating the third stream of digitized samples, to generate the first stream of first digitized samples which are estimates of samples obtainable by sampling the received analog signal at the first sampling rate lower than the second sampling rate, the first digitized samples being output at the first sampling rate and including at least one unusable sample.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising selecting a sample from the first and the at least one second streams as a symbol.

13. A receive path in a receiver, comprising:

an analog to digital converter for deriving a first stream of first digitized samples from a received analog signal at a first sampling rate;

a first interpolating filter receiving the first stream of first digitized samples from the analog to digital converter, to generate a second stream of second digitized samples which are estimates of samples obtainable by sampling the received analog signal at a second sampling rate lower than the first sampling rate, the second digitized samples being output at the second sampling rate and including at least one unusable sample; and

at least one second interpolating filter in parallel with the second stream of second digitized samples for generating at least one third stream of digitized samples at the second sampling rate but offset with respect to the second stream by a fraction of a sample time period.

14. The receive path according to claim 13 , wherein the second and the at least one third streams are fed to a sample extraction block, the sample extraction block being adapted to select a sample from either the second or the at least one third streams.

15. The receive path according to claim 13 , further comprising:

a circuit for generating a signal for controlling components of the receive path downstream of the first interpolation filter to prevent processing of the unusable second digitized samples.

16. The receive path according to claim 15 , wherein the circuit for generating a signal is a counter.

17. The receive path according to claim 13 , wherein the receiver is a Bluetooth receiver.

18. The receive path according to claim 13 , wherein the first sampling rate is a fractional multiple of the baseband signal rate.

19. The receive path according to claim 13 , wherein the second sampling rate is a whole integer multiple of the baseband signal rate.

20. The receive path according to claim 13 , further comprising a square root raised cosine (SRRC) filter for receiving the first digitized samples, the SRRC filter being configured to process samples at the first sample rate.