Tunable signal sampling for improved key-data extraction

A method for use by a tunable signal sampling system including a computing platform having a hardware processor and a memory storing a software code, the method comprising:

• receiving, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a communications signal;
• identifying, by the software code executed by the hardware processor, a plurality of data partitions included in the received communications signal;
• performing, by the software code executed by the hardware processor and using a first predetermined metric, a first plurality of comparisons, wherein each of the first plurality of comparisons compares a different sequential pair of the plurality of data partitions with each other,
• selecting, by the software code executed by the hardware processor and based on the first plurality of comparisons, a subset of the plurality of data partitions as candidate sample partitions of the communications signal;
• determining, by the software code executed by the hardware processor and without using the first predetermined metric, a plurality of default sample partitions of the communications signal;
• performing, by the software code executed by the hardware processor and using a second predetermined metric, a plurality of second comparisons, wherein each of the second plurality of comparisons compares a different one of the plurality of default sample partitions with a respective one of the candidate sample partitions;
• and
• extracting, by the software code executed by the hardware processor and using a predetermined weighting factor applied to a result of each of the second plurality of comparisons, a sample of the received communications signal.