Methods and apparatus for error rate estimation
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorColin Whitby-Strevens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for estimating received error rates. In one embodiment, the estimation of received error rates is conducted in relation to a bus interface such as a high-speed High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) interface, and the method utilizes corrupted symbols that violate TMDS symbol rules, the corrupted symbols being easily detected and counted. In one exemplary implementation, a symbol error rate (SER) can be estimated from the number of detected invalid symbols. The SER can be used to diagnose the performance of the HDMI interface, and optionally as a basis for selecting or implementing corrective action(s).
Claims20
An apparatus for estimating a rate of symbol errors, the apparatus comprising:
- one or more interfaces, the one or more interfaces configured to receive data communication from an upstream device;
- and
- at least one controller in operative communication with the one or more interfaces, the at least one controller configured to:
- detect one or more invalid symbols received over the one or more interfaces based at least in part on a scrambling configuration and an operational mode;
- determine a probability of an occurrence of one or more undetectable invalid symbols;
- and
- estimate a number of symbol errors based at least on the detected one or more invalid symbols and the determined probability.
A method of correcting a running disparity, comprising:
- receiving one or more symbols during an operational mode selected from a plurality of operational modes;
- determining an invalidity of the received one or more symbols based at least in part on a running disparity and the selected operational mode;
- and
- adjusting the running disparity to compensate for an invalid symbol.
The method of claim 16, where the running disparity is calculated from a number of received ones and zeros.
The method of claim 17, where the adjustment to the running disparity is performed based on a subsequently received symbol.
The method of claim 18, where adjustment of the running disparity is based at least in part on whether the determined invalid symbol is valid under any possible running disparity.
The method of claim 18, where adjustment of the running disparity comprises incrementing or decrementing the running disparity by a fixed value.
Computerized apparatus configured for estimating received error rates, the apparatus comprising logic, the logic configured to:
- determine whether to operate in a scrambling configuration or non-scrambling configuration;
- receive one or more characters;
- for operation in the non-scrambling configuration:
- detect one of more received invalid characters based on a first set of formatting rules which are valid for the current operational state;
- and
- for operation in the scrambling configuration:
- detect one or more received invalid characters based at least in part on a second set of formatting rules which are valid for the current operational state and the scrambling configuration;
- and
- estimate a number of character errors, based at least in part on the detected one or more received invalid characters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.