Digital signal error concealment

Abstract

Errors in data words recovered following the transmission of digital data having internal correlation are concealed by substituting recovered correlated words for recovered words suspected of being in error. Concealment may follow the correction of errors according to an error correcting code. Error flag signals are used to identify corresponding respective recovered words that are suspected of being in error. These error flag signals are counted over a predetermined totaling interval, and a concealment interval signal is generated for a concealment interval when the count exceeds a predetermined threshold count. Recovered correlated words are substituted for recovered words corresponding to respective error flags and for all other recovered words corresponding to a respective concealment interval. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the concealment interval is centered upon the corresponding totaling interval. According to another aspect of the invention, the concealment interval signal is generated upon the occurrence of an error flag signal while the count exceeds the predetermined count. Also, the concealment interval signal is preferably restarted upon the occurrence of a subsequent error flag signal while the count exceeds the predetermined count.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.