Back to results
US 6,192,070 B1Granted
Universal modem for digital video, audio and data communications
AssigneeMitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsTommy C. Poon, Jay Bao, Yoshiki Mizutani, Hiroyuki Nakayama
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A universal modem has a software-configurable modulator/demodulator which accommodates different modulation formats such as those associated with terrestrial, cable, phone line, satellite and wireless communications to be transmitted and received through a single device in which the modem has reconfigurable logic to accommodate the format of the signals being received or transmitted. In one embodiment, the system tracks channel noise and changes modulation format at both the transmit and receive sides of the system through the use of a controller that controls both sides.
Claims19
In a network communications system in which information is transmitted from a send side to a receive side over a communications channel, an apparatus for improving system performance comprising:
- means for sensing a channel parameter;
- and
- means for changing a modulation format of the transmitted information by generating instructions including modulation format configuration data, responsive to the sensed channel parameter, and having software-configurable logic means for changing the modulation format in accordance with the instructions, wherein said software-configurable logic means includes logic elements whose functionality is capable of being changed in software.
In a network communications system in which information is transmitted from a send side to a receive side over a communications channel, an apparatus for improving system performance comprising:
- means for sensing a channel parameter;
- and
- means for changing a modulation format of the transmitted information by generating instructions including modulation format configuration data, responsive to the sensed channel parameter, wherein said modulation format changing means includes:
- a universal modem at each of said sides, each universal modem providing different modulation formats for use in the modulation and demodulation of a signal, the universal modem at the transmit side including a modulator and the universal modem at the receive side including a demodulator, said modulator and demodulator each having software-configurable logic means for respectively providing modulation and demodulation of a signal;
- means for generating, as an output, configuration instructions for said software-configurable logic means;
- means for coupling said output to said software configurable logic means to configure said modems for the modulation format specified by said configuration instructions;
- means responsive to the sensing of said channel parameter for causing said instruction generating means to change the modulation format generated by the universal modem at said send side and a demodulation format of the universal modem at said receive side to a changed format;
- and wherein said software-configurable logic means includes a number of elements, each performing a different modulation/demodulation function, and means for interconnecting said elements to perform in accordance with said configuration instructions.
5 more elements
A system for communicating over a network, comprising:
- a first modem including a first memory configured to store information corresponding to multiple modulation formats and a modulation circuit which is reconfigurable to modulate signals in any of the multiple modulation formats in accordance with the information stored in the first memory;
- a second modem including a second memory configured to store information corresponding to the multiple modulation formats and a demodulation circuit which is reconfigurable to demodulate signals in any of the multiple modulation formats in accordance with the stored in the second memory;
- and
- a controller configured to direct changes in the information corresponding to the multiple modulation formats stored in the first and the second memories, such that the information stored in the first memory corresponds to the information in the second memory.
1 more element
A method for communicating over a network, comprising:
- storing information corresponding to multiple modulation formats in a first memory;
- configuring a modulation circuit in accordance with the information stored in the first memory to modulate signals in any of the multiple modulation formats;
- storing information corresponding to the multiple modulation formats in a second memory;
- configuring a demodulation circuit in accordance with the information stored in the second memory to demodulate signals in any of the multiple modulation formats;
- and
- directing changes in the information corresponding to the multiple modulation formats stored in the first and the second memories, such that the information stored in the first memory corresponds to the information in the second memory.
3 more elements
An apparatus for communicating over a network, comprising:
- a demodulation circuit which is reconfigurable so as to correspond to any of multiple modulation formats and capable of receiving a signal having a data portion which is modulated in any one of the multiple modulation formats and a header portion which is modulated in only a single of the multiple modulation formats and identifies the data portion modulation format, wherein said demodulation circuit includes a number of software-reconfigurable logic elements for changing the modulation format;
- and
- a controller capable of directing the configuration of the demodulation circuit to correspond to the header portion modulation format in order for the header portion to be demodulated and the data portion modulation format to thereby be determined, and of directing the reconfiguration of the demodulation circuit to correspond to the determined data portion modulation format in order for the data portion to be demodulated and the data to thereby be determined.
An apparatus for communicating over a network, comprising:
- a modulation circuit which is reconfigurable so as to correspond to any of multiple modulation formats and capable of generating a signal having a data portion which is modulated in a first of the multiple modulation formats and a header portion which is modulated in a second of the multiple modulation formats, different than the first modulation format, and identifies the first modulation format, wherein said modulation circuit includes a number of software-reconfigurable logic elements for changing the modulation format;
- and
- a controller capable of directing the modulation circuit to be reconfigured to correspond to a first of the multiple modulation formats in order for a header portion of a signal to be modulated in the first modulation format and of directing the modulation circuit to be reconfigured to correspond to a second of the multiple modulation formats, different than the first modulation format in order for a data portion of a signal to be modulated in the second modulation format.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.