Patent ID: 7450569
Filing Date: 2008-11-11
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for filtering data symbols for a decision based data processing system, the apparatus comprising: (a) a buffer store operable to buffer-store a sequence of n sequentially received data symbols, wherein n≧3; (b) an nth-order median filter operable to calculate the minimum interval between each of the n buffer-stored data symbols and a plurality of nominal data symbols, the nth-order median filter further operable to filter out one data symbol from the n buffer-stored data symbols, wherein the calculated minimum interval for the filtered out one data symbol has a mean value for the n calculated minimum intervals, wherein the median filter comprises (b1) a plurality of calculation circuits, each calculation circuit operable to calculate a minimum interval between one of the n buffer-stored data symbols and the plurality of nominal data symbols; (b2) a control circuit including (i) a sorting circuit for sorting the calculated minimum intervals according to their value and (ii) a selection circuit for selecting a mean minimum interval from the sorted minimum intervals; and (b3) a multiplexer operable to deliver the buffer-stored data symbol associated with the selected mean minimum interval to the decision based data processing system.