Patent ID: 7634032
Filing Date: 2009-12-15
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A receiver for detecting non-linear amplitude distortion, comprising: an error detector configured to detect signal amplitude errors for signals communicated across a telecommunication line from a remote transmitter to the receiver, each of the signal amplitude errors representing a difference in amplitude between a respective one of the signals as transmitted from the remote transmitter and the one signal as received by the receiver; and logic configured to determine a first value indicative of a total number of the signal amplitude errors that are within a first specified range and to determine a second value indicative of a total number of the signal amplitude errors that are within a second specified range, the logic configured to perform a comparison of the first and second values and to detect whether the signals are subject to non-linear amplitude distortion from the telecommunication line based on the comparison, wherein the first range is within a first tail of an amplitude error distribution of the signal amplitude errors, wherein the second range is within a second tail of the amplitude error distribution, wherein the comparison indicates whether the amplitude error distribution is symmetrical, and wherein the logic is configured to indicate that the signals are subject to the non-linear amplitude distortion if the comparison indicates that the amplitude error distribution is asymmetrical.