Patent ID: 7120854

Claim:
A resynchronization process for use in a data communication system having a first device configured to transmit data at a symbol rate to a second device, the second device including a Reed Solomon (RS) decoder having a RS lock indicator and a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Protocol Interface (MPI) having a MPI lock indicator, the method comprising the steps of: (a) detecting whether the RS lock indicator is locked; (b) detecting whether the MPI lock indicator is locked; (c) ending the resynchronization process, when in a first state where the RS lock indicator is locked and the MPI indicator is locked, indicating that synchronization exists; (d) performing a channel acquisition algorithm in accordance with the data communication system, when the system is in a second state where the RS lock indicator is unlocked and the MPI indicator is locked; (e) monitoring the RS lock indicator and the MPI lock indicator during a first predetermined time interval when the system is in the third state where the RS lock indicator is unlocked and the MPI indicator is locked, waiting for synchronization to occur in the RS decoder and the MPI hardware block, (i) wherein, during the third state, the resynchronization process ends when the MPI indicator switches to locked and the monitoring time is less than or equal to the first predetermined time interval, indicating that synchronization exists, (ii) wherein an intermediate-subset of the channel acquisition algorithm is performed and the resynchronization process ends, when in the third state, the RS lock indicator switches to unlocked and the monitoring time is less than or equal to the first predetermined time interval, and (iii) wherein a channel acquisition algorithm is performed, when in the third state, the monitoring time is greater than the first predetermined time interval and synchronization does not exist; and (f) performing the intermediate-subset of the channel acquisition algorithm during a second predetermined time interval when the system is in the fourth state where the RS lock indicator is unlocked and the MPI indicator is unlocked, (i) wherein the RS lock indicator and the MPI lock indicator are monitored, awaiting synchronization to occur in the RS decoder and the MPI hardware block, (ii) wherein, in the fourth state, the resynchronization process ends when both the RS lock indicator and the MPI indicator switch to locked, indicating synchronization exists, and (iii) wherein the channel acquisition algorithm is performed, when in the fourth state, the monitoring time is greater than the second predetermined time interval and synchronization does not exist.