Patent ID: 7577195

Claim:
A method for providing a digital representation of a signal, comprising: receiving a signal; dividing the received signal into a series of frames; for each frame, dividing a spectrum of the received signal into a series of frequency segments; determining which of a number of frequency segments of said series of frequency segments have largest amplitudes in said spectrum of said frame; setting a value of zero for all of said frequency segments other than the number having the largest amplitudes; using a representative value for said frequency segments having the largest amplitudes, wherein each said representative value is representative of amplitude associated with the respective frequency segment; averaging respective values, for a series of frames, to produce a series of average values; selecting a number of the average values which are largest average values; and producing said digital representation by setting bits to a first binary value for said selected number of the average values, and setting bits set to a second binary value for all other average values, wherein the digital representation is used for a more efficient analysis of the signal.