Patent ID: 7966359

Claim:
A method comprising, with an apparatus having a receiver for receiving a radio frequency (RF) signal: obtaining a number of N successive samples associated with the RF signal; applying a discrete number of operators to the number of N successive samples to extract spectral components associated with the received RF signal; determining a lower frequency value for the extracted spectral components using a lower compound operator having a first transfer function with its maximum at a lower frequency that is below a reference frequency and which exhibits no zeros or discontinuities over an operating frequency range; determining an upper frequency value for the extracted spectral components using an upper compound operator having a second transfer function with its maximum at an upper frequency that is higher than the reference frequency and which exhibits no zeros or discontinuities in the operating frequency range; determining a frequency difference based, at least in part, on the lower frequency value and the upper frequency value; and providing the frequency difference to at least one module of the apparatus.