Predistortion technique for communications systems

Abstract

The problem of noise enhancement is eliminated in communications systems by predistorting the amplitude of the transmitted information signal in a manner which compensates for the amplitude distortion introduced in a portion of the communications channel. In the disclosed embodiments, the communications system includes two signal transceivers which communicate with one another through a communications channel. The communications channel includes two-wire subscriber loops adjacent to each signal transceiver with a four-wire transmission path disposed between the subscriber loops. Each transceiver transmits an information signal which, depending on the system noise characteristics, is predistorted to compensate for all or a portion of the amplitude distortion introduced in a subscriber loop adjacent to that signal transceiver. The predistortion necessary to provide such compensation is determined at each transceiver in response to a received narrowband signal at that transceiver. Advantageously, this narrowband signal may be that used to disable echo cancellers and/suppressors in the communications channel.