The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 16, 1999
Filed:
Jun. 12, 1997
Peter J Dyke, Widdington, GB;
Northern Telecom Limited, Montreal, CA;
Abstract
To decode an attenuated multi-level signal (42) in a receive interface (120) of communication apparatus, first (134) and second (150) diode pumps co-operate with a biasing chain to ensure that threshold reference levels used by respective positive (52) and negative (54) data comparators are dynamically adjusted to a level dependent upon the attenuated multi-level signal (42) applied to the diode pumps. Particularly, a voltage divider (138-144) acts dynamically to bias differential inputs to the respective positive (52) and negative (54) data comparators, with a ratio between a biasing chain of resistors (138-144) and a common input resistor 128 determining the threshold reference levels used to assign logical levels for the reconstruction of symbols encoded within the multi-level signal (42).