Signal detector employing correlation analysis of non-uniform and disjoint sample segments

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS I.
Signal Detector Overview A block diagram of one embodiment of a signal detector in accordance with the subject invention is illustrated in FIG.
2.
As illustrated, the signal detector comprises a receiver 30 configured to receive segments of a signal.
The segments may be of nonuniform-length and may be disjoint and separated by arbitrary periods of time.
The signal may comprise a signal of interest perturbed by noise.
Alternatively, in accordance with a spread spectrum environment, the signal may comprise the combination of multiple signals of interest each encoded using one of a plurality of pseudo-noise (PN) codes.
In this case, other signals appear as noise to a particular signal of interest.
A hypothesis generator 32 generates a plurality of hypotheses about the signal of interest.
A correlator 34 receives the plurality of hypotheses from hypothesis generator 32, and the segment received by receiver 30, and responsive thereto, generates correlation data representative of the correlation between the received segment and the plurality of generated hypotheses.
The correlation data is provided to combiner 36 which combines the correlation data with cumulative correlation data accumulated for previous segments received by receiver 30.
In one embodiment, the combiner 36 first performs an adjustment on the correlation data so that it is combinable with the cumulative correlation data.
Once the data has been combined, combiner 36 determines whether the cumulative correlation data is sufficient to permit a parameter of the signal of interest to be detected.
If so, an output is provided on signal line 38 signaling detection of the parameter of the signal of interest.
If not, a signal is provided to the receiver on signal line 40 indicating the need for additional segments.
Optionally, the foregoing process iterates until the parameter of the signal of interest is detected (or a time-out condition is detected).
A flowchart of one embodiment of a method of operation of a signal detector in accordance with the subject invention is illustrated in FIG