DIGITAL AUDIO DATA MUTING SYSTEM AND METHOD

摘要

A system (222) and method for disabling the output of a data transmission system when a high error rate is detected. In the case of audio data, the output is disabled by muting. Error rate detection functions as a digital equivalent of a leaky integrator with hysteresis. A predetermined value (400) is added to an accumulator (406) when an error is detected. More serious errors are given greater values (402, 404). The accumulator is also decremented (410) at a programmable rate (408) that is proportional to the maximum acceptable error rate. The accumulator sum is continuously compared (414) to a programmable error threshold (412), and if the threshold is exceeded, the output of the data transmission system is disabled. The output is not re-enabled until the accumulator is decremented to a lower threshold. In one embodiment, the accumulator is decremented at a different rate (500) when the output is disabled.