Patent 7154971 was granted and assigned to COMSAT on December, 2006 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A digitally implemented demodulator (FIG. 1) produces initial detection estimates (180) and transition estimates (23) of symbols sampled in the range lying between 1 and 2 complex samples per symbols of the received carrier (14I), (14Q). In the case of detection estimate, the second-occurring of the two estimated values is selected as the correct value when there are two samples in the symbol interval. In the case the transition time estimate, the first-occurring of the two estimated values is selected as the correct timing estimate.