Patent attributes
In a frequency analysis system, such as a signal detection system or a spectrum analyzer, the frequency domain resolution is enhanced by compression and decompression of the signal samples. The limited capacity of the data storage and/or data transfer resources limit the number of samples that can be stored or transferred. A compressor forms a compressed signal prior to data transfer or storage. A decompressor decompresses the compressed signal prior to transformation to the frequency domain, by a fast Fourier transform or other frequency domain transform. The frequency domain resolution is enhanced because more decompressed samples are available for the frequency domain transform. The compressor and decompressor apply computationally efficient algorithms that can be implemented to operate in real time.