Rapid-Update Adaptive Channel-Equalization Filtering for Digital Radio Receivers, Such as HDTV Receivers

1. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port to which digital samples of said modulating signal are applied, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, and said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter; a bank of coefficient accumulation registers for respectively accumulating the corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter, as those corrections are generated at the output port of said second FIR filter, with the previous values of the corresponding tap weights of said first FIR filter, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said first FIR filter; means for applying said updated tap weights of said first FIR filter to said first FIR filter; and means for delaying the corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter, as those corrections are generated at the output port of said second FIR filter, the resulting delayed corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter being supplied to said bank of coefficient accumulation registers for respective accumulation with corresponding ones of the tap weights of said first FIR filter as previously temporarily stored within said bank of coefficient accumulation registers.

2. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port to which digital samples of said modulating signal are applied, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, and said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter; a digital adder for generating a sum output signal responsive to first and second summand input signals, said corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter being the first summand input signal applied to said digital adder; a first delay line, having a respective input connection to which the sum output signal from said digital adder is applied for supplying updated first FIR filter tap weights, temporarily storing a first number of updated first FIR filter tap weights serially received at its respective input connection, and having an output connection for supplying delayed updated first FIR filter tap weights; a second delay line having a respective input connection for receiving delayed updated first FIR filter tap weights, temporarily storing a second number of updated first FIR filter tap weights serially received at its respective input connection, and having a respective output connection for supplying further delayed updated tap weights of said first FIR filter to said digital adder as the second summand input signal thereto, the first and second numbers having a sum equal to the number of tap weights of said first FIR filter; and means for applying the delayed updated tap weights of said first FIR filter, as supplied from the output connection of said first delay line, to said first FIR filter and to the input connection of said second delay line.

3. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with an adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port to which digital samples of said modulating signal are applied, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, and said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; a digital comparator essentially consisting of a digital subtractor connected for receiving samples of said first FIR filter response as minuend signal, for receiving corresponding samples of an ideal response as subtrahend signal, and generating updated tap weights of said second FIR filter as difference signal samples therefrom; a multiplexer having an output port connected for supplying said digital subtractor said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, having first and second input ports, being conditioned by a control signal thereof having a first value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the first input port thereof, and being conditioned by said control signal thereof having a second value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the second input port thereof; means for generating said control signal for said multiplexer, responding to portions of said channel-equalization filter response to said modulating signal that contain a training signal for generating said first value of said control signal for said multiplexer, but otherwise generating said second value of said control signal for said multiplexer; a memory for reading samples of an ideal training signal free of multipath distortion to said first input port of said multiplexer; and a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples applied to said second input port of said multiplexer.

4. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port to which digital samples of said modulating signal are applied, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, and said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter; and a digital signal processor responding during an initialization procedure to selected ones of pseudo-random sequences included in said modulating signal as training signals for characterizing the reception channel in discrete Fourier transform terms and generating a set of tap weights for said first FIR filter in accordance with an inverse discrete Fourier transform of the discrete Fourier transform characterizing the reception channel, which set of tap weights for said first FIR filter suppresses first FIR filter response to multipath reception.

5. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port and a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the N taps of which first FIR filter are capable of being adaptively weighted simultaneously during periodic updates thereof, the N taps of which second FIR filter are capable of being adaptively weighted simultaneously during periodic updates thereof; first modulating-signal-application means for continually applying the digital samples of said modulating signal to said input port of said first FIR filter, said first FIR filter providing at its said output port digital samples of a first FIR filter response that is an output signal of said channel-equalization filter; a digital comparator connected for comparing the digital samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding digital samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate next-update tap weights for said second FIR filter during periods when said first FIR response is currently to a respective set of N consecutive digital samples of said modulating signal occurring ring after one of said periodic updates of said first FIR filter tap weights; first temporary-storage means for temporarily storing the next-update tap weights for said second FIR filter during each period of their generation and thereafter applying the next-update tap weights for said second FIR filter to respective ones of its said N taps as updated tap weights thereby implementing one of said periodic updates of said second FIR filter tap weights; second modulating-signal-application means for consecutively applying to the input port of said second FIR filter, after each of said periodic updates of said second FIR filter tap weights, the respective set of N consecutive digital samples of said modulating signal occurring after the just previous one of said periodic updates of said first FIR filter tap weights that generated the first FIR filter response from which the updated second FIR filter tap weights were generated by said digital comparator, responsive to which corrections for the tap weights of said first FIR filter are sequentially generated; and means for simultaneously applying the corrections for the tap weights of said first FIR filter after their sequential generation is completed, to respective ones of its said N taps as updated tap weights thereby implementing one of said periodic updates of said first FIR filter tap weights.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 wherein said means for simultaneously applying the corrections for the tap weights of said first FIR filter after their sequential generation is completed comprises: second temporary-storage means for temporarily storing the tap weights of said first FIR filter and accumulating corrections thereto as they are generated; and means for thereafter transferring the corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter in parallel to said first FIR filter, thereby implementing one of said periodic updates of said first FIR filter tap weights.

7. A combination as set forth in claim 6 wherein said means for thereafter transferring the corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter in parallel to said first FIR filter includes therewithin: a bank of "shadow" coefficient registers, connected for receiving said corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter sequentially from said means for temporarily storing the tap weights of said first FIR filter and accumulating corrections thereto, and further connected for transferring the corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter in parallel to said first FIR filter during each of said periodic updates of said first FIR filter tap weights.

8. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second modulating-signal-application means comprises: a digital delay line having its input port connected at the input port of said first FIR filter and having its output port connected to the input port of said second FIR filter for continually applying delayed digital samples of said modulating signal to the input port of said second FIR filter.

9. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second temporary-storage means comprises: a digital adder having a first summand input port for receiving said corrections for the tap weights for said first FIR filter as they are sequentially generated by said second FIR filter, a second summand input port, and a sum output port connected for supplying said corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter sequentially to said bank of "shadow" coefficient registers; and a bank of "former" coefficient registers to which said corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter are sequentially supplied from said sum output port of said digital adder for writing immediately after their previous contents are sequentially read to said second summand input port of said digital adder.

10. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second temporary-storage means comprises: means delaying the corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter, as those corrections are generated at the output port of said second FIR filter, for generating delayed corrections; a digital adder having a first summand input port for receiving said delayed corrections, a second summand input port, and a sum output port connected for supplying said corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter sequentially to said bank of "shadow" coefficient registers; and a bank of "former" coefficient registers to which said corrected tap weights for said first FIR filter are sequentially supplied from said sum output port of said digital adder for writing immediately after their previous contents are sequentially read to said second summand input port of said digital adder.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 7 wherein said second temporary-storage means comprises: a digital adder having a first summand input port for receiving said corrections for the tap weights for said first FIR filter as they are sequentially generated by said second FIR filter, a second summand input port, and a sum output port; a first delay line, having a respective input connection to which the sum output signal from said digital adder is applied for supplying updated first FIR filter tap weights, temporarily storing a first number of updated first FIR filter tap weights serially received at its respective input connection, and having an output connection for supplying delayed updated first FIR filter tap weights; a second delay line having a respective input connection for receiving delayed updated first FIR filter tap weights, temporarily storing a second number of updated first FIR filter tap weights serially received at its respective input connection, and having a respective output connection for supplying further delayed updated tap weights of said first FIR filter to said digital adder as the second summand input signal thereto, the first and second numbers having a sum equal to the number of tap weights of said first FIR filter; and means for applying the delayed updated tap weights of said first FIR filter, as supplied from the output connection of said first delay line, to said first FIR filter and to the input connection of said second delay line.

12. In a digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, an adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter for said modulating signal, which adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter comprises: a clocking generator for generating a first clock signal at a first clocking frequency equal to the rate at which said digital samples of said modulating signal are recovered, for generating a second clock signal at a second clocking frequency that is a (2 L+2N)th submultiple of said first clocking frequency, and for generating a third clock signal at said second clocking frequency that is offset in phase from said second clock signal by (L+N) cycles of said first clocking frequency, N being a positive integer at least several tens and L being a relatively small positive integer, the frequencies and phases of said clock signals being controlled in response to an automatic-frequency-and-phase-control signal; an automatic-frequency-and-phase-control detector responding to said modulating signal for generating said automatic-frequency-and-phase-control signal; a first finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter including a first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by a first address signal received at an address port thereof for being loaded via a coefficient load port thereof, a first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers loaded in parallel from corresponding ones of said "shadow" filter-coefficient registers in said first bank thereof responsive to said third clock signal received at a coefficient transfer command port thereof, a multiple-bit-per-stage, (N-1)-stage, first shift register having a respective input port receptive of said digital samples of said modulating signal and having a plurality (N-1) in number of output ports from respective stages thereof that together comprise N taps, and a first weighted summer for multiplying responses at the N taps of said first shift register by corresponding "working" filtering coefficients temporarily stored in said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers and adding the products to generate a first weighted sum supplied to a first FIR filter response port to provide the response of said adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter; a second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter including a second bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by a second address signal received at an address port thereof for being loaded via a coefficient load port thereof, a second bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers loaded in parallel from corresponding ones of said "shadow" filter-coefficient registers in said second bank thereof responsive to said second clock signal received at a coefficient transfer command port thereof, a multiple-bit-per-stage, (N-1)-stage, second shift register having a respective input port and a plurality (N-1) in number of output ports from respective stages thereof that together comprise N taps, and a second weighted summer for multiplying responses at the N taps of said second shift register by corresponding "working" filtering coefficients temporarily stored in said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers and adding the products to generate a second weighted sum supplied to a second FIR filter response port after a latency of L samples; a digital delay line having an input port connected from the output port of the last stage of said first shift register and having an output port for supplying to the input port of said second shift register after a latency of L samples response to samples received at the input port of said digital delay line; a digital subtractor connected for subtractively combining the digital samples of said first weighted sum with corresponding digital samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate digital samples of a difference output signal applied to the coefficient load port of said second bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers; means, including said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, responsive to a third clock signal for updating the contents of said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers; and an address generator including a counter for counting cycles of said first clock signal to generate a count signal, means for deriving from said count signal successive values of said first address within a prescribed range, beginning from a time L occurrences of said first clock signal later than each occurrence of said second clock signal and ending N occurrences of said first clock signal later, and means for deriving from said count signal successive values of said second address within said prescribed range, from a time L occurrences of said first clock signal later than each occurrence of said third clock signal and ending N occurrences of said first clock signal later.

13. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 12 wherein said means responsive to a third clock signal for updating the contents of said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers further includes: a digital adder having a sum output port and having first and second summand input ports; means for applying to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, at least during times of normal operation, updated first FIR filter coefficients taken from the sum output port of said digital adder; means for supplying a fraction of said second weighted sum to the first summand input port of said digital adder; and a bank of "former" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by said first address signal received at an address port thereof, for reading former filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter from the selected "former" filter-coefficient registers to the second summand input port of said digital adder and then writing them over with said updated filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter.

14. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 13 wherein said means for applying updated filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers comprises: a write multiplexer having an output port connected to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, having a first input port, having a second input port to which the sum output port of said digital adder connects, being conditioned by an applied control signal to reproduce signal supplied to its second input port only during said times of normal operation and to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during other times.

15. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 14 further comprising: a digital signal processor connected for selectively receiving during times of initializing or re-initializing operation portions of said response of said adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter containing known information, said digital signal processor being programmed for calculating starting values of filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter that are applied to said first input port of said write multiplexer, and said digital signal processor being programmed for generating said control signal for said write multiplexer, which control signal conditions said write multiplexer to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during said times of initializing or re-initializing operation.

16. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 15 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

17. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 15 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a memory, periodically read from during portions of said modulating signal the character of which is known, for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

18. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 15 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a further multiplexer having an output port connected for supplying said digital subtractor said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, having first and second input ports, being conditioned by a control signal thereof having a first value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the first input port thereof, and being conditioned by said control signal thereof having a second value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the second input port thereof; means for generating said control signal for said further multiplexer, responding to portions of said channel-equalization filter response to said modulating signal that contain a training signal for generating said first value of said control signal for said further multiplexer, but otherwise generating said second value of said control signal for said further multiplexer; a memory for reading samples of an ideal training signal free of multipath distortion to said first input port of said further multiplexer; and a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples applied to said second input port of said further multiplexer.

19. In a digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, an adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter for said modulating signal, which adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter comprises: a clocking generator for generating a first clock signal at a first clocking frequency equal to the rate at which said digital samples of said modulating signal are recovered, and for generating a second clock signal at a second clocking frequency that is an (L+N)th submultiple of said first clocking frequency, N being a positive integer at least several tens and L being a relatively small positive integer, the frequencies and phases of said clock signals being controlled in response to an automatic-frequency-and-phase-control signal; an automatic-frequency-and-phase-control detector responding to said modulating signal for generating said automatic-frequency-and-phase-control signal; a first finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter including a first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by a first address signal received at an address port thereof for being loaded via a coefficient load port thereof, a first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers loaded in parallel from corresponding ones of said "shadow" filter-coefficient registers in said first bank thereof responsive to said second clock signal received at a coefficient transfer command port thereof, a multiple-bit-per-stage, (N-1)-stage, first shift register having a respective input port receptive of said digital samples of said modulating signal and having a plurality (N-1) in number of output ports from respective stages thereof that together comprise N taps, and a first weighted summer for multiplying responses at the N taps of said first shift register by corresponding "working" filtering coefficients temporarily stored in said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers and adding the products to generate a first weighted sum supplied to a first FIR filter response port to provide the response of said adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter; a second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter including a second bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by a second address signal received at an address port thereof for being loaded via a coefficient load port thereof, a second bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers loaded in parallel from corresponding ones of said "shadow" filter*coefficient registers in said second bank thereof responsive to said second clock signal received at a coefficient transfer command port thereof, a multiple-bit-per-stage, (N-1)-stage, second shift register having a respective input port and a plurality (N-1) in number of output ports from respective stages thereof that together comprise N taps, and a second weighted summer for multiplying responses at the N taps of said second shift register by corresponding "working" filtering coefficients temporarily stored in said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers and adding the products to generate a second weighted sum supplied to a second FIR filter response port after a latency of L samples; a digital delay line having an input port connected from the output port of the last stage of said first shift register and having an output port for supplying to the input port of said second shift register after a latency of L samples response to samples received at the input port of said digital delay line; a digital subtractor connected for subtractively combining the digital samples of said first weighted sum with corresponding digital samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate digital samples of a difference output signal applied to the coefficient load port of said second bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers; means, including said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, responsive to said second clock signal for updating the contents of said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers; and an address generator including a counter for counting cycles of said first clock signal to generate a count signal, means for deriving from said count signal successive values of said first address within a prescribed range, beginning from a time L occurrences of said first clock signal later than each occurrence of said second clock signal and ending N occurrences of said first clock signal later, and means for deriving from said count signal successive values of said second address within said prescribed range, beginning from a time L occurrences of said first clock signal later than each occurrence of said second clock signal and ending N occurrences of said first clock signal later.

20. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 19 wherein said means responsive to a third clock signal for updating the contents of said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers further includes: a digital adder having a sum output port and having first and second summand input ports; means for applying to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, at least during times of normal operation, updated first FIR filter coefficients taken from the sum output port of said digital adder; means for supplying a fraction of said second weighted sum to the first summand input port of said digital adder; and a bank of "former" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by said first address signal received at an address port thereof, for reading former filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter from the selected "former" filter-coefficient registers to the second summand input port of said digital adder and then writing them over with said updated filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter.

21. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 20 wherein said means for applying updated filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers comprises: a write multiplexer having an output port connected to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, having a first input port, having a second input port to which the sum output port of said digital adder connects, being conditioned by an applied control signal to reproduce signal supplied to its second input port only during said times of normal operation and to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during other times.

22. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 21 further comprising: a digital signal processor connected for selectively receiving during times of initializing or re-initializing operation portions of said response of said adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter containing known information, said digital signal processor being programmed for calculating starting values of filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter that are applied to said first input port of said write multiplexer, and said digital signal processor being programmed for generating said control signal for said write multiplexer, which control signal conditions said write multiplexer to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during said times of initializing or re-initializing operation.

23. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 22 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

24. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 22 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a memory, periodically read from during portions of said modulating signal, the character of which portions of said modulating signal is known, for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

25. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 22 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a further multiplexer having an output port connected for supplying said digital subtractor said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, having first and second input ports, being conditioned by a control signal thereof having a first value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the first input port thereof, and being conditioned by said control signal thereof having a second value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the second input port thereof; means for generating said control signal for said further multiplexer, responding to portions of said channel-equalization filter response to said modulating signal that contain a training signal for generating said first value of said control signal for said further multiplexer, but otherwise generating said second value of said control signal for said further multiplexer; a memory for reading samples of an ideal training signal free of multipath distortion to said first input port of said further multiplexer; and a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples applied to said second input port of said further multiplexer.

26. In a digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, an adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter for said modulating signal, which adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter comprises: a clocking generator for generating a first clock signal at a first clocking frequency equal to the rate at which said digital samples of said modulating signal are recovered, for generating a second clock signal at a second clocking frequency that is an Nth submultiple of said first clocking frequency, and for generating a third clock signal at said second clocking frequency that lags said second clock signal by L cycles of said first clocking frequency, N being a positive integer at least several tens and L being a relatively positive integer, the frequencies and phases of said clock signals being controlled in response to an automatic-frequency-and-phase-control signal; an automatic-frequency-and-phase-control detector responding to said modulating signal for generating said automatic-frequency-and-phase-control signal; a first finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter including a first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by a first address signal received at an address port thereof for being loaded via a coefficient load port thereof, a first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers loaded in parallel from corresponding ones of said "shadow" filter-coefficient registers in said first bank thereof responsive to said third clock signal received at a coefficient transfer command port thereof, a multiple-bit-per-stage, (N-1)-stage, first shift register having a respective input port receptive of said digital samples of said modulating signal and having a plurality (N-1) in number of output ports from respective stages thereof that together comprise N taps, and a first weighted summer for multiplying responses at the N taps of said first shift register by corresponding "working" filtering coefficients temporarily stored in said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers and adding the products to generate a first weighted sum supplied to a first FIR filter response port to provide the response of said adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter; a second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filter including a second bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by a second address signal received at an address port thereof for being loaded via a coefficient load port thereof, a second bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers loaded in parallel from corresponding ones of said "shadow" filter-coefficient registers in said second bank thereof responsive to said second clock signal received at a coefficient transfer command port thereof, a multiple-bit-per-stage, (N-1)-stage, second shift register having a respective input port and a plurality (N-1) in number of output ports from respective stages thereof that together comprise N taps, and a second weighted summer for multiplying responses at the N taps of said second shift register by corresponding "working" filtering coefficients temporarily stored in said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers and adding the products to generate a second weighted sum supplied to a second FIR filter response port after a latency of L samples; a first digital delay line having an input port connected from the output port of the last stage of said first shift register and having an output port for supplying to the input port of said second shift register after a latency of L samples response to samples received at the input port of said digital delay line; a digital subtractor connected for subtractively combining the digital samples of said first weighted sum with corresponding digital samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate digital samples of a difference output signal applied to the coefficient load port of said second bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers; means, including said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, responsive to a third clock signal for updating the contents of said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers; and an address generator including a counter for counting cycles of said first clock signal to generate a count signal, means for deriving from said count signal successive values of said first address within a prescribed range, beginning from each occurrence of said third clock signal and ending N occurrences of said first clock signal later, and means for deriving from said count signal successive values of said second address within said prescribed range, beginning from a time L occurrences of said first clock signal later than each occurrence of said third clock signal and ending N occurrences of said first clock signal later.

27. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 26 wherein said means responsive to a third clock signal for updating the contents of said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers further includes: a digital adder having a sum output port and having first and second summarized input ports; means for applying updated first FIR filter coefficients to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, as taken from the sum output port of said digital adder at least during times of normal operation; means for applying to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, at least during times of normal operation, updated first FIR filter coefficients taken from the sum output port of said digital adder; means for supplying to the first summand input port of said digital adder a fraction of said second weighted sum, as delayed by (N-2 L) occurrences of said first clock signal; and a bank of "former" filter-coefficient registers individually selected by said first address signal received at an address port thereof, for reading former filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter from the selected "former" filter-coefficient registers to the second summand input port of said digital adder and then writing them over with said updated filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter.

28. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 27 wherein said means for applying updated filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers comprises: a write multiplexer having an output port connected to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, having a first input port, having a second input port to which the sum output port of said digital adder connects, being conditioned by an applied control signal to reproduce signal supplied to its second input port only during said times of normal operation and to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during other times.

29. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 28 further comprising: a digital signal processor connected for selectively receiving during times of initializing or re-initializing operation portions of said response of said adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter containing known information, said digital signal processor being programmed for calculating starting values of filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter that are applied to said first input port of said write multiplexer, and said digital signal processor being programmed for generating said control signal for said write multiplexer, which control signal conditions said write multiplexer to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during said times of initializing or re-initializing operation.

30. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 29 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

31. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 29 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a memory, periodically read from during portions of said modulating signal, the character of which portions of said modulating signal is known, for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

32. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 29 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a further multiplexer having an output port connected for supplying said digital subtractor said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, having first and second input ports, being conditioned by a control signal thereof having a first value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the first input port thereof, and being conditioned by said control signal thereof having a second value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the second input port thereof; means for generating said control signal for said further multiplexer, responding to portions of said channel-equalization filter response to said modulating signal that contain a training signal for generating said first value of said control signal for said further multiplexer, but otherwise generating said second value of said control signal for said further multiplexer; a memory for reading samples of an ideal training signal free of multipath distortion to said first input port of said further multiplexer; and a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples applied to said second input port of said further multiplexer.

33. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 26 wherein said means responsive to a third clock signal for updating the contents of said first bank of "working" filter-coefficient registers further includes: a digital adder having a sum output port and having first and second summand input ports; means for supplying to the first summand input port of said digital adder a fraction of said second weighted sum; a second digital delay line having an input port connected from the sum output port of said digital adder and having an output port for supplying response to samples received at the input port of said digital delay line after a latency period of 2 L samples; means for applying to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, at least during times of normal operation, updated first FIR filter coefficients taken from the sum output port of said digital adder; and a third digital delay line for supplying updated first FIR filter filtering coefficients to the first summand input port of said digital adder, as delayed by (N-2 L) samples.

34. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 33 wherein said means for applying updated filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers comprises: a write multiplexer having an output port connected to the coefficient load port of said first bank of "shadow" filter-coefficient registers, having a first input port, having a second input port to which the output port of said second digital delay line connects, being conditioned by an applied control signal to reproduce signal supplied to its second input port only during said times of normal operation and to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during other times.

35. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 34 further comprising: a digital signal processor connected for selectively receiving during times of initializing or re-initializing operation portions of said response of said adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter containing known information, said digital signal processor being programmed for calculating starting values of filtering coefficients for said first FIR filter that are applied to said first input port of said write multiplexer, and said digital signal processor being programmed for generating said control signal for said write multiplexer, which control signal conditions said write multiplexer to reproduce signal supplied to its first input port during said times of initializing or re-initializing operation.

36. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 35 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

37. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 35 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a memory, periodically read from during portions of said modulating signal the character of which is known, for generating said corresponding samples of said ideal response.

38. An adaptively-weighted channel-equalization filter as set forth in claim 35 further including means for generating said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, comprising: a further multiplexer having an output port connected for supplying said digital subtractor said corresponding digital samples of said ideal response, having first and second input ports, being conditioned by a control signal thereof having a first value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the first input port thereof, and being conditioned by said control signal thereof having a second value for reproducing at the output port thereof signal received at the second input port thereof; means for generating said control signal for said further multiplexer, responding to portions of said channel-equalization filter response to said modulating signal that contain a training signal for generating said first value of said control signal for said further multiplexer, but otherwise generating said second value of said control signal for said further multiplexer; a memory for reading samples of an ideal training signal free of multipath distortion to said first input port of said further multiplexer; and a quantizer responding to said samples of said first FIR filter response for generating said corresponding samples applied to said second input port of said further multiplexer.

39. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising; first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, wherein the digital samples of said modulating signal are applied in normal time sequence to the input port of said first FIR filter and said first FIR filter responds to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, wherein the digital samples of said modulating signal are applied in delayed normal time sequence to the input port of said second FIR filter and said second FIR filter responds to said modulating signal applied to its said input port in a delayed normal time sequence to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; and a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate samples of an error signal, wherein said samples of said error signal are applied in reverse order of their generation as updated tap weights for successive taps of said second FIR filter.

40. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input to which digital samples of said modulating signal are applied, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port in normal time sequence to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, and said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port in delayed normal time sequence to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter; and serial-to-parallel conversion circuitry, serially receiving the updated tap weights of said second FIR filter as generated by said digital comparator, assembling a set of respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter for each tap thereof, and applying each fully assembled set of respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter in parallel to the taps of said second FIR filter until a next set of respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter for each tap thereof is fully assembled, the respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter in each set thereof being applied in reverse order of their generation to the succeeding taps of said second FIR filter.

41. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port to which digital samples of said modulating signal are applied, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, and said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied to its said input port in normal time sequence to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter; a bank of coefficient accumulation registers for respectively accumulating the corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter, as those corrections are generated at the output port of said second FIR filter, with the previous values of the corresponding tap weights of said first FIR filter, thereby to generate sets of Updated tap weights of said first FIR filter, each said set of updated tap weights of said first FIR filter containing a respective updated tap weight for each tap of said first FIR filter; means for applying said updated tap weights in each said set of updated tap weights of said first FIR filter simultaneously to said first FIR filter after the generation of that set has been completed and before the generation of a next set is begun; and serial-to-parallel conversion circuitry, serially receiving the updated tap weights of said second FIR filter as generated by said digital comparator, assembling a set of respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter for each tap thereof, and applying each fully assembled set of respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter in parallel to the taps of said second FIR filter until a next set of respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter for each tap thereof is fully assembled, the respective updated tap weights of said second FIR filter in each set thereof being applied in reverse order of their generation to the succeeding taps of said second FIR filter.

42. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied in normal time sequence to its said input port to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied in normal time sequence to its said input port to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; and a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter applied in reverse order of their generation to the succeeding taps of said second FIR filter.

43. A combination as set forth in claim 42, wherein said first FIR filter has a direct-form structure.

44. A combination as set forth in claim 43, wherein said second FIR filter has a direct-form structure.

45. A digital radio receiver for recovering digital samples of a modulating signal, in response to a received carrier wave modulated in accordance with a digital signal, which modulating signal is at times subject to undesirable amounts of multipath distortion, in combination with a channel-equalization filter comprising: first and second finite-impulse-response (FIR) filters, each having a respective input port to which digital samples of said modulating signal are applied, each having a respective output port, and each being of an N-tap type, the taps of which are adaptively weighted, said first FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied in normal time sequence to its said input port to generate at its output port an output signal of said channel-equalization filter, said second FIR filter responding to said modulating signal applied in normal time sequence to its said input port to generate at its output port corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter; a digital comparator connected for comparing samples of said first FIR filter response to corresponding samples of an ideal response, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter, thereby to generate updated tap weights of said second FIR filter applied in reverse order of their generation to the succeeding taps of said second FIR filter; a bank of coefficient accumulation registers for respectively accumulating the corrections for updating the tap weights of said first FIR filter, as those corrections are generated at the output port of said second FIR filter, with the previous values of the corresponding tap weights of said first FIR filter, thereby to generate sets of updated tap weights of said first FIR filter, each said set of updated tap weights of said first FIR filter containing a respective updated tap weight for each tap of said first FIR filter; and means for applying said updated tap weights in each said set of updated tap weights of said first FIR filter simultaneously to said first FIR filter after the generation of that set has been completed and before the generation of a next set is begun.

46. A combination as set forth in claim 45, wherein said first FIR filter has a direct-form structure.

47. A combination as set forth in claim 46, wherein said second FIR filter has a direct-form structure.