Efficient digital ITU-compliant zero-buffering DTMF detection using the non-uniform discrete Fourier transform

Computationally efficient DTMF detection methods and apparatus are presented that meet all of the ITU recommendations using the modified non-uniform DFT. The system of the present invention employs a high band filter block and two low band filter blocks to detect power at the 8 DTMF tones. The frame length of the high band filter blocks is one half the length of the low band filter blocks. The frame lengths are chosen to meet the ITU frequency selectivity requirements for all DTMF frequencies. The frames of the two low band filter blocks are staggered to produce outputs alternately, and are aligned with respect to the frame of the high band filter block to produce low band filter block outputs that coincided with the high band filter block outputs without the need for signal buffering. A system of power level tests are employed in conjunction with a system of timing tests to ensure that all ITU timing and frequency constraints are met. The present invention requires no buffering of input samples, and can perform DTMF decoding of 24 telephone channels of a T1 time-division multiplexed communication line, using a single fixed-point commercially available digital signal processor.