  A new type of nonlinear time series analysis is introduced, based on phases,
which are defined as polar angles in spaces spanned by a finite number of
delayed coordinates. A canonical choice of the polar axis and a related
implicit estimation scheme for the potentially underlying auto-regressive
circle map (next phase map) guarantee the invertibility of reconstructed phase
space trajectories to the original coordinates. The resulting Fourier
approximated, Invertibility enforcing Phase Space map (FIPS map) is well suited
to detect conditional asymptotic stability of coupled phases. This rather
general synchronization criterion unites two existing generalisations of the
old concept and can successfully be applied e.g. to phases obtained from ECG
and airflow recordings characterizing cardio-respiratory interaction.
