1. A method of extracting information from a signal, the signal having properties which vary with respect to time, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a signal, the signal including a finite number of component signals, the component signals in combination defining the signal, (b) analyzing the signal to determine the component signals, the analysis comprising the steps of: (1) defining a signal analysis sample interval, the signal analysis sample interval being within a boundary, wherein at least one component signal is included within the signal analysis sample interval, (2) transforming the signal over the signal analysis sample interval using a transform method to produce a transform of the signal comprising transform coefficients, (3) fitting a function having real and imaginary parameters to a number of transform coefficients to determine a best fit function within the signal analysis sample interval, and (4) performing a mathematical operation on the best fit function to yield parameter information within the signal analysis sample interval, and (c) extracting at least one parameter resulting from the mathematical operation, the parameter representing a characteristic of a component signal.