Abstract: Channel response and impairment correlation estimates are iteratively determined. According to one embodiment of performing channel estimation for use in received signal processing, a channel response estimate is calculated based on an initial impairment correlations estimate and a measured channel response derived from a received signal. A revised impairment correlations estimate is calculated using a parametric approach based on the channel response estimate and the channel response estimate is recalculated based on the revised impairment correlations estimate. According to one embodiment of a wireless communication device, the device comprises a parameter estimation unit configured to iteratively calculate a medium channel response estimate based on a parametric impairment correlations estimate and a measured net channel response derived from a received signal.

Abstract: A pilot channel signal for time-division multiplexing with one or more traffic channel signals in a broadcast/multi-cast signal and for code-division multiplexing with a continuously transmitted pilot channel signal is described. In an exemplary method for transmitting a broadcast/multicast signal, a pilot symbol sequence is obtained for each slot of one or more frames of the broadcast/multicast signal, so that the pilot symbol sequence varies for each slot of a given frame. The pilot symbol sequence for each slot is spread with a channelization code, and the spread pilot symbol sequence for each slot is scrambled, using a scrambling code, to form a first pilot channel signal. The first pilot channel signal is transmitted so that it is time-division multiplexed with one or more traffic channel signals transmitted during each slot and code-division multiplexed with a second pilot channel signal transmitted during all slots of the one or more frames.

Abstract: A method and corresponding circuit for determining a final result for a desired series of multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) operations are based on counting the occurrence of products in the desired series of MAC operations, multiplying the counts by their corresponding products to obtain partial sums, and adding the partial sums to obtain the final result. MAC processing as taught herein can be applied to a wide range of applications, such as received signal processing in wireless communication for computationally efficient (and high-rate) generation of interference correlation estimates and/or equalization filter values for a received communication signal.

Abstract: A base station is described herein that uses a root spreading code based code assignment to transmit signals to a mobile station. The mobile station can then suppress intra-block interference by effectively using a joint detection technique or a non-linear equalization technique to detect the transmitted symbols.

Abstract: According to one embodiment taught herein, a method of determining impairment correlations between a plurality of delays of interest for a received CDMA signal comprises generating kernel functions as samples of a net channel response of the received CDMA signal taken at defined chip sampling phases for delay differences between the plurality of delays of interest. In a parametric Generalized Rake (G-Rake) receiver embodiment, the delays of interest represent the delay positions of the fingers being used to characterized received signal. In a chip equalizer receiver embodiment, the delays of interest represent the delay positions of the equalizer taps. The method continues with determining impairment correlations based on convolving the kernel functions.

Abstract: According to the teachings presented herein, a method and apparatus for communication signal processing advantageously use a mix of parametric and non-parametric correlation estimation in communication signal processing. Non-parametric estimation generates an “overall” correlation estimate for a received communication signal, and parametric estimation generates a “component” correlation estimate. The component correlation estimate is removed from the overall correlation estimate to form a partial correlation estimate that is used to process the received communication signal at least initially, such as in a pre-equalization stage. The overall and component correlation estimates are generated as impairment and/or data correlation estimates.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for suppressing both own-cell and other-cell interference in the processing of multiple signals of interest in a received composite signal. In an exemplary embodiment of the methods disclosed herein, combining weights for each of a first plurality of signals of interest in a composite information signal are computed, based on first shared signal correlation data computed from the composite information signal. A reduced-interference composite signal is calculated from the composite information signal, using, for instance, subtractive interference cancellation or interference projection techniques. Combining weights for processing each of a second plurality of signals of interest are computed as a function of second shared signal correlation data corresponding to the reduced-interference composite signal. Corresponding apparatus, including G-Rake and chip equalizer embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: According to the teachings presented herein, “spreading code” knowledge is used in forming amplitude references for QAM demodulation in a DS-CDMA receiver. Here, “spreading code” broadly refers to spreading/channelization codes, scrambling codes, or the product of such codes. Further, these teachings apply to any linear DS-CDMA demodulator, such as Rake, Generalized Rake (G-Rake), or chip equalizer, and to nonlinear demodulators that employ linear filtering, such as decision feedback equalizers (DFEs). Advantageously, the determination of symbol-specific amplitude references relies on shared correlation estimates and/or shared combining weights that are common to two or more symbols of interest, thereby significantly reducing processing requirements as compared to the use of symbol-specific impairment correlation estimates.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining an impairment covariance matrix for use in an interference-suppressing CDMA receiver are disclosed. In several of the disclosed embodiments, precise information regarding signal propagation delays is not needed. An exemplary method includes the selection of a plurality of processing delays for processing a received CDMA signal. Net channel coefficients for the processing delays are estimated and used to calculate an impairment covariance matrix. The impairment covariance matrix is calculated as a function of the estimated net channel coefficients and the processing delays, without estimating a propagation medium channel response for the received signal.

Abstract: A linear turbo-equalizer for use in a CDMA receiver equalizes a despread received signal (rather than the spread received signal) to suppress self-interference resulting from coupling between transmitted symbols. In an example implementation, a linear equalizer based on a generalized-Rake (G-Rake) receiver design uses decoder feedback in forming Rake combining weights as well as in forming a self-interference estimate removed from the equalizer signal provided to the decoder. Preferably, turbo de-coding is also performed. In that case, each turbo-decoder component preferably executes one pass before feeding back information to the equalizer. This ensures that the turbo-decoder does not prematurely lock onto an incorrect code word before feeding back extrinsic information to the equalizer.

Abstract: A Direct-Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) receiver and method of allocating probing correlators and combining correlators (fingers). A front-end processor converts received radio signals to baseband samples. Based on average path strengths, a controller adaptively allocates probing correlators to signal paths to de-spread certain received signals. Based on path power estimates, the controller adaptively allocates combining correlators to signal paths. The allocations may be made to minimize the total received power at the receiver, or to achieve acceptable performance for all users.

Abstract: A system and method for adapting a broadcast service in a cellular communication network. A base station receives indications of channel quality from registered users of the broadcast service, and adapts broadcast transmission parameters to improve channel quality for the broadcast users if at least one of the broadcast users indicates that channel quality needs to be improved. If none of the broadcast users indicates that channel quality needs to be improved, the base station adapts the transmission parameters to decrease channel quality for the broadcast users. The transmission parameters may be adapted by techniques such as changing the broadcast transmit power, changing the level of FEC encoding and modulation, changing the number of channel resources allocated, or changing the transmission data rate for the broadcast service.

Abstract: Where two or more multi-valued digital data symbols are modulated so that they overlap after passing through a channel, forming a combined signal, a receiver receives the combined signal and forms detection statistics to attempt to recover the symbols. Where forming detection statistics does not completely separate the symbols, each statistic comprises a different mix of the symbols. A receiver determines the symbols which, when mixed in the same way, reproduce or explain the statistics most closely. For example, the receiver hypothesizes all but one of the symbols and subtracts the effect of the hypothesized symbols from the mixed statistics. The remainders are combined and quantized to the nearest value of the remaining symbol. For each hypothesis, the remaining symbol is determined. A metric is then computed for each symbol hypothesis including the so-determined remaining symbol, and the symbol set producing the best metric is chosen as the decoded symbols.

Abstract: Teachings presented herein combine the relative simplicity of equalization with the performance of maximum likelihood (ML) processing. These teachings are applied to the detection of symbols in a stream of symbol blocks. In one or more embodiments, block-based equalization, including feedforward filtering, suppresses inter-block interference and produces detection statistics for the symbols in each symbol block, and joint detection addresses intra-block interference by jointly detecting the most likely combination of symbols within each symbol block, based on the corresponding detection statistics. The joint detection obviates the need to address intra-block interference within the equalization filters, while, at the same time, the block-based equalization produces detection statistics for each symbol block thereby simplifying the joint detection process.

Abstract: Teachings presented herein offer the performance advantages of sequence estimation for received signal symbol detection, while simultaneously providing potentially significant reductions in computational overhead. Initial demodulation of a received signal identifies a reduced number of candidate symbol values for all or a subset of a sequence of symbols represented in a received signal. A sequence estimation process, e.g., an MLSE process, constrains its state spaces to the reduced number of candidate symbols values, rather than considering all possible symbol values.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the transmit power of a mobile device in a mobile communication network takes the level of self-interference into account to perform inner-loop power control. For normal inner-loop power control, a signal quality estimate is compared to a signal quality target and power control commands are generated based on the comparison. When self-interference is the dominant impairment in the received signal, a “fast break” is introduced to change inner-loop power control command generation.

Abstract: The teachings presented herein improve the processing of individual signals of interest included in a received composite signal by computing combining weights and/or signal quality estimates for each signal of interest, e.g., for linear equalization, based on either shared or non-shared correlation estimates. As a non-limiting advantage, the use of shared correlation estimates reduces computational loading as compared to the processing load that would be needed for computing non-shared correlation estimates for all signals of interest. As a further non-limiting advantage, the conditional use of shared and non-shared correlation estimates provides for the use of non-shared correlation estimates where signal characteristic(s) of one or more of the signals of interest warrant such usage, e.g., for one or more high-rate signals of interest.

Abstract: Exemplary received signal processing may be based on maintaining a model of received signal impairment correlations, wherein each term of the model is updated periodically or as needed based on measuring impairments for a received signal of interest. An exemplary model comprises an interference impairment term scaled by a first model fitting parameter, and a noise impairment term scaled by a second model fitting parameters. The model terms may be maintained based on current channel estimates and delay information and may be fitted to measured impairment by adapting the model fitting parameters based on the measured impairment. The modeled received signal impairment correlations may be used to compute RAKE combining weights for received signal processing, or to compute Signal-to-Interference (SIR) estimates. Combined or separate models may be used for multiple received signals. As such, the exemplary modeling is extended to soft handoff, multiple antennas, and other diversity situations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus derives an impairment correlation matrix to process signals received at a wireless receiver over multiple paths of a multi-path channel. The receiver includes first and second impairment correlation estimators for estimating first and second impairment correlation matrices based on despread symbols received over multiple paths of a multi-path channel. The receiver then derives the impairment correlation matrix based on the estimated first and second impairment correlation matrices. The receiver may combine traffic despread values to suppress interference using weighting factors calculated based on the derived impairment correlation matrix. Further, the receiver may estimate a signal-to-interference ratio based on the derived impairment correlation matrix.

Abstract: As taught herein channelization code power estimates are generated for a number of data channels in a received CDMA signal based on a joint determination process. Joint processing in this context yields improved estimation of data channel code powers and corresponding estimations of noise variance. These improvements arise from exploitation of joint processing of measured data value correlations across two or more data channel codes represented in the received signal. In one or more embodiments, joint determination of data channel code powers comprises forming a correlation matrix as a weighted average of correlations determined for a plurality of data channels. In one or more other embodiments, joint determination of data channel code powers comprises jointly fitting the correlation matrices for a plurality of data channels in a least squares error estimation process.