Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for demodulating orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) modulated signals. In particular, this invention relates to methods for in-phase (I) and quadrature phase (Q) imbalance compensation in OFDM systems. For example, the present invention relates to methods for calculating an IQ imbalance compensated signal from a received signal, comprising the steps of: removing DC from the received signal; calculating an autocorrelation matrix of IQ signal vector of the received signal; estimating IQ imbalance compensation values, K1 and K2, as a function of an amplitude imbalance, g, and a phase imbalance, ?; and calculating an IQ compensated signal as a function of the estimated K1 and K2.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-branch equalizer processing module operable to cancel interference associated with received radio frequency (RF) burst(s). This multi-branch equalizer processing module includes both a first equalizer processing branch and a second equalizer processing branch. The first equalizer processing branch is operable to be trained based upon known training sequences and equalize the received RF burst. This results in soft samples or decisions which in turn may be converted to data bits. The soft samples are processed with a de-interleaver and channel decoder, where the combination is operable to produce a decoded frame of data bits from the soft samples. A re-encoder may re-encode the decoded frame to produce re-encoded or at least partially re-encoded data bits. An interleaver then processes the at least partially re-encoded data bits to produce and at least partially re-encoded burst.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods for determining symbol timing shift for a received signal, comprising the steps of: demodulating a received signal; removing a phase reference sequence from the demodulated signal to generate a channel frequency response; converting said channel frequency response to the time domain to generate a channel impulse response; determining a detection threshold; determining a first path and a last path as a function of the detection threshold; and calculating a timing shift as a function of the first path and the last path.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods for determining coarse symbol timing and mode detection by using CP correlation-based techniques. In particular, this invention relates to methods for determining symbol timing, frame timing, and system mode for signal acquisition, comprising the steps of: detecting symbol timing and system mode based on cyclic prefix correlation; and determining a null symbol as a function of a pre-defined number of consecutive symbols and using said null symbol to determine frame timing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for TPS demodulation, frame boundary detection, and TPS decoding. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for finding a frame boundary in demodulating an OFDM signal, comprising the steps of: differentially demodulating each symbol to generate differentially demodulated symbol bits; and finding a sync word position when the scatter pilot position equals zero, wherein the sync word position is set as the frame boundary.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided to reduce the effects of impulse noise in decoding a received OFDM signal by reducing the bit error number in burst error positions and by reducing the impulse noise contribution to channel estimation. In order to reduce the performance degradation due to impulse noise, it is important to find the position or the OFDM symbol where impulse noise occurs. The high noise variance gain can then be used for a Viterbi decoder to reduce the bit error number in burst error position, and also to reduce the contribution of the channel estimation by impulse noise in future channel estimations. Accordingly, the performance of the system can be greatly improved.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for coarse frequency offset estimation, where those methods may comprise the steps of: removing fading channel impact by calculating accumulated correlation values; removing CCI and phase rotation due to large sampling offset by calculating an accumulation metric as a function of the accumulated correlation values, CCI peak, and initial sampling offset, ?; and finding the coarse frequency offset as a function of the accumulation metric.

Abstract: A method to perform DC compensation on a Radio Frequency (RF) burst transmitted between a servicing base station and a wireless terminal in a cellular wireless communication system that first receives the RF burst modulated according to either a first or second modulation format. Samples from the RF burst, or taken from the training sequence, are produced and averaged to produce a DC offset estimate. The DC offset estimate is then subtracted from each of the samples. The modulation format of RF burst may then be identified from the samples. Depending on the identified modulation format the DC offset estimate may be re-added to the samples when a particular modulation format is identified as the modulation format of the RF burst. This decision is made based on how well various components within the wireless terminal perform DC offset compensation.

Abstract: A method to perform DC compensation on a Radio Frequency (RF) burst transmitted between a servicing base station and a wireless terminal in a cellular wireless communication system that first receives the RF burst modulated according to either a first or second modulation format. Samples from the RF burst, taken from the training sequence, are produced and averaged to produce a DC offset estimate. The DC offset estimate is then subtracted from each of the samples. The modulation format of RF burst may then be identified from the samples. Depending on the identified modulation format, the DC offset estimate may be re-added to the samples when a particular modulation format is identified as the modulation format of the RF burst. This decision is made based on how well various components within the wireless terminal perform DC offset compensation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-branch equalizer processing module operable to cancel interference associated with received radio frequency (RF) burst(s). This multi-branch equalizer processing module includes both a first equalizer processing branch and a second equalizer processing branch. The first equalizer processing branch is operable to be trained based upon known training sequences and equalize the received RF burst. This results in soft samples or decisions which in turn may be converted to data bits. The soft samples are processed with a de-interleaver and channel decoder, where the combination is operable to produce a decoded frame of data bits from the soft samples. A re-encoder may re-encode the decoded frame to produce re-encoded or at least partially re-encoded data bits. An interleaver then processes the at least partially re-encoded data bits to produce and at least partially re-encoded burst.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods for selecting the coarse frequency offset estimation in an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing system that may include: searching within a predefined subset for a set of frequency offset candidates; selectively searching outside the predefined subset for additional frequency offset candidates; and combining one or more ICDC method and CIR based method to select the coarse frequency offset.

Abstract: The modulation format of a data block (frame) received from a servicing base station by a wireless terminal in a cellular wireless communication system is identified. This involves first receiving several radio frequency (RF) bursts of one data block (frame) from the servicing base station. The RF burst carries a number of modulated symbols. The training sequence is extracted from the RF burst and is made of a number of modulated symbols. The training sequences are first processed assuming a first modulation format to produce a first accumulated channel energy. Then, the training sequences are processed assuming a second modulation format to produce a second accumulated channel energy. The first and second accumulated channel energies are compared to determine which accumulated channel energy is greater. The modulation format of the data block is identified as the modulation format corresponding to the greater accumulated channel energy.

Abstract: RF communications received by a wireless terminal from a servicing base station are used to determine the BEP. These RF communications may be in the form of RF bursts that are part of a data frame. The signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the RF burst is determined and a sequence of soft decisions from the RF burst are extracted. The SNR maps to an estimated BEP based upon the modulation format and coding scheme of the RF burst. The soft decisions decode to produce a data block. When the soft decisions decoded favorably, the re-encoded data block produces a sequence of re-encoded decisions. Comparing the re-encoded decisions to the soft decisions yields a re-encoded bit error (RBER). When the decoding is unsuccessful, the BEP is estimated only upon the estimated BEP derived from the SNR. Otherwise, both the estimated BEP and RBER may be used to determine the BEP.

Abstract: Determining whether a first wireless terminal may transmit on an uplink to a servicing base station in a cellular wireless communication system includes first receiving a plurality of a Radio Frequency (RF) bursts at a wireless terminal from a servicing base station. These RF bursts carry a data block containing both Uplink Status Flag (USF) bits and Data bits. Data bits may or may not be intended for the receiving wireless terminal. The RF bursts are processed to produce the data block in an encoded format. This data block is then partially decoded to extract the USF bits when the data bits are not intended for the receiving wireless terminal. These USF bits determine when the receiving wireless terminal can transmit or uplink to the servicing base station. The partial decoding may be halted once the USF bits have been extracted from the received data block to reduce power consumption and processing requirements.

Abstract: A method to perform DC compensation on a Radio Frequency (RF) burst transmitted between a servicing base station and a wireless terminal in a cellular wireless communication system that first receives the RF burst modulated according to either a first or second modulation format. Samples from the RF burst, or taken from the training sequence, are produced and averaged to produce a DC offset estimate. The DC offset estimate is then subtracted from each of the samples. The modulation format of RF burst may then be identified from the samples. Depending on the identified modulation format, the DC offset estimate may be re-added to the samples when a particular modulation format is identified as the modulation format of the RF burst. This decision is made based on how well various components within the wireless terminal perform DC offset compensation.

Abstract: A wireless receiver includes a local oscillator, a mixer, a band pass filter, a DC offset determination module, a DC offset correction module, a subtraction module, and a down converter. The local oscillator produces a local oscillation that a mixer uses to down convert the RF information signal to produce a Very Low Intermediate Frequency (VLIF) information signal at a VLIF and having a DC offset. The band pass filter band pass filters the VLIF information signal. The DC offset determination module produces a DC offset indication for the VLIF information signal. The DC offset correction module generates a DC offset correction based upon the DC offset indication. The subtraction module subtracts the DC offset correction from the VLIF information signal to substantially remove a DC offset of the post-filtered VLIF information signal. The down converter down converts the VLIF information signal to a baseband information signal.

Abstract: A method to perform adaptive channel filtering on a Radio Frequency (RF) bursts in a cellular wireless communication system. This method first filters an input signal with a first stage filter having a first bandwidth to produce a first stage output signal. Then the first stage output signal is filtered with a second stage filter having a second bandwidth narrower than that of the first stage filter to produce a multi-stage output signal. A comparison between first stage performance measurements and multi-stage performance measurements determine the mode of operation of the adaptive multistage filter. A first mode of operation, selected when the first stage performance measurement compares favorably with the second stage performance measurement, selects the output of the first stage filter as the output of the multi-stage filter. Otherwise, a second mode of operation selects the output of the second stage filter as the output of the multi-stage filter.

Abstract: A method to perform adaptive channel filtering on a Radio Frequency (RF) bursts in a cellular wireless communication system. This method first filters an input signal with a first stage filter having a first bandwidth to produce a first stage output signal. Then the first stage output signal is filtered with a second stage filter having a second bandwidth narrower than that of the first stage filter to produce a multi-stage output signal. A comparison between first stage performance measurements and multi-stage performance measurements determine the mode of operation of the adaptive multistage filter. A first mode of operation, selected when the first stage performance measurement compares favorably with the second stage performance measurement, selects the output of the first stage filter as the output of the multi-stage filter. Otherwise, a second mode of operation selects the output of the second stage filter as the output of the multi-stage filter.

Abstract: A baseband processing module according to the present invention includes a multi-path scanner module. The multi-path scanner module is operable to receive timing and scrambling code information regarding an expected multi-path signal component of a WCDMA signal. Then, the multi-path scanner module is operable to identify a plurality of multi-path signal components of the WCDMA signal by descrambling, despreading and correlating a known symbol pattern of/with a baseband RX signal within a search window. The multi-path scanner module is operable to determine timing information for the plurality of multi-path signal components of the WCDMA signal found within the search window and to pass this information to a coupled rake receiver combiner module.

Abstract: This invention provides channel dispersion estimation algorithm(s). This channel dispersion estimation algorithm(s) may be implemented within a channel length estimation module of a single-branch or multi-branch equalizer processing module that enables interference cancellation when the channel length or channel delay spread associated with received radio frequency (RF) bursts compares unfavorably to predetermined thresholds. The channel dispersion estimation algorithm identifies when the radio frequency (RF) bursts have a channel length or channel delay spread that can affect receiver performance. The channel length estimation module may disable interference cancellation in response to such a channel length or channel delay spread. Additionally, the channel length estimation module may adjust the number of equalizer states for the single-branch or first branch of a multi-branch equalizer based the channel length or channel delay spread.