Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for enhancing signal quality at receivers in a wireless network. In one embodiment, an antenna is selected from a subset of antennas based on a signal quality parameter such as received signal power or signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). In another embodiment, multiple antennas are applied to independent signal processing paths for the respective antennas where output from the paths is then combined to enhance overall signal quality at the receiver.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate monitoring RF channels in a wireless communication environment to determine whether one or more channels comprise a forward-link-only (FLO) signal. A receiver can receive a first RF channel with a FLO signal and can monitor other RF channels for FLO signals. Upon a determination that a monitored RF channel comprises a FLO signal, the receiver can switch between the first RF channel and the monitored RF channel to facilitate providing seamless reception of the FLO signal, which can be superframe synchronized between RF channels. FLO signal detection can be performed using one or more of a wide-area identification channel energy detection protocol and a wide-area overhead information symbol decoding error detection protocol.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate monitoring transmitter performance in a wireless communication environment. A signal analyzer can be used to sample the output of a transmitter and the sampled signal can be propagated to a processor. The processor can generate frequency domain channel estimates for the subcarriers. If the transmitted modulation symbols are unknown, the processor can determine the modulation symbols and use the determined modulation symbols to calculate the channel estimates. The channel estimates can be averaged and used to generate various metrics to evaluate the transmitter performance.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for processing forward link only (FLO) signals. A device receives a FLO signal, processes a TDM pilot comprising a TDM Pilot 1, a TDM Pilot 2, a WIC, a LIC, a Transition Pilot Channel, and a Positioning Pilot, from the FLO signal, processes an overhead information symbol (OIS) comprising a wide-area OIS and a local-area OIS, from the FLO signal, processes an FDM pilot comprising a wide-area FDM pilot and a local-area FDM pilot, from the FLO signal; and processes data comprising wide-area data and local-area data, from the FLO signal.

Abstract: Systems and methodologies are described that facilitate monitoring transmitter performance in a wireless communication environment. If the received modulation symbols are unknown during transmitter monitoring, it may be necessary to determine the modulation symbols for each subcarrier. The modulation types can be evaluated over a subset of subcarriers having a consistent modulation type, to reduce the possibility of an erroneous modulation type determination to an extremely low level. A metric can be generated for each modulation type that indicates the likelihood of a particular modulation type for the subset of subcarriers. The modulation type can be selected based upon the metric and modulation symbols consistent with the modulation type can be used for the subset of subcarriers.

Abstract: According to one aspect of the invention, a method for determining a power control set point is provided. In one embodiment, the power control set point is determined based on one or more factors including a first factor corresponding to a pilot bit error rate, a second factor corresponding to a normalized signal variance, and a third factor corresponding to an average number of fingers in lock.

Abstract: In wireless communications, it is necessary to monitor the transmission quality of communications channels to maintain system performance and operation. The invention provides a way of measuring bit error rates in channels at the receiver, without diminishing channel throughput by inserting quality monitoring data into the signal at the transmitter.

Abstract: A system and method for time diversity uses interleaving. To simplify the operation at both transmitters and receivers, a formula can be used to determine the mapping from slot to interlace at a given OFDM symbol time.

Abstract: A method for positioning a collection window for a Fourier transform function is disclosed. A first orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol and a second OFDM symbol are received. The first OFDM symbol comprises a plurality of frequency division multiplexed (FDM) symbols. The first OFDM symbol is characterized by at least two of the following: a delay spread, a first arriving path (FAP), or a last arriving path (LAP). A channel location is estimated from a channel impulse response. A point relative to the channel location is selected. A beginning of the collection window is positioned for the second OFDM symbol at the selected point. Alternatively, a point is selected at a first location relative to the channel location using a first algorithm if a delay spread is less than a predetermined length. The selected point is chosen at a second location relative to the channel location using a second algorithm if the delay spread is greater than the predetermined length.

Abstract: A method for characterizing a communication channel is disclosed. A detection window is moved through a channel profile to accumulate tap energies in the channel profile within the detection window into an accumulated energy curve. A peak at a maximum in the accumulated energy curve is determined. A band relative to the accumulated energy curve is defined. A first arriving path (FAP) is determined using a trailing edge found near a second end of a zone in the accumulated energy curve. A leading edge is found near a first end of the zone of the accumulated energy curve. The last arriving path (LAP) is determined using the leading edge. The band defines a zone of the accumulated energy curve at or near the maximum that is within the band.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for determining and applying timing corrections in a digital communications system. In an aspect, a timing correction method is provided for a multi-carrier system. This includes aligning two or more symbols with respect to each other from a symbol subset in order to account for timing differences between the symbols. The symbol alignment is first carried out to generate channel estimates for data demodulation. The channel estimates, thus generated, along with the timing alignment information are in turn used for determining timing corrections to be applied to future symbols.

Abstract: Time filtering channel estimates in a wireless communication system, such as an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex (OFDM) system, can be used to improve the quality of channel estimates. The characteristics of an optimal channel estimate time filter can depend on the manner in which the channel estimate is determined as well as the time correlation of channel estimates. A receiver can implement an adaptive time filter for channel estimates in which the time filter response can vary based on channel estimate parameters. The channel estimate parameters can include the manner of determining channel estimates, a time correlation of channel estimates, and an estimated Doppler frequency. The time filter response can be varied continuously over a range of responses or can be varied discretely over a predetermined number of time filter responses.

Abstract: A method for synchronizing timing of a receiver to a received orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal is disclosed. A first timing acquisition is performed with a first received time division multiplexed (TDM) pilot to determine a course timing estimate of the received OFDM signal. A second timing acquisition is performed with a second TDM pilot to determine a fine timing estimate for a OFDM symbol of the received OFDM signal. In the second timing acquisition, the accumulated energy of channel taps over a detection window is determined and a trailing edge of the accumulated energy curve is detected. A Fourier transform (FT) collection window location for subsequent OFDM symbols is adjusted according to the trailing edge information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for wireless communications wherein a base station transmits a signal to sending data to a subscriber station through a signal beam that sweeps through the coverage area of the base station. User data addressed to the subscriber station is buffered until the signal beam angle of the signal beam allows efficient transmission. The base station may alter the beam sweep speed or the shape of the beam's radiation pattern over time to maximize system efficiency and capacity.

Abstract: Techniques for performing frequency control in an OFDM system are described. In one aspect, frequency acquisition is performed based on a received pilot, and frequency tracking is performed based on received OFDM symbols. For frequency acquisition, an initial frequency error estimate may be derived based on the received pilot, and an automatic frequency control (AFC) loop may be initialized with the initial frequency error estimate. For frequency tracking, a frequency error estimate may be derived for each received OFDM symbol, and the AFC loop may be updated with the frequency error estimate. Frequency error in input samples is corrected by the AFC loop with the initial frequency error estimate as well as the frequency error estimate for each received OFDM symbol. In another aspect, a variable number of samples of a received OFDM symbol are selected, e.g., based on the received OFDM symbol timing, for use for frequency error estimation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for transmitting OFDM information via IFFT up-sampling components that transmit data at a higher sampling rate than conventional systems to simplify filter requirements and mitigate leakage between symbols. In one embodiment, an NL point IFFT is performed on a zero inserted set of frequency domain symbols. In another embodiment, the NL point IFFT is further optimized by exploiting the fact that (N?1) L of the frequency domain symbols are zero. This enables an embodiment that consists of a pre-processor that multiplies the input samples by complex phase factors, followed by L point IFFTs.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for tracking and compensating for analog gain mismatches or changes in a receiver. In an embodiment, a method is provided to track analog gain step magnitudes during operation of a device. The method includes employing an error signal between an automatic gain control (AGC) output and a reference level as input to a gain step magnitude tracking component. This also includes determining at least one compensation value from the AGC output to update a nominal gain step magnitude that tracks an actual gain step magnitude.

Abstract: A method for determining a communication channel location is disclosed. A first subset of a plurality of channel impulse responses is averaged over a first time period to produce a first filtered channel impulse response, and a second subset of the plurality of channel impulse responses is averaged over a second time period to produce a second filtered channel impulse response. The second time period is different from the first time period, and the second subset is different from the first subset. The communication channel location is determined using the first filtered channel impulse response and the second filtered channel impulse response.

Abstract: Techniques for performing frequency control using dual-loop automatic frequency control (AFC) are described. The dual-loop AFC includes an inner loop that corrects short-term frequency variations (e.g., due to Doppler effect) and an outer loop that corrects long-term frequency variations (e.g., due to component tolerances and temperature variations). In one design, a first inner loop is implemented for frequency control of a first system (e.g., a broadcast system), a second inner loop is implemented for frequency control of a second system (e.g., a cellular system), and at least one outer loop is implemented for adjusting a reference frequency used to receive signals from the first and second systems. Each inner loop estimates and corrects the frequency error in an input signal for the associated system and may be enabled when receiving the input signal from the system. The reference frequency may be used for frequency downconversion, sampling and/or other purposes.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for estimating the frequency of a sleep or slow clock by selectively utilizing an estimated sleep clock frequency and an estimated change in the sleep clock frequency. The disclosed apparatus includes a sleep clock frequency estimator to output a fast clock derived sleep clock frequency estimate and a sleep clock change frequency estimator to output an estimate of a change in frequency of the sleep clock. The apparatus further includes a combiner that weights at least one of the fast clock derived sleep clock frequency estimate to obtain a weighted sleep clock frequency estimate and the estimate of the change in frequency of the sleep clock to obtain a weighted estimate of the change in frequency of the sleep clock. The combiner also determines a new estimate of the sleep clock frequency using at least one of the weighted sleep clock frequency estimate and the weighted estimate of the change in frequency of the sleep clock. Complementary methods are also disclosed.