Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating channel conditions in a code-division multiple access (CDMA) communication system having a pilot signal and a traffic signal. The apparatus includes a pilot filter for generating channel estimates from the pilot signal and a circuit for reconstructing the traffic information bits after they have been decoded. A predictive channel estimation circuit generates predictive channel estimates from the original traffic signal demodulated by the reconstructed traffic information bits. A demodulator demodulates the traffic signal using the predictive channel estimates and the pilot signal channel estimates. By using the predictive channel estimates that contain signal energy from the traffic signal as a coherent reference, the channel conditions may be estimated more accurately than by using the pilot signal alone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for efficient candidate frequency search while initiating a handoff in a code division multiple access communication system. The method includes when the pilot signal is transmitted by the mobile station that is power controlled to a target receive level, the traffic channel power level is increased relative to the pilot channel to improve receiver performance. An improved feature is that the received pilot received at the base station stays the same while the receiver receives extra energy in the redundant traffic symbols received to enhance the probability of correctly decoding the received frame. The base station detects the absence of the mobile station transmitted signal from the frequency of interest. If the base station is aware of the starting time and duration of the absence, it can focus its detection during this predetermined time period. The performance can be improved if the absence of the signal is spread across two frames at the frame boundary.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating channel conditions in a code-division multiple access (CDMA) communication system having a pilot signal and a traffic signal. The apparatus includes a pilot filter for generating channel estimates from the pilot signal and a circuit for reconstructing the traffic information bits after they have been decoded. A predictive channel estimation circuit generates predictive channel estimates from the original traffic signal demodulated by the reconstructed traffic information bits. A demodulator demodulates the traffic signal using the predictive channel estimates and the pilot signal channel estimates. By using the predictive channel estimates that contain signal energy from the traffic signal as a coherent reference, the channel conditions may be estimated more accurately than by using the pilot signal alone.

Abstract: A method and circuit for adaptively estimating channel conditions of a pilot channel in a wireless communication system. The method includes estimating channel statistics of the pilot channel, and adaptively filtering the pilot channel in response to the estimated channel statistics. The estimation is performed by filtering a channel signal derived from the pilot channel to determine an estimated channel mean and an estimated channel covariance. In order to perform the adaptive filtering, the present invention partitions the pilot channel into one or more time slots and weights each time slot according to the channel statistics. Thus, an advantage of the present invention is that it automatically and continually updates the pilot filter parameters in order to optimize the pilot filter performance over a broad range of channel conditions.

Abstract: A method and circuit for adaptively estimating channel conditions of a pilot channel in a wireless communication system. The method includes estimating channel statistics of the pilot channel, and adaptively filtering the pilot channel in response to the estimated channel statistics. The estimation is performed by filtering a channel signal derived from the pilot channel to determine an estimated channel mean and an estimated channel covariance. In order to perform the adaptive filtering, the present invention partitions the pilot channel into one or more time slots and weights each time slot according to the channel statistics. Thus, an advantage of the present invention is that it automatically and continually updates the pilot filter parameters in order to optimize the pilot filter performance over a broad range of channel conditions.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for estimating channel conditions in a code-division multiple access (CDMA) communication system having a pilot signal and a traffic signal. The apparatus includes a pilot filter for generating channel estimates from the pilot signal and a circuit for reconstructing the traffic information bits after they have been decoded. A predictive channel estimation circuit generates predictive channel estimates from the original traffic signal demodulated by the reconstructed traffic information bits. A demodulator demodulates the traffic signal using the predictive channel estimates and the pilot signal channel estimates. By using the predictive channel estimates that contain signal energy from the traffic signal as a coherent reference, the channel conditions may be estimated more accurately than by using the pilot signal alone.