Communications system and method for measuring short-term and long-term channel characteristics

A receiver for compensating for an interferer signal in a received signal comprising:

• a radio processor for filtering the received signal;
• a demodulator coupled to the radio processor for demodulating the filtered received signal;
• and
• a channel quality estimator coupled to the demodulator for determining a channel characteristic based on instantaneous noise values of the received signal for controlling the demodulation of the received signal to compensate for the interferer signal responsive to the channel characteristic.

A mobile terminal for use in a mobile communications system comprising:

• a receiver for receiving a signal comprising a desired signal and an interferer signal;
• a radio processor for filtering the signal;
• a demodulator coupled to the radio processor for demodulating the filtered signal;
• and
• a channel quality estimator coupled to the demodulator for determining a channel characteristic based on instantaneous noise values of the signal for controlling the demodulation of the signal such that the desired signal is extracted by compensating for the interferer signal responsive to the channel characteristic.

A base station for use in a mobile communications system comprising:

• a base station receiver for receiving signals comprising a desired signal and an interferer signal;
• a radio processor for filtering the received signals;
• a demodulator coupled to the radio processor for demodulating the filtered signals;
• and
• a channel quality estimator coupled to the demodulator for determining a channel characteristic based on instantaneous noise values of the signals for controlling the demodulation of the signals such that the desired signal is extracted by compensating for the interferer signal responsive to the channel characteristic.

A receiver for compensating for an interferer signal in a received signal comprising:

• a radio processor for filtering the received signal;
• a selector coupled to the radio processor;
• a single user demodulator coupled to the selector and adapted for demodulating the received signal comprising little or no interferer signal, for demodulating the filtered received signal;
• a multiuser demodulator coupled to the selector and adapted for demodulating the received signal comprising the interferer signal, for demodulating the filtered received signal;
• and
• a channel quality estimator coupled to the radio processor, the selector and the single user demodulator, for determining a channel characteristic based on instantaneous noise values of the received signal as demodulated by the single user demodulator, and for controlling the selector to select one of the single user demodulator and the multiuser demodulator for demodulating the received signal to compensate for the interferer signal responsive to the channel characteristic.

A receiver for compensating for an interferer signal in a received signal comprising:

• a radio processor for filtering the received signal;
• a single user demodulator coupled to the radio processor and adapted for demodulating the received signal comprising little or no interferer signal, for demodulating the filtered received signal;
• a multiuser demodulator coupled to the radio processor and adapted for demodulating the received signal comprising the interferer signal, for parallel demodulation of the filtered received signal;
• a combiner coupled to the single user demodulator and to the multiuser demodulator, having a combiner output node;
• and
• a channel quality estimator coupled to the single user demodulator and to the combiner, for determining a channel characteristic based on instantaneous noise values of the received signal as demodulated by the single user demodulator, and for controlling the combiner to select one of the signals provided by the single user demodulator and the multiuser demodulator to be provided at the combiner output node responsive to the channel characteristic to compensate for the interferer signal.

A receiver for compensating for an interferer signal in a received signal comprising:

• a radio processor for filtering the received signal;
• a selector coupled to the radio processor;
• a single user demodulator coupled to the selector and adapted for demodulating the received signal comprising little or no interferer signal, for demodulating the filtered received signal;
• a multiuser demodulator coupled to the selector and adapted for demodulating the received signal comprising the interferer signal, for demodulating the filtered received signal;
• and
• a switched time estimator coupled to the radio processor and the selector for determining which portion of the received signal contains a dominant interferer signal and which portion of the received signal does not contain a dominant interferer signal, and for controlling the selector to select one of the single user demodulator and the multiuser demodulator for demodulating the received signal to compensate for the interferer signal responsive to a portion of the received signal, if any, containing a dominant interferer signal.