Method and apparatus for performing a signal detection and assignment in a wireless communication system

In a code division multiple access wireless communication system, the system including an antenna, a base station multipath signal searcher and a base station transceiver, a method for detecting and assigning a mobile communication signal comprising the steps of:

• receiving a first multipath signal having a first offset energy at a first time offset, the first multipath signal resulting from the mobile communication signal;
• receiving a second multipath signal having a second offset energy at a second time offset, the second multipath signal resulting from the mobile communication signal;
• receiving a third multipath signal having a third offset energy at a third time offset, the third multipath signal resulting from the mobile communication signal;
• generating a first search metric, the first search metric having a first offset index and a first offset energy value, the first offset index corresponding to the first time offset;
• generating a second search metric, the second search metric having a second offset index and a second offset energy value, the second offset index corresponding to the second time offset;
• generating a third search metric, the third search metric having a third offset index and a third offset energy value, the third offset index corresponding to the third time offset;
• sorting the search metrics in descending order of their corresponding offset energy values to yield a sorted search metric set, the sorted search metric set including:
• a first sorted search metric corresponding to the search metric having largest offset energy value, the first sorted search metric having a first sorted offset index;
• a second sorted search metric corresponding to the second largest offset energy value, the second sorted search metric having a second sorted offset index;
• and
• a third sorted search metric corresponding to the third largest offset energy value, the third sorted search metric having a third sorted offset index;
• adding the offset energy value corresponding to the first sorted search metric and a first penalty value to form a first decoding success predictor;
• adding the offset energy value corresponding to the first sorted search metric and the offset energy value corresponding to the second sorted search metric and a second penalty value to form a second decoding success predictor;
• adding the offset energy value corresponding to the first sorted search metric and the offset energy value corresponding to the second sorted search metric and the offset energy value corresponding to the third sorted search metric and a third penalty value to form a third decoding success predictor;
• selecting a maximum decoding success predictor, the maximum decoding success predictor having the highest value;
• directing the base station transceiver to send a message if the maximum decoding success predictor has a value greater than zero;
• selecting the offset indices corresponding to the offset energy values used to calculate the maximum decoding success predictors, to form a detected set of offset indices if the maximum decoding success predictor has a value greater than zero;
• forwarding the detected set of offset indices to the base station transceiver;
• and
• assigning demodulation of the mobile communication signal to occur at the detected set of offset indices.

An effective ray detector for use in a code division multiple access wireless communication system conveying a mobile station signal, the code division multiple access wireless communication system including an antenna, a base station multipath signal searcher for generating a plurality of search metrics from the mobile station signal, and a base station transceiver for demodulating the mobile station signal, the effective ray detector comprising:

• an offset energy sorter adapted to sort a plurality of received search metrics having a corresponding plurality of received offset indices and a corresponding plurality of received offset energy values to yield a plurality of sorted search metrics, the plurality of sorted search metrics having a corresponding plurality of sorted offset indices and a corresponding plurality of sorted offset energy values, the plurality of received offset indices corresponding to a plurality of time offsets of a plurality of multipath signals resulting from the mobile station signal;
• a decoding success predictor calculator adapted to calculate a plurality of decoding success predictors corresponding to a plurality of combinations of the sorted offset energy values, the plurality of decoding success predictors indicating a likelihood of successful mobile station signal demodulation;
• a max decoding success predictor calculator adapted to select a maximum decoding success predictor from the plurality of decoding success predictors, the maximum decoding success predictor having the highest value;
• a decoding success predictor threshold indicator adapted to forward the maximum decoding success predictor if the maximum decoding success predictors has a value greater than zero;
• and
• a winning offset selector adapted to select a subset of the plurality of sorted offset indices corresponding to the plurality of combinations of the sorted offset energy values used to calculate the maximum decoding success predictors to form a detected set of offset indices.