System and Method for Joint Maximal Ratio Combining Using Time-Domain Based Signal Processing

A method for radio communication between a first communication device and a second communication device, comprising:

• a. generating a transmit filter vector for processing a signal to be transmitted from the first communication device to the second communication device, the transmit filter vector comprised of a plurality of transmit filter sub-vectors defining one or more complex weights associated with a transmit tapped-delay line filter, each transmit filter sub-vector associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of antennas of the first communication device and having a length corresponding to the number taps of the associated transmit tapped-delay line filter;
• b. applying the transmit filter vector to a signal to be transmitted from the first communication device to the second communication device;
• c. generating a receive filter matrix from a signal received by the plurality of antennas of the first communication device from the second communication device, the receive filter matrix comprised of a plurality of sub-matrices each being a convolution matrix derived from a receive filter sub-vector, wherein each receive filter sub-vector defines one or more complex weights associated with a receive tapped-delay line filter process for the each of the plurality of antennas of the first communication device;
• d. computing a principal eigenvector of a product of the receive filter matrix and a Hermitian of the receive filter matrix, the principal eigenvector comprised of a plurality of sub-vectors each having a length corresponding to the number of taps of the transmit tapped-delay line filter process of the first communication device;
• and
• e. updating from the plurality of sub-vectors of the principal eigenvector the plurality of transmit filter sub-vectors.

A medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, perform a method comprising the steps of:

• a. generating a transmit filter vector for processing a signal to be transmitted from a first communication device to a second communication device, the transmit filter vector comprised of a plurality of transmit filter sub-vectors defining one or more complex weights associated with a transmit tapped-delay line filter, each transmit filter sub-vector associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of antennas of the first communication device and having a length corresponding to the number taps of the associated transmit tapped-delay line filter;
• b. applying the transmit filter vector to a signal to be transmitted from the first communication device to the second communication device;
• c. generating a receive filter matrix from a signal received by the plurality of antennas of the first communication device from the second communication device, the receive filter matrix comprised of a plurality of sub-matrices each being a convolution matrix derived from a receive filter sub-vector, wherein each receive filter sub-vector defines one or more complex weights associated with a receive tapped-delay line filter process for the each of the plurality of antennas of the first communication device;
• d. computing a principal eigenvector of a product of the receive filter matrix and a Hermitian of the receive filter matrix, the principal eigenvector comprised of a plurality of sub-vectors each having a length corresponding to the number of taps of the transmit tapped-delay line filter process of the first communication device;
• and
• e. updating from the plurality of sub-vectors of the principal eigenvector the plurality of transmit filter sub-vectors.

A semiconductor device comprising a plurality of gates configured to implement:

• a. a plurality of transmit tapped delay-line filters, each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of antennas;
• b. a plurality of receive tapped delay-line filters, each associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas;
• c. one or more computation blocks that:
• i. generate a transmit filter vector for processing a signal to be transmitted to another communication device, the transmit filter vector comprised of a plurality of transmit filter sub-vectors defining one or more complex weights associated with the transmit tapped-delay line filter, each transmit filter sub-vector associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of antennas and having a length corresponding to the number taps of the associated transmit tapped-delay line filter;
• ii. apply the transmit filter vector to a signal to be transmitted from the other communication device;
• iii. generate a receive filter matrix from a signal received by the plurality of antennas from the other communication device, the receive filter matrix comprised of a plurality of sub-matrices each being a convolution matrix derived from a receive filter sub-vector, wherein each receive filter sub-vector defines one or more complex weights associated with a receive tapped-delay line filter process for the each of the plurality of antennas;
• iv. compute a principal eigenvector of a product of the receive filter matrix and a Hermitian of the receive filter matrix, the principal eigenvector comprised of a plurality of sub-vectors each having a length corresponding to the number of taps of the transmit tapped-delay line filter process;
• and
• v. update from the plurality of sub-vectors of the principal eigenvector the plurality of transmit filter sub-vectors.