Equalization of multiple signals received for soft handoff in wireless communication systems

An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• a filter operative to filter a stream of samples with a first set of coefficients to provide a first stream of transmit chip estimates, wherein the stream of samples includes a plurality of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmission sources, and wherein the first set of coefficients is for a first transmission source selected from among the plurality of transmission sources;
• and
• a channel processor operative to process the first stream of transmit chip estimates to provide a first stream of data symbol estimates, and
• wherein the filter and channel processor are operated in a time division multiplexed (TDM) manner to filter and process the stream of samples with a second set of coefficients for a second transmission source to provide a second stream of data symbol estimates, and wherein the first and second streams of data symbol estimates are combined to provide a stream of combined data symbol estimates.

A method of processing a plurality of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmission sources in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• filtering a stream of samples with a plurality of sets of coefficients to provide a plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates, wherein the stream of samples includes the plurality of transmitted signals, and wherein each of the plurality of sets of coefficients is for a respective one of the plurality of transmission sources and is used to provide a corresponding stream of transmit chip estimates;
• processing the plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates to provide a plurality of streams of data symbol estimates, one stream of data symbol estimates for each of the plurality of transmission sources;
• and
• combining the plurality of streams of data symbol estimates to provide a stream of combined data symbol estimates.

A memory communicatively coupled to a digital signal processing device (DSPD) capable of interpreting digital information to:

• filter a stream of samples with a plurality of sets of coefficients to provide a plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates, wherein the stream of samples includes a plurality of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmission sources, and wherein each of the plurality of sets of coefficients is for a respective one of the plurality of transmission sources and is used to provide a corresponding stream of transmit chip estimates;
• process the plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates to provide a plurality of streams of data symbol estimates, one stream of data symbol estimates for each of the plurality of transmission sources;
• and
• combine the plurality of streams of data symbol estimates to provide a stream of combined data symbol estimates.

An apparatus in a wireless communication system, comprising:

• means for filtering a stream of samples with a plurality of sets of coefficients to provide a plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates, wherein the stream of samples includes a plurality of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmission sources, and wherein each of the plurality of sets of coefficients is for a respective one of the plurality of transmission sources and is used to provide a corresponding stream of transmit chip estimates;
• means for processing the plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates to provide a plurality of streams of data symbol estimates, one stream of data symbol estimates for each of the plurality of transmission sources;
• and
• means for combining the plurality of streams of data symbol estimates to provide a stream of combined data symbol estimates.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• code for filtering a stream of samples with a plurality of sets of coefficients to provide a plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates, wherein the stream of samples includes a plurality of signals transmitted from a plurality of transmission sources in a wireless communication system, and wherein each of the plurality of sets of coefficients is for a respective one of the plurality of transmission sources and is used to provide a corresponding stream of transmit chip estimates;
• code for processing the plurality of streams of transmit chip estimates to provide a plurality of streams of data symbol estimates, one stream of data symbol estimates for each of the plurality of transmission sources;
• and
• code for combining the plurality of streams of data symbol estimates to provide a stream of combined data symbol estimates.