Communications system, receiver, and method of estimating received signal quality

A method of estimating received signal quality in a communications system using a Cyclic Redundancy Check for detecting errors in transmitted speech frames, the method comprising receiving speech frames including one of training sequence symbols and pilot symbols, each speech frame being transmitted in a known number of successive bursts on different channels of the communications system, and when no errors in a given speech frame are discovered on a basis of the Cyclic Redundancy Check, the method further comprising:

• defining a training sequence code (TSC) bit error rate for bursts of the given speech frame on a basis of the one of the training sequence symbols and the pilot symbols;
• defining an upper limit for the TSC bit error rate;
• and
• determining the given speech frame to be bad when the TSC bit error rate for the bursts of the given speech frame is greater than the upper limit of the TSC bit error rate.

A communications system, comprising:

• a user terminal communicating with at least one base station, the user terminal being configured to receive speech frames including one of training sequence symbols and pilot symbols in a known number of successive burst on different channels of the communications system, wherein the user terminal is further configured to define a training sequence code (TSC) bit error rate for bursts of a given speech frame on a basis of the one of the training sequence symbols and the pilot symbols;
• defining means for defining an upper limit for the TSC bit error rate;
• and
• determining means for determining the given speech frame to be bad when the TSC bit error rate for the bursts of the given speech frame is greater than the upper limit for the TSC bit error rate.

A communications system, comprising:

• a user terminal communicating with at least one base station, the user terminal being configured to receive speech frames including one of training sequence symbols and pilot symbols in a known number of successive burst on different channels of the communications system, and to use a Cyclic Redundancy Check for detecting errors in the received speech frames, and when no errors in a given speech frame are discovered on a basis of the Cyclic Redundancy Check, a processing unit is configured to define a training sequence code (TSC) bit error rate for bursts of the given speech frame on a basis of the one of the training sequence symbols and the pilot symbols;
• defining means for defining an upper limit for the TSC bit error rate;
• and
• determining means for determining the given speech frame to be bad when the TSC bit error rate for the bursts of the given speech frame is greater than the upper limit for the TSC bit error rate.

A receiver for a communications system, the receiver comprising:

• a processing unit for controlling functions of the receiver, and a communications unit for receiving speech frames including one of training sequence symbols and pilot symbols in a known number of successive bursts on different channels of the communications system, wherein the processing unit is further configured to define a training sequence code (TSC) bit error rate for bursts of a given speech frame on a basis of the one of the training sequence symbols and the pilot symbols;
• defining means for defining an upper limit for the TSC bit error rate;
• and
• determining means for determining the given speech frame to be bad when the TSC bit error rate for the bursts of the given speech frame is greater than the upper limit for the TSC bit error rate.

A receiver for a communications system, the receiver comprising:

• a processing unit for controlling functions of the receiver, and a communications unit for receiving speech frames including one of training sequence symbols and pilot symbols in a known number of successive bursts on different channels of the communications system, the processing unit being configured to use a Cyclic Redundancy Check for detecting errors in the received speech frames, and when no errors in a given speech frame are discovered on a basis of the Cyclic Redundancy Check, the processing unit is further configured to define a training sequence code (TSC) bit error rate for bursts of the given speech frame on a basis of the one of the training sequence symbols and the pilot symbols;
• defining means for defining an upper limit for the TSC bit error rate;
• and
• determining means for determining the given speech frame to be bad when the TSC bit error rate for the bursts of the given speech frame is greater than the upper limit for the TSC bit error rate.

A receiver for a communications system, the receiver comprising:

• processing means for controlling functions of the receiver, and communication means for receiving speech frames including one of training sequence symbols and pilot symbols in a known number of successive bursts on different channels of the communications system, the processing means being configured to use a Cyclic Redundancy Check for detecting errors in the received speech frames, wherein the receiver further comprises
• first defining means for defining a training sequence code (TSC) bit error rate for bursts of a given speech frame on a basis of the one of the training sequence symbols and the pilot symbols when no errors in the given speech frame are discovered on a basis of the Cyclic Redundancy Check;
• second defining means for defining an upper limit of the TSC bit error rate;
• comparing means for comparing the defined TSC bit error rate and the upper limit for the TSC bit error rate;
• and
• determining means for determining the given speech frame to be bad when the TSC bit error rate for the bursts of the given speech frame is greater than the upper limit of the TSC bit error rate.