Code tracking loop with automatic power normalization

A delay locked code tracking loop for estimating and tracking a channel delay of a communication in a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system including a plurality of User Equipment, the each of said User Equipment comprising a receiver including said tracking loop for receiving a communication signal, wherein said communication signal is correlated by said receiver using said tracking loop, the tracking loop comprising:

• a reference code generator for generating a reference code signal;
• an interpolator for generating a base version of the received communication signal and a plurality of time offset versions thereof;
• a timed signal correlator for correlating each said time offset signal version with said code reference signal and combining the correlations for generating an error signal;
• an automatic power normalization loop (APN), for generating a power error signal based on the base signal version and the reference code signal;
• and
• a normalization circuit for normalizing said error signal using said power error signal to generate a normalized error signal used for controlling the generation of the base signal version by the interpolator.

A method for estimating and tracking a channel delay of a communication in a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system including a plurality of User Equipment, each of said plurality of User Equipment comprising a receiver for receiving a communication signal from another station, wherein said communicaiton signal is correlated by said receiver using a delay locked tracking loop, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a reference code signal;
• interpolating the received communication signal to generate a base version of the communication signal and a plurality of time offset versions thereof;
• correlating each said time offset signal version with said code reference signal and combining the correlations to generate an error signal;
• generating a power error signal based on the base signal version and the reference code signal;
• and
• normalizing said error signal using said power error signal to generate a normalized error signal used for controlling the generation of the base signal version.

A base station for use in a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system including a plurality of base stations, each of said plurality base stations comprising a receiver for receiving a communication signal, wherein said communication signal is correlated by said receiver using a delay locked code tracking loop for estimating and tracking a channel delay of said communication, the tracking loop comprising:

• a reference code generator for generating a reference code signal;
• an interpolator for generating a base version of the received communication signal and a plurality of time offset versions thereof;
• a timed signal correlator for correlating each said time offset signal version with said code reference signal and combining the correlations for generating an error signal;
• an automatic power normalization loop (APN), for generating a power error signal based on the base signal version and the reference code signal;
• and
• a normalization circuit for normalizing said error signal using said power error signal to generate a normalized error signal used for controlling the generation of the base signal version by the interpolator.

A delay locked code tracking loop for estimating and tracking a channel delay of a communication in a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system including of plurality of base stations, each of said plurality of base stations comprising a receiver including said tracking loop for receiving a communication signal, wherein said communication signal is correlated by said receiver using said tracking loop, the tracking loop comprising:

• a reference code generator for generating a reference code signal;
• an interpolator for generating a base version of the received communication signal and a plurality of time offset versions thereof;
• a timed signal correlator for correlating each said time offset signal version with said code reference signal and combining the correlations for generating an error signal;
• an automatic power normalization loop (APN), for generating a power error signal based on the base signal version and the reference code signal;
• and
• a normalization circuit for normalizing said error signal using said power error signal to generate a normalized error signal used for controlling the generation of the base signal version by the interpolator.

A method for estimating and tracking a channel delay of a communication in a code division multiple access (CDMA) communication system including a plurality of base stations, each of said plurality of base stations comprising a receiver for receiving a communication signal, wherein said communication signal is correlated by said receiver using a delay locked tracking loop, the method comprising the steps of:

• generating a reference code signal;
• interpolating the received communication signal to generate a base version of the communication signal and a plurality of time offset versions thereof;
• correlating each said time offset signal version with said code reference signal and combining the correlations to generate an error signal;
• generating a power error signal based on the base signal version and the reference code signal;
• and
• normalizing said error signal using said power error signal to generate a normalized error signal used for controlling the generation of the base signal version.