Rach starting time vicinity estimation

An article of manufacture comprising a computer user medium having computer readable code embodied therein which estimates a random access channel starting time in a communication system, wherein said computer user medium including:

• computer readable program code multiplying a IN and a QN branch of a signal, where I is the in-phase component and Q is the quadrature component of the signal;
• computer readable program code converting said multiplied signal from time domain to phase domain by converting said multiplied signal assuming a special case
• ejθn=[cos(φ+Φn)+j(sin φ+Φn)]
• wherein φ is an initial phase, and Φn is a normalized phase;
• computer readable program code dividing said converted signal into a phase metric function;
• computer readable program code maximizing said phase metric function based on an even or odd period, and
• computer readable program code extracting a starting time from said maximized function.

A method for estimating the random access channel starting time in a communication system, wherein said method comprises:

• performing a square operation on a received signal;
• converting said square operated signal from a time domain to a phase domain by converting said square operated signal assuming a special case
• ejθn=ej(φ+Φn)
• deriving phase metric function for said converted signal;
• maximizing said phase metric function, and
• extracting a starting time from said maximized function,
• wherein φ is an initial phase, and Φn is a normalized phase.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer user medium having computer readable code embodied therein which estimated the random access channel starting time in a communication system, wherein said computer user medium including:

• computer readable program code performing a square operation on a received signal;
• computer readable program code converting square operated signal by converting square operated signal assuming a special case
• ejθn=ej(φ+Φn);
• computer readable program code deriving phase metric function for said converted signal;
• computer readable program code maximizing said phase metric function, and
• computer readable program code extracting a starting time from said maximized function, wherein φ is an initial phase, and Φn is a normalized phase.

A system for estimating the random access channel starting time in a communication system, said system comprising:

• a multiplier which multiplies a IN and a QN branch of a signal, where I is the in-phase component and Q is the quadrature component of an N sample of the signal;
• a converter which converts said multiplied signal from a time domain to a phase domain;
• a phase-metric-divider which divides said phase domain signal into a phase metric function;
• a maximizer which maximizes said phase metric function based on an even or odd period, and
• an extractor which extracts a starting time from said maximized function.

A system for estimating the random access channel starting time in a communication system, said system comprising:

• a signal-squarer which performs a square operation on a received signal;
• a converter that converts said square operated signal from the time domain to the phase domain;
• a phase-metric-deriver which derives a phase metric function;
• a maximizer which maximizing said phase metric function, and
• an extractor which extracts a starting time from said maximized function.