Digital communication receiver and a method for the operation thereof

A digital communication receiver adapted to communicate with a digital communication transmitter across a communication channel, the digital communication receiver comprising:

• a channel estimator adapted to provide a channel estimate of the communication channel based on a received signal;
• an equalizer adapted to estimate a sequence of transmitted symbols and provide a sequence of decided symbols based on the received signal and the channel estimate;
• a channel tracker adapted to produce an updated channel estimate based on the received signal and the decided symbols, and adapted to supply the updated channel estimate to the equalizer;
• a controller operatively coupled to the channel tracker;
• wherein the controller is adapted to compare the updated channel estimate with an initial channel estimate and to supply a disabling control signal to the channel tracker, if the comparison indicates a difference smaller than a predetermined criterion;
• and
• wherein the disabling control signal is adapted to switch the channel tracker from an enabled state, in which enabled state the updated channel estimate is produced, to a disabled state, in which disabled state no updated channel estimate is produced.

A method of operating a digital communication receiver, wherein a channel estimate of a communication channel between the receiver and a digital communication transmitter is produced from a received signal and a sequence of decided symbols is produced from the received signal and the channel estimate, the method comprising:

• producing channel quality indicative data as additional channel estimates based on the decided symbols;
• receiving the channel quality indicative data, the channel quality indicative data being directly or indirectly associated with the sequence of decided symbols;
• determining whether the channel quality indicative data fail to meet a predetermined criterion, wherein the predetermined criterion is a degree of correspondence between the additional channel estimates and an initial channel estimate;
• and
• conditionally, if the predetermined criterion is not met, switching a channel tracker from a disabled state, in which disabled state no channel tracker within the digital communication receiver is enabled, to an enabled state, in which enabled state an updated channel estimate is produced from the received signal and the sequence of decided symbols.

A method of operating a digital communication receiver, wherein a channel estimate of a communication channel between the receiver and a digital communication transmitter is produced from a received signal and a sequence of decided symbols is produced from the received signal and the channel estimate, the method comprising:

• a) receiving an updated channel estimate based on the decided symbols;
• b) comparing the updated channel estimate with an initial channel estimate;
• and
• c) conditionally, if the comparison indicates a difference smaller than a predetermined criterion, switching a channel tracker from an enabled state, in which enabled state an updated channel estimate is produced from the received signal and the sequence of decided symbols, to a disabled state, in which disabled state no channel tracker within the digital communication receiver is enabled.