Apparatus and method for very high performance space-time array reception processing using chip-level beamforming and fading rate adaptation

A space-time array receiving system to which a chip-level temporal reference beamforming algorithm is applied, the system comprising:

• a plurality of digital beamforming networks for forming beams of signals received through a plurality of antennas by spatial-filtering the signals, to thereby generate spatial-filtered signals;
• a plurality of demodulating means for demodulating the spatial-filtered signals to generate demodulated signals;
• correlating means located in each of the plurality of demodulating means, for estimating a fading channel signal based on pilot channel signals;
• Doppler frequency estimating means for estimating Doppler frequency of the fading channel signal to generate Doppler frequency estimated values;
• correlation length selection means for selecting a correlation length of the pilot channel signals based on the Doppler frequency estimated values;
• a rake combining means for combining symbols from the correlating means to thereby generate a rake combined signal;
• a hard limiter for determining a signature of the rake combined symbol;
• a plurality of reference signal generation means for generating reference signals based on output signals from the correlating means and the hard limiter and based on a Compton's reference signal generation loop model;
• and
• a plurality of weight vector estimating means for generating weight vectors based on the reference signals and the signals received and for providing the weight vectors to the digital beamforming networks.

A space-time array receiving system to which a chip-level temporal reference beamforming algorithm is applied, the system comprising:

• a plurality of digital beamforming networks for forming beams of signals received through a plurality of antennas by spatial-filtering the signals, to thereby generate spatial-filtered signals;
• a plurality of demodulating means for demodulating the spatial-filtered signals to generate demodulated signals;
• correlating means located in each of the plurality of demodulating means, for estimating a fading channel signal based on pilot channel signals;
• Doppler frequency estimating means for estimating Doppler frequency of the fading channel signal to generate Doppler frequency estimated values;
• correlation length selection means for selecting a correlation length of the pilot channel signals based on the Doppler frequency estimated values;
• a plurality of reference signal generation means for generating reference signals based on output signals from the correlating means;
• a plurality of subtracters for generating difference signals between the spatial-filtered signals and the reference signals;
• and
• a plurality of weight vector estimating means for estimating weight vectors based on the difference signals and the signals received, and providing the weight vectors to the digital beamforming networks.

A space-time array receiving system to which a chip-level temporal reference beamforming algorithm is applied, the system comprising:

• a plurality of digital beamforming networks for forming beams of signals received through a plurality of antennas by spatial-filtering the signals, to thereby generate spatial-filtered signals;
• a plurality of demodulating means for demodulating the spatial-filtered signals to generate demodulated signals;
• correlating means located in each of the plurality of demodulating means, for estimating a fading channel signal based on pilot channel signals;
• Doppler frequency estimating means for estimating Doppler frequency of the fading channel signal to generate Doppler frequency estimated values;
• correlation length selection means for selecting a correlation length of the pilot channel signals based on the Doppler frequency estimated values;
• a rake combining means for combining symbols from the correlating means to thereby generate a rake combined signal;
• a hard limiter for determining a signature of the rake combined symbol;
• a plurality of reference signal generation means for generating reference signals based on output signals from the correlating means and the hard limiter;
• a plurality of subtracters for generating difference signal between the spatial-filtered signals and the reference signals;
• and
• a plurality of weight vector estimating means for estimating weight vectors based on the difference signals and the signals received, and providing the weight vectors to the digital beamforming networks.

A space-time array receiving method to which a chip-level temporal reference beamforming algorithm is applied, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) at a plurality of digital beamforming networks, forming beams of signals received through a plurality of antennas by spatial-filtering the signals, to thereby generate spatial-filtered signals;
• b) demodulating the spatial-filtered signals to generate demodulated signals;
• c) estimating a fading channel signal based on pilot channel signals;
• d) estimating Doppler frequency of the fading channel signal to generate Doppler frequency estimated values, wherein the Doppler frequency is estimated based on previous fading channel information and current fading channel information;
• e) selecting a correlation length of the pilot channel signals based on the Doppler frequency estimated values;
• f) generating reference signals based on output signals from the correlating means;
• and
• g) generating weight vectors based on the reference signals and the signals received, and providing the weight vectors to the digital beamforming networks.

A computer readable recording medium storing instructions for executing a space-time array receiving method to which a chip-level temporal reference beamforming algorithm is applied, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) at a plurality of digital beamforming networks, forming beams of signals received through a plurality of antennas by spatial-filtering the signals, to thereby generate spatial-filtered signals;
• b) demodulating the spatial-filtered signals to generate demodulated signals;
• c) estimating a fading channel signal based on pilot channel signals;
• d) estimating Doppler frequency of the fading channel signal to generate Doppler frequency estimated values;
• e) selecting a correlation length of the pilot channel signals based on the Doppler frequency estimated values;
• f) generating reference signals based on output signals from the correlating means and based on a Compton's reference signal generation loop model;
• and
• g) generating weight vectors based on the reference signals and the signals received, and providing the weight vectors to the digital beamforming networks.