Simplified interference suppression in multi-antenna receivers

A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

• means for receiving via a plurality of antennas a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;
• means for providing a covariance matrix that is indicative of noise in the received signal;
• means for using said covariance matrix to estimate information indicative of said interference component;
• means for estimating an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said information;
• and
• means for suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of antennas for receiving a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;
• a covariance unit coupled to said antennas and configured to provide a covariance matrix that is indicative of noise in the received signal;
• an estimation apparatus coupled to said covariance unit and configured to use said covariance matrix to estimate information indicative of said interference component;
• a spatial covariance unit coupled to said estimation apparatus and configured to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said information;
• and
• a filter coupled to said antennas and said spatial covariance unit, said filter configured to suppress said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

A computer program product for supporting wireless communication, comprising:

• a computer-readable medium comprising:
• code for causing at least one data processor to produce, for a signal received via a plurality of antennas and containing an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource, a covariance matrix that is indicative of noise in the received signal;
• code for causing the at least one data processor to use said covariance matrix to estimate information indicative of said interference component;
• code for causing the at least one data processor to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said information;
• and
• code for causing the at least one data processor to suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

A method for use in a wireless communication receiver having a plurality of antennas, comprising:

• receiving via said antennas a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;
• estimating power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;
• estimating an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information;
• and
• suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

• means for receiving via a plurality of antennas a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;
• means for estimating power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;
• means for estimating an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information;
• and
• means for suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of antennas for receiving a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;
• an estimator coupled to said antennas and configured to estimate power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;
• a spatial covariance unit coupled to said estimation apparatus and configured to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information;
• and
• a filter coupled to said antennas and said spatial covariance unit, said filter configured to suppress said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

A computer program product for supporting wireless communication, comprising:

• a computer-readable medium comprising:
• code for causing at least one data processor to estimate, for a signal received via a plurality of antennas and containing an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource, power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;
• code for causing the at least one data processor to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information;
• and
• code for causing the at least one data processor to suppress said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.