Channel estimation with co-channel pilots suppression

A method for a user equipment device, the method comprising:

• receiving a reference signal from a desired transmitter;
• obtaining information about at least one interfering transmitter whose signals are receivable by said user equipment device, said information including a reference signal sequence of a reference signal transmitted by said at least one interfering transmitter;
• and
• calculating filtering characteristics of a signal filter based on the information obtained about the at least one interfering transmitter, said calculating comprising:
• estimating a power of signals transmitted by said desired and said interfering transmitter, a noise variance and time and frequency correlation matrices;
• generating a channel correlation matrix from said time and frequency correlation matrices;
• constructing an autocorrelation matrix of the received reference signal and a cross-correlation matrix of received signal with channel from said estimated power, said noise variance and said reference signal sequence for said interfering transmitter;
• and
• generating said signal filter from said autocorrelation matrix and said cross-correlation matrix;
• and
• applying said signal filter using said calculated filtering characteristics to filter said received reference signal to model interference caused by said reference signals of said at least one interfering transmitter on said received reference signal when determining a channel estimate for a channel between said user equipment device and said desired transmitter.

A user equipment device comprising:

• a receiver to receive a reference signal from a desired transmitter;
• a neighbor cell searcher to obtain information about at least one interfering transmitter whose signals are receivable by said user equipment device, said information including a reference signal sequence of a reference signal transmitted by said at least one interfering transmitter;
• and
• an estimator including a filter calculator to calculate filtering characteristics of a signal filter based on the information obtained about the at least one interfering transmitter, said filter calculator comprising:
• an estimator to estimate a power of signals transmitted by said desired and said interfering transmitter, a noise variance and time and frequency correlation matrices;
• a channel correlation generator to generate a channel correlation matrix from said time and frequency correlation matrices;
• a matrix constructor to construct an autocorrelation matrix of the received reference signal and a cross-correlation matrix of received signal with channel from said estimated power, said noise variance and said reference signal sequence for said interfering transmitter;
• and
• a filter generator to generate said signal filter from said autocorrelation matrix and said cross-correlation matrix,
• said signal filter using said calculated filtering characteristics to filter said received reference signal, the estimator to generate a channel estimate for a channel between said user equipment device and said desired transmitter using said received reference signal and said information.

A user equipment device comprising:

• a receiver to receive a reference signal from a desired transmitter;
• a neighbor cell searcher to obtain information about at least one interfering transmitter whose signals are receivable by said user equipment device, each said information including a reference signal sequence of a reference signal transmitted by said at least one interfering transmitter;
• and
• a modeler including a filter calculator to calculate filtering characteristics of a signal filter based on the information obtained about the at least one interfering transmitter, said filter calculator comprising:
• an estimator to estimate a power of signals transmitted by said desired and said interfering transmitter, a noise variance and time and frequency correlation matrices;
• a channel correlation generator to generate a channel correlation matrix from said time and frequency correlation matrices;
• a matrix constructor to construct an autocorrelation matrix of the received reference signal and a cross-correlation matrix of received signal with channel from said estimated power, said noise variance and said reference signal sequence for said interfering transmitter;
• and
• a filter generator to generate said signal filter from said autocorrelation matrix and said cross-correlation matrix,
• said signal filter using said calculated filtering characteristics to filter said received reference signal, the modeler to model interference caused by said reference signals of said at least one interfering transmitter on said received reference signal when determining a channel estimate for a channel between said user equipment device and said desired transmitter.