System, apparatus, and method of frequency offset estimation and correction for mobile remotes in a communication network

A frequency offset estimation and correction method, comprising:

• averaging, for each of a plurality of frames, a plurality of frequency offset values to obtain a frame offset average for each frame;
• producing, for each of the plurality of frames, a plurality of interpolated frequency offset values uniformly distributed over a time period of the frame based on the frame offset average of the frame and a frame offset average of at least one previous frame;
• and
• calculating the estimated frequency offset based on the plurality of interpolated frequency offset values weighted by an exponential averaging coefficient.

A communications system, comprising:

• a communications hub including
• a receiver to receive a plurality of communications bursts and generate a frequency offset value for each of the bursts, to generate frequency offset values,
• a frame averaging unit to average, for each of a plurality of frames, a plurality of the frequency offset values to obtain a frame offset average for each of the plurality of frames,
• a re-sampling unit to produce, for each of the plurality of frames, a plurality of interpolated frequency offset values uniformly distributed over a time period of a frame of the plurality of frames based on the frame offset average of the frame and a frame offset average of at least one frame that precedes the frame, and
• an exponential averaging unit to calculate an estimated frequency offset based on the plurality of interpolated frequency offset values weighted by an exponential averaging coefficient, and
• a transmitter to transmit the estimated frequency offset;
• and
• a remote communications unit including
• a receiver to receive the estimated frequency offset and synchronize a carrier frequency source of the remote communications unit based on the received estimated frequency offset.