Spectral-temporal averaging for IEEE 802.11p dynamic channel equalization

A method for providing channel equalization of a message transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver in a communications system using a predetermined transmission protocol and having a predetermined channel bandwidth, said method comprising:

• separating the predetermined channel bandwidth into a plurality of subcarriers each having a different subcarrier frequency where the subcarriers include data subcarriers and pilot subcarriers;
• separating the transmission of the message in time into a plurality of symbols transmitted at different times where the transmission of the message includes both data symbols and pilot symbols;
• demodulating the message in the receiver to extract a set of extracted symbols representing the plurality of symbols transmitted at different times from the message;
• determining channel estimation frequency responses for the pilot subcarriers and at least some of the data subcarriers using a least-squares estimation process and the set of extracted symbols;
• interpolating the channel estimation frequency responses for both the pilot subcarriers and the data subcarriers to generate updated channel estimation frequency responses;
• generating new channel estimation frequency responses for each extracted symbol from the set of extracted symbols using a previous channel estimation frequency response and the updated channel estimation frequency responses;
• and
• equalizing the extracted symbols from the set of extracted symbols using the new channel estimation frequency responses.