Method and apparatus for receiving signals in a MIMO system with multiple channel encoders

A successive interference cancellation receiver for receiving a plurality of information streams transmitted via a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication channel, the plurality of information streams corresponding to a plurality of layers, the successive interference cancellation receiver comprising:

• a first layer receiver to demodulate and decode a plurality of received signals to decode information corresponding to a first layer transmitted via at least one first spatial stream;
• an interference canceller to cancel interference due to the first layer from the plurality of received signals to generate a plurality of modified received signals;
• a second layer receiver to demodulate and decode the plurality of modified received signals to decode information corresponding to a second layer, wherein the second layer is transmitted via at least one second spatial stream, wherein the at least one second spatial stream was modulated separately from the at least one first spatial stream, and wherein the second receiver includes:
• a MIMO maximum likelihood (ML) demodulator to generate bit metric values for the second layer using the plurality of modified received signals and channel and modulation information for interfering signals, and
• a decoder to generate information corresponding to the second layer using the bit metric values.

A successive interference cancellation receiver for receiving a plurality of information streams transmitted via a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communication channel, the plurality of information streams corresponding to a plurality of layers, the successive interference cancellation receiver comprising:

• a plurality of layer receivers, each layer receiver to demodulate and decode a respective plurality of input signals to obtain information corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of layers, wherein each layer in the plurality of layers is transmitted via at least one respective spatial stream, and wherein each spatial stream was modulated separately from each other spatial stream;
• at least one interference canceller, each interference canceller to receive an output from a respective one of the plurality of layer receivers and to cancel interference from the plurality of input signals to the respective one of the plurality of layer receivers, the interference due to a respective one of the plurality of layers;
• wherein at least one of the plurality of layer receivers comprises:
• a MIMO maximum likelihood (ML) demodulator to generate bit metric values for the respective layer using a plurality of signals generated from one of the interference cancellers and channel and modulation information for interfering signals;
• and
• a decoder to generate information corresponding to the respective layer using the bit metric values.