Distance-level combining for MIMO systems with HARQ and/or repetition coding

A system for decoding a signal vector, the system comprising:

• a receiver that receives a plurality of signal vectors corresponding to a common transmit signal vector, where each of the plurality of received signal vectors has an associated channel response matrix;
• a processor that:
• equalizes each of the plurality of received signal vectors using its associated channel response matrix;
• for each of the plurality of received signal vectors:
• computes a respective distance equation based on the corresponding equalized signal vector and an estimate of the common transmit signal vector, to produce a set of distance equations;
• and
• normalizes each distance equation in the set of distance equations based on the associated channel response matrix for the respective received signal vector;
• and
• a decoder that decodes the common transmit signal vector based on the normalized distance equations.