Rake receiver methods and apparatus

A method of processing a received signal, comprising:

• performing a channel estimate for a channel corresponding to each of x antennas to generate x channel estimates;
• and
• dynamically allocating M rake fingers to one or more of the x antennas as a function of the x channel estimates, said dynamically allocating the M rake fingers to one or more of the x antennas including:
• for each of y individual ones of the x channel estimates generating a set of complex weights and associated delays corresponding to the channel estimate, thereby producing y channel estimate sets;
• selecting M most significant elements of the y channel estimate sets;
• controlling the M rake fingers as a function of the M most significant elements of the y channel estimate sets, where x, y, and M are positive integers, and x and M are greater than 1;
• and
• controlling which one or more of the x antennas are coupled to one or more individual ones of the M rake fingers at any given time, based on which elements of the y channel estimate sets were selected, each of the rake fingers being coupled to at most one antenna at a given time;
• and
• wherein controlling the rake fingers includes controlling a delay and a complex multiplier of a first rake finger based on a delay and gain element, respectively, of one of the selected channel estimate elements used to control the first rake finger.