Method and apparatus for signal parameter estimation

A wireless communication apparatus configured for operation in a wireless communication network and comprising:

• receiver circuitry configured to receive a wireless communication signal;
• a processing circuit operatively associated with the receiver circuitry and configured to:
• generate initial symbol estimates for data symbols received in a first signal component of the wireless communication signal;
• form a statistical representation of symbol magnitudes of the initial symbol estimates;
• compare the statistical representation to a number of reference representations to obtain comparison results with respect to each reference representation, wherein each reference representation represents a characteristic symbol magnitude distribution for data symbols that are jointly parameterized according to a particular combination of defined values for two or more signal parameters from among a defined set of signal parameters that includes any two or more of:
• a symbol modulation format, a received symbol quality, a symbol scaling factor, a symbol impairment variance estimate, and Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output, MIMO, symbol precoding weights;
• estimate one or more signal parameters for the data symbols, based on evaluating the comparison results;
• and
• process the initial symbol estimates as a function of the estimated one or more signal parameters.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program comprising program instructions for execution by a processing circuit of a wireless apparatus that is configured for operation in a wireless communication network, whereby the wireless apparatus is configured to:

• generate initial symbol estimates for data symbols received in a first signal component of the wireless communication signal;
• form a statistical representation of symbol magnitudes of the initial symbol estimates;
• compare the statistical representation to a number of reference representations to obtain comparison results with respect to each reference representation, wherein each reference representation represents a characteristic symbol magnitude distribution for data symbols that are jointly parameterized according to a particular combination of defined values for two or more signal parameters from among a defined set of signal parameters that includes any two or more of:
• a symbol modulation format, a received symbol quality, a symbol scaling factor, a symbol impairment variance estimate, and Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output, MIMO, symbol precoding weights;
• estimate one or more signal parameters for the data symbols, based on evaluating the comparison results;
• and
• process the initial symbol estimates as a function of the estimated one or more signal parameters.