Communication system control using reliability data

• US 20060116096A1
• Filed: 11/30/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V. (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics Incorporated (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Proehl, Gregory
• Granted Patent: US 7,398,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/226.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0066 Parallel concatenated codes

Abstract

A method and apparatus for recovering a data symbol from a communication signal in which the communication signal is processed to produce a baseband waveform that is then sampled to obtain a channel sequence. The channel sequence is decoded to obtain an estimate of the data symbol together with a measure of the reliability of the data symbol. The processing of the communication signal is adjusted dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.

Claims

1. A method for recovering a data symbol from a communication signal, comprising:

processing the communication signal to obtain a baseband waveform;

sampling the baseband waveform to obtain a channel sequence;

decoding the channel sequence to obtain an estimate of the data symbol and a measure of the reliability of the data symbol; and

adjusting the processing of the communication signal dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein processing the communication signal to obtain a baseband waveform comprises passing the communication signal through an amplifier and wherein adjusting the processing of the communication signal dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol comprises increasing the gain of the amplifier if the reliability of the data symbol is low and decreasing the gain of the amplifier if the reliability of the data symbol is high.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein processing the communication signal to obtain a baseband waveform comprises passing a signal derived from the communication signal through an amplifier and wherein adjusting the processing of the communication signal dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol comprises increasing the gain of the amplifier if the reliability of the data symbol is low and decreasing the gain of the amplifier if the reliability of the data symbol is high.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein decoding the channel sequence comprises passing the channel sequence through a turbo-decoder.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the channel sequence is derived from the data symbol by turbo-coding.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein processing the communication signal to obtain a baseband waveform comprises passing the communication signal through a filter and wherein adjusting the processing of the communication signal dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol comprises adjusting a frequency characteristic of the filter dependent upon the reliability of the data symbol.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein processing the communication signal to obtain a baseband waveform comprises passing a signal derived from the communication signal through a filter and wherein adjusting the processing of the communication signal dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol comprises adjusting a frequency characteristic of the filter dependent upon the reliability of the data symbol.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein processing the communication signal to obtain a baseband waveform comprises receiving the communication signal from an antenna and wherein adjusting the processing of the communication signal dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol comprises adjusting the orientation of the antenna dependent upon the reliability of the data symbol.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein adjusting the processing of the communication signal dependent upon the measure of the reliability of the data symbol comprises comparing elements of a reliability vector to a predetermined limit.

10. A communication system comprising:

an analog processor operable to receive an input communication signal and produce a baseband modulated signal;

a sampler operable to receive the baseband modulated signal and produce a channel sequence;

a decoder operable to receive the channel sequence and obtain an estimate of a data symbol and a measure of the reliability of the data symbol; and

a controller operable to adjust a characteristic of the analog processor in response to the measure of the reliability of the data symbol.

11. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the analog processor comprises:

an amplifier;

a filter; and

a demodulator;

and wherein the controller is operable to adjust the gain of the amplifier.

12. A communication system in accordance with claim 11, wherein the controller is operable to increase the gain of the amplifier when the reliability is low and to decrease the gain of the amplifier when the reliability is high.

13. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the analog processor comprises:

an amplifier;

a filter; and

a demodulator;

and wherein the controller is operable to adjust a frequency characteristic of the filter.

14. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the decoder comprises a forward error corrector and wherein the measure of reliability is produced by the forward error corrector.

15. A communication system in accordance with claim 10, wherein the decoder comprises a turbo-decoder.

16. A communication system comprising:

an antenna operable to receive a radio communication signal to provide an input communication signal;

an analog processor operable to receive an input communication signal and produce a baseband modulated signal;

a sampler operable to receive the baseband modulated signal and produce a channel sequence;

a decoder operable to receive the channel sequence and obtain an estimate of a data symbol and a measure of the reliability of the data symbol; and

a controller, responsive to the measure of the reliability of the data symbol and operable to adjust the orientation of the antenna.

17. A communication system comprising:

a processing means for receiving an input communication signal and producing a baseband modulated signal;

a sampling means for receiving the baseband modulated signal and producing a channel sequence;

a decoding means for receiving the channel sequence and generating an estimate of a data symbol and a measure of the reliability of the data symbol; and

a control means, responsive to the measure of the reliability of the data symbol, for adjusting a characteristic of the processing means.

18. A communication system in accordance with claim 17, wherein the decoding means comprises a forward error corrector and wherein the measure of reliability is produced by the forward error corrector.

19. A communication system comprising:

an analog processor operable to receive an input communication signal and produce a baseband modulated signal;

a sampler operable to receive the baseband modulated signal and produce a channel sequence;

a decoder operable to decode the channel sequence to produce an estimate of a data symbol and a measure of the reliability of the data symbol;

digital processor operable to process the data symbol; and

a controller, operable to adjust a characteristic of the digital processor in response to the measure of the reliability of the data symbol.

20. A communication system in accordance with claim 19, wherein the controller is operable to disable processing of the data symbol by the digital processor if the data symbol is judged to be unreliable.