METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING AN OPERATING CONDITION IN A COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

• US 20090075616A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 03/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Petrus, Paul
• Application Number:
  US12/323,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20090075616A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/272
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/336 Signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/391 Modelling the propagation channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0842 Weighted combining
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0848 Joint weighting
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0854 using error minimizing algorithms, e.g. minimum mean squared error [MMSE], "cross-correlation" or matrix inversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0857 using maximum ratio combining techniques, e.g. signal-to- interference ratio [SIR], received signal strenght indication [RSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/086 using weights depending on external parameters, e.g. direction of arrival [DOA], predetermined weights or beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/203 Details of error rate determination, e.g. BER, FER or WER

Abstract

A communication system environment estimation apparatus and method. In one embodiment, an environment estimation apparatus according to the teachings of the present invention includes a plurality of antenna elements and a receiver coupled to receive uplink signals from the plurality of antenna elements. The apparatus also includes a signal processor coupled to receive the uplink signals to select an estimation of an environment responsive to the uplink signals received from the plurality of antenna elements.

Claims

1. A method of characterizing an environment, comprising:

receiving uplink signals from a plurality of antenna array elements;

calculating pairwise correlations of the uplink signals received by the plurality of antenna array elements;

calculating an average of absolute values of said pairwise correlations of the uplink signals received by the plurality of antenna array elements; and

selecting a high clutter environment estimation if the average of the absolute values of said pairwise correlations of the uplink signals received by the plurality of antenna array elements is less than a high clutter threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein calculating said pairwise correlations of the uplink signals received by the plurality of antenna array elements comprises calculating a normalized dot product for said pairwise correlations of the uplink signals received by the plurality of antenna array elements.

3. A method of characterizing an environment, comprising:

receiving uplink signals from a plurality of antenna array elements;

calculating a correlation matrix from the uplink signals received by the plurality of antenna array elements;

estimating a source order from the correlation matrix; and

selecting a high interference environment estimation if the estimated source order is greater than a high interference threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein estimating the source order in response to the correlation matrix comprises:

calculating Eigen values of the correlation matrix; and

performing a sequential hypothesis technique on the Eigen values to estimate the source order.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein estimating the source order in response to the correlation matrix comprises:

calculating Eigen values of the correlation matrix; and

performing an Akaike Information Criteria technique on the Eigen values to estimate the source order.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein estimating the source order in response to the correlation matrix comprises:

calculating Eigen values of the correlation matrix; and

performing a minimum descriptive length technique on the Eigen values to estimate the source order.

7. A method of characterizing an environment, comprising:

receiving uplink signals from a plurality of antenna array elements;

calculating a signal to noise ratio in response to the uplink signals received from the plurality of antenna array elements;

measuring a bit error rate (BER) in response the uplink signals received from the plurality of antenna array elements;

determining an expected BER in response to the signal to noise ratio; and

selecting a high interference environment estimation if the measured BER is a BER threshold amount greater than the expected BER.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein calculating the signal to noise ratio in response to the uplink signals received from the plurality of antenna array elements comprises:

measuring a received signal strength indication (RSSI) in response to the uplink signals received from the plurality of antenna array elements; and

measuring noise included in the uplink signals received from the plurality of antenna array elements.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising selecting the high interference environment estimation if the measured BER is a BER threshold amount greater than the expected BER and the RSSI is greater than a RSSI threshold value.