DATA COMMUNICATION DEVICES, METHODS, & SYSTEMS

• US 20120014482A1
• Filed: 07/12/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Yu, Zhi-Zhong, Sikri, Divaydeep
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/341
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/0328 with interference cancellation circuitry adaptations for interference cancellation within a sequence estimator H04L25/03305; interference related aspects of direct sequence spread spectrum H04B1/7097; interference related aspects of frequency hopping spread spectrum H04B1/715; see also H04B1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03318 Provision of soft decisions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/03331 Arrangements for the joint estimation of multiple sequences

Abstract

Data communication devices, methods, and systems are discussed in this application. In one embodiment, a receiving apparatus generally comprises a detector, an indicator, and a decision device. The detector can detect a number of data streams contained in a signal received on a single physical channel. Detection can be made by comparing a received signal with one or more predetermined sequences and identifying one or more of the plural predetermined sequences as being likely contained within the received signal. Each data stream can be associated with at least one predetermined sequences. The indicator can provide an indication of the data streams likely contained in the signal based on the identified sequences. A decision device can provide data defining a receiver configuration based on the indication, the receiver configuration being suitable for configuring a decoder to decode only the one or more data streams indicated as being likely contained in the signal. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also claimed and discussed.

Claims

1. A receiving apparatus for detecting data streams in a communication system, the receiving apparatus comprising:

a detecting apparatus comprising;

a detector configured to detect a number of data streams contained within a signal received on a single physical channel by comparing the received signal with plural predetermined sequences and identifying one or more of the plural predetermined sequences as being likely contained within the received signal, each data stream being associated with one of the plural predetermined sequences; and

an indicator coupled to the detector and configured to provide an indication of the data streams likely contained in the signal based on the identifying; and

a decision device coupled to the detecting apparatus and configured to provide data defining a receiver configuration based on the indication, the receiver configuration being suitable for configuring a decoder to decode only the one or more data streams indicated as being likely contained in the signal.

2. The receiving apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to detect, the indicator is configured to provide the indication, and the decision device is configured to provide the data, during each of plural time intervals.

3. The receiving apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a time slot identifier serving to identify the plural time intervals as plural time slots of a time-division multiple access communication system.

4. The receiving apparatus of claim 3, wherein the time slot identifier is configured to identify the plural time intervals as consecutive time slots.

5. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a sequence identifier serving to identify the plural predetermined sequences as training sequences of a time-division multiple access communication system.

6. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a channel identifier serving to identify the single physical channel as a single frequency and a single time slot of a time-division multiple access system.

7. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the detector is configured to detect, the indicator is configured to provide the indication, and the decision device is configured to provide the data, when at least one of the data streams contained in the received signal comprises control channel data.

8. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein

the detector comprises a correlator configured to correlate the received signal with the plural predetermined sequences to provide channel estimates, each channel estimate being provided using a respective one of the plural predetermined sequences;

and

the indicator is configured to

measure a quality parameter of the received signal based on the channel estimates to produce a set of quality metrics, each quality metric being produced using a respective channel estimate, and

provide the indication based on the quality metrics.

9. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein

the detector comprises:

a correlator configured to correlate the received signal with the plural predetermined sequences to provide channel estimates, each channel estimate being provided using a respective one of the predetermined sequences; and

an interference canceller coupled to the correlator and to the indicator and configured to perform blind interference cancellation on the received signal based on the channel estimates to produce plural interference-suppressed data, each interference-suppressed data being produced using a respective channel estimate and a respective predetermined sequence, and wherein the indicator is configured to

measure a quality parameter of the interference-suppressed data to produce a set of quality metrics, each quality metric being produced using a respective predetermined sequence, and

provide the indication based on the set of quality metrics.

10. A method of detecting data streams in a communication system, the method comprising:

detecting a number of data streams contained within a signal received on a single physical channel by comparing the received signal with plural predetermined sequences and identifying one or more of the plural predetermined sequences as being likely contained within the received signal, each data stream being associated with one of the plural predetermined sequences;

providing an indication of the data streams likely contained in the signal based on the identifying; and

providing data defining a receiver configuration based on the indication, the receiver configuration being suitable for configuring a decoder to decode only the one or more data streams indicated as being likely contained in the signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the detecting is performed, the indication is provided, and the data is provided, during each of plural time intervals.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising identifying the plural time intervals as plural time slots of a time-division multiple access communication system.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifying the plural time intervals is performed so as to identify the plural time intervals as consecutive time slots.

14. The method of any one of claims 10 to 13, further comprising identifying the plural predetermined sequences as training sequences of a time-division multiple access communication system.

15. The method of any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising identifying the single physical channel as a single frequency and a single time slot of a time-division multiple access system.

16. The method of any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the detecting is performed, the indication is provided, and the data defining a receiver configuration is provided, when at least one of the data streams contained in the received signal comprises control channel data.

17. The method of any one of claims 10 to 16, further comprising:

correlating the received signal with the plural predetermined sequences to provide channel estimates, each channel estimate being provided using a respective one of the plural predetermined sequences;

measuring a quality parameter of the received signal based on the channel estimates to produce a set of quality metrics, each quality metric being produced using a respective channel estimate; and

providing the indication based on the quality metrics.

18. The method of any one of claims 10 to 16, further comprising:

correlating the received signal with the plural predetermined sequences to provide channel estimates, each channel estimate being provided using a respective one of the predetermined sequences;

performing blind interference cancellation on the received signal based on the channel estimates to produce plural interference-suppressed data, each interference-suppressed data being produced using a respective channel estimate and a respective predetermined sequence;

measuring a quality parameter of the interference-suppressed data to produce a set of quality metrics, each quality metric being produced using a respective predetermined sequence and

providing the indication based on the set of quality metrics.

19. A receiving apparatus for detecting data streams in a communication system, the receiving apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory in electronic communication with the processor; and

instructions stored in the memory, the instructions being executable by the processor to;

detect a number of data streams contained within a signal received on a single physical channel by comparing the received signal with plural predetermined sequences and identifying one or more of the plural predetermined sequences as being likely contained within the received signal, each data stream being associated with one of the plural predetermined sequences;

provide an indication of the data streams likely contained in the signal based on the identifying; and

provide data defining a receiver configuration based on the indication, the receiver configuration being suitable for configuring a decoder to decode only the one or more data streams indicated as being likely contained in the signal.

20. A computer program product comprising computer-readable media comprising code for causing a computer to:

detect a number of data streams contained within a signal received on a single physical channel by comparing the received signal with plural predetermined sequences and identifying one or more of the plural predetermined sequences as being likely contained within the received signal, each data stream being associated with one of the plural predetermined sequences;

provide an indication of the data streams likely contained in the signal based on the identifying; and

provide data defining a receiver configuration based on the indication, the receiver configuration being suitable for configuring a decoder to decode only the one or more data streams indicated as being likely contained in the signal.

21. A receiving apparatus for detecting data streams in a communication system, the receiving apparatus comprising:

means for detecting a number of data streams contained within a signal received on a single physical channel by comparing the received signal with plural predetermined sequences and identifying one or more of the plural predetermined sequences as being likely contained within the received signal, each data stream being associated with one of the plural predetermined sequences;

means for providing an indication of the data streams likely contained in the signal based on the identifying; and

means for providing data defining a receiver configuration based on the indication, the receiver configuration being suitable for configuring a decoder to decode only the one or more streams indicated as being likely contained in the signal.

22. The receiving apparatus of claim 21, wherein the means for detecting is configured to detect, the means for providing the indication is configured to provide the indication, and the means for providing the data is configured to provide the data, during each of plural time intervals.

25. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 24, further comprising means for identifying the plural predetermined sequences as training sequences of a time-division multiple access communication system.

26. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 25, further comprising means for identifying the single physical channel as a single frequency and a single time slot of a time-division multiple access system.

27. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 26, wherein the means for detecting is configured to detect, the means for providing the indication is configured to provide the indication, and the means for providing data defining the receiver configuration is configured to provide the data defining the receiver configuration, when at least one of the data streams contained in the received signal comprises control channel data.

28. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 27, further comprising:

means for correlating the received signal with the plural predetermined sequences to provide channel estimates, each channel estimate being provided using a respective one of the plural predetermined sequences;

means for measuring a quality parameter of the received signal based on the channel estimates to produce a set of quality metrics, each quality metric being produced using a respective channel estimate; and

means for providing the indication based on the quality metrics.

29. The receiving apparatus of any one of claims 21 to 27, further comprising:

means for correlating the received signal with the plural predetermined sequences to provide channel estimates, each channel estimate being provided using a respective one of the predetermined sequences;

means for performing blind interference cancellation on the received signal based on the channel estimates to produce plural interference-suppressed data, each interference-suppressed data being produced using a respective channel estimate and a respective predetermined sequence;

means for measuring a quality parameter of the interference-suppressed data to produce a set of quality metrics, each quality metric being produced using a respective predetermined sequence; and

means for providing the indication based on the set of quality metrics.

23. The receiving apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for identifying the plural time intervals as plural time slots of a time-division multiple access communication system.

24. The receiving apparatus of claim 23, further comprising means for identifying the plural time intervals as consecutive time slots.

30. In a wireless communication system comprising wireless communication devices configured to communicate with at least one other wireless communication device, a mobile or stationary wireless communication device comprising:

a receiver configured to receive one or more wireless data signals, the one or more data signals containing a plurality of data streams with at least two data streams being from different sources;

a detector configured to detect a number of data streams present in the one or more wireless data signals; and

a decoder configured to receive data stream information based at least partially on the number of data streams and adjust decoding of received wireless data signals based on the determined number of data streams.

31. The mobile or stationary wireless communication device of claim 31, further comprising a memory for storing a plurality of predetermined sequence numbers, wherein the receiver is configured to compare at least a portion of the one or more data signals to the predetermined sequence numbers to determine the number of data streams.

32. The mobile or stationary wireless communication device of claim 31, wherein the receiver is configured to iteratively detect the number of present data streams by detecting a first, initial data stream and subsequently attempting to decode one or more subsequent data streams.

33. The mobile or stationary wireless communication device of claim 31, wherein at least one of the receiver, detector, and decoder uses less power to process a data signal containing a single data stream relative to processing a data signal containing multiple data streams.

34. The mobile or stationary wireless communication device of claim 31, wherein the one or more data streams are received on a single communications channel.

35. The mobile or stationary wireless communication device of claim 31, wherein at least a portion of the one or more data streams do not contain any signalling information.

36. A method of receiving data and detecting received data streams, the method comprising:

receiving one or more wireless data signals that contain a plurality of data streams with at least two data streams being from different sources;

detecting a number of data streams present in the one or more wireless data signals;

receiving data stream information based at least partially on the number of data streams and decoding the received wireless data signals based on the determined number of data streams.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising comparing at least a portion of the one or more data signals to the predetermined sequence numbers to determine the number of data streams

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising iteratively detecting the number of present data streams by detecting a first, initial data stream and subsequently attempting to decode one or more subsequent data streams

39. The method of claim 36, further comprising using reduced power to process a data signal containing a single data stream relative to processing a data signal containing multiple data streams.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more data streams are received on a single communications channel at least a portion of the one or more data streams do not contain any signalling information.