Time and frequency synchronization in multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) systems
First Claim
1. An apparatus for synchronizing a Multi-Input, Multi-Output (MIMO) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system, the apparatus comprising:
- a number Q of OFDM modulators, each OFDM modulator producing a frame comprising at least one inserted symbol, a plurality of data symbols, and cyclic prefixes;
said number Q of transmitting antennas, each transmitting antenna connected to a respective OFDM modulator, for transmitting said frame over a channel;
a number L of receiving antennas for receiving the transmitted frames; and
said number L of OFDM demodulators, each OFDM demodulator corresponding to a respective receiving antenna, the L OFDM demodulators comprising a synchronization circuit, which processes the received frame in order to synchronize the received frame in the time domain and frequency domain.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a communication system, and in particular a wireless Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) communication system, the present invention provides systems for synchronizing data transmitted across a channel. The present invention may be used in a Multi-Input, Multi-Output (MIMO) system in which the data is transmitted from any number of transmitting antennas and received by any number of receiving antennas. The number of transmitting and receiving antennas does not necessarily have to be the same. Circuitry is provided for synchronizing the data in both the time domain and frequency domain. Time synchronization involves coarse time synchronization and fine time synchronization. Frequency synchronization involves coarse frequency offset estimation, fine frequency offset estimation, and frequency offset correction.
317 Citations
53 Claims
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1. An apparatus for synchronizing a Multi-Input, Multi-Output (MIMO) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system, the apparatus comprising:
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a number Q of OFDM modulators, each OFDM modulator producing a frame comprising at least one inserted symbol, a plurality of data symbols, and cyclic prefixes;
said number Q of transmitting antennas, each transmitting antenna connected to a respective OFDM modulator, for transmitting said frame over a channel;
a number L of receiving antennas for receiving the transmitted frames; and
said number L of OFDM demodulators, each OFDM demodulator corresponding to a respective receiving antenna, the L OFDM demodulators comprising a synchronization circuit, which processes the received frame in order to synchronize the received frame in the time domain and frequency domain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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26. A synchronization circuit, incorporated within a demodulator of a Multi-Input, Multi-Output (MIMO) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system, wherein the synchronization circuit comprises:
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a coarse time synchronization circuit;
a first frequency offset estimation circuit connected to a first output of the coarse time synchronization circuit;
a second frequency offset estimation circuit connected to a first output of the first frequency offset estimation circuit;
a fine time synchronization circuit having a first input connected to a first output of the second frequency offset estimation circuit; and
a frequency offset correction circuit having inputs connected to second outputs of the coarse time synchronization circuit, first frequency offset estimation circuit, and second frequency offset estimation circuit, and having an output connected to a second input to the fine time synchronization circuit.
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31. A method for synchronizing a Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) system in the time and frequency domains, the method comprising the steps of:
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producing a frame of data comprising a training symbol that includes a synchronization component that aids in synchronization, a plurality of data symbols, and a plurality of cyclic prefixes;
transmitting the frame over a channel;
receiving the transmitted frame;
demodulating the received frame;
synchronizing the received demodulated frame to the transmitted frame such that the data symbols are synchronized in the time domain and frequency domain. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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Specification