Multimode iterative adaptive smart antenna processing method and apparatus

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 , wherein the signals are received at each antenna element burst-by-burst, and wherein the sets of samples are from mutually contemporary bursts, and wherein the adaptive smart antenna processing of any set of mutually contemporary bursts uses the weight vector determined from sets of samples of the same mutually contemporary bursts.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight vector determining is blind.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 , wherein the weight vector determining uses at least one digital signal processor.

Claim 6

The method of claim 3 , wherein the received signals comprise TDMA signals.

Claim 7

The method of claim 5 , wherein the received signals substantially conform to PHS signals.

Claim 8

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from one or more subscriber units, the communication receiver having an array of antenna elements and adaptive smart antenna processing means, the adaptive smart antenna processing means including means for weighting the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array in amplitude and phase according to a weight vector for each subscriber unit, the weighting forming a copy signal for the subscriber unit, a method of determining the weight vector for receiving a particular signal transmitted by a particular subscriber unit, the method comprising: initializing with a first initial vector value; until a switching criterion is met and starting from the first initial vector value, iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive method being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, the final weight vector after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second vector value; and starting from the second vector value, modifying the weight vector according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging iterative weight determining method.

Claim 9

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from one or more subscriber units, the communication receiver having an array of antenna elements and adaptive smart antenna processing means, the adaptive smart antenna processing means including means for weighting the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array in amplitude and phase according to a weight vector for each subscriber unit, the weighting forming a copy signal for the subscriber unit, a method of determining the weight vector for receiving a particular signal transmitted by a particular subscriber unit, the method comprising: initializing with a first initial vector value; until a switching criterion is met and starting from the first initial vector value, iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive method being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, the final weight vector after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second vector value; and starting from the second vector value, modifying the weight vector according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging iterative weight determining method.

Claim 10

The method of claim 7 , wherein the switching criterion is a specified first number N 1 of iterations.

Claim 11

The method of claim 7 , wherein the first adaptive method includes a copy generation step, and wherein switching criterion is the estimated SINR at the output of the copy generation.

Claim 12

The method of claim 7 , wherein the first adaptive method is a partial property restoral method and the second adaptive method is a decision directed method.

Claim 13

The method of claim 10 , wherein the first adaptive method is a constant modulus method.

Claim 14

The method of claim 10 , wherein each iterative method includes a copy generation step, and wherein the second cost function includes a difference term, the difference being between a weighted signal and a decision directed reference signal formed from the copy signal, the decision directed reference signal forming including a tracking mechanism that forms the phase of the reference signal at a sample point by relaxing the phase of a signal ideally advanced from a previous reference signal sample, towards the phase of the copy signal at the same sample point.

Claim 15

The method of claim 10 , wherein each iterative method includes a copy generation step, and wherein the first cost function includes a square of difference term, the difference being between a weighted signal and a constant modulus reference signal formed from the copy signal.

Claim 16

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from a plurality of subscriber units, the communication receiver having an array of antenna elements and adaptive smart antenna processing means, the adaptive smart antenna processing means including weighting means for weighting the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array in amplitude and phase according to a weight vector for a particular remote subscriber unit, the weighting forming a copy signal for that subscriber unit, a method of determining the weight vectors for receiving signals transmitted by the plurality of subscriber units, the method comprising: for each subscriber unit, initializing with a first initial vector value, the set of first initial vector values being sufficiently mutually independent; and for each weight vector for each subscriber unit, until a switching criterion is met and starting from the first initial vector value, iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive method being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, the final weight vector after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second vector value; and starting from the second vector value, modifying the weight vector according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging weight determining method.

Claim 17

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from a plurality of subscriber units, the communication receiver having an array of antenna elements and adaptive smart antenna processing means, the adaptive smart antenna processing means including weighting means for weighting the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array in amplitude and phase according to a weight vector for a particular remote subscriber unit, the weighting forming a copy signal for that subscriber unit, a method of determining the weight vectors for receiving signals transmitted by the plurality of subscriber units, the method comprising: for each subscriber unit, initializing with a first initial vector value, the set of first initial vector values being sufficiently mutually independent; and for each weight vector for each subscriber unit, until a switching criterion is met and starting from the first initial vector value, iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive method being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, the final weight vector after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second vector value; and starting from the second vector value, modifying the weight vector according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging weight determining method.

Claim 18

The method of claim 14 , wherein the switching criterion is a specified first number N 1 of iterations.

Claim 19

The method of claim 14 , wherein the first adaptive method includes a copy generation step, and wherein the switching criterion is the estimated SINR at the output of the copy generation step.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14 , wherein the first adaptive method is a partial property restoral method and the second adaptive method is a decision directed method.

Claim 21

The method of claim 17 , wherein the first adaptive method is a constant modulus method.

Claim 22

The method of claim 14 , wherein the set of first initial values are linearly independent.

Claim 23

The method of claim 19 , wherein the set of first initial values are the largest eigenvectors of R zz , wherein there are m antenna elements and R zz is the autocorrelation matrix of the m-vector of signals formed at m antenna elements.

Claim 24

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from one or more subscriber units, the communication receiver having an array of antenna elements and spatio-temporal processing means, the spatio-temporal processing means including means for jointly weighting and time-equalizing the amplitude and phase of the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array according to a complex valued weight matrix for each subscriber unit, the convolving forming a copy signal for the subscriber unit, a method of determining the weight matrix for receiving a particular signal transmitted by a particular subscriber unit, the method comprising: initializing with a first initial matrix value; until a switching criterion is met and starting from the first initial matrix value, iteratively modifying the weight matrix according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, the final weight matrix after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second matrix value; and starting from the second matrix value, iteratively modifying the weight matrix according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging weight determining method.

Claim 25

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from one or more subscriber units, the communication receiver having an array of antenna elements and spatio-temporal processing means, the spatio-temporal processing means including means for jointly weighting and time-equalizing the amplitude and phase of the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array according to a complex valued weight matrix for each subscriber unit, the convolving forming a copy signal for the subscriber unit, a method of determining the weight matrix for receiving a particular signal transmitted by a particular subscriber unit, the method comprising: initializing with a first initial matrix value; until a switching criterion is met and starting from the first initial matrix value, iteratively modifying the weight matrix according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, the final weight matrix after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second matrix value; and starting from the second matrix value, iteratively modifying the weight matrix according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging weight determining method.

Claim 26

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from one or more subscriber units, the communication receiver comprising an array of antenna elements and adaptive smart antenna processing means, the adaptive smart antenna processing means including means for weighting the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array in amplitude and phase according to a weight vector for each subscriber unit, the weighting forming a copy signal for the subscriber unit, an apparatus for determining the weight vector for receiving a particular signal transmitted by a particular subscriber unit, the weight determining means comprising: initializing means for initializing with a first initial vector value; first iterative means for iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive method being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, second iterative means for iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging iterative weight determining method, and a controller for activating the first iterative means starting from the first initial vector value provided by the initializing means until a switching criterion is met, the final weight vector after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second vector value, and activating the second iterative means starting from the second vector value to determine the weight vector.

Claim 27

In a communication receiver receiving signals transmitted from one or more subscriber units, the communication receiver comprising an array of antenna elements and adaptive smart antenna processing means, the adaptive smart antenna processing means including means for weighting the signals received by each of the elements of the antenna array in amplitude and phase according to a weight vector for each subscriber unit, the weighting forming a copy signal for the subscriber unit, an apparatus for determining the weight vector for receiving a particular signal transmitted by a particular subscriber unit, the weight determining means comprising: initializing means for initializing with a first initial vector value; first iterative means for iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a first adaptive method which minimizes a first cost function, the first adaptive method being an iterative weight determining method with good convergence properties, second iterative means for iteratively modifying the weight vector according to a second adaptive method which minimizes a second cost function, the second adaptive method being a rapidly converging iterative weight determining method, and a controller for activating the first iterative means starting from the first initial vector value provided by the initializing means until a switching criterion is met, the final weight vector after the final iteration of the first adaptive method being a second vector value, and activating the second iterative means starting from the second vector value to determine the weight vector.

Claim 28

The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the switching criterion is a specified first number N 1 of iterations.

Claim 29

The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising an SINR estimator, wherein the first adaptive method includes a copy generation step, wherein the SINR estimator estimates the SINR at the output of the copy generation step in the first adaptive method, wherein the SINR estimator output is coupled to the controller, and wherein switching criterion is the estimated SINR at the output of the first adaptive method copy generation step.

Claim 30

The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the first adaptive method is a partial property restoral method and the second adaptive method is a decision directed method.

Claim 31

The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the first adaptive method is a constant modulus method.

Claim 32

The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein each iterative method includes a copy generation step, and wherein the second cost function includes a difference term, the difference being between a weighted signal and a decision directed reference signal formed from the copy signal, the decision directed reference signal forming including a tracking mechanism that forms the phase of the reference signal at a sample point by relaxing the phase of a signal ideally advanced from a previous reference signal sample, towards the phase of the copy signal at the same sample point.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein each iterative method includes a copy generation step, and wherein the first cost function includes a square of difference term, the difference being between a weighted signal and a constant modulus reference signal formed from the copy signal.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the signals received at each antenna element comprise a sequence of bursts, and wherein the adaptive smart antenna processing of any set of mutually contemporary bursts uses the weight vector determined from sets of samples of the same mutually contemporary bursts.

Claim 35

The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the weight vector determining is blind.

Claim 36

The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising at least one digital signal processor.

Claim 37

The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the received signals comprise TDMA signals.

Claim 38

The apparatus of claim 32 , wherein the received signals substantially conform to PHS signals.