Patent ID: 7016440
Filing Date: 2006-03-21
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for estimating digital data received over a potentially noisy channel which adds intersymbol interference or additive noise, or a combination of intersymbol interference or additive noise, the method comprising steps of: inputting data received from the noisy channel into a SISO MMSE equalizer; inputting a set of priors over symbol values of the noisy channel including a separate prior for each received noisy channel symbol value, into the SISO MMSE equalizer; equalizing, by an MMSE equalization in the SISO MMSE equalizer, the data received from the noisy channel and the set of priors over symbol values to produce a symbol value estimate; mapping output of the SISO MMSE equalizer onto priors over the symbol values to produce a confidence indication in each of the symbol value estimates as a function of time; wherein said step of equalizing excludes symbol value estimates which are functions of an input distribution of a current symbol being equalized; wherein digital data transmitted over said potentially noisy channel is error correction encoded prior to transmission, the step of mapping output of the SISO MMSE equalizer comprising steps of: passing output of the SISO MMSE equalizer into a SISO error correction decoder; using an output of said SISO error correction decoder as the set of priors over symbol values; repeating all steps of the method until a predetermined convergence criterion is reached between said SISO error correction decoder and said SISO MMSE equalizer; wherein digital data transmitted over said potentially noisy channel is interleaved prior to transmission and a step of de-interleaving is conducted on the output of the SISO MMSE equalizer prior to said step of passing output of the SISO MMSE equalizer into the SISO error correction decoder.