Patent ID: 6347125
Filing Date: 2002-02-12
Classification: H03M,H04L

Abstract:
A method for processing samples of a signal that has propagated from a transmitter to a receiver via multiple propagation paths in order to decode information symbols belonging to an alphabet of symbols, said method comprising the steps of:hypothesizing symbol sequences comprising symbols from said alphabet of symbols and partial symbols, said partial symbols identifying sub-groups of symbols within said alphabet; predicting an expected value of said signal samples for each of said hypothesized symbol sequences; comparing the actual values of said signal samples with said predicted values in order to determine a likelihood value for each of said hypothesized symbol sequences; storing hypothesized symbol sequences, including whole symbols and partial symbols in association with said likelihood values; and selecting a hypothesized symbol sequence having the greatest of the determined likelihood values to be said decoded information symbols, wherein each of the decoded symbols belongs to one of said sub-groups of symbols identified by said hypothesized partial symbols.