Patent ID: 8279985

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving a signal intended for a terminal of an Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (OFDMA) wireless communication system on a subchannel of said OFDMA system, wherein said terminal comprises a single user decoder, a linear multi-user decoder, and a nonlinear multi-user decoder; receiving, by said terminal, an interfering signal on said subchannel; selecting between said single user decoder, said linear multi-user decoder, and said nonlinear multi-user decoder to decode the intended signal, wherein said single user decoder decodes only said intended signal when selected and said multi-user decoders each decodes at least a portion of said interfering signal when selected; wherein said selecting comprises; selecting said single user decoder when determined that a strength of said interfering signal does not exceed a first threshold amount, selecting said linear multi-user decoder when determined that said strength of said interfering signal exceeds said first threshold amount but does not exceed a second threshold amount, and selecting said non-linear multi-user decoder when determined that said strength of said interfering signal exceeds both said first and second threshold amounts; and when said linear multi-user decoder or said non-linear multi-user decoder is selected for decoding at least a portion of said interfering signal, using the decoded portion of said interfering signal to decode said intended signal.