Patent ID: 7830976

Claim:
A method of estimating a channel and an interference level of a wireless communication system, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a multitude of data symbols transmitted over the channel; receiving a multitude of dedicated pilot symbols disposed between the multitude of data symbols and transmitted over the channel, the dedicated pilot symbols adapted to carry a user-specific signature; assigning an estimate value for the interference level; determining a first estimate value for the channel defined by the received dedicated pilot symbols and in accordance with the estimate value of the interference level; modifying the estimate value of the interference level in accordance with the first estimate value of the channel and the received dedicated pilot symbols; modifying the first estimate value of the channel in accordance with the modified estimate value of the interference level; repeating the modifying steps until the modified estimate values of the interference level and the channel satisfy predefined conditions; and determining a second estimate value of the channel defined by the received data symbols and in accordance with the modified estimate values of the interference level and the channel and that satisfy the predefined conditions.