Patent ID: 8229703

Claim:
A method of a non-coherent detection of a transmitted data signal, the method comprising: receiving data indicative of a data signal by a non-coherent communications receiver; evaluating, by the receiver, a non-central chi-square probability density function indicative of a parameter of the signal based on the received data, the non-central chi-square probability density function comprising a non-central chi-square distribution, the non-central chi-square distribution comprising a plurality of peak terms, wherein said evaluating the non-central chi-square probability density function indicative of the parameter of the signal comprises: estimating the plurality of peak terms to be summed for evaluating the probability density function based on a specified accuracy, a number of degrees of freedom, and a non-centrality parameter associated with the probability density function, and by identifying the plurality of peak terms and a second moment of peak term weights prior to calculating a non-central chi-square density; and determining the signal parameter based at least in part on the received data and the calculated density, and one of making a detection decision in the receiver and assessing a performance of the receiver based on the determined signal parameter.