Patent ID: 7424063

Claim:
A method of decoding a transmitted string of symbols received over a channel as a received signal, each of said transmitted symbols having one of a plurality of values, the method comprising: searching for a candidate string of symbols, said candidate string of symbols including a string of candidate symbols, by searching for said candidate symbols within a region of a multi-dimensional lattice determined by a channel response of said channel, said multi-dimensional lattice having one dimension associated with each of said symbols of said transmitted string of symbols, said region defined by a distance from said received signal; and decoding said transmitted string of symbols by selecting said candidate string of symbols, wherein said searching for said candidate string of symbols includes selecting a candidate value for one of said transmitted symbols, and testing whether a part of said multi-dimensional lattice defined by said selected candidate value is within a bounding distance from said received signal; said searching for said candidate symbols is stopped after a limiting number of performances of said testing; and said decoding includes providing a linear estimate of said transmitted string of symbols when said searching for said candidate string of symbols fails to locate said candidate string of symbols.