Patent ID: 8437432

Claim:
An estimator for use in an ultra-wideband (UWB) communication system in which multi-symbol packets are transmitted via a transmission channel, each transmitted packet comprising a synchronization header (SHR), the estimator comprising: an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) adapted to: receive a conditioned form of a received packet; periodically sample said packet at a selected over-sample rate; and provide corresponding samples; a digital correlator adapted to: receive selected samples of each symbol of the SHR; periodically select at a selected up-sample rate a set of the selected samples; and develop from each of said sample sets a partial finite impulse response (FIR) of said channel to each symbol; a digital accumulator adapted to: receive each partial FIR developed by the correlator; accumulate the partial FIRs for at least a selected subset of all symbols comprising the SHR; and develop from the accumulated partial FIRs for said selected subset of said symbols a best estimate of a channel impulse response (CIR) comprising an impulse response of said channel.