Patent ID: 7388921

Claim:
Method for processing an OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplex)-signal comprising the following steps: receiving (S 1 ) an OFDM signal comprising received cells (REC-PC, REC-DC), each received cell (REC-PC, REC-DC) corresponding to a discrete frequency (k) and to a discrete time (l), wherein each of said received cells (REC-PC, REC-DC) is a received pilot cell (REC-PC) or a received data cell (REC-DC), said received pilot cells (REC-PC) corresponding to a received pilot pattern (REC-PP) of an OFDM-frame, providing and/or generating (S 3 ) a reference pilot pattern (REF-PP) of reference pilot cells (REF-PC) each reference pilot cell (REF-PC) corresponding to a discrete frequency (k) and to a discrete time (l), generating (S 4 ) at least one arrangement (XY) between said received pilot pattern (REC-PP) and said reference pilot pattern (REF-PP), each arrangement (XY) corresponding to an integer frequency offset (f I ) and an integer time offset (T sy ) between said received pilot pattern (REC-PP) and said reference pilot pattern (REF-PP), calculating (S 5 ) a metric value (Λ) for each arrangement of said at least one arrangement (XY), determining the maximum value of said metric values (Λ) and the respective maximizing arrangement, determining (S 7 ) a maximizing integer frequency offset ({circumflex over (f)} I ) and a maximizing integer time offset ({circumflex over (T)} sy ) corresponding to the integer frequency offset and the integer time offset of the maximizing arrangement, using said maximizing integer frequency offset ({circumflex over (f)} I ) and/or said maximizing integer time offset ({circumflex over (T)} sy ) for frequency offset compensation and/or time offset compensation (S 8 ) of said OFDM-signal, wherein the calculation of said metric values (Λ) is based on the evaluation of groups (REF-PC-PAIR (P,(k, l); P(k, l+N l ))) of reference pilot cells (REF-PC), wherein at least two members of said groups (REF-PC-PAIR (P,(k, l); P(k, l+N l ))) correspond to the same discrete frequency (k) and to different discrete times (l), and based on the signals (R(k, l), R(k, l+N l )) of corresponding received cells (REC-PC, REC-DC) with respect to said discrete frequencies (k) and said discrete times (l).