Patent ID: 7106792

Claim:
A method for estimating a signal to interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) of a wireless channel, wherein frames having a pilot portion and a non-pilot portion are transmitted over the wireless channel, said method comprising: adapting an adaptive equalizer using the pilot portion of a frame, resulting in a pilot output; applying said adaptive equalizer to the non-pilot portion of said frame, resulting in an output; determining a parameter using said output, wherein said parameter comprises a first parameter; estimating the SINR of the wireless channel using said parameter, resulting in a non-pilot SINR estimate; determining a second parameter using said pilot output; estimating the SINR of the wireless channel using said second parameter, resulting in a pilot SINR estimate; calculating an SINR compensation factor using said non-pilot SINR estimate and said pilot SINR estimate; smoothing said SINR compensation factor over a plurality of frames; and adjusting said pilot SINR estimate according to said smoothed SINR compensation factor.