Patent Document ID: 20120243630
Application ID: 13514346
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for improving channel estimation performance in a dynamic spectrum access multicarrier system that utilizes a pattern of pilot symbols to be included in transmitted signals sent from a sender to a receiver through an interference-affected propagation environment, the method comprising adaptively determining the pattern of pilot symbols to be included in the transmitted signals by carrying out the following steps: a) explicitly characterising the interference-affected propagation environment by defining a covariance matrix of interference and white Gaussian noise based on external measurements for the propagation environment; b) determining the placement of a predetermined number of equally powered pilot symbols by computing a placement that results in the minimum sum of square errors of a maximum likelihood channel estimation performed based on the covariance matrix, and c) with the pilot symbols in their placed positions, determining a relative power distribution between the placed pilot symbols by computing the power distribution that results in the minimum sum of square errors of a maximum likelihood channel estimation performed based on the covariance matrix.