Patent Document ID: 8279965
Application ID: 12495305
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for detecting multiple input multiple output (MIMO) communications, the method comprising: responsive to receiving a MIMO signal at a receiver, selecting for a first group one antenna from a plurality of antenna transmitting said received MIMO signal, wherein said selected one antenna transmits using a modulation scheme represented by a first constellation diagram having a generally square shape; designating a second group comprising one or more additional constellation diagrams representing remaining ones of said plurality of antenna; estimating a set of distances between said received MIMO signal and a corresponding transmitted symbol, wherein said estimating comprises, for each constellation point in said second group: calculating a first partial distance between said each constellation point in said second group and said received MIMO signal; and calculating a second partial distance between said each constellation point in said second group and each one of a select group of constellation points in said first group, wherein said select group of constellation points comprises a minimal distance constellation point and m additional constellation points arranged in a cross surrounding said minimal distance point in said constellation diagram, wherein m is a modulation order of said modulation scheme; computing said set of distances based on a sum of corresponding ones of each of said first and second partial distances; and looking up two minimal distances based on said set of distances.