Channel estimation method and associated device for estimating channel for OFDM system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9270494-B2
Application number	US-201414298956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 8, 2014
Priority date	Jun 8, 2014
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A channel estimation method and an associated device for estimating a data channel of a data resource element are provided. The channel estimation method includes obtaining a plurality of pilot channels for pilot resource elements in a time-frequency domain, respectively; utilizing a processing circuit to apply a transformation matrix to the pilot channels, to obtain a plurality of transformed pilot channels corresponding to the pilot resource elements, respectively; and estimating the data channel of the data resource element by performing a plurality of one-dimensional channel estimations according to the transformed pilot channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A channel estimation method for estimating a data channel of a data resource element (RE), comprising:
obtaining a plurality of pilot channels for pilot resource elements in a time-frequency domain, respectively;
utilizing a processing circuit to apply a transformation matrix to the pilot channels, to obtain a plurality of transformed pilot channels, respectively; and
estimating the data channel of the data resource element by performing a plurality of one-dimensional (1D) channel estimations according to the transformed pilot channels.

2. The channel estimation method of claim 1 , wherein the 1D channel estimations includes a first interpolation operation in a first direction and a second interpolation operation in a second direction; one of the first direction and the second direction is a time direction of the time-frequency domain, and the other of the first direction and the second direction is a frequency direction of the time-frequency domain; and the step of estimating the data channel of the data resource element comprises:
performing the first interpolation operation in the first direction based on the transformed pilot channels, to generate a plurality of interpolated data channels; and
performing the second interpolation operation in the second direction based on the interpolated data channels, to generate the data channel of the data resource element.

3. The channel estimation method of claim 2 , further comprising:
reusing the interpolated data channels to perform the second interpolation operation in the second direction, to generate a data channel of another data resource element, wherein the other data resource element and the data resource element are on a same axis of the second direction.

4. The channel estimation method of claim 2 , wherein the first direction is the time direction, and the second direction is the frequency direction.

5. The channel estimation method of claim 2 , wherein the first direction is the frequency direction, and the second direction is the time direction.

6. A channel estimation device, arranged for estimating a data channel of a data resource element (RE), the channel estimation device comprising:
a pilot channel estimator, arranged to obtain a plurality of pilot channels for pilot resource elements in a time-frequency domain, respectively;
a processing circuit, arranged to apply a transformation matrix to the pilot channels, to obtain a plurality of transformed pilot channels, respectively; and
a data channel estimator, arranged to estimate the data channel of the data resource element by performing a plurality of one-dimensional (1D) channel estimations according to the transformed pilot channels.

7. The channel estimation device of claim 6 , wherein the 1D channel estimations includes a first interpolation operation in a first direction and a second interpolation operation in a second direction; one of the first direction and the second direction is a time direction of the time-frequency domain, and the other of the first direction and the second direction is a frequency direction of the time-frequency domain; the data channel estimator is used to perform the first interpolation operation in the first direction based on the transformed pilot channels to generate a plurality of interpolated data channels, and perform the second interpolation operation in the second direction based on the interpolated data channels to generate the data channel of the data resource element.

8. The channel estimation device of claim 7 , wherein the interpolated data channels are reused to perform the second interpolation operation in the second direction, to generate a data channel of another data resource element; and the other data resource element and the data resource element are on a same axis of the second direction.

9. The channel estimation device of claim 7 , wherein the first direction is the time direction, and the second direction is the frequency direction.

10. The channel estimation device of claim 7 , wherein the first direction is the frequency direction, and the second direction is the time direction.

11. A channel estimation method for estimating a data channel of a data resource element (RE), comprising:
obtaining a plurality of pilot channels for pilot resource elements in a time-frequency domain, respectively;
utilizing a processing circuit to use the plurality of pilot channels for pilot resource elements to obtain a plurality of reference channels, respectively; and
estimating the data channel of the data resource element by performing a one-dimensional (1D) channel estimation according to the reference channels.

12. The channel estimation method of claim 11 , wherein the 1D channel estimation is a time direction interpolation.

13. The channel estimation method of claim 12 , wherein the reference channels and the data resource element are on a same axis of the time direction.

14. The channel estimation method of claim 11 , wherein the 1D channel estimation is a frequency direction interpolation.

15. The channel estimation method of claim 14 , wherein the reference channels and the data resource element are on a same axis of the frequency direction.

16. A channel estimation device, arranged for estimating a data channel of a data resource element (RE), the channel estimation device comprising:
a pilot channel estimator, arranged to obtain a plurality of pilot channels for pilot resource elements in a time-frequency domain, respectively;
a processing circuit, arranged to use the plurality of pilot channels for pilot resource elements to obtain a plurality of reference channels, respectively; and
a data channel estimator, arranged to estimate the data channel of the data resource element by performing a one-dimensional (1D) channel estimation according to the reference channels.

17. The channel estimation device of claim 16 , wherein the 1D channel estimation is a time direction interpolation.

18. The channel estimation device of claim 17 , wherein the reference channels and the data resource element are on a same axis of the time direction.

19. The channel estimation device of claim 16 , wherein the 1D channel estimation is a frequency direction interpolation.

20. The channel estimation device of claim 19 , wherein the reference channels and the data resource element are on a same axis of the frequency direction.

Assignees

• Mediatek Singapore Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Tang Hengsheng
• Sun Songsong

Classifications

• H04L5/0007

  the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A) or DMT · CPC title

• H04L25/0202

  Channel estimation · CPC title

• H04L25/0242

  using matrix methods · CPC title

• H04L25/0224 Primary

  using sounding signals · CPC title

• H04L5/0048 Primary

  Allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver (allocation of control signalling H04L5/0053; use of control signalling H04L5/0091) · CPC title