Method and apparatus for robust automatic frequency control in CDMA systems with constant pilot signals

1. A method for Automatic Frequency Control in a Code Division Multiple Access system, comprising the steps of:

accumulating sign information relating to phase differences in received signals;

comparing the accumulated sign information against predetermined threshold levels;

generating an error signal when at least one of the predetermined threshold levels is satisfied; and

controlling gain in an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop in the Code Division Multiple Access system in accordance with the error signal.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

multiplying a current despread pilot signal with a complex conjugate of a previous despread pilot signal; and

obtaining a sign value of a product of said multiplying step.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said step of obtaining a sign value comprises the step of extracting the sign value of an imaginary part of the product of said multiplying step.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined threshold levels include a positive threshold and a negative threshold.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said generating step comprises the steps of generating a positive constant error signal when the positive threshold is satisfied, and generating a negative constant error signal when the negative threshold level is satisfied.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the values of the error signals are constant values.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of utilizing the predetermined threshold levels to affect a bandwidth of the Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of resetting the accumulated sign information when the error signal is generated.

9. A method for generating an error signal for an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, comprising the steps of:

accumulating sign information relating to phase differences in received pilot signals;

decimating the accumulated sign information;

utilizing an output of said decimating step as the error signal for the AFC loop;

multiplying a current despread pilot signal with a complex conjugate of a previous despread pilot signal; and

obtaining a sign value of a product of said multiplying step.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein said step of obtaining the sign value comprises the step of extracting the sign value of an imaginary part of the product of said multiplying step.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the output of said decimating step is utilized as the loop error signal upon a decimation of a threshold number of the samples.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of resetting the output of said decimating step at a same interval as when the output of said decimating step is utilized as the loop error signal.

13. An apparatus for generating an error signal for an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, comprising:

an accumulator for accumulating sign information relating to phase differences in received pilot signals;

a decimator for decimating the accumulated sign information so as to output the error signal therefrom;

wherein the output of said decimator is utilized as the error signal upon a decimation of a threshold number of the samples; and

wherein the output of said decimator is reset at a same interval as when the output of said decimator is utilized as the error signal.

14. A method for generating an error signal for an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system for Automatic Frequency Control, comprising the steps of:

accumulating sign information relating to phase differences between samples of a received code sequence;

comparing the accumulated sign information against adaptable threshold levels;

generating the error signal when at least one of the adaptable threshold levels is satisfied; and

controlling gain in the Automatic Frequency Control loop in the Code Division Multiple Access system in accordance with the error signal.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the adaptable threshold levels include a positive threshold and a negative threshold.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said generating step comprises the step of generating a positive constant error signal when the positive threshold is satisfied, and generating a negative constant error signal when the negative threshold level is satisfied.

17. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the values of the error signal are constant values capable of being adjusted to control the gain in Automatic Frequency Control loop.

18. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of utilizing the adaptable threshold levels to affect a bandwidth of the Automatic Frequency Control loop.

19. The method according to claim 14 , further comprising the steps of:

retrieving samples of the received code with different delays from a sample buffer in the Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop and;

adjusting a position of the samples in the sample buffer based on the error signal.

20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising the step of filtering the error signal prior to said adjusting step.

21. An apparatus for generating an error signal for an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, comprising:

an accumulator for accumulating sign information relating to phase differences between samples of a received code sequence;

a comparator for comparing the accumulated sign information against adaptable threshold levels; and

an error signal generator for generating the error signal when at least one of the adaptable threshold levels is satisfied.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said error signal generator generates a positive constant error signal when a positive threshold is satisfied, and generates a negative constant error signal when a negative threshold level is satisfied.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein the positive constant error signal and the negative constant error signal control gain of the Automatic Frequency Control loop.

24. The apparatus according to claim 21 , further comprising a sample buffer for allowing the samples of the received code sequence to be retrieved there from with different delays, and for adjusting positions of the samples in the buffer based on the error signal.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 , further comprising a filter for filtering the error signal prior to adjusting the positions of the samples in the sample buffer.

26. A method for generating an error signal for an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system to achieve AFC, comprising the steps of:

accumulating sign information relating to phase differences between samples of a received code sequence;

decimating the accumulated sign information;

utilizing an output of said decimating step as the error signal for the AFC loop upon a decimation of a threshold number of the samples;

controlling gain in the AFC loop in the CDMA system in accordance with the error signal; and

resetting the output of said decimating step at a same interval as when the output of said decimating step is utilized as the error signal.

27. The method according to claim 26 , further comprising the steps of:

retrieving samples of the received code with different delays from a buffer in the Automatic Frequency Control loop and; and

adjusting a position of the samples in the buffer based on the error signal.

28. The method according to claim 27 , further comprising the step of filtering the error signal prior to said adjusting step.

29. An apparatus for generating an error signal for an Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) loop in a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, comprising:

an accumulator for accumulating sign information relating to phase differences between samples of a received code sequence; and

a decimator for receiving the accumulated sign information from said accumulator and for decimating the accumulated sign information,

wherein an output of said decimator is utilized as the error signal for the AFC loop upon a decimation of a threshold number of the samples;

wherein the output of said decimator is reset at a same interval as when the output of said decimator is utilized as the error signal.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29 , further comprising a sample buffer for allowing the samples of the received code sequence to be retrieved there from with different delays, and for adjusting positions of the samples in the buffer based on the error signal.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 , further comprising a filter for filtering the error signal prior to adjusting the positions of the samples in the sample buffer.