Method and apparatus for receiving site selection diversity transmit (SSDT) signal in a wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system

1. A method to operate a user equipment (UE) in a Site Selection Diversity Transmit mode of a WCDMA wireless communications system, comprising:

selecting a primary cell;

transmitting an identification of the primary cell (Cell ID) using Feedback Information (FI) bits on a Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH);

in response to detecting a case where the selected primary cell fails to transmit a downlink Dedicated Physical Channel (DPCH) to the UE, inserting predetermined sample values into the output of a UE receiver prior to a UE channel decoder; and

decoding the predetermined sample values as zero bits so as to maintain proper channel decoder operation.

2. A user equipment (UE) operable in a Site Selection Diversity Transmit mode of a wireless communications system, comprising:

a radio frequency transceiver comprising a transmitter and a receiver;

a decoder having an input coupled to an output of said. receiver; and

a controller coupled to the transceiver, said controller operating to select a primary cell for the UE and to transmit, via said transmitter, an identification of the primary cell (Cell ID) using Feedback Information (FL) bits on a Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCFI); said controller being responsive to the selected primary cell failing to transmit a downlink Dedicated Physical Channel (DPCH) to the UB to insert predetermined sample values into said input of said channel decoder such that said decoder decodes the predetermined sample values as zero bits.

3. A UE as in claim 2 , where said wireless communications system comprises a code division multiple access system, where said receiver comprises at least one finger for demodulating a received signal, and where said controller detects that the selected primary cell has failed to transmit the downlink DPCH to the UE by assigning the at least one finger to demodulate the DPCH, and determining that too little energy is present in the at least one finger that is assigned to demodulate the DPCH.

4. A computer program product embodied on a computer readable medium execution of which operates user equipment (UE) in a Site Selection Diversity Transmit mode of a WCDMA wireless communications system, comprising operations of:

selecting a primary cell;

transmitting an identification of the primary cell (Cell ID) using Feedback Information (FI) bits on a Dedicated Physical Control Channel (DPCCH);

in response to detecting a case where the selected primary cell fails to transmit a downlink Dedicated Physical Channel (DPCH) to the UE, inserting predetermined sample values into the output of a UB receiver prior to a UE channel decoder; and

decoding the predetermined sample values as zero bits so as to maintain proper channel decoder operation.

5. A radio frequency receiver operable in a Site Selection Diversity Transmit mode of a wireless communications system, comprising:

a decoder having an input coupled to an output of said receiver; and

a controller coupled to said receiver, said controller responsive to a cell failing to transmit a downlink Dedicated Physical Channel (DPCH) to insert predetermined sample values into said input of said decoder such that said decoder decodes the predetermined sample values as zero bits.

6. A radio frequency receiver as in claim 5 , where said wireless communications system comprises a code division multiple access system, where said receiver comprises at least one finger for demodulating a received signal, and where said controller detects that the cell has failed to transmit the downlink DPCH by assigning the at least one finger to demodulate the DPCH, and determining that the cell has failed to transmit the downlink DPCH from an amount of energy present in the at least one finger.