Using convolutional decoding to improve time delay and phase estimation in digital communications

1. A method of operating a communication signal processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving a communication signal that corresponds to a transmitted communication signal which carries systematic data and parity data produced from the systematic data by a convolutional encoding operation at a transmitter;

performing a convolutional decoding operation to obtain from the received communication signal an estimate of the systematic data; and

estimating a time delay associated with the received communication signal based on said convolutional decoding operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating a phase of the received communication signal based on said convolutional decoding operation.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said transmitted communication signal has been spread according to a spreading operation at the transmitter, and comprising integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said transmitted communication signal has been spread according to a spreading operation at the transmitter, and comprising integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said estimating step includes updating an estimate of said time delay based on a temporal sequence of trellis decisions in said convolutional decoding operation.

6. A method of operating a communication signal processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving a communication signal that corresponds to a transmitted communication signal which carries systematic data and parity data produced from the systematic data by a convolutional encoding operation at a transmitter;

performing a convolutional decoding operation to obtain from the received communication signal an estimate of the systematic data; and

tracking a phase of the received communication signal using information that said convolutional decoding operation also uses in obtaining the systematic data.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said transmitted communication signal has been spread according to a spreading operation, and comprising integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said tracking step includes updating an estimate of said phase based on a temporal sequence of trellis decisions in said convolutional decoding operation.

9. A method of operating a communication signal processing apparatus, comprising:

receiving a communication signal that corresponds to a transmitted communication signal which carries systematic data and parity data produced from the systematic data by a convolutional encoding operation at a transmitter, the transmitted communication signal having also been spread according to a spreading operation at the transmitter;

performing a convolutional decoding operation to obtain from the received communication signal an estimate of the systematic data; and

integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said spreading operation uses a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) code.

11. An apparatus for communication signal processing, comprising:

an input for receiving a communication signal that corresponds to a transmitted communication signal which carries systematic data and parity data produced from the systematic data by a convolutional encoding operation at a transmitter;

a decoder coupled to said input for performing a convolutional decoding operation to obtain from the received communication signal an estimate of the systematic data; and

an estimator coupled to said decoder and said input for estimating a time delay associated with the received communication signal based on said convolutional decoding operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising an estimator coupled to said decoder and said input for estimating a phase of the received communication signal based on said convolutional decoding operation.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said transmitted communication signal has been spread according to a spreading operation at the transmitter, said decoder further for integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said transmitted communication signal carries further parity data produced from the systematic data by a further convolutional encoding operation at the transmitter, and comprising a further decoder coupled to said decoder, said further decoder for performing a further convolutional decoding operation based on a result of said convolutional decoding operation, said decoder for performing said convolutional decoding operation again based on a result of said further convolutional decoding operation, said time delay estimator coupled to said further decoder for estimating said time delay based on an estimate of said further parity data produced by said further convolutional decoding operation, and said phase estimator coupled to said further decoder for estimating said phase based on said estimate of said further parity data.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said transmitted communication signal has been spread according to a spreading operation at the transmitter, said decoder further for integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said estimator is for updating an estimate of said time delay based on a temporal sequence of trellis decisions in said convolutional decoding operation.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein said transmitted communication signal carries further parity data produced from the systematic data by a further convolutional encoding operation at the transmitter, and including a further decoder coupled to said decoder, said further decoder responsive to said decoder for performing a further convolutional decoding operation based on a result of said convolutional decoding operation, said decoder responsive to said further decoder for performing said convolutional decoding operation again based on a result of said further convolutional decoding operation, and said estimator coupled to said further decoder for estimating said time delay based on an estimate of said further parity data produced by said further convolutional decoding operation.

18. An apparatus for communication signal processing, comprising:

an input for receiving a communication signal that corresponds to a transmitted communication signal which carries systematic data and parity data produced from the systematic data by a convolutional encoding operation at a transmitter;

a decoder coupled to said input for performing a convolutional decoding operation to obtain from the received communication signal an estimate of the systematic data; and

a phase tracking portion coupled to said decoder for tracking a phase of the received communication signal using information that said convolutional decoding operation also uses in obtaining the systematic data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said transmitted communication signal has been spread according to a spreading operation at the transmitter, said decoder further for integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said phase tracking portion is for updating an estimate of said phase based on a temporal sequence of trellis decisions in said convolutional decoding operation.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said transmitted communication signal carries further parity data produced from the systematic data by a further convolutional encoding operation at the transmitter, and comprising a further decoder coupled to said decoder, said further decoder responsive to said decoder for performing a further convolutional decoding operation based on a result of said convolutional decoding operation, said decoder responsive to said further decoder for performing said convolutional decoding operation again based on a result of said further convolutional decoding operation, and said estimator coupled to said further decoder for estimating said phase based on an estimate of said further parity data produced by said further convolutional decoding operation.

22. An apparatus for communication signal processing, comprising:

an input for receiving a communication signal that corresponds to a transmitted communication signal which carries systematic data and parity data produced from the systematic data by a convolutional encoding operation at a transmitter, the transmitted communication signal having also been spread according to a spreading operation at the transmitter;

a decoder coupled to said input for performing a convolutional decoding operation to obtain from the received communication signal an estimate of the systematic data; and

said decoder further for integrating into said convolutional decoding operation a despreading operation which despreads the received communication signal based on said spreading operation.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein said spreading operation uses a direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) code.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein said convolutional decoding operation is a Viterbi decoding operation.