Performing a correlation in reception of a spread spectrum signal

1. A correlator comprising:

an input configured to input samples of a received spread spectrum signal;

at least one reference code input configured to input at least one reference code;

a correlator block comprising

a data shift register configured to receive said signal samples;

a number of register groups comprising

a code shift register for receiving at least a part of at least one reference code; and

a code register configured to receive data from the code shift register; and

configuration pathways configured to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups in a reconfigurable manner,

wherein said number of register groups comprise at least two subgroups, each subgroup comprising:

a code shift register; and

at least two code registers,

wherein said configuration pathways comprise

signal connectors configured to arrange the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

signal connectors configured to arrange said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

2. The correlator according to claim 1 comprising at least a first register group and a second register group, and that said first register group is configured to perform correlation with a first spread spectrum signal, and said second register group is configured to perform correlation with a second spread spectrum signal.

3. The correlator according to claim 1 comprising at least a first register group and a second register group, and said first and second register group are connected in series to perform correlation with the same spread spectrum signal.

4. The correlator according to claim 1 , configured to transfer the data of said code shift register and said sample shift register, configured to store a new sample in the sample shift register and configured to read new reference code data into the code shift register after the storing of the new sample, and that said code shift register, code register and sample shift register are equal in length.

5. The correlator according to claim 4 , wherein the sample shift register and the code shift register have a determined length, wherein said correlator is configured to transfer the data of the code shift register into the code register after the formation of the number of samples corresponding to said length.

6. A receiver comprising:

a sampler configured to form samples of a received spread spectrum signal;

a correlator configured to perform a correlation with the samples of the received spread spectrum signal;

a code generator configured to generate at least one reference code for the correlator;

a mixer configured to mix correlated signals; and

an integrator configured to integrate the mixed signals;

wherein said correlator comprises:

a data shift register configured to receive said signal samples;

a number of register groups comprising

a code shift register configured to receive at least a part of at least one reference code; and

a code register configured to receive data from the code shift register;

wherein said correlator of the receiver also comprises:

configuration pathways configured to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups in a reconfigurable manner,

wherein said number of register groups comprise at least two subgroups, each subgroup comprising:

a code shift register; and

at least two code registers,

wherein said configuration pathways comprise

signal connectors configured to arrange the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

signal connectors configured to arrange said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

7. The receiver according to claim 6 , wherein the mixer comprises a frequency bin generator configured to generate a number of Doppler frequency bins.

8. The receiver according to claim 7 , wherein the number of integrators equals the number of Doppler frequency bins generated by the frequency bin generator.

9. The receiver according to claim 6 , wherein said code generator is configured to generate at least two different reference codes.

10. An electronic device comprising a receiver configured to receive a spread spectrum modulated signal, the receiver comprising:

a sampler configured to form samples of a received spread spectrum signal,

a correlator configured to perform a correlation with the samples of the received spread spectrum signal;

a code generator configured to generate at least one reference code for the correlator;

a mixer configured to mix correlated signals; and

an integrator configured to integrate the mixed signals;

wherein said correlator comprises:

a correlator block comprising:

a data shift register configured to receive said signal samples;

a number of register groups comprising

a code shift register configured to receive at least a part of at least one reference code; and

a code register configured to receive data from the code shift register;

wherein said correlator of the electronic device also comprises:

configuration pathways configured to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups in a reconfigurable manner,

wherein said number of register groups comprise at least two subgroups, each subgroup comprising:

a code shift register; and

at least two code registers,

wherein said configuration pathways comprise

signal connectors configured to arrange the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

signal connectors configured to arrange said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

11. A system comprising a transmitting station configured to transmit a spread spectrum modulated signal, a receiver configured to receive a spread spectrum modulated signal, the receiver comprising:

a sampler configured to form samples of a received spread spectrum signal;

a correlator configured to perform a correlation with the samples of the received spread spectrum signal;

a code generator configured to generate at least one reference code for the correlator;

a mixer configured to mix correlated signals; and

an integrator configured to integrate the mixed signals;

wherein said correlator comprises:

a correlator block comprising:

a data shift register configured to receive said signal samples;

a number of register groups comprising

a code shift register configured to receive at least a part of at least one reference code; and

a code register configured to receive data from the code shift register;

wherein said correlator of the receiver comprises:

configuration pathways configured to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups in a reconfigurable manner,

wherein said number of register groups comprise at least two subgroups, each subgroup comprising:

a code shift register; and

at least two code registers,

wherein said configuration pathways comprise

signal connectors configured to arrange the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

signal connectors configured to arrange said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

12. A module comprising:

an input configured to input samples of a received spread spectrum signal;

at least one reference code input configured to input at least one reference code;

a correlator comprising

a data shift register configured to receive said signal samples;

a number of register groups comprising

a code shift register configured to receive at least a part of at least one reference code; and

a code register configured to receive data from the code shift register;

wherein said correlator also comprises:

configuration pathways configured to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups in a reconfigurable manner,

wherein said number of register groups comprise at least two subgroups, each subgroup comprising:

a code shift register; and

at least two code registers,

wherein said configuration pathways comprise

signal connectors configured to arrange the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

signal connectors configured to arrange said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

13. A method for performing a correlation with a received spread spectrum signal in a correlator, the method comprising:

inputting samples of a received spread spectrum signal;

inputting at least one reference code;

receiving at least a part of at least one reference code to a code shift register of a number of register groups;

receiving data from the code shift register to a code register of said number of register groups; and

configuring pathways of said correlator configured to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups,

wherein said number of register groups comprise two subgroups, each subgroup comprising a code shift register and at least two code registers, and wherein said configuration pathway arranges the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

arranges said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

14. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one readable medium including instructions, the at least one readable medium and instructions configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

inputting samples of a received signal;

inputting at least one reference code;

receiving at least a part of at least one reference code to a code shift register;

receiving data from the code shift register to a code register of a number of register groups; and

configuring pathways of said apparatus so as to arrange connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups,

wherein said number of register groups comprise two subgroups, each subgroup comprising a code shift register and at least two code registers, and wherein said configuration pathway arranges the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

arranges said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

15. A correlator comprising:

an input configured to input samples of a received signal;

at least one reference code input configured to input at least one reference code;

a data shift register configured to receive said signal samples;

a number of register groups comprising

a code shift register configured to receive at least a part of at least one reference code; and

a code register configured to receive data from the code shift register;

configuration pathways configured to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups in a reconfigurable manner,

wherein said number of register groups comprise at least two subgroups, each subgroup comprising:

a code shift register; and

at least two code registers,

wherein said configuration pathways comprise

signal connectors configured to arrange the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

signal connectors configured to arrange said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.

16. A method comprising:

inputting samples of a received signal;

inputting at least one reference code;

receiving at least a part of at least one reference code to a code shift register;

receiving data from the code shift register to a code register of a number of register groups; and

configuring pathways of said correlator to arrange the connections between the code shift register and the code register of the register groups,

wherein said number of register groups comprise two subgroups, each subgroup comprising a code shift register and at least two code registers, and wherein said configuration pathway arranges the code shift registers of said at least two subgroups to operate either in parallel or independently of each other; and

arranges said at least two code registers of said subgroups to operate in parallel, in serial, or independently of each other.