Method and device for channel response determination

1. A method of channel response determination for a wireless communication system operating over a plurality of channels, comprising:

generating, by a device in the wireless communication system, a first vector of channel samples from channel estimations obtained by using a training signal;

generating, by a device in the wireless communication system, a second vector of regularized channel responses by applying to the first vector of channel samples a regularization algorithm;

wherein a second difference between consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector is less than a first difference between consecutive channel samples of the first vector; and

wherein generating a second vector comprises multiplying the first vector with a third matrix, which is an inverse of a sum of an identity matrix and a fourth matrix comprising constants, which are operative to decrease the second difference between the consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the third matrix is pre-computed for specific values of the constants.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regularization algorithm comprises a regularization term that comprises a difference between a first regularized channel response and a second regularized channel response, and the second regularized channel response is consecutive of the first channel response within the second vector in a frequency domain.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regularization algorithm comprises constants that are operative to adjust an amount by which the second differences between consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector are decreased.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein values of the constants are set in dependence on whether the channel samples of the first vector are based on channel estimates of a single orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbol.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the values of the constants are set larger if the channel samples of the first vector are based on channel estimates of different OFDM symbols than if the channel samples of the first vector are based on channel estimates of a single OFDM symbol.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the regularization algorithm comprises a fitting term that comprises a difference between a specific regularized channel response of the second vector and a corresponding specific channel sample of the first vector.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first vector comprises a plurality of groups of channel samples, and the regularization algorithm is applied to each group of channel samples separately.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a filtered third vector based on a present second vector, at least one previously generated second vector, and a filter coefficient.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communication system.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication system is a wideband code division multiple access communication system.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second differences are obtained in the frequency domain.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fourth matrix is a tri-diagonal matrix of constants.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein channel estimations obtained by using a training signal are filtered in the time domain before being used for generating the first vector of channel samples.

15. A channel response determination device for a wireless communication system operating over a plurality of channels, comprising:

a first unit adapted to generate a first vector of channel samples from channel estimations obtained by using a training signal;

a second unit adapted to generate a second vector of regularized channel responses by applying to the first vector of channel samples a regularization algorithm,

wherein a second difference between consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector is less than a first difference between consecutive channel samples of the first vector; and the second unit comprises a multiplier adapted to multiply the first vector with a third matrix that is an inverse of a sum of an identity matrix and a fourth matrix comprising constants operative to decrease the second difference between the consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the multiplier is adapted to pre-compute the third matrix for specific values of the constants.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the regularization algorithm comprises a regularization term that comprises a difference between a first regularized channel response and a second regularized channel response; and the second regularized channel response is consecutive of the first channel response within the second vector in a frequency domain.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the regularization algorithm comprises constants that are operative to adjust an amount by which the second differences between consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector are decreased.

19. The device of claim 15 , wherein the second unit is adapted to adjust values of the constants in dependence on whether the channel samples of the first vector are based on channel estimates of a single orthogonal frequency division multiplex (OFDM) symbol.

20. The device of claim 19 , wherein the values of the constants are larger if the channel samples of the first vector are based on channel estimates of different OFDM symbols than if the channel samples of the first vector are based on channel estimates of a single OFDM symbol.

21. The device of claim 15 , wherein the regularization algorithm comprises a fitting term that comprises a difference between a specific regularized channel response of the second vector and a corresponding specific channel sample of the first vector.

22. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first vector comprises a plurality of groups of channel samples, and the second unit is adapted to apply the regularization algorithm to each group of channel samples separately.

23. The device of claim 15 , further comprising a third unit adapted to generate a filtered third vector based on a present second vector, at least one previously generated second vector, and a filter coefficient.

24. The device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless communication system is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing communication system.

25. The device of claim 15 , wherein the wireless communication system is a wideband code division multiple access communication system.

26. The device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second differences are obtained in the frequency domain.

27. The device of claim 16 , wherein the fourth matrix is a tri-diagonal matrix of constants.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that cause a computer executing the instructions to carry out a method of channel response determination for a wireless communication system operating over a plurality of channels, the method comprising:

generating a first vector of channel samples from channel estimations obtained by using a training signal;

generating a second vector of regularized channel responses by applying to the first vector of channel samples a regularization algorithm;

wherein a second difference between consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector is less than a first difference between consecutive channel samples of the first vector; and

wherein generating a second vector comprises multiplying the first vector with a third matrix, which is an inverse of a sum of an identity matrix and a fourth matrix comprising constants, which are operative to decrease the second difference between the consecutive regularized channel responses of the second vector.