Simplified interference suppression in multi-antenna receivers

1. A method for use in a wireless communication receiver having a plurality of antennas, comprising:

receiving via said antennas a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;

providing a covariance matrix that is indicative of noise in the received signal;

using said covariance matrix to estimate information indicative of said interference component;

estimating an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said information; and

suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said signal is an OFDM signal.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said information includes an eigenvector of said covariance matrix.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said eigenvector is a largest eigenvector of said covariance matrix.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said eigenvector is indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said information includes power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said information includes further power information indicative of a power characteristic of a further interference component of said signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said directional information includes an eigenvector of said covariance matrix.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein said directional information includes an eigenvector of said covariance matrix.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said information includes information indicative of a further interference component of said signal.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said providing includes estimating said covariance matrix based on empirical information indicative of said noise.

12. A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving via a plurality of antennas a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;

means for providing a covariance matrix that is indicative of noise in the received signal;

means for using said covariance matrix to estimate information indicative of said interference component;

means for estimating an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said information; and

means for suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said information includes power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein said information includes further power information indicative of a power characteristic of a further interference component of said signal.

15. A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of antennas for receiving a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;

a covariance unit coupled to said antennas and configured to provide a covariance matrix that is indicative of noise in the received signal;

an estimation apparatus coupled to said covariance unit and configured to use said covariance matrix to estimate information indicative of said interference component;

a spatial covariance unit coupled to said estimation apparatus and configured to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said information; and

a filter coupled to said antennas and said spatial covariance unit, said filter configured to suppress said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein said information includes power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said information includes further power information indicative of a power characteristic of a further interference component of said signal.

18. A computer program product for supporting wireless communication, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising:

code for causing at least one data processor to produce, for a signal received via a plurality of antennas and containing an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource, a covariance matrix that is indicative of noise in the received signal;

code for causing the at least one data processor to use said covariance matrix to estimate information indicative of said interference component;

code for causing the at least one data processor to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said information; and

code for causing the at least one data processor to suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein said information includes power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein said information includes further power information indicative of a power characteristic of a further interference component of said signal.

21. A method for use in a wireless communication receiver having a plurality of antennas, comprising:

receiving via said antennas a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;

estimating power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;

estimating an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information; and

suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

22. A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving via a plurality of antennas a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;

means for estimating power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;

means for estimating an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information; and

means for suppressing said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

23. A wireless communication receiver apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of antennas for receiving a signal that contains an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource;

an estimator coupled to said antennas and configured to estimate power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;

a spatial covariance unit coupled to said estimation apparatus and configured to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information; and

a filter coupled to said antennas and said spatial covariance unit, said filter configured to suppress said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.

24. A computer program product for supporting wireless communication, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising:

code for causing at least one data processor to estimate, for a signal received via a plurality of antennas and containing an interference component and a desired communication component that are both carried by a common time-frequency resource, power information indicative of a power characteristic of said interference component and directional information indicative of a directional characteristic of said interference component;

code for causing the at least one data processor to estimate an inverse of a spatial covariance matrix based on said power information and said directional information; and

code for causing the at least one data processor to suppress said interference component based on said estimated inverse of the spatial covariance matrix.