Receiver for a radio network and an method for determining a channel estimate for a radio channel

1. A receiver for a radio network, said receiver comprising

a receiving unit for receiving a number of time domain signals forming a plurality of symbols, each symbol having a cyclic prefix,

a channel estimation unit for determining a channel estimate (ĥ os ) in the time domain for a user (u) based on known pilots in the signals received by the receiving unit,

wherein the channel estimation unit determines the channel estimate (ĥ os ) for a user (u) using a DFT matrix (V) with a fundamental period related to the number (N c ) of sub-carriers associated to said user (u), wherein the channel estimate (ĥ os ) has a length of L taps, L being less that the number (N c ) of sub-carriers associated to said user:

wherein the channel estimation unit com rises a channel estimation part for estimating the channel estimate as ĥ os =V* N c ·k D* u R u ;

wherein V* N c ·k is the conjugate transpose of a OFT matrix having a fundamental period of N c ·k;

wherein D* u is the conjugate transpose of D u , which is a matrix comprising pilot symbols in the frequency domain corresponding to said user (u);

wherein R u denote received samples in the frequency domain for said user (u):

and wherein k is a constant.

2. The receiver according to claim 1 , wherein the fundamental period (N c ·k) is equal to the number of sub-carriers N c associated to the user multiplied with an over-sampling factor k.

3. The receiver according to claim 2 , wherein the over-sampling factor k is within a range from 1.0 to 2.5.

4. The receiver according to claim 3 , wherein the over-sampling factor k is 2.

5. The receiver according to claim 1 , wherein the number of rows in the DFT matrix (V) is equal to the length L of a search window.

6. The receiver according to claim 5 , wherein the channel estimation unit comprises a channel tap reduction part for selecting a subset of rows in the channel estimate ĥ os =V* N c ·k D* u R u so as to form a channel tap reduced estimate ĥ os — red .

7. The receiver according to claim 6 , wherein the channel tap reduction part determines a first end point ({circumflex over (m)} R ) and a second end point ({circumflex over (m)} L ) within the search window for the channel estimate (ĥ os ) and selects the sub- set of rows so that the channel tap reduced estimate (ĥ os — red ) only comprises rows between the first and second end points.

8. The receiver according to claim 7 , wherein the channel tap reduction part comprises:

a first adaptive channel estimator for determining the first end point ({circumflex over (m)} R ) by determining a decision value for each of a number of possible lengths of the channel estimate (ĥ os ) in a first direction and selecting the length associated to the most favourable decision value, and

a second adaptive channel estimator arranged to determine the second end point ({circumflex over (m)} L ) by determining a decision value for each of a number of possible lengths of the channel estimate (ĥ os ) in a second direction and selecting the length associated to the most favourable decision value.

9. The receiver according to claim 8 , wherein the first adaptive channel estimator relates the possible lengths to a starting value (N start ) associated to an expected timing of the channel estimate (ĥ os ).

10. The receiver according to claim 9 , wherein the second adaptive channel estimator relates the possible lengths to the first end point ({circumflex over (m)} R ).

11. The receiver according to claim 9 , wherein the receiver comprises a timing misalignment determination unit for determining a timing misalignment between a determined timing of the channel estimate (ĥ os ) and the expected timing of the channel estimate (ĥ os ) defined by the starting value (N start ).

12. The receiver according to claim 11 , wherein the timing misalignment determination unit determines the timing misalignment based on an expected relation between the starting sample value (N start ) and the first and/or the second end point.

13. The receiver according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver is arranged to work in accordance with release 8 of the UMTS standard.

14. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is part of a base station.

15. The receiver of claim 14 , wherein the base station comprises a transmitting unit operatively connected to the timing misalignment unit for transmitting information related to the misalignment to the associated user (u).

16. The receiver of claim 15 , wherein the base station is part of a radio network.

17. The receiver of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is part of a terminal.

18. A method for determining a channel estimate (ĥ) for a radio channel, said method comprising:

receiving a number of time domain signals (y n ) forming a plurality of symbols, each symbol having a cyclic prefix,

processing the received signals (y n ) so as to remove the prefix and form a vector (R u ) of received samples in the frequency domain for said user (u);

determining said channel estimate (ĥ) in the time domain for a user (u) based on known pilots in the received signals, wherein determining the channel estimate (ĥ) for a user (u) involves using a DFT matrix (V) with a fundamental period related to the number (N c ) of sub-carriers associated to said user (u);

determining a conjugate transpose V* N c ·k of the DFT matrix (V) having a fundamental period of N c ·k,

determining a conjugate transpose D* u of a pilot matrix D u comprising pilot symbols in the frequency domain corresponding to said user (u), and

estimating the channel estimate as ĥ=V* N c ·k D* u R u .

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a sub-set of rows in the channel estimate ĥ=V* N c ·k D* u R u matrix is selected so as to form a channel tap reduced channel estimate (ĥ os — red ).

20. The method according to claim 19 , wherein the selection of a sub-set of rows comprises determining a first end point ({circumflex over (m)} R ) and a second end point ({circumflex over (m)} L ) for the channel estimate ĥ os and to select the sub-set of rows so that the channel tap reduced channel estimate ĥ os — red only comprises rows between the first and second end points.

21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein

the determination of the first end point ({circumflex over (m)} R ) comprises determining a decision value for each of a number of possible lengths of the channel estimate ĥ os in a first direction starting from a starting sample value (N start ) and selecting that length which is associated to the most favourable decision value, and

the determination of the second end point ({circumflex over (m)} L ) comprises determining a decision value for each of a number of possible lengths of the channel estimate ĥ os in a second direction opposite to said first direction and selecting that length which is associated to the most favourable decision value,

22. The method according to claim 20 , wherein a timing misalignment between an expected timing of the channel tap reduced channel estimate and the determined channel tap reduced channel estimate (ĥ os — red )is determined.

23. The method according to claim 22 , wherein information relating to the timing misalignment is transmitted to the user (u).