Space-time block decoder for a wireless communications system

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

an antenna configured to receive a sequence of symbols through a channel, wherein (i) the sequence of symbols comprise bits of user data, and (ii) the bits of user data are mapped to the sequence of symbols prior to being received by the antenna;

a demodulator configured to generate a sequence of demodulated symbols by multiplying the sequence of symbols by a conjugate of a channel response of the channel;

a demultiplexer configured to generate an in-phase component and a quadrature component of each of the demodulated symbols;

a slicer configured to, for each respective one of the demodulated symbols, generate a decoded symbol by performing a hard decision based on the in-phase component and the quadrature component of the respective one of the demodulated symbols; and

a bit mapping module configured to determine which of the bits of user data are associated with each of the decoded symbols.

2. The wireless communications system of claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of antennae configured to receive the sequence of symbols.

3. The wireless communications system of claim 2 , wherein the bits of user data received by the antenna are mapped based on quadrature phase shift keying.

4. The wireless communications system of claim 2 , wherein the bits of user data received by the antenna are mapped based on 16-quadrature amplitude modulation.

5. The wireless communications system of claim 2 , wherein the bits of user data received by the antenna are mapped based on 64-quadrature amplitude modulation.

6. The wireless communications system of claim 2 , wherein the bits of user data received by the antenna are mapped based on 256-quadrature amplitude modulation.

7. The wireless communications system of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the respective ones of the demodulated symbols, the hard decision is based on the channel response.

8. The wireless communications system of claim 1 , wherein, for each of the respective ones of the demodulated symbols, the hard decision is based on a square of the channel response.

9. The wireless communications system of claim 1 , wherein performing the hard decision comprises:

comparing the in-phase component of the respective one of the demodulated symbols to integer multiples of a square of the channel response; and

comparing the quadrature component of the respective one of the demodulated symbols to integer multiplies of the square of the channel response.

10. A method comprising:

receiving a sequence of symbols through a channel, wherein (i) the sequence of symbols comprise bits of user data, and (ii) the bits of user data are mapped to the sequence of symbols prior to being received;

generating a sequence of demodulated symbols by multiplying the sequence of symbols by a conjugate of a channel response of the channel;

generating an in-phase component and a quadrature component of each of the demodulated symbols;

for each respective one of the demodulated symbols, generating a decoded symbol by performing a hard decision based on the in-phase component and the quadrature component of the respective one of the demodulated symbols; and

determining which of the bits of user data are associated with each of the decoded symbols.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bits of user data of the sequence of symbols are mapped based on quadrature phase shift keying.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bits of user data of the sequence of symbols are mapped based on 16-quadrature amplitude modulation.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bits of user data of the sequence of symbols are mapped based on 64-quadrature amplitude modulation.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the bits of user data of the sequence of symbols are mapped based on 256-quadrature amplitude modulation.