Pilot pattern for MIMO OFDM

1. A transmitter, comprising:

a first pilot generator configured to generate a first pilot-pattern as first pilot clusters each including a respective first pilot subsymbol in a first cluster position and a respective second pilot subsymbol in a second cluster position such that a first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to a second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols;

a first pilot mapper configured to map each of the first pilot clusters to a respective group of first pilot subcarriers of a first signal;

a second pilot generator configured to generate a second pilot-pattern as second pilot clusters each including a respective third pilot subsymbol in a third cluster position such that a third vector formed by the third pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to the first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols and to the second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols; and

a second pilot mapper configured to map each of the second pilot clusters to a respective group of second pilot subcarriers of a second signal, wherein each of the first and second pilot generators generates a the respective pilot-pattern according to a respective pilot-pattern matrix where each column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by one of the first and second pilot generators is orthogonal to every column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by the other of the first and second pilot generators and each column of the respective pilot-pattern matrix is orthogonal to every other column of the same pilot-pattern matrix.

2. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the third cluster position and one of the first and second cluster positions are the same cluster position.

3. The transmitter of claim 1 wherein the first, second, and third cluster positions are different cluster positions.

4. The transmitter of claim 1 , further comprising an antenna coupled to the first pilot mapper and configured to transmit the first signal.

5. The transmitter of claim 1 , further comprising:

a data generator configured to generate data subsymbols arranged in data clusters;

a data mapper configured to map each of the data clusters to a respective group of data subcarriers;

a signal generator configured to combine the first pilot subcarriers and the data subcarriers into a signal; and

an antenna configured to transmit the signal.

6. The transmitter of claim 1 , further comprising:

a data generator configured to generate data subsymbols arranged in data clusters;

a data mapper configured to map each of the data clusters to a respective group of data subcarriers;

an inverse Fourier transformer configured to generate a digital signal from the first pilot subcarriers and the data subcarriers;

a digital-to-analog converter configured to generate an analog signal from the digital signal; and

an antenna configured to transmit the analog signal.

7. The transmitter of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first antenna coupled to the first pilot mapper and configured to transmit the first signal; and

a second antenna coupled to the second pilot mapper and configured to transmit the second signal.

8. A communication unit, comprising:

a transmitter having a first pilot generator and a second pilot generator,

wherein the first pilot generator is configured to provide a first pilot-pattern as first pilot clusters each including a respective first pilot subsymbol in a first cluster position and a respective second pilot subsymbol in a second cluster position such that a first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to a second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols, and

modulate each group of pilot subcarriers of a signal with a respective one of the first pilot clusters;

wherein the second pilot generator is configured to provide a second pilot-pattern as second pilot clusters each including a respective third pilot subsymbol in a third cluster position such that a third vector formed by the third pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to the first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols and to the second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols and to map each of the second pilot clusters to a respective group of second pilot subcarriers of a second signal, wherein each of the first and second pilot generators generates the respective pilot-pattern according to a respective pilot-pattern matrix where each column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by one of the first and second pilot generators is orthogonal to every column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by the other of the first and second pilot generators and each column of the respective pilot-pattern matrix is orthogonal to every other column of the same pilot-pattern matrix.

9. The communication unit of claim 8 , further comprising:

a receiver and an antenna coupled to the transmitter and to the receiver, and configured to transmit the signal and to receive another signal from a source remote from the receiver; and

wherein the receiver is configured to receive the other signal from the antenna.

10. The communication unit of claim 8 , further comprising an antenna coupled to the transmitter and configured to transmit the signal.

11. A system, comprising:

a first communication unit, including:

a first transmitter having a first pilot generator configured to transmit a first signal that includes a first pilot-pattern as first pilot clusters each including a respective first pilot subsymbol in a first cluster position and a respective second pilot subsymbol in a second cluster position such that a first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to a second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols; and

a first receiver configured to receive a second signal; and a second communication unit, including:

a second receiver configured to receive the first signal from the first transmitter; and

a second transmitter having a second pilot generator configured to transmit the second signal to the first receiver and to provide a second pilot-pattern as second pilot clusters each including a respective third pilot subsymbol in a third cluster position such that a third vector formed by the third pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to the first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols and to the second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols and to map each of the second pilot clusters to a respective group of second pilot subcarriers of a second signal, wherein each of the first and second pilot generators generates the respective pilot-pattern according to a respective pilot-pattern matrix where each column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by one of the first and second pilot generators is orthogonal to every column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by the other of the first and second pilot generators and each column of the respective pilot-pattern matrix is orthogonal to every other column of the same pilot-pattern matrix.

12. A method, comprising:

generating within a first pilot generator a first pilot-pattern as a plurality of first pilot clusters including a respective first pilot subsymbol in a first cluster position and a respective second pilot subsymbol in a second cluster position such that a first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to a second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols;

generating a first signal that includes the first pilot clusters;

generating within a second pilot generator each of a second pilot-pattern as a plurality of second pilot clusters including a respective third pilot subsymbol in a third cluster position such that a third vector formed by the third pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to the first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols and to the second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols; and

generating a second signal that includes the second pilot clusters, wherein each of the first and second pilot generators generates the respective pilot-pattern according to a respective pilot-pattern matrix where each column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by one of the first and second pilot generators is orthogonal to every column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by the other of the first and second pilot generators and each column of the respective pilot-pattern matrix is orthogonal to every other column of the same pilot-pattern matrix.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising transmitting the first signal via an antenna.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

transmitting the first signal via a first antenna; and

transmitting the second signal via a second antenna.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

generating the first signal includes modulating pilot subcarriers of the first signal with respective pilot subsymbols of the first pilot clusters; and

generating the second signal includes modulating pilot subcarriers of the second signal with respective pilot subsymbols of the second pilot clusters.

16. A method, comprising:

generating within a transmitter having a first pilot generator a first signal that includes a first pilot-pattern as first pilot clusters that each include a respective first pilot subsymbol in a first cluster position; and

generating within a second pilot generator of the transmitter a respective second pilot-pattern as a second pilot subsymbol in a second cluster position such that a first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to a second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols;

transmitting the first signal over a first communications channel;

receiving the first signal within a first receiver and estimating the first communication channel in response to the first pilot clusters and in response to information that a first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to a second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols;

receiving over a second communication channel a second signal within a second receiver that includes third pilot clusters that each include a respective third pilot subsymbol in a third cluster position;

wherein estimating the first communication channel includes estimating the first communication channel in response to information that a third vector formed by the third pilot subsymbols is orthogonal to the first vector formed by the first pilot subsymbols and to the second vector formed by the second pilot subsymbols; and

estimating the second communication channel in response to the second pilot clusters, wherein each of the first and second pilot generators generates the respective pilot-pattern according to a respective pilot-pattern matrix where each column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by one of the first and second pilot generators is orthogonal to every column of the pilot-pattern matrix generated by the other of the first and second pilot generators and each column of the respective pilot-pattern matrix is orthogonal to every other column of the same pilot-pattern matrix.