Iterative channel estimation method with compensated MMSE

1. A channel estimation treatment method, said channel estimation being used for obtaining binary data conveyed in a signal, said method comprising the following processing steps:

obtaining a vector of channel estimates, called a current vector, each element of the current vector corresponding to an estimate of a subchannel;

detecting, inside said current vector, at least one pilot symbol;

splitting said current vector in at least two distinct subvectors, at least one first subvector comprising channel estimates related to data symbols and/or pilots symbols and at least one second subvector comprising channel estimates related to null symbols;

decoding data which corresponds to the channel estimates in the first subvector, delivering at least one first treated subvector;

modifying, with a processing device, said at least one second subvector by assuming a presence of virtual pilot symbols in said at least one second subvector, delivering at least one second treated subvector, wherein said assuming is based on a hypothesis that a power (Ep) of virtual pilot symbols presented in said at least one second subvector is equal to a power of pilot symbols in said at least one first subvector; and

calculating, with the processing device, a new vector of channel estimates with said at least one first treated subvector and said at least one second treated subvector.

2. The channel estimation treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein said processing steps are performed in an iterative process, so that said new vector of channel estimates of a current iteration is used as said current vector in a following iteration.

3. The channel estimation treatment method according to claim 2 , wherein said iterative process is stopped after a predetermined maximum number of iterations K.

4. The channel estimation treatment method according to claim 2 , wherein said iterative process is stopped when the difference between at least one element of said new vector of channel estimates and at least one corresponding element of said current vector of channel estimates is least than a predetermined threshold t.

5. The channel estimation treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of modifying said at least one second subvector comprises:

obtaining at least one reference power Ep of said at least one symbol pilot; and

applying, to at least one element of said at least one second subvector, of said at least one reference power Ep, delivering said at least one second treated subvector.

6. The channel estimation treatment method according to claim 1 , wherein said step of calculating a new vector of channel estimates (ĥ IC-MMSE (i+1) ) with said at least one first treated subvector (ĥ N (i) ) and said at least one second treated subvector (ĥ DP (i) ) implements the following function:

ĥ IC-MMSE (i+1) =Ω L (Ω L H Ω L +σ 2 C gg −1 ) −1 Ω L H ( ĥ N (i) ,{tilde over (R)} N DP ×N DP (i)−1 {tilde over (X)} DP (i) *y )

where:

Ω L is a matrix comprising the first L columns of a predefined FFT matrix, said FFT matrix being a N×N constant matrix and only related to the number of sub-carriers;

L represents the delay spread of channel;

ĥ N (i) denotes the first treated subvector;

{tilde over (R)} N DP ×N DP (i)−1 contains soft powers of transmitted symbols;

{tilde over (X)} DP (i) * is a diagonal matrix comprising soft information;

y represents the received signals.

7. A channel estimation treatment device comprising:

a decoder;

a memory; and

a processor configured by instructions stored in the memory for executing steps comprising:

obtaining a vector of channel estimates, called a current vector, each element of the current vector corresponding to an estimate of a subchannel;

detecting, inside said current vector, at least one pilot symbol;

obtaining at least one reference power Ep of said at least one symbol pilot;

splitting said current vector in at least two distinct subvector, at least one first subvector comprising channel estimates related to data symbols and/or pilots symbols and at least one second subvector comprising channel estimates related to null symbols;

decoding data which corresponds to the channel estimates in said at least one first subvector by the decoder, delivering at least one first treated subvector;

applying, to at least one element of said at least one second subvector, of said at least one reference power Ep, delivering at least one second treated subvector; and

calculating a new vector of channel estimates with said at least one first treated subvector and said at least one second treated subvector.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program product stored thereon and comprising instructions of program code for implementing a method of channel estimation treatment when run on a computer, wherein the instructions comprise:

instructions configured to obtain a vector of channel estimates, called a current vector, each element of the current vector corresponding to an estimate of a subchannel;

instructions configured to detect, inside said current vector, at least one pilot symbol;

instructions configured to split said current vector in at least two distinct subvectors, at least one first subvector comprising channel estimates related to data symbols and/or pilots symbols and at least one second subvector comprising channel estimates related to null symbols;

instructions configured to decode, with a decoder, data which corresponds to the channel estimates in said at least one first subvector, delivering at least one first treated subvector;

instructions configured to modify, with a processing device, said at least one second subvector by assuming a presence of virtual pilot symbols in said at least one second subvector, delivering at least one second treated subvector, said assuming is based on a hypothesis that a power (Ep) of virtual pilot symbols presented in said at least one second subvector is equal to a power of pilot symbols in said at least one first subvector; and

instructions configured to calculate, with the processing device, a new vector of channel estimates with said at least one first treated subvector and said at least one second treated subvector.