System and method of selecting a data detection technique for a MIMO system

1. A method, comprising:

determining, using one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices, a particular modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of a plurality of MCSs employed by a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) system;

determining, using one or more IC devices, a communication parameter associated with the MIMO system; and

selecting, using one or more IC devices, a particular data detection technique of a plurality of data detection techniques employed by a communication device, the selection being based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the communication parameter,

wherein

(i) at least one data detection technique of the plurality of data detection techniques is selectable in accordance with more than one MCS of the plurality of MCSs, and

(ii) for at least one MCS, different data detection techniques are selectable depending at least on the communication parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining the communication parameter comprises determining a desired data rate; and

selecting the particular data detection technique is based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the desired data rate.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining the communication parameter comprises determining an operating signal to noise ratio (SNR); and

selecting the particular data detection technique is based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the SNR.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining the communication parameter comprises determining a phase noise parameter; and

selecting the particular data detection technique is based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the phase noise parameter.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

determining the communication parameter comprises determining a number of receive antennas utilized at the communication device; and

selecting the particular data detection technique is based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the number of receive antennas utilized at the communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data detection techniques includes a maximum likelihood data detection technique.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the communication parameter is a first communication parameter; and

the method further comprises

determining, using one or more IC devices, a second communication parameter associated with the MIMO system, and

selecting the particular data detection technique is based on (i) the MCS, (ii) the first communication parameter, and (iii) the second communication parameter.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of data detection techniques includes at least one of (i) a zero forcing data detection technique, and (ii) a minimum mean square error (MMSE) data detection technique.

9. A communication device, comprising:

a processor;

a plurality of data detectors wherein each respective one of the plurality of data detectors is configured to employ a respective data detection technique; and

a selector module configured to select, in cooperation with the processor, one of the data detectors in the plurality of data detectors to decode a data stream received by the communication device via a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) communication channel, the selection being based on (i) an employed modulation and coding scheme (MCS) from a plurality of alternative MCSs, and (ii) a communication parameter,

wherein

(i) at least one of the data detectors is selectable in accordance with more than one MCS, and

(ii) for at least one MCS, different ones of the plurality of data detectors are selectable depending at least on the communication parameter.

10. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of data detectors comprises a maximum likelihood detector.

11. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of data detectors comprises a zero forcing (ZF) detector.

12. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of data detectors comprises a minimum mean square error (MMSE) detector.

13. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein:

the communication parameter comprises a desired data rate; and

selector module is configured to select one of the data detectors in the plurality of data detectors based on (i) the employed MCS, and (ii) the desired data rate.

14. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein:

the communication parameter comprises an operating (SNR); and

the selector module is configured to select one of the data detectors in the plurality of data detectors based on (i) the employed MCS, and (ii) the SNR.

15. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein:

the communication parameter comprises a phase noise parameter; and

the selector module is configured to select one of the data detectors in the plurality of data detectors based on (i) the employed MCS, and (ii) the phase noise parameter.

16. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein:

the communication parameter comprises a number of receive antennas; and

the selector module is configured to select one of the data detectors in the plurality of data detectors based on (i) the employed MCS, and (ii) the number of receive antennas.

17. The communication device of claim 9 , further comprising a radio frequency (RF) module configured to transmit and receive via the MIMO communication channel.

18. The communication device of claim 17 , further comprising an antenna array coupled to the RF module.

19. A tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium or media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine a particular modulation and coding scheme (MCS) of a plurality of MCSs employed by a multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) system;

determine a communication parameter associated with the MIMO system; and

select a particular data detection technique of a plurality of data detection techniques employed by a communication device, the selection being based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the communication parameter,

wherein

(i) at least one data detection technique of the plurality of data detection techniques is selectable in accordance with more than one MCS of the plurality of MCSs, and

(ii) for at least one MCS, different data detection techniques are selectable depending at least on the communication parameter.

20. The storage medium of claim 19 , having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine a desired data rate as at least part of determining the communication parameter; and

select the particular data detection technique based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the desired data rate.

21. The storage medium of claim 19 , having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine an operating signal to noise ratio (SNR) as at least part of determining the communication parameter; and

select the particular data detection technique based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the SNR.

22. The storage medium of claim 19 , having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine a phase noise parameter as at least part of determining the communication parameter; and

select the particular data detection technique based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the phase noise parameter.

23. The storage medium of claim 19 , having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

determine a number of receive antennas utilized at the communication device as at least part of determining the communication parameter; and

select the particular data detection technique based on (i) the MCS and (ii) the number of receive antennas utilized at the communication device.