Systems and methods for detecting beam-formed orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) packets

1. A method for detecting beam-formed orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) packets to determine a data symbol processing procedure in response to a beam-formed packet, the method comprising:

receiving, at a wireless receiver, a data signal including a data packet;

selecting a set of frequency domain tones associated with the data signal for channel estimation;

calculating a plurality of differential parameters between adjacent frequency domain tones from the set of frequency domain tones;

identifying a jump when a first differential parameter from the plurality of differential parameters exceeds a jump threshold;

obtaining an accumulative count of jumps for the set of frequency domain tones;

identifying the data packet is beam-formed when the accumulative count exceeds a jump limit; and

selecting a data symbol processing procedure to decode the data packet based on whether the data packet is beam-formed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of frequency domain tones are obtained via fast Fourier transform of the received data signal.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the differential parameters are selected from a group of phase differences and magnitude differences.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the jump threshold is selected from a group of a two-sided threshold and a one-sided threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the jump is a first jump associated with a first receiver chain, and the method further comprising:

identifying a second jump associated with a second receiver chain; and

identifying a true jump when both the first jump and the second jump are identified.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first jump is not added to the accumulative count when no jump is identified with the second receiver chain.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the accumulative count includes a number of true jumps when there are more than one receiver chain.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

accumulating a number of true jumps across the set of frequency domain tones.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the jump threshold or the jump limit is configured to depend on a power of the received data signal.

10. A system for detecting beam-formed orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) packets to determine a data symbol processing procedure in response to a beam-formed packet, the system comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to receive a data signal including a data packet;

a channel estimation module configured to select a set of frequency domain tones associated with the data signal; and

a jump counting module configured to:

calculate a plurality of differential parameters between adjacent frequency domain tones from the set of frequency domain tones,

identify a jump when a first differential parameter from the plurality of differential parameters exceeds a jump threshold,

obtain an accumulative count of jumps for the set of frequency domain tones, and

identify the data packet is beam-formed when the accumulative count exceeds a jump limit; and

a data symbol processing module to select a data symbol processing procedure to decode the data packet based on whether the data packet is beam-formed.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the set of frequency domain tones are obtained via fast Fourier transform of the received data signal.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the differential parameters are selected from a group of phase differences and magnitude differences.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the jump threshold is selected from a group of a two-sided threshold and a one-sided threshold.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the jump is a first jump associated with a first receiver chain, and the jump counting module is further configured to:

identify a second jump associated with a second receiver chain, and

identify a true jump when both the first jump and the second jump are identified.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first jump is not added to the accumulative count when no jump is identified with the second receiver chain.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the accumulative count includes a number of true jumps when there are more than one receiver chain.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the jump counting module is further configured to:

accumulate a number of true jumps across the set of frequency domain tones.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein the jump threshold or the jump limit is configured to depend on a power of the received data signal.