Multicarrier Subcarrier Grouping for Interference Mitigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Multicarrier modulation systems face interference issues due to noise and adjacent channel interference, which conventional methods inadequately address by using average noise estimates for decoding, leading to inaccurate error correction in receivers.

Innovation Solution

The method involves grouping subcarriers by frequency and estimating noise values for each set, allowing for more precise noise power calculation, including both additive white Gaussian noise and interference, to generate decoded data bits and improve FEC decoding performance by providing detailed interference information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If average noise estimate is used for decoding in multicarrier modulation systems, then the decoding process is simplified, but the accuracy of error correction deteriorates due to varying interference levels across subcarriers

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding process simplicityVSAvoiderror correction accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the channel into multiple frequency segments (subcarrier groups) and calculates separate noise estimates for each segment. This segmentation allows the system to account for varying interference levels across different frequency regions, improving error correction accuracy while maintaining computational feasibility through grouped processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by providing different noise estimates to different subcarrier groups based on their specific interference characteristics. Each group receives a noise estimate tailored to its frequency region, enabling locally optimized decoding that adapts to spatial variations in channel conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If subcarrier-specific noise estimates are calculated for each subcarrier, then the accuracy of error correction is improved, but the computational complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror correction accuracyVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges adjacent subcarriers into groups and calculates a single noise estimate for each group rather than for each individual subcarrier. This merging reduces the total number of noise estimates required, lowering computational complexity while still capturing the frequency-dependent interference characteristics through the grouped approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If conventional averaging of noise across all subcarriers is used, then the processing is simpler, but the reliability of decoded signals deteriorates due to ignoring frequency-selective interference

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing simplicityVSAvoiddecoded signal reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the frequency spectrum into multiple subcarrier groups and calculates separate noise estimates for each segment. This segmentation enables the system to capture frequency-selective interference patterns that would be averaged out in a conventional approach, thereby improving decoded signal reliability while maintaining reasonable processing complexity through grouped calculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the noise estimate parameter from a single global value to multiple localized values corresponding to different frequency groups. This parameter change allows the system to adapt to frequency-selective fading and interference, significantly improving the reliability of decoded signals in frequency-selective channels.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2140642B1Method and apparatus for mitigating interference in multicarrier modulation systems
Publication Date: 2011.07.20 MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC
  • EP2140642B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2140642B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2140642B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method and apparatus for mitigating the effect of adjacent channel interference in a multicarrier modulation system is provided. The method includes receiving (402) an encoded signal over multiple subcarriers at different frequencies. The signal includes a plurality of pilot symbols and data symbols modulated onto the subcarriers using a modulation technique. Further, the method includes: grouping (404) the subcarriers into multiple sets of subcarriers based on their frequencies, wherein each set includes one or more subcarriers; estimating (406), for each set of subcarriers, a noise value associated with at least a portion of the pilot symbols received over subcarriers included in the set; and generating (408) a decoded signal comprising a plurality of decoded data bits, using the estimated noise values.