| 摘要 |
<p>An estimate of a first symbol sequence is estimated from a communications signal communicated over a communications channel which imparts noise to the communications signal. The communications signal is received from the communications channel and processed to produce a second symbol sequence. A whitening function is identified, preferably a whitening filter impulse response, and an estimate of the first symbol sequence is sequential maximum likelihood estimated from the second symbol sequence using a path metric including the whitening function. Preferably, candidate symbol sequences are generated for survivor symbol sequences, each candidate symbol sequence including the survivor symbol sequence and an additional symbol postulate. A path metric is determined for each candidate symbol sequence from the candidate symbol sequence, the second symbol sequence, the branch metrics of the symbol postulates in the associated survivor symbol sequence, the whitening filter impulse response, the path metric of the associated survivor symbol sequence and a channel impulse response. At least one new survivor symbol sequence, preferably one with a lesser path metric, is selected from the candidate symbol sequences. The path metric preferably is determined by accumulating branch metrics. Each branch metric preferably is determined by convolving the candidate symbol sequence and the channel impulse response, subtracting the convolution from the second symbol sequence to produce an error sequence, and determining a weighted sum of error sequences for the candidate symbol sequence, weighted according to the whitening filter impulse response. A magnitude of the weighted sum is computed to thereby compute a branch metric.</p> |
