Method and apparatus for improving detection of data bits in a slow frequency hopping communication system

摘要

In the detecting process, the carrier to interference (C/I) power ratio of the hop of a slow frequency hopping spread spectrum signal (112), is estimated (124) by using the data samples (120) of the hop. Subsequently, a data bit (130) is detected by using the estimated C/I power ratio (126). The detection process (128) may include utilizing maximum likelihood decoding techniques to derive a data bit (130) from decision metrics and the estimated C/I power ratio (126). The decision metrics correspond to a measurement of the distance of data samples (120) from constellation points within a constellation space representing data samples (120) previously used to generate decision metrics. The detection process (128) also may include utilizing the estimated C/I power ratio (126) in combining data samples (120) of the hop as received from two or more diversity receiver branches.