4th order statistics based blind channel estimation for multicarrier transmission

Abstract

This paper presents a blind channel estimation algorithm for multicarrier systems. The proposed scheme is based on fourth order statistics estimation of received data followed by a Gauss linearization of a non-linear system. The channel estimation is performed over a very short number of symbols in order to stay compliant with the channel coherence time. The proposed approach is well suited to CP-OFDM system transmitting circular M-QAM communication symbols but, being not based on the cyclic prefix properties, it could be applied, with some adjustments, to filterbank multicarrier waveforms transmitting M-OQAM communication symbols. The blind algorithm presented provides finally an increase of the useful throughput and it gives a high flexibility for the waveform usage, avoiding the difficult time and frequency pilot location optimization problem.