PAPR Reduction Approach Based on Channel Estimation Pilots for Next Generations Broadcasting Systems

A novel peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) reduction technique for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems is addressed. Instead of using dedicated pilots for PAPR reduction as with tone reservation (TR) method selected by the DVB-T2 standard, we propose to use existing pilots used for channel estimation. In this way, we avoid the use of reserved tone pilots and then improve the spectral efficiency of the system. In order to allow their recovery at the receiver, these pilots have to follow particular laws which permit their blind detection and avoid sending side information. In this work, we propose and investigate a multiplicative law operating in discrete frequency domain. The operation in discrete domain aims at reducing degradation due to detection and estimation error in continuous domain. Simulation results are performed using the new DVB-T2 standard parameters. Its performance is compared to the DVB-T2 PAPR gradient algorithm and to the second-order cone programming (SOCP) competitive technique proposed in the literature. We show that the proposed technique is efficient in terms of PAPR reduction value and of spectral efficiency while the channel estimation performance is maintained.