Recursive blind symbol estimation of convolutionally coded cochannel signals

Abstract

A recursive blind equalizer is presented that directly estimates the transmitted symbols of multiple cochannel signals in the presence of ISI. The algorithm exploits shift structure present in the data model and the finite alphabet property of the signals. The proposed method possesses a separation property that allows the symbol sequences for each user to be estimated independently of the others. Problematic issues surrounding unknown and mismatched channel lengths for the cochannel users can be handled effectively in the recursive equalizer. Additionally, if the cochannel signals are encoded prior to transmission, we show how the code structure can be incorporated into the recursive equalizer to improve its performance.