On multipath channel estimation for CDMA systems using multiple sensors

This paper focuses on the design of a multiuser receiver structure for the reverse link of a code-division multiple-access communication system, in the presence of multipath effects and using an antenna array at the base station receiver. The algorithm presented solves the complex multidimensional problem of channel estimation in this complex scenario using a maximum-likelihood approach. This channel estimation technique requires the transmission of a training sequence or feedback of detected data. Once a composite channel-impulse response of each user is estimated, it is directly used in the detection process instead of first extracting the individual channel parameters, such as path delays and attenuation factors. The paper presents a framework that facilitates a computationally efficient solution to the combined problem of channel estimation and detection in a scenario involving multiple users, multiple paths, and multiple sensors at the receiver.