Blind space-time multiuser channel estimation in time-varying DS-CDMA systems

A multistep linear prediction (MSLP) approach is presented for blind channel estimation for short-code direct sequence code division multiple access signals in time-varying multipath channels using a receiver antenna array. The time-varying channel is assumed to be described by a complex exponential basis expansion model. First, a recently proposed MSLP approach to blind channel estimation for time-varying single-input multiple-output (SIMO) systems is extended to time-varying multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems to define a "signal" subspace. Second, the knowledge of the spreading code of a desired user is exploited in conjunction with the signal subspace to estimate the time-varying channel of the desired user up to an unknown time-invariant scale factor. Equalization/detection for the desired user can be then carried out if the information sequence is differentially encoded/decoded. Sufficient conditions for channel identifiability are investigated. Three illustrative simulation examples are provided.