A common task in signal processing is the estimation of the parameters of a probability distribution function Perhaps the most frequently encountered estimation problem is the estimation of the mean of a signal in noise In many parameter estimation problems the situation is more complicated because direct access to the data necessary to estimate the parameters is impossible, or some of the data are missing Such difficulties arise when an outcome is a result of an accumulation of simpler outcomes, or when outcomes are clumped together, for example, in a binning or histogram operation There may also be data dropouts or clustering in such a way that the number of underlying data points is unknown (censoring and/or truncation) The EM (expectation-maximization) algorithm is ideally suited to problems of this sort, in that it produces maximum-likelihood (ML) estimates of parameters when there is a many-to-one mapping from an underlying distribution to the distribution governing the observation The EM algorithm is presented at a level suitable for signal processing practitioners who have had some exposure to estimation theory

The expectation-maximization algorithm

In this paper we review the most peculiar and interesting information-theoretic and communications features of fading channels. We first describe the statistical models of fading channels which are frequently used in the analysis and design of communication systems. Next, we focus on the information theory of fading channels, by emphasizing capacity as the most important performance measure. Both single-user and multiuser transmission are examined. Further, we describe how the structure of fading channels impacts code design, and finally overview equalization of fading multipath channels.

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Fading channels: information-theoretic and communications aspects

Under the assumptions of symbol-synchronous transmissions and white Gaussian noise, the authors analyze the detection mechanism at the receiver, comparing different detectors by their bit error rates in the low-background-noise region and by their worst-case behavior in a near-far environment where the received energies of the users are not necessarily similar. Optimum multiuser detection achieves important performance gains over conventional single-user detection at the expense of computational complexity that grows exponentially with the number of users. It is shown that in the synchronous case the performance achieved by linear multiuser detectors is similar to that of optimum multiuser detection. Attention is focused on detectors whose linear memoryless transformation is a generalized inverse of the matrix of signature waveform crosscorrelations, and on the optimum linear detector. It is shown that the generalized inverse detectors exhibit the same degree of near-far resistance as the optimum multiuser detectors. The optimum linear detector is obtained. >

Linear multiuser detectors for synchronous code-division multiple-access channels

We consider interference suppression for direct-sequence spread-spectrum code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems using the minimum mean squared error (MMSE) performance criterion. The conventional matched filter receiver suffers from the near-far problem, and requires strict power control (typically involving feedback from receiver to transmitter) for acceptable performance. Multiuser detection schemes previously proposed mitigate the near-far problem, but are complex and require explicit knowledge or estimates of the interference parameters. In this paper, we present and analyze several new MMSE interference suppression schemes, which have the advantage of being near-far resistant (to varying degrees, depending on their complexity), and can be implemented adaptively when interference parameters are unknown and/or time-varying, Numerical results are provided that show that these schemes offer significant performance gains relative to the matched filter receiver. We conclude that MMSE detectors can alleviate the need for stringent power control. In CDMA systems, and may be a practical alternative to the matched filter receiver. >

MMSE interference suppression for direct-sequence spread-spectrum CDMA

The decorrelating detector and the linear minimum mean-square error (MMSE) detector are known to be effective strategies to counter the presence of multiuser interference in code-division multiple-access channels; in particular, those multiuser detectors provide optimum near-far resistance. When training data sequences are available, the MMSE multiuser detector can be implemented adaptively without knowledge of signature waveforms or received amplitudes. This paper introduces an adaptive multiuser detector which converges (for any initialization) to the MMSE detector without requiring training sequences. This blind multiuser detector requires no more knowledge than does the conventional single-user receiver: the desired user's signature waveform and its timing. The proposed blind multiuser detector is made robust with respect to imprecise knowledge of the received signature waveform of the user of interest. >

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Blind adaptive multiuser detection

We consider an asynchronous code-division multiple-access environment in which the receiver has knowledge of the signature waveforms of all the users. Under the assumption of white Gaussian background noise, we compare detectors by their worst case bit error rate in a low background noise near-far environment where the received energies of the users are unknown to the receiver and are not necessarily similar.

Near-far resistance of multiuser detectors in asynchronous channels

Consideration is given to an asynchronous code-division multiple-access environment in which receiver has knowledge of the signature waveforms of all the users. Under the assumption of white Gaussian background noise, the authors compare detectors by their worst case bit error rate in a near-far environment with low background noise, where the received energies of the users are unknown to the receiver and are not necessarily similar. Conventional single-user detection in a multiuser channel is not near-far resistant, and the substantially higher performance of the optimum multiuser detector requires exponential complexity in the number of users. The authors explore suboptimal demodulation schemes which exhibit a low order of complexity while not exhibiting the impairment of the conventional single-user detector. It is shown that there exists a linear detector whose bit-error-rate is independent of the energy of the interfering users. It is also shown that the near-far resistance of optimum multiuser detection can be achieved by a linear detector. The optimum linear detector for worst-case energies is found, along with existence conditions, which are always satisfied in the models of practical interest. >

R. Lupas

Papers

Linear multiuser detectors for synchronous code-division multiple-access channels

Near-far resistance of multiuser detectors in asynchronous channels

Near-far resistance of multiuser detectors in asynchronous channels