Wireless communication method and system for assigning multi-paths to rake receiver fingers

Abstract

A wireless communication method and system for assigning multi-paths to Rake receiver fingers. A Rake finger assignment database is established in which multi-path signals are categorized into a verified group and an unverified group. Each multi-path is assigned to an individual bin in the database. Each bin includes a pilot phase data field, an antenna data field, a code data field, an averaged signal strength data field, an assigned flag data field, a verification flag data field, an update flag data field, an assigned Rake finger number data field and an assignment time counter data field. The multi-path signals in the verified group are further categorized into an assigned subgroup and an unassigned subgroup. During a measurement interval, each of a plurality of newly measured multi-path signals is compared to the multi-path signals in the database and is processed accordingly.

1 . A method for assigning multi-paths to Rake receiver fingers in wireless communications, the method comprising:
 receiving signals from higher layers and generating scheduling data;   receiving the scheduling data;   storing the results of a pilot path search process performed by the path search scheduler;   storing the results of a pilot strength measurement (PSM) process running on the processor;   implementing a path position detection process and a finger assignment process for providing an assignment to a Rake finger pool, the path position detection process searching for all multi-paths for a plurality of wireless transmit/receive units (WTRUs) in a round-robin search order;   receiving data from the memory device;   providing an output which is evaluated by the PSM process, generating evaluation results; and   storing the evaluation results for access by the path position detection process.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning multi-paths to Rake receiver fingers by establishing a Rake finger assignment database.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 categorizing a plurality of multi-path signals in the database into a verified group and an unverified group, wherein the verified group includes multi-path signals that have been detected more than once, and the unverified group includes multi-path signals that have not been detected more than once.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 categorizing the multi-path signals in the verified group into an assigned subgroup and an unassigned subgroup;   assigning each of the multi-path signals in the assigned subgroup to a Rake receiver finger, and each multi-path signal is assigned a respective bin in the database, each bin having a data structure that includes a pilot phase data field and a verification flag data field.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving a plurality of newly measured multi-path signals received during a measurement interval;   comparing each newly measured multi-path signal to the multi-path signals in the database;   on a condition that the newly measured multi-path signal is not found in the database, storing the newly measured multi-path signal in the database;   on a condition that a multi-path signal in the database that belongs to the unassigned subgroup matches the newly measured multi-path signal, setting the verification flag data field indicating that the multi-path signal is verified; and   updating the relative phase of the multi-path signal in the pilot phase data field.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 on a condition that a signal strength of the multi-path signal is less than a noise floor threshold, removing the multipath signal from the database.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein on a condition that the removed multi-path signal is categorized in the assigned group, the Rake receiver finger is no longer assigned to the removed multi-path signal. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 on a condition that a newly measured multi-path signal is not found in the database, adding the newly measured multi-path signal to the database.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 assigning each multi-path signal to a respective bin in the database, wherein the bin includes a data structure comprising a data field indicating the averaged signal strength of the multi-path signal.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 assigning each multi-path signal to a respective bin in the database, wherein the bin includes a data structure comprising a data field identifying an assigned Rake receiver finger.