Multiple Adaptive Frequency Filtering for OFDM Channel Estimation

In orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems using pilots, channel estimation is performed on pilots and then interpolated over the time and the frequency axis. As time-interpolated estimates have a different mean square error than pilot estimates we propose the use of multiple adaptive filters for exploiting the frequency correlation of the channel. Each filter operates on a different configuration of pilot and time-interpolated estimates and is adapted independently from the other filters. As a simpler suboptimal solution we consider also the use of a single filter, whose adaptation however takes into account the reliability of the various estimates. Performance results are reported with reference to the DVB-T and DVB-T2 standards showing that the proposed technique performs similar or better than existing approaches at a much lower complexity.