Hybrid likelihood ratio bit-rate detectors for variable-gain multiple-access systems in unknown noise variance

The authors assume a linear equidistance antenna array as the receiver for a fixed frame-length multiple-access system, which employs variable-gain receiver power and repetition encoding. They propose a robust maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) blind bit-rate detector (BBRD). This detector considers the rate detection (RD) as a multi-hypothesis test and maximises the likelihood functions (LFs) to find the true bit-rate, whereas the complex amplitude of the received signal, the noise variance and the direction of arrival are unknown parameters. First, assuming that the location parameter is known and the information sequence are independent and uniformly distributed random variables, the authors propose a hybrid likelihood ratio test (HLRT). The proposed HLRT requires to solve a set of non-linear equations that have no closed-form solution. Thus, an iterative numerical algorithm is proposed. In addition, a quasi-HLR detector which has a significantly lower computational complexity is also proposed. In the case of unknown location parameter, the authors develop two quasi-HLR methods. They use fast Fourier transform and search to estimate the unknown location. In Q-HLRT-Method-I, the non-linear equation similar to the one in known location parameter is iteratively solved. In Q-HLRT-Method-II, a low complexity solution is proposed. Simulation examples evaluate and compare the performances of the proposed BBRDs.