Blind Timing Synchronization for OFDM Systems via Adaptive Beamforming

It is known that blind timing synchronization of OFDM systems can be realized for AWGN channels using the redundant information of cyclic prefix. In this paper, we extend the blind method to the case of array receivers via adaptive beamforming, and a new approach is proposed to improve the synchronization accuracy for high data rate OFDM systems, where rich multipath rays are present. The extended method is to coherently combine the desired signals of array receivers and suppress the undesired signals using adaptive beamforming. And the approach is to reduce the effect of multipath rays on synchronization. Simulation results show that in rich multipath scenarios the approach works effectively both in the absence and the presence of carrier frequency offset