Multiply-detected macrodiversity method and system for wireless

Abstract

A method and system for detecting and receiving radio signals employ a modified macrodiversity scheme known as multiply-detected macrodiversity (MDM) in which multiple versions or replicas of a signal are detected by a plurality of receivers or base-stations, and are employed by a decision-making algorithm to determine the information content of the signal. This is in contrast to a conventional macrodiversity scheme in which only one version of the signal is employed to determine its information content, this typically being the highest quality version of the signal, such as the strongest received signal. The method of the present invention is particularly suited for use in cellular wireless systems, and can provide a substantial increase in the probability that correct signal data is received when a mobile transmitting station is located near the boundary of a cell, and the average signal quality received by adjacent base stations is almost as good as the average signal quality received by the cell's serving base-station. In this situation, the decision-making algorithm employs the information bits in each received signal depending on the calculated probabilities of a correct bit reception and of an erroneous bit reception for each base-station, these probabilities being calculated in accordance with average signal quality.