Reduced search space technique for codeword selection

Abstract

A method of determining indicators for matrix codewords in a matrix codeword codebook, where the matrix codewords are adapted for communicating information between a transmitter and a receiver. The method includes providing a lookup table that is associated with multiple codewords that are associated with a codebook. The lookup table has m rows, and each row in the lookup table has a one-to-one correspondence with a codeword in the multiple codewords. Each row has p entries and each of the p entries holds a codeword indicator that identifies a codeword in the multiple codewords. The (i,j)entry in the lookup table holds the codeword indicator identifying the jmost similar codeword to the codeword associated with the irow according to a similarity metric, where 1≦i≦m and 1≦j≦p, and the m rows include a row k. The method includes identifying a first indicator in the row k by testing each of the indicators in the first p entries of row k to determine which of the indicators in the first n entries identifies a reduced search codeword that best satisfies a selection criterion, wherein, n has a predetermined value and 1≦n≦p, and, in relation to the other remaining indicators in the first n entries of the first row, the first indicator identifies the reduced search codeword that best satisfies the selection criterion.