Blind adaptive joint multiuser detection and equalization in dispersive differentially encoded CDMA channels

The problem of blind adaptive joint multiuser detection and equalization in direct-sequence code division multiple access (DS/CDMA) systems operating over fading dispersive channels is considered. A blind and code-aided detection algorithm is proposed, i.e., the procedure requires knowledge of neither the interfering users' parameters (spreading codes, timing offsets, and propagation channels), nor the timing and channel impulse response of the user of interest but only of its spreading code. The proposed structure is a two-stage one: the first stage is aimed at suppressing the multiuser interference, whereas the second-stage performs channel estimation and data detection. Special attention is paid to theoretical issues concerning the design of the interference blocking stage and, in particular, to the development of general conditions to prevent signal cancellation under vanishingly small noise. A statistical analysis of the proposed system is also presented, showing that it incurs a very limited loss with respect to the nonblind minimum mean square error detector, outperforms other previously known blind systems, and is near-far resistant. A major advantage of the new structure is that it admits an adaptive implementation with quadratic (in the processing gain) computational complexity. This adaptive algorithm, which couples a recursive-least-squares estimation of the blocking matrix and subspace tracking techniques, achieves effective steady-state performance.