Wideband channel estimation for OFDM systems: A carrier aggregation and interpolation approach

Abstract

With the increased demand for high-speed wireless communications and accurate wireless positioning, the requirement for wideband communication systems is becoming higher. One of the core modules to ensure the reliable communication is the channel estimation. Channel estimation is also an essential prerequisite for carrier-aggregated positioning system. While traditional CA-based channel estimation methods only utilize the narrowband responses of individual carriers, the frequency gaps between them remain unutilized, leading to suboptimal performance.

This thesis investigates a wideband channel estimation method that relies on non-contiguous carrier aggregation. The proposed approach constructs the wideband channel estimate by leveraging narrowband measurement from each carrier component and applying interpolation algorithms. A phase correction algorithm is also proposed to solve the problem of phase discontinuity in multiple narrowband measurements. This thesis evaluates the wideband channel estimation algorithm by MATLAB simulation, comparing different interpolation techniques in terms of estimation accuracy and computational efficiency while demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed approach.