Combined iterative channel estimation and data detection for space-time block codes

This paper considers the problem of channel estimation for space-time block code (STBC) systems with convolutional codes for error correction. We propose an iterative processing scheme which combines channel estimation and data detection to improve system performance and increase transmission efficiency. In the proposed scheme, pilot symbols are used for initial estimation of channel gains and data detection. The information bits detected during the data period are fed back to the channel estimator for re-estimating the channels and improving data detection. The proposed scheme allows to improve the BER performance and decrease the pilot length to 50% at the cost of only 2 processing iterations.