On channel estimation for RAKE receiver in a mobile multipath fading channel

Multipath fading is one of the major practical concerns in wireless communications. Multipath problem always exists in the mobile environment, especially for a mobile unit which is often embedded in its surroundings. The RAKE receiver has been used to reduce the multipath fading in a wideband spread spectrum mobile system. However, the tap weights of the multipath channel model need to be estimated. We explore the possibility of using advanced signal processing algorithms to estimate the multipath channels and propose a least-squares approach to tap weight estimation based on chip rate channel estimates to investigate the performance of the RAKE receiver in a realistic mobile environment. Simulations show that the new approach outperforms the existing approaches