Orthogonal Sequences Based Multi-CFO Estimation and Semi-Blind ICA Based Equalization for Multiuser CoMP Systems

We propose a low-complexity carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimation approach and an independent component analysis (ICA) based semi-blind equalization structure for the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based multiuser coordinated multi-point (CoMP) systems. A group of orthogonal sequences are employed to enable separation and simultaneous estimation of multiple CFOs at base stations, dividing a complex multi-dimensional search into series of low-complexity mono-dimensional searches. Then, a small number of pilot symbols attached to the source data, are used to resolve the ambiguity problem in the ICA equalized signals. It has a low complexity, as the permutation and quadrature ambiguity can be eliminated simultaneously, rather than sequentially by the previous precoding aided method. Simulation results show that the proposed semi-blind equalization structure has a bit error rate (BER) performance close to the ideal cases of the zero forcing (ZF) and minimum mean square error (MMSE) based equalizations with perfect channel state information (CSI) and no CFO, and also significantly outperforms the constant amplitude zero autocorrelation (CAZAC) sequences based CFO estimation method.