Full-rate full-diversity three-time-slot space-time block code with single-symbol ML decoding

It is known that LTE systems do not fully support the Alamouti space-time code as the number of symbols per slot is not always an even number. Adapting to the case there is only three symbols per slot, Lei et al. proposed a class of quasi-orthogonal space time block codes (Q-STBC) for two transmit antennas and three time slots. This Q-STBC achieves some desirable properties of an STBC code such as full rate and full diversity. However, there are two drawbacks associated with it, namely, high decoding complexity due to pair-symbol maximum likelihood decoding and lack of maximum coding gain. Coping with these two issues we propose a class of STBC for three time slots and two transmit antennas with single-symbol maximum likelihood decoding. The proposed STBC also allows to achieve full-rate and full diversity. However, it is superior to Q-STBC in providing maximum coding gain while requiring lower decoding complexity.