Distribution parameter mapping determines the bit error probability (BEP)
of a burst transmitted from a base station to the mobile station using a
modulation and coding scheme (MCS) specified in the EDGE standard.
Depending on whether the multi-bit soft decisions of the burst most
resemble a Gaussian or a Rician distribution, the statistical parameters
.mu. and .quadrature. or A and .quadrature. are determined. The ratio
.mu./.quadrature. or A/.quadrature. is mapped to an empirically
determined BEP in a Gaussian or Rician lookup table, respectively. The
BEPs are not influenced by the degree of code redundancy in the MCS. The
BEPs for the four bursts in a radio block are then averaged, filtered and
quantized according to the EDGE standard. The quantization level of the
average BEP is reported to the base station so that subsequent radio
blocks can be transmitted using an MCS that is appropriate for the
estimated BEP.