Generalized Correlation Metric for Decoding in a Multiple Access Channel

We consider transmission by a vector adder channel with two independent inputs and additive white Gaussian noise. Decisions on the channel output are made by individual decoders. A new metric for decoding in such a channel is proposed, which is a generalization of the correlation metric and is close to the optimal metric in some cases. Bounds on decoding error probability are given. A procedure for optimization of system characteristics is discussed.