# US 9,438,394 B2 · Hierarchical and adaptive multi-carrier digital modulation and demodulation > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,438,394 B2 - Document ID: US9438394B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/350,388 - Filed: 2012-10-09 - Published: 2014-08-28 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-25 - Assignees: Alcatel Lucent - Applicants: Alcatel-Lucent - Inventors: Dirk Vanderhaegen; Danny Van Bruyssel; Jochen Maes; Koen De Schepper; Michael Timmers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438394B2 ## CPC - H04L 5/0046: {Determination of the number of bits transmitted on different sub-channels} - H04L 1/0003: {by switching between different modulation schemes} - H04L 27/3488: {Multiresolution systems} - Y02D 30/50: in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract In an embodiment the method includes, at a transmit side, grouping carriers into carrier groups, and selecting a group constellation diagram for modulation of the carriers of a given carrier group. The selected group constellation diagram is built as a hierarchical sum of I super-imposed constellations vectors having predefined decreasing powers with the P strongest and the Q weakest constellation vectors being omitted. The carriers of the carrier group are modulated by means of the selected group constellation diagram, and P and/or Q parameters per carrier group and per multi-carrier data symbol are adjusted. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for encoding a binary stream into multi-carrier data symbols, the method comprising: grouping a plurality of carriers into a plurality of carrier groups, each of the plurality of carrier groups including a separate selection of the plurality of carriers; and iteratively performing, for each carrier group of the plurality of carrier groups, for a given carrier group including N carriers, selecting a group constellation diagram for modulation of the N carriers of the given carrier group, the selected group constellation diagram including constellation points defined as respective hierarchical sums of I super-imposed constellation vectors having predefined decreasing powers with the P strongest constellation vectors and the Q weakest constellation vectors being omitted, P being a positive integer parameter, Q being a positive integer parameter, and I being a positive integer value that determines a maximum constellation size; and mapping N binary words for the respective N carriers of the given carrier group onto N respective constellation points of the selected group constellation diagram, with the P and Q parameters remaining unchanged for the given carrier group and being adjusted to their optimal value per carrier group and per multi-carrier data symbol. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the P parameter is adjusted according to a power budget criterion. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the Q parameter is adjusted according to a noise criterion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the Q parameter is adjusted according to acknowledgment information from a peer receiver. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one parameter of the P and Q parameters is adjusted according to a Quality of Service QoS criterion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one parameter of the P and Q parameters is adjusted according to outgoing traffic demand. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the I super-imposed constellation vectors are 4-QAM vectors. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein carrier transmit powers are individually shaped in accordance with a transmit power spectral mask and/or are individually fine-tuned according to respective relative carrier gains. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: scrambling the binary stream prior to mapping the N binary words onto the N respective constellation points. ### Claim 10 A method for blindly decoding a binary stream from multi-carrier data symbols, and comprising, at a receive side: grouping a plurality of carriers into a plurality of carrier groups, each of the plurality of carrier groups including a separate selection of the plurality of carriers; iteratively performing, for each carrier group of the plurality of carrier groups, for a given carrier group including N carriers, selecting a group constellation diagram for demodulation of the N carriers of the given carrier group by statistical characterization of the N carriers or part thereof, the selected group constellation diagram including constellation points defined as respective hierarchical sums of I super-imposed constellation vectors having decreasing powers with the P strongest constellation vectors and the Q weakest constellation vectors being omitted, P being a positive integer parameter, Q being a positive integer parameter, I being a positive integer value that determines a maximum constellation size; and de-mapping the respective N carriers of the given carrier group into N respective binary words based on the selected group constellation diagram, with the P and Q parameters remaining unchanged for the given carrier group and being re-evaluated per carrier group and per multi-carrier data symbol. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method according to claim 10, further comprising: evaluating at least one parameter of the P and Q parameters by statistical characterization of at least one of a power distribution or amplitude distribution of at least a portion of the N carriers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method according to claims 10, wherein the I super-imposed constellation vectors are 4-QAM vectors. ### Claim 13 A transmitter comprising: a processor configured to, group a plurality of carriers into a plurality of carrier groups, each of the plurality of carrier groups including a separate selection of the plurality of carriers; iteratively perform, for each carrier group of the plurality of carrier groups, for a given carrier group including N carriers, select a group constellation diagram for modulation of the N carriers of the given carrier group, the selected group constellation diagram including constellation points defined as respective hierarchical sums of I super-imposed constellation vectors having decreasing powers with the P strongest constellation vectors and the Q weakest constellation vectors being omitted, P being a positive integer parameter, Q being a positive integer parameter, and I being a positive integer value that determines a maximum constellation size; and map N binary words for respective N carriers of the given carrier group onto N respective constellation points of the selected constellation diagram, with the P and Q parameters remaining unchanged for the given carrier group and being adjusted to their optimal value per carrier group and per multi-carrier data symbol. ### Claim 14 A receiver comprising: a processor configured to, group a plurality of carriers into a plurality of carrier groups, each of the plurality of carrier groups including a separate selection of the plurality of carriers; iteratively perform, for each carrier group of the plurality of carrier groups, for a given carrier group including N carriers, select a group constellation diagram for demodulation of the N carriers of the given carrier group by statistical characterization of the N carriers or part thereof, the selected group constellation diagram including constellation points defined as respective hierarchical sums of I super-imposed constellation vectors having decreasing powers with the P strongest constellation vectors and the Q weakest constellation vectors being omitted, P being a positive integer parameter, Q being a positive integer parameter, I being a positive integer value that determines a maximum constellation size; and de-map the respective N carriers of the given carrier group into N respective binary words based on the selected group constellation diagram, with the P and Q parameters remaining unchanged for the given carrier group and being re-evaluated per carrier group and per multi-carrier data symbol.