Modulation and equalization in an orthonormal time-frequency shifting communications system

A method for modulating data for transmission within a communication system, the method comprising:

• establishing a time-frequency shifting matrix of dimension N×M, wherein N and M are greater than one;
• combining the time-frequency shifting matrix with a data frame to provide a transformed data matrix;
• and
• generating a modulated signal in accordance with elements of the transformed data matrix wherein the generating includes using a first of the elements of the transformed data matrix to control a time-variant signal during a first time period and using a second of the elements of the transformed data matrix to control the time-variant signal during a second time period different from the first time period.

A signal transmitter for use in a communication system, the signal transmitter comprising:

• an input port;
• an output port;
• a processor;
• a memory including program code executable by the processor, the program code including:
• code for receiving, at the input port, input data;
• code for establishing, using the input data, an original data frame having a first dimension defined by a first plurality of elements and a second dimension defined by a second plurality of elements;
• code for transforming the original data frame in accordance with a time-frequency transformation so as to provide a transformed data matrix wherein the time-frequency transformation is performed using a time-frequency shifting matrix and wherein the time frequency shifting matrix is of a first dimension having N elements and of a second dimension having M elements, where N and M are greater than one;
• and
• code for generating a modulated signal in accordance with elements of the transformed data matrix.

A signal transmitter for use in a communication system, the signal transmitter comprising:

• an input port;
• an output port;
• a processor;
• a memory including program code executable by the processor, the program code including:
• code for receiving, at the input port, input data and for including the input data within a data frame having a first dimension defined by a first plurality of data elements and a second dimension defined by a second plurality of data elements;
• code for establishing a time-frequency shifting matrix of dimension N×M, wherein N and M are greater than one;
• code for combining the time-frequency shifting matrix with a data frame containing the input data in order to provide a transformed data matrix;
• and
• code for generating a modulated signal in accordance with elements of the transformed data matrix wherein the code for generating includes code for using a first of the elements of the transformed data matrix to control a time-variant signal during a first time period and for using a second of the elements of the transformed data matrix to control the time-variant signal during a second time period different from the first time period.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including program instructions for execution by a processor in a signal transmitter, the program instructions comprising instructions for causing the processor to:

• receive, at an input port of the signal transmitter, input data;
• establish, using the input data, an original data frame having a first dimension defined by a first plurality of elements and a second dimension defined by a second plurality of elements;
• transform the original data frame in accordance with a time-frequency transformation so as to provide a transformed data matrix wherein the transformed data matrix includes N columns and M rows and wherein the instructions for causing the processor to generate the modulated signal include instructions for causing the processor to select ones of the N columns;
• and
• generate a modulated signal in accordance with elements of the transformed data matrix.