Communication system with PAPR management using noise-bearing subcarriers

A peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) managed user equipment apparatus configured to transmit user payload data in a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) communication system wherein multiple transmitters simultaneously transmit signals to a base station using a population of subcarriers, said apparatus comprising:

• a control section configured to obtain identities of a plurality of assigned payload subcarriers in said population, a multiplicity of unassigned payload subcarriers in said population, and of a noise-bearing subcarrier in said population using at least one of a digital signal processor, microcontroller, microprocessor, computer, processor, state machine circuits, peripheral analog device, peripheral digital device, converter, or software of the user equipment apparatus;
• a modulation section coupled to said control section, said modulation section being configured to transform said user payload data into signals applied to said assigned payload subcarriers to form a modulated FDMA communication signal using at least one of hardware or software of at least one transmitter device of the user equipment apparatus;
• a clipping section configured to perform a limiting operation on said modulated FDMA communication signal to form a clipped signal exhibiting energy spread throughout said population of subcarriers signal using at least one of hardware or software of the at least one transmitter device of the user equipment apparatus;
• a filter system configured to form a peak-reduced FDMA communication signal in response to said clipped signal using at least one of hardware or software of the at least one transmitter device of the user equipment apparatus, wherein said peak-reduced FDMA communication signal being configured to exhibit greater amounts of energy in each of said assigned payload subcarriers and in said noise-bearing subcarrier than is exhibited in said unassigned payload subcarriers;
• and
• a power amplifier configured to amplify said peak-reduced FDMA communication signal using hardware of the at least one transmitter device of the user equipment apparatus, wherein:
• energy in said assigned payload subcarriers of said peak-reduced FDMA communication signal complies with a noise constraint for said assigned payload subcarriers in said FDMA communication system, and
• energy in said noise-bearing subcarrier of said peak-reduced FDMA communication signal exceeds said noise constraint for said assigned payload subcarriers.

A method of reducing signal peaks in a frequency division multiple access (FDMA) communication system wherein a plurality of transmitters simultaneously broadcasts to a base station using a population of subcarriers, said method comprising:

• for each one of said plurality of transmitters, assigning a subset of payload subcarriers from said population of subcarriers for exclusive use by said one of said transmitters in transmitting user payload data to said base station;
• allocating a subset of noise-bearing subcarriers from said population of subcarriers for simultaneous common use by any of said plurality of transmitters;
• arranging said plurality of transmitters to include at least one peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) managed transmitter;
• in said one PAPR-managed transmitter:
• forming a peak-reduced frequency division multiple access (FDMA) communication signal comprising said exclusive subset of payload subcarriers assigned to said PAPR-managed transmitter and said subset of noise-bearing subcarriers, wherein user payload data for said PAPR-managed transmitter are conveyed in said payload subcarriers and
• peak-reduction noise generated in said PAPR-managed transmitter is placed in said noise-bearing subcarriers, and
• transmitting said peak-reduced FDMA communication signal;
• and at said base station:
• receiving energy throughout said population of subcarriers, and
• demodulating user payload data from said payload subcarriers, wherein:
• energy in said assigned payload subcarriers of said peak-reduced FDMA communication signal complies with a noise constraint for said assigned payload subcarriers in said FDMA communication system, and
• energy in said noise-bearing subcarrier of said peak-reduced FDMA communication signal exceeds said noise constraint for said assigned payload subcarriers.