Fine step blended modulation communications

• US 20160020930A1
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kolze, Thomas J., Currivan, Bruce J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,692,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/24 Testing correct operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/0008 arrangements for allowing a transmitter or receiver to use more than one type of modulation negotiating modulation type for two-way transmission paths H04L5/1453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2604 Multiresolution systems by means of multiresolution subcarriers H04L27/183, H04L27/3488
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/3488 Multiresolution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/362 Modulation using more than one carrier, e.g. with quadrature carriers, separately amplitude modulated H04L27/366 takes precedence

Abstract

A communication device is configured to perform symbol mapping of bits to generate modulation symbols using one or more modulations. The device may employ a blended modulation composed of bit labels or symbols having different numbers of bits per symbol and different modulations. For example, the device may symbol map bit labels/symbols having first number of bits per symbol to first modulation, and the device may symbol map labels/symbols having second number of bits per symbol to second modulation. The device may be configured to perform forward error correction (FEC) or error correction code (ECC) and coding of information bits to generate coded bits that subsequently undergo symbol mapping. The device may be configured to operate based on different operational modes based on substantially uniform steps of rates, or bits per symbol, and energy per bit or symbol to noise spectral density ratio (E_b/N₀ or E_s/N₀).

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor, at least one of the processor or the communication interface configured to;

map a plurality of bits to a blended modulation that is a combination of at least two modulations to generate a modulation symbol; and

transmit the modulation symbol to another communication device.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

map the plurality of bits to the blended modulation to generate the modulation symbol that is the combination of the at least two modulations to generate the modulation symbol and transmit the modulation symbol to the another communication device at or during a first time; and

map another plurality of bits to another blended modulation to generate another modulation symbol that is another combination of another at least two other modulations to generate another modulation symbol and transmit the another modulation symbol to the another communication device or at least one other communication device at or during a second time, wherein the blended modulation and the another blended modulation are spaced by substantially uniform steps of energy per bit to noise spectral density ratio (E_b/N₀) or symbol to noise spectral density ratio (E_s/N₀).

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

select the blended modulation that is the combination of the at least two modulations associated with a first operational mode based on at least one of a first rate supported by a communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first bits per symbol supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first energy per bit to noise spectral density ratio (E_b/N₀) supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first symbol to noise spectral density ratio (E_s/N₀) supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first local operating condition of the communication device, a first remote operating condition of the another communication device, or a first control signal received from the another communication device;

select another blended modulation that is another combination of another at least two modulations associated with a second operational mode based on at least one of a second rate supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second bits per symbol supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second E_b/N₀ supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second E_s/N₀ supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second local operating condition of the communication device, a second remote operating condition of the another communication device, or a second control signal received from the another communication device;

map the plurality of bits to the blended modulation to generate the modulation symbol and transmit the modulation symbol to the another communication device when operating based on the first operational mode; and

map another plurality of bits to the blended modulation to generate another modulation symbol and transmit the another modulation symbol to the another communication device or at least one other communication device when operating based on the second operational mode.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

encode at least one information bit based on at least one of a forward error correction (FEC) code or an error correction code (ECC) to generate a plurality of encoded bits; and

generate the plurality of bits based on at least one of the plurality of encoded bits.

5. The communication device of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the FEC code or the ECC is based on at least one of convolutional, turbo, turbo trellis coded modulation (TTCM), low density parity check (LDPC), Reed-Solomon (RS), or BCH (Bose and Ray-Chaudhuri, and Hocquenghem) coding.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least two modulations includes at least one of a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation, a 4-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation, an 8 phase shift keying (8-PSK) modulation, a 16 QAM modulation, or a 32 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation.

7. The communication device of claim 1 further comprising:

a cable modem, wherein the another communication device is a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

support communications within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, a fiber-optic communication system, or a mobile communication system.

9. A communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor configured to;

map a first plurality of bits to a first blended modulation that is a first combination of a first at least two modulations selected from a plurality of modulations to generate a first modulation symbol;

map a second plurality of bits to a second blended modulation that is a second combination of a second at least two modulations selected from the plurality of modulations to generate a second modulation symbol;

transmit the first modulation symbol to a first other communication device; and

transmit the second modulation symbol to at least one of the first other communication device or a second other communication device.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the first blended modulation and the second blended modulation are spaced by substantially uniform steps of energy per bit to noise spectral density ratio (E_b/N₀) or symbol to noise spectral density ratio (E_s/N₀).

11. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

select the first blended modulation based on at least one of a first rate supported by a first communication channel between the communication device and the first other communication device, a first bits per symbol supported by the first communication channel between the communication device and the first other communication device, a first energy per bit to noise spectral density ratio (E_b/N₀) supported by the first communication channel between the communication device and the first other communication device, a first symbol to noise spectral density ratio (E_s/N₀) supported by the first communication channel between the communication device and the first other communication device, a first local operating condition of the communication device, a first remote operating condition of the first other communication device, or a first control signal received from the first other communication device; and

select the second blended modulation based on at least one of a second rate supported by a second communication channel between the communication device and the second other communication device, a second bits per symbol supported by the second communication channel between the communication device and the second other communication device, a second E_b/N₀ supported by the second communication channel between the communication device and the second other communication device, a second E_s/N₀ supported by the second communication channel between the communication device and the second other communication device, a second local operating condition of the communication device, a second remote operating condition of the second other communication device, or a second control signal received from the second other communication device.

12. The communication device of claim 9 further comprising:

a cable modem, wherein at least one of the first other communication device or the second other communication device includes a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

13. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the at least one of the processor or the communication interface is further configured to:

support communications within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, a fiber-optic communication system, or a mobile communication system.

14. A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:

mapping a plurality of bits to a blended modulation that is a combination of at least two modulations to generate a modulation symbol; and

transmitting, via a communication interface of the communication device, the modulation symbol to another communication device.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

mapping the plurality of bits to the blended modulation to generate the modulation symbol that is the combination of the at least two modulations to generate the modulation symbol and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the modulation symbol to the another communication device at or during a first time; and

mapping another plurality of bits to another blended modulation to generate another modulation symbol that is another combination of another at least two other modulations to generate another modulation symbol and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the another modulation symbol to the another communication device or at least one other communication device at or during a second time, wherein the blended modulation and the another blended modulation are spaced by substantially uniform steps of energy per bit to noise spectral density ratio (E_b/N₀) or symbol to noise spectral density ratio (E_s/N₀).

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

selecting the blended modulation that is the combination of the at least two modulations associated with a first operational mode based on at least one of a first rate supported by a communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first bits per symbol supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first energy per bit to noise spectral density ratio (E_b/N₀) supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first symbol to noise spectral density ratio (E_s/N₀) supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a first local operating condition of the communication device, a first remote operating condition of the another communication device, or a first control signal received from the another communication device;

selecting another blended modulation that is another combination of another at least two modulations associated with a second operational mode based on at least one of a second rate supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second bits per symbol supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second E_b/N₀ supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second E_s/N₀ supported by the communication channel between the communication device and the another communication device, a second local operating condition of the communication device, a second remote operating condition of the another communication device, or a second control signal received from the another communication device;

mapping the plurality of bits to the blended modulation to generate the modulation symbol and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the modulation symbol to the another communication device when operating based on the first operational mode; and

mapping another plurality of bits to the blended modulation to generate another modulation symbol and transmitting, via the communication interface of the communication device, the another modulation symbol to the another communication device or at least one other communication device when operating based on the second operational mode.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

encoding at least one information bit based on at least one of a forward error correction (FEC) code or an error correction code (ECC) to generate a plurality of encoded bits; and

generating the plurality of bits based on at least one of the plurality of encoded bits.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the at least one of the FEC code or the ECC is based on at least one of convolutional, turbo, turbo trellis coded modulation (TTCM), low density parity check (LDPC), Reed-Solomon (RS), or BCH (Bose and Ray-Chaudhuri, and Hocquenghem) coding; and

the at least two modulations includes at least one of a quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK) modulation, a 4-quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation, an 8 phase shift keying (8-PSK) modulation, a 16 QAM modulation, or a 32 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) modulation.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the communication device is a cable modem, wherein the another communication device is a cable headend transmitter or a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

operating the communication interface of the communication device to support communications within at least one of a satellite communication system, a wireless communication system, a wired communication system, a fiber-optic communication system, or a mobile communication system.