Communication system utilizing a hierarchically modulated signal and method thereof

• US 8,599,971 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Walker, Glenn A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Leon-Viet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hassan, Sarah
• Application Number:
  US13/705,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20130094618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 375/341, 370/401, 370/338
• US Class Current: 375/341
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/00 Modulated-carrier systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/183 Multiresolution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 27/2604 Multiresolution systems by means of multiresolution subcarriers H04L27/183, H04L27/3488

Abstract

A communication system utilizing a hierarchically modulated signal and method thereof are provided, wherein a receiver system is configured to receive a hierarchically modulated signal. The receiver system includes a receiver device configured to receive the hierarchically modulated signal, which is a function of a time domain, and including a high priority data stream that has a single carrier type modulation, and a low priority data stream having data bits that are spread over a plurality of data symbols of a high priority data modulation. The receiver system further includes a low priority processor device, which includes an OFDM decoder configured to convert the low priority data stream of the hierarchically modulated signal that is a function of the time domain to be a function of a frequency domain by utilizing a FFT, such that an output is emitted that is representative of the low priority data stream.

Claims

1. A receiver system configured to receive a hierarchically modulated signal from a transmitter system, said receiver system comprising:

a receiver device configured to receive the hierarchically modulated signal, the hierarchically modulated signal being a function of a time domain, and comprising a high priority data stream that has a single carrier type modulation, and a low priority data stream having data bits, wherein the data bits of said low priority data stream are spread over a plurality of data symbols of a high priority data modulation;

a high priority processor device in communication with said receiver device, wherein said high priority processor device is configured to process said high priority data stream of said received hierarchically modulated signal, such that an output is emitted that is representative of said high priority data stream;

a low priority processor device in communication with said receiver device, wherein said low priority processor device is configured to process said low priority data stream of said received hierarchically modulated signal, said low priority processor device comprising;

an orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) decoder in communication with said receiver device, wherein said OFDM decoder is configured to convert said low priority data stream of said received hierarchically modulated signal that is a function of said time domain to be a function of a frequency domain by utilizing a fast Fourier transform (FFT), such that an output is emitted that is representative of said low priority data stream;

a serial-to-parallel device configured to receive an input into said OFDM decoder;

a FFT device in communication with said serial-to-parallel device, wherein said FFT device is configured to convert said low priority data stream of the hierarchically modulated signal that is a function of said time domain to be a function of said frequency domain utilizing said FFT; and

a parallel-to-serial device in communication with said FFT device, wherein said parallel-to-serial device is configured to emit an output from said OFDM decoder.

2. The receiver system of claim 1, wherein said received hierarchically modulated signal has at least four (4) sub-carriers.

3. The receiver system of claim 1, wherein said high priority data stream is quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulated.

4. The receiver system of claim 3, wherein said low priority data stream is encoded, such that at least one of a phase and an amplitude of said QPSK modulated signal is adjusted.

5. A method of receiving a hierarchically modulated signal, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving the hierarchically modulated signal, the hierarchically modulated signal being a function of a time domain, and comprising a high priority data stream that has a single carrier type modulation, and a low priority data stream having data bits, wherein the data bits of said low priority data stream are spread over a plurality of data symbols of a high priority data modulation;

splitting said received hierarchically modulated signal as a function of said high priority data stream and said low priority data stream;

processing said split high priority data stream;

emitting an output that is representative of said processed high priority data stream;

processing said split low priority data stream, which comprises serial-to-parallel converting said split low priority data stream, utilizing a fast Fourier transform (FFT) for converting said serial-to-parallel converted low priority data stream that is a function of said time domain to be a function of said frequency domain utilizing said FFT, and parallel-to-serial converting said FFT, thereby converting said low priority data stream of said received hierarchically modulated signal that is a function of said time domain to be a function of a frequency domain; and

emitting an output that is representative of said processed low priority data stream.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said received hierarchically modulated signal has at least four (4) sub-carriers.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said high priority data stream is quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulated.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said low priority data stream is encoded, such that at least one of a phase and an amplitude of said QPSK modulated signal is adjusted.