Adaptive Coding and Modulation with Subset-Based Scheme Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) systems burden receivers with significant time and hardware resource demands due to the need to search over many unique words for determining the communication parameter scheme, especially in satellite communication systems.

Innovation Solution

Implement a method where the receiver correlates a unique identifier in the data transmission with a limited subset of communication parameter schemes, reducing the search space to only a few schemes based on the previous transmission and SNR thresholds, allowing dynamic adaptation to link conditions while minimizing hardware usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a large set of code rates and unique words are used to span a broad range of SNRs, then the adaptability of the communication system is improved, but the device complexity and time resources required for the receiver's acquisition function increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to SNR rangeVSAvoidreceiver acquisition function complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the large set of code rates into multiple subsets, each associated with a specific SNR range. The receiver's acquisition function is segmented to search only within the relevant subset based on current SNR conditions, rather than searching through all possible code rates. This segmentation reduces the computational burden and hardware resources required while maintaining the ability to adapt across the full SNR range.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary classification of the received signal into specific SNR ranges before the detailed code rate detection. By preliminarily determining which SNR range the signal falls into, the receiver can pre-select the appropriate subset of code rates to search, avoiding the need to evaluate all possible code rates. This preliminary action significantly reduces the acquisition time and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If the receiver searches over many unique words to detect the communication parameter scheme, then the measurement precision of the code rate detection is improved, but the loss of time and hardware resources increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecode rate detection precisionVSAvoidacquisition time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The unique words are segmented into groups corresponding to different SNR ranges and code rate subsets. The receiver segments its search process to correlate only with the unique words relevant to the current SNR conditions. This maintains detection precision for the actual code rate while avoiding time-wasting correlations with unrelated unique words from other SNR ranges.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs a partial search over the complete set of unique words by limiting the correlation process to only those unique words associated with code rates relevant to the current SNR range. This partial action is sufficient to achieve accurate code rate detection without the excessive time cost of searching through all possible unique words.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Adaptability or versatility

If a large set of code rates is used to cover broad SNR ranges, then the adaptability to varying link conditions is improved, but the productivity of the transmission system decreases due to increased processing overhead

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to link conditionsVSAvoiddata throughput
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The code rates are segmented into subsets organized by SNR ranges. This segmentation allows the receiver to quickly identify and process only the relevant subset of code rates based on current link conditions, reducing the processing overhead associated with evaluating all possible code rates. The segmentation maintains full adaptability across SNR ranges while improving processing efficiency and productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP4038776B1Efficient adaptive coding and modulation
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 HUGHES NETWORK SYST
  • EP4038776B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4038776B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4038776B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer-storage media, for determining a set of communication parameters for receiving data transmissions. In some implementations, a method includes receiving a first data transmission sent according to a first communication parameter scheme that includes at least one of a first modulation or a first coding. A second data transmission is received. A second communication parameter scheme of the second transmission is determined. This determination includes identifying a subset of multiple candidate communication parameter schemes determined based on the first communication parameter scheme, identifying, in the second data transmission, a first identifier that corresponds to the second communication parameter scheme, comparing the first identifier to a respective identifier for each communication parameter scheme in the subset, and determining, as the second communication parameter scheme, a communication parameter scheme in the subset that has an identifier that matches the first identifier.