Hybrid multiple access waveform, method, and apparatus
View Patent ↗A method for partitioning communication resource among multiple users partitions a portion of an available communication resource into a series of time-frequency slots, and allows multiple users to transmit in one of at least two available modes within a time-frequency slot. Preferably, one mode is time division of the time-frequency slot into time sub-slots, and another mode is code division of the time-frequency slot according to different spreading codes that spread an individual user's signal only within the subject time-frequency slot. Further details as to pilot signals, guard intervals, and payloads are described.
1. A method for partitioning communication resource among multiple users comprising:
partitioning at least a portion of an available communication resource into first mode time-frequency slots and second mode time frequency slots; and
allowing multiple users to transmit in the first mode time-frequency slots using time division multiplexing and in the second mode time-frequency slots using spreading codes that are bounded by the respective second mode time-frequency slot,
wherein each of the time-frequency slots comprise a plurality of pilot symbols that are not all adjacent in time,
wherein the first mode time-frequency slots each comprise a concatenated series of time sub-slots in which the multiple users may separately transmit and a pilot symbol is present in less than all time sub-slots, and
wherein the second mode time-frequency slots each comprise a plurality of spread spectrum code sub-slots in which the multiple users may separately transmit and each code sub-slot comprises a plurality of pilot symbols.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the time-frequency slots are separated by a guard interval during which no transmissions occur.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein one payload is present in each time sub-slot.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein more than one payload is present in each code sub-slot of a time-frequency slot.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the modes enable an identical maximum number of disparate users to transmit in a time-frequency slot.
6. The method of claim 1 executed by a processor running a program that is tangibly embodied on a fixed medium.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the time-frequency slots is bounded by a frequency that spans either 6.8 MHz or 3.4 MHz.