System and method for joint voice and data transmission

1. A method for multiplexing voice and data communication using a communications network, comprising:

retrieving at least one data bit from at least one data bit stream;

determining whether a voice bit stream is in a discontinuous transmission (DTX) period;

when the voice bit stream is not in the DTX period:

retrieving at least one voice bit from a voice bit stream, and

using the at least one voice bit and the at least one data bit to generate a modulated symbol;

when the voice bit stream is in the DTX period, using at least two data bits to generate the modulated symbol; and

transmitting the modulated symbol using the communications network, wherein using the at least one voice bit and the at least one data bit to generate a modulated symbol includes using an eight phase shift keying (8PSK) constellation and wherein the at least one voice bit is allocated to a most-protected bit of the 8PSK constellation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one data bit includes a first and second data bit and the first data bit is received from a first data bit stream and the second data bit is received from a second data bit stream.

3. A method for receiving multiplexed voice and data communications using a communications network, comprising:

receiving a modulated symbol using the communications network;

when a voice bit stream is not in a discontinuous transmission (DTX) period, processing the modulated symbol to generate at least one voice bit and at least one data bit; and

when the voice bit stream is in the DTX period, processing the modulated symbol to generate at least two data bits, wherein processing the modulated symbol to generate at least one voice bit and at least one data bit includes using an eight phase shift keying (8PSK) constellation and wherein the at least one voice bit is allocated to a most-protected bit of the 8PSK constellation.

4. A communications device, comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to:

retrieve at least one data bit from at least one data bit stream;

determine whether a voice bit stream is in a discontinuous transmission (DTX) period;

when the voice bit stream is not in the DTX period:

retrieve at least one voice bit from a voice bit stream, and

use the at least one voice bit and the at least one data bit to generate a modulated symbol;

when the voice bit stream is in the DTX period, use at least two data bits to generate the modulated symbol; and

transmit the modulated symbol using the communications network,

wherein when the processor uses the at least one voice bit and the at least one data bit to generate a modulated symbol, the processor is configured to use an eight phase shift keying (8PSK) constellation and wherein the at least one voice bit is allocated to a most-protected bit of the 8PSK constellation.

5. The communications device of claim 4 , wherein the at least one data bit includes a first and second data bit and the first data bit is received from a first data bit stream and the second data bit is received from a second data bit stream.

6. The communications device of claim 4 , wherein the modulated symbol is transmitted within a burst of an allocated timeslot on the communications network.

7. The communications device of claim 4 , wherein the communications device is a mobile station.

8. The communications device of claim 4 , wherein the communications device is a network component.

9. A communications device, comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to:

receive a modulated symbol using the communications network;

when a voice bit stream is not in a discontinuous transmission (DTX) period, process the modulated symbol to generate at least one voice bit and at least one data bit; and

when the voice bit stream is in the DTX period, process the modulated symbol to generate at least two data bits, wherein the processor is configured to use an eight phase shift keying (8PSK) constellation to process the modulated symbol and wherein the at least one voice bit is allocated to a most-protected bit of the 8PSK constellation.

10. The communications device of claim 9 , wherein the communications device is a mobile station.

11. The communications device of claim 9 , wherein the communications device is a network component.

12. A user equipment, comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to:

retrieve at least one data bit from at least one data bit stream;

determine whether a voice bit stream is in a discontinuous transmission (DTX) period;

when the voice bit stream is not in the DTX period:

retrieve at least one voice bit from a voice bit stream, and

use the at least one voice bit and the at least one data bit to generate a modulated symbol;

when the voice bit stream is in the DTX period, use at least two data bits to generate the modulated symbol; and

transmit the modulated symbol using the communications network, wherein when the processor uses the at least one voice bit and the at least one data bit to generate a modulated symbol, the processor is configured to use an eight phase shift keying (8PSK) constellation and wherein the at least one voice bit is allocated to a most-protected bit of the 8PSK constellation.

13. A network component, comprising:

a processor, the processor being configured to:

receive a modulated symbol using the communications network;

when a voice bit stream is not in a discontinuous transmission (DTX) period, process the modulated symbol to generate at least one voice bit and at least one data bit; and

when the voice bit stream is in the DTX period, process the modulated symbol to generate at least two data bits, wherein the processor is configured to use an eight phase shift keying (8PSK) constellation to process the modulated symbol and wherein the at least one voice bit is allocated to a most-protected bit of the 8PSK constellation.