Quadrature amplitude modulation for time-reversal systems

1. A method comprising:

at a base station, receiving a first probe signal from a first terminal device;

generating a first signature waveform that is based on a first channel response signal derived from the first probe signal;

at the base station, receiving a second probe signal from a second terminal device;

generating a second signature waveform that is based on a second channel response signal derived from the second probe signal;

jointly determining modified first and second signature waveforms to increase a sum rate by suppressing inter-symbol-interference and inter-user-interference;

performing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a first transmit signal to generate a first quadrature amplitude modulated signal, the first transmit signal intended to be received by the first terminal device;

performing quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a second transmit signal to generate a second quadrature amplitude modulated signal, the second transmit signal intended to be received by the second terminal device;

generating a first transmission signal based on the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the first modified signature waveform;

generating a second transmission signal based on the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the second modified signature waveform; and

generating a combined transmission signal based on the first and second transmission signals.

2. The method of claim 1 in which performing quadrature amplitude modulation on the first transmit signal comprises:

dividing the first transmit signal into a first part and a second part,

applying amplitude modulation on the first part to generate an in-phase part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal, and

applying amplitude modulation on the second part to generate a quadrature part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

3. The method of claim 1 in which the first signature waveform comprises a complex signal having a real part and an imaginary part.

4. The method of claim 1 in which generating a first signature waveform comprises generating a first signature waveform that is based on a time-reversed signal of the first channel response signal.

5. The method of claim 1 in which generating the first transmission signal comprises performing a convolution of the first signature waveform and the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal or a modified version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

6. The method of claim 5 in which the modified version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal comprises an up-sampled version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal, and generating the transmission signal comprises performing a convolution of the first signature waveform and the up-sampled version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the first transmit signal comprises a first digital transmit signal.

8. The method of claim 7 in which performing the first quadrature amplitude modulation on the first transmit signal comprises encoding data bits of the first transmit signal based on Gray codes, and mapping Gray-coded data bits to quadrature amplitude modulated symbols.

9. The method of claim 1 in which generating the first signature waveform comprises generating a first signature waveform that is based on a time-reversed conjugate signal of the first channel response signal modified to increase the sum rate by suppressing inter-symbol-interference and inter-user-interference.

10. The method of claim 1 in which performing quadrature amplitude modulation on a first transmit signal comprises performing at least one of 4QAM, 16 QAM, 64 QAM, or 256 QAM.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first device comprising:

an input circuit configured to receive a first probe signal transmitted wirelessly from a second device through a first set of multiple propagation paths, and receive a second probe signal transmitted wirelessly from a third device through a second set of multiple propagation paths; and

a data processor configured to:

generate a first signature waveform that is based on a first channel response signal derived from the first probe signal;

generate a second signature waveform that is based on a second channel response signal derived from the second probe signal; and

jointly determine modified first and second signature waveforms to increase a sum rate by suppressing inter-symbol-interference and inter-user-interference;

perform a first quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a first transmit signal to generate a first quadrature amplitude modulated signal;

perform a second quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) on a second transmit signal to generate a second quadrature amplitude modulated signal;

generate a first transmission signal based on the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the first modified signature waveform;

generate a second transmission signal based on the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal and the second modified signature waveform; and

generate a combined transmission signal based on the first and second transmission signals.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 in which perform quadrature amplitude modulation on the first transmit signal comprises:

divide the first transmit signal into a first part and a second part,

apply amplitude modulation on the first part to generate an in-phase part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal, and

apply amplitude modulation on the second part to generate a quadrature part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the first signature waveform comprises a complex signal having a real part and an imaginary part.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the data processor is configured to generate the first signature waveform based on a time-reversed signal of the channel response signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 in which generate the first transmission signal comprises perform a convolution of the first signature waveform and the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal or a modified version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 in which the modified version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal comprises an up-sampled version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal, and generate the first transmission signal comprises perform a convolution of the first signature waveform and the up-sampled version of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 in which the first transmit signal comprises a first digital transmit signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 in which perform the quadrature amplitude modulation on the first transmit signal comprises encode data bits of the first transmit signal based on Gray codes, and map Gray-coded data bits to quadrature amplitude modulated symbols.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 in which generate the first signature waveform comprises generate a first signature waveform that is based on a time-reversed conjugate signal of the first channel response signal modified to increase the sum rate by suppressing inter-symbol-interference and inter-user-interference.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 in which perform quadrature amplitude modulation on a first transmit signal comprises perform at least one of 4 QAM, 16 QAM, 64 QAM, or 256 QAM.

21. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a mobile phone, a car, a boat, an airplane, a robot, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a thermostat, a refrigerator, a lighting control system, a tablet computer, a network router, or a television that includes the first device.

22. The apparatus of claim 11 in which perform quadrature amplitude modulation on the first transmit signal comprises:

divide the first transmit signal into a first part and a second part,

apply an in-phase pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) on the first part to generate an in-phase part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal, and

apply a quadrature PAM on the second part to generate a quadrature part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 in which generate the first transmission signal comprises:

convolve the in-phase part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal with an in-phase part of the first signature waveform to generate a first signal;

convolve the in-phase part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal with a quadrature part of the first signature waveform to generate a second signal;

convolve the quadrature part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal with the in-phase part of the first signature waveform to generate a third signal;

convolve the quadrature part of the first quadrature amplitude modulated signal with the quadrature part of the first signature waveform to generate a fourth signal;

add the first signal and the fourth signal to generate a fifth signal; and

add the second signal and the third signal to generate a six signal.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 in which perform quadrature amplitude modulation on the second transmit signal comprises:

divide the second transmit signal into a third part and a fourth part,

apply in-phase PAM on the third part to generate an in-phase part of the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal, and

apply quadrature PAM on the fourth part to generate a quadrature part of the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which generate the second transmission signal comprises:

convolve the in-phase part of the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal with an in-phase part of the second signature waveform to generate a seventh signal;

convolve the in-phase part of the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal with a quadrature part of the second signature waveform to generate an eighth signal;

convolve the quadrature part of the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal with the in-phase part of the second signature waveform to generate a ninth signal;

convolve the quadrature part of the second quadrature amplitude modulated signal with the quadrature part of the second signature waveform to generate a tenth signal;

add the seventh signal and the tenth signal to generate an eleventh signal; and

add the eighth signal and the ninth signal to generate a twelfth signal.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 in which generate the combined transmission signal comprises:

add the fifth signal and the eleventh signal to generate a thirteenth signal; and

add the sixth signal and the twelfth signal to generate a fourteenth signal.