Digital Representations of Analog Signals and Control Words Using Different Multi-Level Modulation Formats

Abstract

A method implemented by a transmitter, comprising encoding digital in-phase and quadrature-phase (IQ) data associated with a plurality of analog signals according to a first multi-level modulation format to produce a modulated IQ signal, encoding control information associated with the plurality of analog signals according to a second multi-level modulation format that is different from the first multi-level modulation format to produce a modulated control signal, aggregating the modulated IQ signal and the modulated control signal via time-division multiplexing (TDM) to produce an aggregated TDM signal, and transmitting the aggregated TDM signal over a communication channel.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method implemented by a transmitter, comprising:
 encoding digital in-phase and quadrature-phase (IQ) data associated with a plurality of analog signals according to a first multi-level modulation format to produce a modulated IQ signal;   encoding control information associated with the plurality of analog signals according to a second multi-level modulation format that is different from the first multi-level modulation format to produce a modulated control signal;   aggregating the modulated IQ signal and the modulated control signal using time-division multiplexing (TDM) to produce an aggregated TDM signal; and   transmitting the aggregated TDM signal over a communication channel.