Phase encoding methods for handling multiple phase modulated signals on a single channel

摘要

A method for phase encoding DPSK and N-PSK which maintains phase continuity and which does not require any reference symbols when using N-PSK. A sequence of known DPSK phases are encoded with respect to an initial phase. The N-PSK phases are then all offset by this same initial phase. The known DPSK phases can be used at a receiver to determine a sum consisting of the initial phase and any further phase shift introduced by the channel, and this sum is used to decode the unknown N-PSK phases. The method is more generally applicable to any case where a switch between a phase encoding method which requires an absolute phase reference and a phase encoding method which does not have an absolute phase reference is to be implemented on a single carrier or channel.