Peak to average power ratio reduction methodology for QAM communications systems

Abstract

The ratio of peak power level to average power level in a power amplifier used in a QAM communication system transmitter can be reduced by preselecting magnitudes and phase angles of complex-valued pilot symbols used in multi-channel, N-level QAM.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to communications systems. More particularly this invention relates to methods for improving the peak power to average power ratio in a linear modulation communications system particularly a QAM communications system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various communication systems are known in the art. Pursuant to many such systems, an information signal is modulated on to a carrier signal and transmitted from a first location to a second location. At the second location, the information signal is demodulated and recovered.

Typically, the communication path used by such a system has various limitations, such as bandwidth. As a result, there are upper practical limitations that restrict the quantity of information that can be supported by the communication path over a given period of time. Various modulation schemes have been proposed that effectively increase the information handling capacity of the communication path as measured against other modulation techniques. Sixteen-point quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) provides a constellation of modulation values (distinguished from one another by each having a different combination of phase and amplitude) wherein each constellation point represents a plurality of information bits.

By virtue of their changing amplitude from QAM-symbol time-to-QAM-symbol time, QAM symbols in a QAM communication system require linear power amplification to be able to accurately distinguish one QAM symbol at one amplitude level and another QAM symbol at some other power level. In a radio communications system, QAM symbols require a very linear amplification prior to broadcasting them on an antenna. In QAM systems, non-linear amplification of QAM symbols in a QAM signal, (which QAM signal is typically considered to be a pulse-shape filtered and frequency up-converted stream of QAM symbols), in a radio transmitter can make coherent demodulation impossible. Another more common problem with using non-linear amplifiers with QAM modulation is the frequency splatter caused by non-linear amplification of a signal. For this reason, linear power amplifiers are required in QAM radio transmitters, which power amplifiers increase in cost, size, and complexity as their output power level and/or linearity increase.

A problem in the design of a linear power amplifier is providing the ability of an amplifier to accommodate widely fluctuating input power levels while producing at its output a faithful reproduction of the input signal. While an amplifier can be readily designed to have a linear power amplification of a relatively constant-amplitude input signal, designing an amplifier that can accommodate a peak power level that might, at any given time, exceed the average power level by several decibels (db) can significantly increase the cost and size of the amplifier.

In QAM communications systems, the ratio of the peak power level to average power level of a QAM symbol stream will usually continuously vary by virtue of the fact that the data represented by the QAM symbols itself varies randomly. Accordingly, power amplifiers for QAM communications systems must be capable of handling a significant peak to average power level ratio and, accordingly, any reduction in the peak to average power ratio eases the requirements of a QAM power amplifier.

Some prior art, single channel QAM systems are frequently transmitted on a communications channel, such as a radio frequency channel, in conjunction with a pilot component. Such pilot components, by constructively or destructively adding with other QAM symbols can at times aggravate the the peak to average power level ratio requirements of a QAM power amplifier, thereby further aggravating the requirements of such an amplifier.

Any methodology by which the ratio of peak power amplitude to average power amplitude is reduced would therefore simplify and reduce the amplifier cost associated with a QAM system and would be an improvement over the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a multi-subchannel, N-level QAM communication system using complex-valued pilot symbols, there is provided herein a method of reducing the ratio of peak to average power by pre-selecting amplitude and/or phase angles for the embedded, complex-valued, pilot symbols added to QAM information symbols, so as to minimize the peak to average power ratio of a composite QAM signal that is transmitted on a communications channel. Such pre-selected pilot symbols include complex-valued symbols that are not part of the well-known constellation of values used in an N-level QAM system, such as the 16 constellation points used in a 16 QAM system. In fact, using the method herein, in a multi-channel, N-level QAM system wherein, over some length of time during which several QAM symbol frames can occur, in addition to have different valued time-coincident pilots in several subchannels, the pilot values in one or more subchannel can also change over this length time. Stated alternatively, pilot values can change both over time and over subchannels to reduce the peak to average power ratio in the composite signal. Frequently at least one pilot symbol will be selected to be off the constellation of values in order to maximally reduce the peak to average power level in the composite signal of a QAM system, which composite signal is comprised of the combination or summation of a plurality of N-level QAM subchannels, which subchannels are in-turn comprised of complex-valued QAM information symbols combined with the complex-valued preselected pilot symbols. In a multi-channel, N-level QAM system, by proper selection of these preselected pilot signals, which are combined with the QAM information symbols (which QAM information symbols include the information of interest to be transmitted) the combined QAM symbols and the preselected pilot can have a substantially lowered peak power level to average power level ratio, compared to prior art systems that use only one or more QAM constellation points for pilot symbols.

In most application of the method herein, and in the embodiment of a QAM transmitter disclosed herein, at least one pilot symbol that is to be combined with a QAM symbol stream, will not lie on the constellation of the QAM symbol. Such a non-constellation-based pilot symbol is considered to be any complex-valued symbol that does not have a phase angle and/or amplitude within pre-determined limits, or ranges, circumscribing the mathematical points on the rectilinear complex plane upon which QAM symbols are identified.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a 16 QAM constellation map;

FIG. 2 shows a plot of energy versus frequency for a four subchannel QAM system;

FIG. 3 shows a plot of a prior art QAM pilot symbol;

FIG. 4 shows a graphical representation of the placement of pilot symbols and QAM information symbols in various symbol times, in various time frames in a four subchannel QAM system;

FIG. 5A shows a simplified block diagram of an improved four channel, 16 QAM communications transmitter that provides for improved peak power ratio to average power ratio in a composite S(t) achieved by non-constellation-based pilot symbols;

FIG. 5B shows a simplified representation of the improved pilot and its insertion into the QAM symbol stream.

FIG. 6 shows a graphical representation of a 16-point constellation for a 16 QAM system, and shows examples of both, non-constellation-based pilot symbols and constellation-based pilot symbols.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIG. 1 shows a constellation for a 16 QAM communication system that is a map of 16 points on the complex plane defined by a horizontal axis representing the real portions, and a vertical axis representing imaginary portions, of a complex number. Transmitted QAM information symbols on a communications channel, (and the pilot symbols as well) are discrete, packets of a carrier signal modulated to convey information using both the amplitude and phase-angle displacement of the carrier from some reference. QAM information symbols are represented on the constellation of FIG. 1 as complex quantities represented as vectors having both magnitude (represented as length) and phase angles (which angles are measured with respect to one of the axes). In a 16 QAM system, having 16 different magnitude and phase angle combinations that correspond to 16 different possible bit patterns of four bindery digits, (which bits are from a serial stream of bits from an information source), each of the 16 points on the constellation is identified as representing one combination of four bits.

A vector (10) (expressed in rectangular coordinates as 3+3j and having a length=(3.sup.2 +3.sup.2).sup.178 and a phase angle (12) equal to the arctan of 3/3 or forty five degrees with respect to the real axis), points to the point {3,3j} on the constellation, which point is shown in FIG. 1 as representing the series of four binary digits, (0,0,0,0). A second QAM symbol (14) points to yet another point (1, -1j) in this constellation and represents four other digital symbols.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that eight bits of information can be represented by two, 16-QAM symbols. When a digital information stream is converted to 16 QAM, four-bit blocks of the data are mapped to the various vectors that correspond to the bit pattern embodied in the four bits. When the QAM symbols that represent the digital information are transmitted, the symbols are transmitted with amplitudes and phase angles that correspond to the magnitudes and phase angles of the vectors used to represent the various patterns, such as those shown for the vectors 10 and 14 depicted in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5A shows a simplified block diagram of a four-channel 16 level QAM (16-QAM) transmitter (100). Though depicted in block diagram format for the convenience of explanation and understanding it should be understood that the invention shown in FIG. 5A, can be practiced in a variety of embodiments; but in particular most of the functions (300) of the preferred embodiment are performed in a digital signal processor such as the Motorola DSP56000 or DSP96000 families. Furthermore, although the embodiment described below is in the context of a 16 QAM amplification it should also be understood that the teachings herein are also applicable to other, multi-subchannel, n-QAM systems.

Referring to FIG. 5A, a processing unit (102) receives an original information signal (101) from an information source. In this particular embodiment, this information signal constitutes a serial bit stream having an effective baud rate of 53.2 kilobits per second. This bit stream can represent, for example, true data, digitized voice, or other appropriate signals.

The processing unit (102) functions to convert groups of 16 serial bits of the original information signal into four 16 QAM complex signal points (symbols). For example, FIG. 1 depicts a 16 QAM complex signal symbol constellation (2). Each symbol from the processing unit is a complex quantity, substantially within the constellation and represents a different combination of four serial bits from the information signal (101). For example, a first one of these symbols (201) represents the bits "0001." A second symbol (202), on the other hand, represents the bits "0100," all in accordance with well understood prior art methodology.

For each serially received 16 original information bits, the processing unit (102) outputs, in parallel, on each of 4 signal paths (103.varies.106), an appropriate representative multibit symbol as described above. A pilot insertion unit (107-110), located in each signal path (103-106), inserts a predetermined symbol following receipt of 7 serially received information symbols from the processing unit (102) pursuant to one embodiment of a communication methodology in accordance with the invention. (Other embodiments of the invention would of course include pilot insertion more or less frequently than once every 7 information symbols.) For each serially received 16 original information bits, (from the information signal 101) the processing unit (102) outputs, in parallel on each of the four signal paths (103-106), an appropriate representative multibit symbol as described above.

A reduction in the ratio of peak output power level to average power level in the composite output signal s(t) (500) can be achieved by pre-selecting, in advance, at least the magnitude of, phase angle of, or both, for each of a plurality of the pilot symbols inserted by the pilot insertion units (107, 108, 109, and 110). When these preselected pilots are added to form QAM subchannel symbols streams, (111, 112, 114, and 116) and they are combined by the adder (400), (after they are pulse-shape filtered 120, 122, 124, and 126 and mixed 128, 130, 132, and 134, with an appropriate injection signal 136, 138, 140, and 142 of the form e.sup.(2.pi.f.sbsp.offK.sup.t), wherein j is the square root of negative one, t is time, and f.sub.offk comprises an offset frequency corresponding to the kth composite signal) the composite signal (500) has a reduced peak to average power ratio.

The form of the pilot in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5A is substantially represented by the quantity P.sub.i,j =.rho..sub.i,j e.sup.j.theta. i,j, where .theta..sub.i,j is the phase of the i'th subchannel pilot at symbol time j and in the preferred embodiment is empirically determined using a computer program, the source code of which is appended below. The determination of the optimum value for the pilot symbols in the preferred embodiment contemplated a fixed QAM symbols frame, which frame is graphically depicted in FIG. 4 as the time period of seven consecutive QAM symbol times (including the pilot symbol time 1) at a nominal carrier frequency (f.sub.0 in FIG. 1

In the preferred embodiment, for a given magnitude of pilot, the optimum phase of the injected pilot symbols are calculated. (In a sense, both the magnitude and phase angle are "calculated" by the program. An initial, desired magnitude is supplied to the program by the user and, using this user-supplied quantity, the program calculates optimum phase-angle values, assuming that all other symbols transmitted are zero. Accordingly, in the embodiment of the program below, to select different phase angles and magnitudes, a user must select a different starting magnitude and re-calculate an optimum phase angle value for the new magnitude). Alternate embodiments of the program contemplate including in the calculation of the phase angles and/or magnitudes of the pilots, the effects of the random nature of the QAM information streams (103, 104, 105, 106) upon the peak to average power ratio in the composite signal s(t) (500).

Referring to FIG. 4, there is graphically depicted, the placement and spacing of complex valued pilot symbols that are combined with the complex valued QAM information symbols (103-106 in FIG. 5A) at predetermined symbol times, (A symbol time is typically the time duration of one QAM symbol.) to produce a QAM subchannel signal that is comprised of the complex valued QAM information symbols (103-106) and the complex valued pilots added by the pilot insertion units (107, 108, 109, and 110).

In the embedded pilot sequence shown in FIG. 4, pilot symbols are shown being added in subchannels A and D, in frame 1, at symbol time 1. Pilot symbols are added to the subchannels B and C at symbol time 3 in frame number 1. (Pilots inserted into subchannels during the same symbol time are considered to be time coincident.) In time frame number 2, which depicts an alternate implementation of the pilot symbol insertion, time coincident pilot symbols might just as well be inserted during a single symbol time 1 wherein insertion of the pilots are all time coincident with respect to each other. Frame 3 shows yet another QAM frame, having more than seven symbol times and having time coincident pilots added to at least two channels, every seven symbol times. For purposes of this invention it is preferable that at least two subchannels have so called time coincident pilots and it is yet even more preferable that all subchannels have time coincident pilots but alternate embodiments would contemplate using time coincident pilots in two or more subchannels to further manipulate the peak to average power ratio.

During a finite time period, which period might even be considered the sum of the frame times for frames 1, 2, and 3, at least one pilot symbol, in at least one subchannel, will have a value different from the values of the other pilots. It should be expected that a plurality of the subchannel signals will have a single, or first value and these might be considered fixed-pilot subchannel signals. In at least one other channel, channel B for example, using the method taught herein, during this finite time period (which period might be as short as one symbol time), will have a second value.

In many instances, (depending for example on the number of symbol times in a frame and/or other factors) during a finite length of time, the pilot symbols to be added to a first subchannel at the pilot symbol times therefor, (subchannel A for example) can be selected from a first set of pilot values, and the pilots for a second subchannel signal be selected from a second set of pilot symbol values. The pilots from such a first and second set of values might change in either their order of insertion, their values, or both, to optimally reduce the peak to average ratio for the system. A key feature of the method herein is that in any subchannel, during some finite period of time, pilot symbol values might vary during successive pilot symbol times, in order to reduce the peak to average ratio, of the system, during such length of time.

Referring to FIG. 5A, since the QAM information symbols on lines 103-106 are complex valued quantities, and which represent data, (which data is substantially random over time) the combination of these complex valued quantities by the summation circuit (400) (ignoring momentarily the effect of the inserted pilot symbols) will have a varying peak power level to average power level. This might be appreciated by referring to the constellation map again depicted on FIG. 1. At any particular instant, the output or any one of the QAM information streams might have a QAM symbol that is either identical with or differs from other QAM symbols on the other channels. Upon their combination at the summing circuit (400), over time they will have randomly varying peak power level.

In this invention by appropriate manipulation of the complex valued pilot symbols inserted by the pilot insertion units (107 and 110), the peak power level to average power level ratio in the composite signal s(t), (500) can be substantially reduced, when various probabilistic factors of the data with which they are combined with are considered. Improvements in the peak to average power ratio of 1.5 dB have been realized in at least one embodiment of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 5B a simplified graphical representation of the pilot insertion unit (107-110 in FIG. 5A and which is implemented in a digital signal processor). The improved pilot insertion unit produces pilot symbols that are added to the QAM symbol stream and which can vary substantially anywhere on or off the 16 QAM constellation map shown in FIG. 1. In addition to having the time-coincident pilots of multiple subchannels being different, the magnitude and/or phase of the pilot symbols in each subchannel (A-D for example), can vary from pilot symbol time to pilot symbol time in that subchannel.)

In this invention, while legitimate QAM information symbols will of necessity have to be mapped to one of the 16 constellation points, it is expected using the methodology of this invention that at least one of the pilot symbols that are combined with the QAM information streams (103-106) will not fall on a valid constellation point. Instead, the invention, (which includes the implementation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5A) contemplates pilots such as those shown in FIG. 6 identified and depicted by reference numerals 84, 86 and 88 which pilots do not fall on valid constellation points, but which when combined with the QAM information streams (103-106) to form piloted QAM subchannel symbol streams (123, 125, 127, and 129), can when combined with the other complex values on the other subchannels to form a composite signal (500) substantially reduce the peak to average power ratio of the composite signal (500). (in addition to using the non-constellation-based pilots 84, 86, and 88, constellation based pilots, such as pilot 90, when appropriately identified, can at appropriate times, also be used to reduce peak to average power ratio.) Both the constellation-based pilot symbols and the non-constellation based pilot symbols are considered to be pre-selected and pre-determined symbols. By virtue of the fact that the pilots occur at discrete instants of time, i.e. one or more QAM symbol times they are considered time domain pilots. In so far as the pilots are spread across the frequencies of the different subchannels, each subchannel of which is centered about a different frequency, the pilots are also considered to have a frequency domain characteristics. In this sense, the pilots can be considered to be both time and frequency domain, and both non-constellation and constellation based, predetermined, complex-valued pilots.

In the preferred embodiment, the phase angle selection for the pilots is accomplished by means of a computer program which is depicted in the attached appendix. It should be appreciated that in other embodiments, a plurality of the pilots might have either their amplitudes and/or their phase angles selected such that when combined with a probablistic determination of permissible QAM information symbols minimizes the peak to average power ratio of the composite signal over some finite length of time. In the embodiment of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5A, at least one of the complex valued pilot symbols that are added to the QAM information symbols by the pilot insertion units (107, 108, 109, and 110) does not lie on the permissible constellation points depicted in either FIGS. 1 or 5.

An exemplary selection process to select these predetermined pilot symbols is described below. The embodiment of program below assumes:

1) a four-subchannel QAM system, having 4, time coincident pilot symbols (220), such as those shown in frame 2 of FIG. 4. 2) that the DSP, in which the apparatus (300) shown in FIG. 5A is embodied, has a simulation sampling rate, F.sub.s, (i.e. samples the composite signal s(t)) at 36 times the composite symbol rate. 3) that the subchannel center frequencies are .omega..sub.1 =2.pi.(-3F.sub.s /64); .omega..sub.2 =2.pi.(-1F.sub.s /64); .omega..sub.3 =2.pi.(1F.sub.s /64); .omega..sub.4 =2.pi.(3F.sub.s /64).

The user supplies the program: a slot format file consistent with assumption 1 above; a finite impulse response filter file, which defines the coefficients of the subchannel pulse shape filters 120, 122, 124, 126; the symbol time position of the pilot in a slot for which to carry out the pilot-phase set search; the desired magnitude (squared) of the pilot symbol, (referred to in the program as sync symbols); the number of steps around the unit circle at which to calculate s(t) for each of the four time coincident pilots for which the search is being carried out.

The programs' output is a set of phase angles for (i.e. the .THETA.'s shown in FIG. 5B) at which the peak transmitter output power is smallest, after calculating peak transmitter output power levels for all the possible combinations of .THETA., in the step sizes specified by the user.

While this embodiment of the invention contemplates a particular pilot configuration, i.e. as shown in time frame 2 of FIG. 4, other embodiments contemplate other slot/pilot configurations, such as that shown in frame 1 of FIG. 4 for example. A similar program could well be written by those skilled in the art for any other slot/pilot configuration. ##SPC1##

Claims

1. In an quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal, having a peak power level and an average power level, for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, at least one; of which QAM subchannel signals includes: a) a plurality of complex-valued QAM information symbols, each of which information symbols are located substantially on one of n where n is an integer constellation points of a complex plane, each constellation point being defined by a discrete magnitude and discrete phase angle from a predetermined reference point in the complex plane; and b) a plurality of predetermined complex-valued pilot symbols, each having a magnitude and phase, each of said plurality of QAM subchannel signals having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time, a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

combining at least one of said complex-valued QAM information symbols, with at least one, complex-valued, non-constellation-based pilot symbol, to form at least a first QAM subchannel signal;

combining said QAM subchannel signal with at least one other QAM subchannel signal to form a composite signal; and

transmitting, said composite signal on said communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1 including the step of pulse shape filtering said QAM subchannel signal prior to transmission on said communication channel to form filtered QAM subchannel signals.

3. The method of claim 2 including the step of modulating each filtered QAM subchannel signal to a predetermined subchannel center frequency.

4. The method of claim 3 including the step of combining each of the modulated filtered QAM subchannel signal to produce said composite signal.

5. In an quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal having an average power level and a peak power level, for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, each of said QAM subchannel signals being comprised of: a) a plurality of complex-valued QAM information symbols, each of which information symbols are located substantially on one of n where n is an integer constellation points of a complex plane, each point being defined by a discrete magnitude and phase angle from a predetermined reference; and b) complex-valued pilot symbols combined with said QAM information symbols at predetermined pilot symbol times over a predetermined time period, each pilot symbol having a magnitude and phase; a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

during a finite time period during which a plurality of QAM subchannels has at least one, pilot symbol:

at least one of said QAM subchannel signals, has a first-valued pilot (fixed pilot QAM subchannel signals);

in at least one other QAM subchannel signal, combining with said QAM information symbols, a second-valued pilot symbol to form a second QAM subchannel signal;

combining said fixed pilot QAM subchannel signals with said second QAM subchannel signal to form a composite signal; and

transmitting said composite signal on said communication channel.

6. In an n-level quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal having an average power level and a peak power level, for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, each of said QAM subchannel signals being comprised of: a) a plurality of complex-valued QAM information symbols, each of which information symbols are, located substantially on one of n where n is an integer constellation points of a complex plane; and b) complex-valued pilot symbols combined with said QAM information symbols at predetermined pilot symbol times, each pilot symbol having a magnitude and phase; a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

in a first QAM subchannel signal, combining with QAM information symbols thereon, at said pilot symbol times, at least one pilot symbol selected from a first set of complex, non-fixed-values, to form said first QAM subchannel signal;

in a second QAM subchannel signal, combining with QAM information symbols thereon, at said pilot symbol times, at least one pilot symbol selected from a second set of complex, non-fixed-values, to form said second QAM subchannel signal;

combining said first and second QAM subchannel signals with at least one other QAM subchannel signal to form a composite signal; and

transmitting said composite signal on said communication channel.

7. In a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, of which each QAM subchannel signal includes: a) QAM information symbols (QAM symbols), said QAM symbols having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time; and b) a plurality of predetermined complex-valued pilot symbols, each having a magnitude and phase, and that are combined with said QAM symbols, said complex-valued pilot symbols having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time, a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

selecting phase angles for a plurality of fixed-amplitude pilot symbols for a plurality of said subchannels, which pilot symbols can include both constellation based, and non-constellation-based pilot symbols (preselected pilot symbols), to minimize the peak-to-average power ratio of the composite signal over a finite length of time;

combining said preselected pilot symbols for each subchannel with QAM symbols on said subchannel to form piloted QAM subchannel symbol streams; and

transmitting combined preselected pilot symbols and QAM symbols on said communication channel.

8. The method of claim 7 including the step of pulse shape filtering said piloted QAM subchannel symbol streams prior to transmission on a communication channel to form filtered QAM symbol streams.

9. The method of claim 8 including the step of modulating each filtered QAM symbol stream to a predetermined subchannel center frequency.

10. The method of claim 9 including the step of combining each of the modulated filtered QAM symbol streams at their respective subchannel center frequencies to produce said composite signal.

11. In a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, of which each QAM subchannel signal includes: a) QAM information symbols (QAM symbols), said QAM symbols having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time; and b) a plurality of complex-valued pilot symbols, each having a magnitude and phase, and that are combined with said QAM symbols, said complex-valued pilot symbols having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time, a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to the average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

selecting phase angles for a plurality of fixed-amplitude pilot symbols for a plurality of said subchannels, which pilot symbols can include both constellation based, and non-constellation-based pilot symbols (preselected pilot symbols), to minimize the peak-to-average power ratio of the composite signal over a finite length of time;

combining said preselected pilot symbols for each subchannel with QAM symbols on said subchannel; and

transmitting the combined preselected pilot symbols and QAM symbols on said communication channel.

12. The method of claim 11 including the step of pulse shape filtering said piloted QAM subchannel symbol streams prior to transmission on a communication channel to form filtered QAM symbol streams.

13. The method of claim 12 including the step of modulating each filtered QAM symbol stream to a predetermined subchannel center frequency.

14. The method of claim 13 including the step of combining each of the modulated filtered QAM symbol streams at their respective subchannel center frequencies to produce said composite signal.

15. In a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, of which each QAM subchannel signal includes: a) QAM information symbols (QAM symbols), said QAM symbols having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time; and b) a plurality of complex-valued pilot symbols, each having a magnitude and phase, and that are combined with said QAM symbols, said complex-valued pilot symbols having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time, a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to the average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

selecting magnitudes and phase angles for a plurality of pilot symbols for a plurality of said subchannels, which pilot symbols can be both constellation based, and non-constellation based, (preselected pilot symbols) to minimize the peek-to-average power ratio of complex-valued composite signals over a finite length of time;

combining said preselected pilot symbols for each subchannel with QAM symbols on said subchannel;

transmitting the combined preselected pilot symbols and QAM symbols on said communication channel.

16. The method of claim 15 including the step of pulse shape filtering said piloted QAM subchannel symbol streams prior to transmission on a communication channel to form filtered QAM symbol streams.

17. The method of claim 16 including the step of modulating each filtered QAM symbol stream to a predetermined subchannel center frequency.

18. The method of claim 17 including the step of combining each of the modulated filtered QAM symbol streams at their respective subchannel center frequencies to produce said composite signal.

19. In an quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, at least one of which QAM subchannel signal includes: a) a plurality of complex-valued information symbols, each of which information symbols are located substantially on one of n where n is an integer constellation points of a complex plane, each constellation point being defined by a discrete magnitude and discrete phase angle from a predetermined reference point in the complex plane; and b) a plurality of predetermined complex-valued pilot symbols, each having a magnitude and phase, each of said plurality of QAM subchannel signals having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time, a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

selecting phase angles for a plurality of fixed-amplitude pilot symbols for a plurality of said subchannels (preselected pilot symbols) such that at least one of said complex-valued pilot symbols is a non-constellation-based pilot symbol;

combining said preselected pilot symbols for each subchannel with QAM symbols on said subchannel to form piloted QAM subchannel symbol streams; and

transmitting the combined preselected pilot symbols and QAM symbols on said communication channel.

20. In an quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) communication system comprised of a composite signal, having a peak power level and an average power level, for transmission on a communication channel, which composite signal is comprised of a plurality of QAM subchannel signals combined together, at least one of which QAM subchannel signal includes: a) a plurality of complex-valued QAM information symbols, each of which information symbols are located substantially on one of n where n is an integer constellation points of a complex plane, each constellation point being defined by a discrete magnitude and discrete phase angle from a predetermined reference point in the complex plane; and b) a plurality of predetermined complex-valued pilot symbols, combined with the QAM information symbols over a finite length of time, each having a magnitude and phase, each of said plurality of QAM subchannel signals having an average power level and having a peak power level over a finite length of time, a method of reducing the ratio of the peak power level to average power level in said composite signal comprised of:

combining at least one of said complex-valued QAM information symbols, with a plurality of complex-valued, non-constellation-based pilot symbols, having a plurality of phase angles, to form at least one QAM subchannel signal;

combining said QAM subchannel signal with at least one other QAM subchannel signal to form a composite signal; and

transmitting said composite signal on said communication channel.