This paper proposes a multiple code block transmission scheme using hierarchical modulation (HM) for a broadcast channel in the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) downlink. We investigate the average bit error rate (BER) performance of two-layer HM using 16 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) and three-layer HM using 64QAM in multipath Rayleigh fading channels. In multiple code block transmission using HM, the basic information bits are demodulated and decoded to all users within a cell that satisfy the bit error rate (BER) requirement. Hence, we investigate non-uniform QAM constellations to find one that suppresses the loss in the average BER of the basic information bits for HM to a low level compared to that using the original constellation in which only the basic information bits are transmitted while simultaneously minimizing the loss in the average BER of the secondary and tertiary information bits from the original constellations in which the information bits of the respective layers are transmitted alone. Based on the path loss equations in the Urban Macro and Rural Macro scenarios, we also investigate the maximum distance from a base station (BS) for the information bits of each layer to attain the required average received signal-to-noise power ratio (SNR) that achieves the average BER of 10-3.

To improve the BER performance of the conventional cooperative communication, this letter proposes an efficient method for the reliability, and it uses hierarchical modulation that has both the high priority (HP) layer and the low priority (LP) layer. To compensate more reliable transmission, the proposed method uses the error correction capability of Reed-Solomon (RS) codes additionally. The simulation results show that the proposed method can transmit data more reliably than the basic RS coded decode-and-forward (DF) method.

Dual-hop wireless transmission is a technique by which the channel from the source to the destination is divided into two shorter links using relays. By using this transmission, the communications reliability is improved whereas the throughput might go down since the dual-hop transmission is performed by two times. In this letter, we propose a scheme that uses hierarchical modulation at the source and adaptive modulation based on cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code at the relays. The proposed scheme is evaluated in terms of the bit error rate (BER) and throughput performances.

In this letter, we study the problem of designing an efficient power and bit allocation scheme in the context of a hierarchical image transmission system based on an embedded multi-carrier modulation (EMCM) scheme over digital subscriber line. Authors describe a novel algorithm that performs power minimization under bit rate constraint and QoS requirement. It is based on the Hughes-Hartogs algorithm, and successively allocates the bits of the high, then low priority data streams. Simulations that assess the performance of the proposed algorithm are also provided and discussed; they demonstrate the interest of the proposed scheme.

This paper proposes a new wireless multimedia communication system based on hierarchical modulation, which gives unequal transmission reliability corresponding to the sensitivity to the transmission errors. In order to achieve high quality multimedia communication in a band-limited and time-variant fading channel, the proposed scheme changes the modulation scheme according to the contents of information. Numerical analysis shows that the proposed system is an effective high-quality and high-speed multimedia transmission technique in fading channel.

This paper optimizes a hierarchical image transmission system based on the hierarchical modulation scheme in a band-limited Rayleigh fading channel. Authors analyze relations between hierarchical parameters and the image quality, and show that the existence of optimum hierarchical parameter that maximizes the received image quality.

In the future satellite broadcasting system in 21GHz band, the rainfall attenuation is a most significant problem. To solve this problem, the hierarchical transmission systems have been studied. This paper analyzes the performance of the hierarchical modulation scheme from the view point of power assignment in the presence of the rainfall attenuation. This paper shows an optimum power assignment ratio to maximize the spectral efficiency and the signal-to-noise ratio of received image, and these optimum ratio is varied with the measure of system performance.