Patent ID: 8818205

Claim:
A modulation method using the principle of discrete IQ modulation, the method comprising: (a) generating a carrier signal and splitting the carrier signal at a splitting position into an I branch signal travelling along an I branch and a Q branch signal travelling along a Q branch, the I branch and Q branch being provided between the splitting position and a combining position; (b) modulating the amplitude of the I branch signal according to a first modulation signal and modulating the amplitude of the Q branch signal according to a second modulation signal, each of the first and second modulation signals being arranged to adopt a respective given number of values according to a given number of constellation points of a given modulation scheme, wherein the values adopted by the first and second modulation signals are exactly, or with an error value less than a predetermined error threshold value or with an error value as low as possible, creatable using a binary system with a minimum number of bits; (c) phase shifting the Q branch signal versus the I branch signal by a predetermined value unequal to 90 degrees to produce a non-orthogonal phase shift; and (d) combining the I branch signal and the Q branch signal at the combining position to produce a combined modulated signal, the combined modulated signal being arranged to be transmitted over a transmission path.