Patent ID: 7391818

Claim:
A method for communicating digital information comprising the steps of: initializing one or more channels J from J m channels given a constrained amount of transmission energy per bit available E tot ; calculating a Chernoff bound B (J) for the one or more channels J, wherein the step of calculating a Chernoff bound B (J) for the one or more channels J includes the step of calculating a channel energy per bit E j for each channel j of the one or more channels J such that E j is within a fractional tolerance δ of the constrained amount of transmission energy per bit available E tot ; determining whether J+1 channels may be energetically allowed, where J+1 is a positive integer; if the J+1 channels are energetically allowed, then: calculating a Chernoff bound B (J+1) for the J+1 channels, determining whether B (J) >B (J+1) , if B (J) >B (J+1) , then: incrementing the one or more channels J, determining whether J=J m , if J=J m , transmitting information m using the one or more channels J, and if J is not equal to J m , continuing to the step of determining whether J+1 channels may be energetically allowed, and if B (J) ≦B (J+1) , then transmitting information m using the one or more channels J; and if the J+1 channels are not energetically allowed, transmitting information m using the one or more channels J.