Adaptive Wavelet Packet Modulation

In this paper, we propose a new adaptive modulation based on the wavelet packet transform, which targets a good resistance against frequency selective channels while avoiding a large PAPR. Classical multi-carrier modulation schemes divide the channel bandwidth into narrowband sub-channels to improve its robustness against frequency selective fading. However, they suffer from the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) problem, which occurs due to a random constructive addition of sub-carriers. By contrast, single carrier modulation schemes, where each transmitted symbol fully occupies the bandwidth, are more sensitive to frequency selective environments and less affected by the PAPR problem. In this paper, we show how the bandwidth division can be reconfigurable and adapted to the channel properties, and we provide several examples to prove that the proposed adaptive modulation represents an alternative modulation which is adjustable between two extreme cases: single carrier modulation and classical multi-carrier modulation.