System and method unifying linear and nonlinear precoding for transceiving data

Abstract

A method for precoding an information symbol conveying data for transmission between a plurality of transmitters and a plurality of receivers via a plurality of communication channels over a subcarrier frequency, the number of transmitters (N) is different than the number of active receivers (K) for that subcarrier frequency, the method comprising: receiving by said transmitters information pertaining to supportabilities of said receivers to decode non-linearly precoded data; determining a precoding scheme defining for which of said receivers said data to be transmitted by said transmitters shall be precoded using at least one of linear precoding and non-linear precoding, according to said supportabilities; constructing a signal by applying a reversible mapping to said information symbol, said reversible mapping includes elements each respectively associated with a particular one of said receivers, such that those said receivers supporting the decoding of said non-linearly precoded data are capable of reversing said reversible mapping to said information symbol, while for those said receivers not supporting the decoding of said non-linearly precoded data said information symbol is unaffected by said reversible mapping; constructing a precoder characterized by N≠K such that said precoder is configured to perform regularized generalized inversion of a communication channel matrix.