System and Method For Mitigating Burst Noise In A Communications System

• US 20090327845A1
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harrell, James, Hughey, Stephen, Seshadri, Nambi, Kolze, Thomas J., Howard, Daniel H., Johnson, Thomas L., Quigley, Thomas J., Bunn, Fred, Danzig, Joel, CURRIVAN, Bruce J., Cummings, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/777
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/09 Error detection only, e.g. using cyclic redundancy check [CRC] codes or single parity bit
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/098 using single parity bit
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/19 Single error correction without using particular properties of the cyclic codes, e.g. Hamming codes, extended or generalised Hamming codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2707 Simple row-column interleaver, i.e. pure block interleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2915 with an error detection code in one dimension
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0065 Serial concatenated codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1877 for semi-reliable protocols, e.g. for less sensitive applications like streaming video buffer level management for video bitstream control arrangements H04N21/44004

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product is provided for mitigating the effects of burst noise on packets transmitted in a communications system. A transmitting device applies an outer code, which may include, for example, a block code, an exclusive OR (XOR) code, or a repetition code, to one or more packets prior to adaptation of the packets for transmission over the physical (PHY) layer of the communications system, wherein the PHY layer adaptation may include FEC encoding of individual packets. The outer coded packets are then separately transmitted over a channel of the communications system. A receiving device receives the outer coded packets, performs PHY level demodulation and optional FEC decoding of the packets, and then applies outer code decoding to the outer coded packets in order to restore packets that were erased during transmission due to burst noise or other impairments on the channel.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method for transmitting packets of electronic information, comprising:

(a) organizing one or more packets of electronic information into at least one information segment;

(b) encoding at least one information segment from among the at least one information segment in accordance with an outer code to generate at least one parity segment;

(c) dividing the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment into a plurality of transmission segments; and

(d) separately transmitting each of the plurality of transmission segments over a channel of a communications system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(e) receiving the one or more packets of information for transmission.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein step (e) comprises:

(e)(i) receiving the one or more packets of information by a cable modem for transmission over an upstream channel to a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a)(i) organizing the one or more packets by identifying the one or more packets by a single information segment.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a)(i) organizing the one or more packets by fragmenting one of the one or more packets into a plurality of parts;

(a)(ii) identifying each of the plurality of parts by one of the at least one information segment.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b)(i) arranging the at least one information segment as a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns to form a matrix; and

(b)(ii) parity checking on at least one of the plurality of rows of the matrix to generate the at least one parity segment.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b)(i) encoding the at least one information segment in accordance with at least one of a group consisting of;

a Hamming code; and

an exclusive or (XOR) code.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(e) adding identification bits to each of the at least one information segment and to the at least one parity segment to indicate at least one of a group consisting of;

each of the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment belong to a unique group of encoded segments; and

an encoding order of the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein step (c) comprises:

(c)(i) adapting the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment for transmission over the channel of the communications system to divide the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment into the plurality of transmission segments.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises:

(c)(i) adapting the at least one information segment for transmission over the channel of the communications system to provide a first transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments; and

(c)(ii) adapting the at least one parity segment for transmission over the channel of the communications system to provide a second transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein step (c)(i) comprises:

(c)(i)(A) prepending a media access control (MAC) header to the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment;

(c)(i)(B) FEC encoding the MAC header, the at least one information segment, and the at least one parity segment;

(c)(i)(C) prepending a preamble to the MAC header, the at least one information segment, and the at least one parity segment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein step (c)(i) further comprises:

(c)(i)(D) interleaving the preamble, the MAC header, the at least one information segment, and the at least one parity segment.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein step (d) comprises:

(d)(i) separately transmitting each of the plurality of transmission segments over a wireless channel of a communications system.

15. A device for transmitting packets of electronic information, comprising:

a media access control (MAC) configured to organize one or more packets of electronic information into at least one information segment and to encode at least one information segment from among the at least one information segment in accordance with an outer code to generate at least one parity segment;

physical layer logic (PHY) configured to divide the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment into a plurality of transmission segments; and

a transmitter configured to separately transmit each of the plurality of transmission segments over a channel of a communications system.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the MAC is configured to receive the one or more packets of information for transmission.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the MAC is further configured to receive the one or more packets of information by a cable modem for transmission over an upstream channel to a cable modem termination system (CMTS).

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the MAC is configured to organize the one or more packets by identifying the one or more packets by a single information segment.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the MAC is configured to organize the one or more packets by fragmenting one of the one or more packets into a plurality of parts, and to identify each of the plurality of parts by one of the at least one information segment.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the MAC is configured to arrange the at least one information segment as a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns to form a matrix, and to parity check on at least one of the plurality of rows of the matrix to generate the at least one parity segment.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the MAC is configured to encode the at least one information segment in accordance with at least one of a group consisting of:

a Hamming code; and

an exclusive or (XOR) code.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the MAC is configured to add identification bits to each of the at least one information segment and to the at least one parity segment to indicate at least one of a group consisting of:

each of the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment belong to a unique group of encoded segments; and

an encoding order of the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment.

23. The device of claim 15, wherein the PHY is configured to adapt the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment for transmission over the channel of the communications system to divide the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment into the plurality of transmission segments.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the PHY is configured to adapt the at least one information segment for transmission over the channel of the communications system to provide a first transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments, and to adapt the at least one parity segment for transmission over the channel of the communications system to provide a second transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the MAC is configured to prepend a media access control (MAC) header to the at least one information segment and the at least one parity segment, to FEC encoding the MAC header, the at least one information segment, and the at least one parity segment, and to prepend a preamble to the MAC header, the at least one information segment, and the at least one parity segment.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the PHY is configured to interleave the preamble, the MAC header, the at least one information segment, and the at least one parity segment.

27. The device of claim 15, wherein the channel of the communications system comprises:

a wireless channel.

28. A method for receiving packets of electronic information, comprising:

(a) receiving a plurality of transmission segments from a channel of a communications system, the plurality of transmission segments including at least one information segment and at least one least one parity segment;

(b) identifying a transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes at least one error as a bad segment;

(c) restoring the bad segment by decoding transmission segments not identified as the bad segment in accordance with an outer code; and

(d) organizing the plurality of transmission segments into one or more packets.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a)(i) receiving the plurality of transmission segments from a wireless channel of the communications system

30. The method of claim 28, wherein step (a) comprises:

(a)(i) separately receiving the plurality of transmission segments from the channel of the communications system.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b)(i) marking the transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes the at least one error as the bad segment.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b)(i) identifying the transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes at least one error in its respective burst preamble as the bad segment.

33. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

(e) forward error correction (FEC) decoding the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment in accordance with an outer code.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein step (e) comprises:

(e)(i) forward error correction (FEC) decoding the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment in accordance with at least one of a group consisting of;

a Hamming code; and

an exclusive or (XOR) code.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein step (b) comprises:

(b)(i) identifying the transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes more errors that can be corrected by the outer code.

36. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

(e) recovering the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment from the plurality of transmission segments.

37. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

(f) reassembling the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment as a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns to form a matrix.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein step (c) comprises:

(c)(i) restoring the bad segment by decoding each of the plurality of rows.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

(e) forward error correction (FEC) decoding each of the plurality of columns in accordance with an outer code.

40. The method of claim 28, wherein step (d) comprises:

(d)(i) concatenating the plurality of transmission segments into the one or more packets.

41. A device for receiving packets of electronic information, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of transmission segments from a channel of a communications system, the plurality of transmission segments including at least one information segment and at least one least one parity segment;

physical layer logic configured to identify a transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes at least one error as a bad segment; and

a media access control configured to restore the bad segment by decoding transmission segments not identified as the bad segment in accordance with an outer code and to organize the plurality of transmission segments into one or more packets.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the plurality of transmission segments from a wireless channel of the communications system

43. The device of claim 41, wherein the receiver is configured to separately receive the plurality of transmission segments from the channel of the communications system.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein the physical layer logic is configured to mark the transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes the at least one error as the bad segment.

45. The device of claim 41, wherein the physical layer logic is configured to identify the transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes at least one error in its respective burst preamble as the bad segment.

46. The device of claim 41, wherein the receiver is configured to forward error correction (FEC) decode the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment in accordance with an outer code.

47. The device of claim 46, wherein the receiver is configured to forward error correction (FEC) decode the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment in accordance with at least one of a group consisting of:

a Hamming code; and

an exclusive or (XOR) code.

48. The device of claim 46, wherein the physical layer logic is configured to identify the transmission segment from among the plurality of transmission segments that includes more errors that can be corrected by the outer code.

49. The device of claim 41, wherein the receiver is configured to recover the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment from the plurality of transmission segments.

50. The device of claim 41, wherein the media access control is configured to reassemble the at least one information segment and the at least one least one parity segment as a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns to form a matrix.

51. The device of claim 41, wherein the media access control is configured to restore the bad segment by decoding each of the plurality of rows.