Forward error correction (FEC) for local area networks (LANs)

• US 20150263762A1
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shen, Ba-Zhong, Tazebay, Mehmet Vakif, Chini, Ahmad, Kilani, Mehdi Tavassoli, Bliss, William Gene
• Granted Patent: US 9,660,668 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/88 Lidar systems specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0808 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1111 Soft-decision decoding, e.g. by means of message passing or belief propagation algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/116 Quasi-cyclic LDPC [QC-LDPC] codes, i.e. the parity-check matrix being composed of permutation or circulant sub-matrices
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/353 Adaptation to the channel
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/3715 Adaptation to the number of estimated errors or to the channel state
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/6337 Error control coding in combination with channel estimation
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/658 Scaling by multiplication or division
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/6583 Normalization other than scaling, e.g. by subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/6591 Truncation, saturation and clamping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence

Abstract

A local area network (LAN) backbone is implemented within an environment such as a self-contained environment (e.g., an automobile, an aircraft, a train, a ship, and/or any other environment). The LAN backbone is affected by AWGN, NBI, and/or impulse noise (noise). The LAN backbone supports communications based on an Ethernet communication protocol (e.g., a 1000Base-T1 based system that includes at least one single twisted pair). A device receives a first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone and decodes it to recover an input signal of a control system. The device also uses soft information generated during the decoding to compensate for the noise affecting the LAN backbone and then processes the input signal to generate a control signal for the control system. The device then and encodes the control signal to generate a second LDPC coded signal and transmits the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor configured to;

receive a first low density parity check (LDPC) coded signal that is compliant with an Ethernet communication protocol via a local area network (LAN) backbone that supports communications based on the Ethernet communication protocol and that is affected by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), narrowband interference (NBI), and impulse noise;

decode the first LDPC coded signal to generate soft information;

employ the soft information to compensate for the AWGN, the NBI, and the impulse noise and to recover an input signal of a control system;

process the input signal of the control system to generate a control signal for the control system;

encode the control signal of the control system to generate a second LDPC coded signal that is compliant with the Ethernet communication protocol; and

transmit the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

receive the first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone from a first transducer that is configured to;

process the input signal of the control system to generate the first LDPC coded signal; and

transmit the first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone; and

transmit the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone to a second transducer that is configured to;

receive the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone; and

decode the second LDPC coded signal to recover the control signal for the control system to use to adapt operation of the control system.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the control system includes an automotive control system implemented within an automobile that further comprises:

a plurality of cameras configured to;

capture at least one of photographic or video information of a physical environment of the automobile;

generate the input signal based on the at least one of photographic or video information; and

provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

a user interface configured to;

receive the control signal from the second transducer; and

generate and output information corresponding to the physical environment of the automobile based on the control signal.

4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the control system includes an automotive control system implemented within an automobile that further comprises:

a laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to;

determine a characteristic that corresponds to a physical environment of the automobile;

generate the input signal based on the characteristic; and

provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

a user interface configured to;

receive the control signal from the second transducer; and

generate and output information corresponding to the physical environment of the automobile based on the control signal.

5. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the control system is implemented within an autonomous vehicle and further comprises:

a laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to;

determine a characteristic of a physical environment of the autonomous vehicle;

generate the input signal based on the characteristic; and

provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

an actuator configured to;

receive the control signal from the second transducer; and

adapt operation of the autonomous vehicle based on the control signal.

6. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the control system includes an aircraft flight control system implemented within an aircraft that further comprises:

at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope configured to;

generate the input signal based on at least one of acceleration or rotation of the aircraft; and

provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

an actuator configured to;

receive the control signal from the second transducer; and

adapt position of one or more flight control surfaces of the aircraft flight control system based on the control signal.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the LAN backbone comprises a single twisted pair that supports full-duplex communications.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

process the first and the second LDPC coded signals based on an LDPC code that is selected for compliance within a maximum latency tolerance of the control system when supporting real-time operation.

9. A communication device implemented within a transportation vehicle, the communication device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a processor configured to;

receive a first low density parity check (LDPC) coded signal that is compliant with an Ethernet communication protocol via a local area network (LAN) backbone that supports communications based on the Ethernet communication protocol and that is affected by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), narrowband interference (NBI), and impulse noise, wherein the first LDPC coded signal is based on an input signal that is generated by a sensor and that is based on an operational parameter of a control system of the transportation vehicle;

decode the first LDPC coded signal to generate soft information;

employ the soft information to compensate for the AWGN, the NBI, and the impulse noise and to recover the input signal of a control system;

process the input signal of the control system to generate a control signal for the control system;

encode the control signal of the control system to generate a second LDPC coded signal that is compliant with the Ethernet communication protocol; and

transmit the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone for use by an actuator that is configured to use the control signal that is based on the second LDPC coded signal to adapt position of a control element of the control system of the transportation vehicle.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein:

the control system of the transportation vehicle includes an automotive control system implemented within an automobile; and

the sensor includes a camera configured to generate the input signal, wherein the operational parameter of the control system of the transportation vehicle includes at least one of photographic or video information of a physical environment of the automobile.

11. The communication device of claim 9, wherein:

the control system of the transportation vehicle includes an aircraft flight control system implemented within an aircraft;

the sensor includes at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope configured to generate the input signal, wherein the operational parameter of the control system of the transportation vehicle includes at least one of acceleration or rotation of the aircraft; and

the actuator configured to adapt position of one or more flight control surfaces of the aircraft flight control system based on the control signal.

12. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the LAN backbone comprises a single twisted pair that supports full-duplex communications.

13. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:

process the first and the second LDPC coded signals based on an LDPC code that is selected for compliance within a maximum latency tolerance of the control system when supporting real-time operation.

14. A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving, via a local area network (LAN) backbone, a first low density parity check (LDPC) coded signal that is compliant with an Ethernet communication protocol, wherein the LAN backbone supports communications based on the Ethernet communication protocol and is affected by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), narrowband interference (NBI), and impulse noise;

decoding the first LDPC coded signal to generate soft information;

employing the soft information to compensate for the AWGN, the NBI, and the impulse noise and to recover an input signal of a control system;

processing the input signal of the control system to generate a control signal for the control system;

encoding the control signal of the control system to generate a second LDPC coded signal that is compliant with the Ethernet communication protocol; and

transmitting the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

receiving the first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone from a first transducer that is configured to;

process the input signal of the control system to generate the first LDPC coded signal; and

transmit the first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone; and

transmitting the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone to a second transducer that is configured to;

receive the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone; and

decode the second LDPC coded signal to recover the control signal for the control system to use to adapt operation of the control system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the control system includes an automotive control system implemented within an automobile that further comprises:

a plurality of cameras configured to;

capture at least one of photographic or video information of a physical environment of the automobile;

generate the input signal based on the at least one of photographic or video information; and

provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

a user interface configured to;

receive the control signal from the second transducer; and

generate and output information corresponding to the physical environment of the automobile based on the control signal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the control system includes an automotive control system implemented within an autonomous vehicle that further comprises:

a laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to;

determine a characteristic of a physical environment of the autonomous vehicle;

generate the input signal based on the characteristic; and

provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

an actuator configured to;

receive the control signal from the second transducer; and

adapt operation of the autonomous vehicle based on the control signal.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the control system includes an aircraft flight control system implemented within an aircraft that further comprises:

at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope configured to;

generate the input signal based on at least one of acceleration or rotation of the aircraft; and

provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

an actuator configured to;

receive the control signal from the second transducer; and

adapt position of one or more flight control surfaces of the aircraft flight control system based on the control signal.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the LAN backbone comprises a single twisted pair that supports full-duplex communications.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

processing the first and the second LDPC coded signals based on an LDPC code that is selected for compliance within a maximum latency tolerance of the control system when supporting real-time operation.