Method and system for code combining at an outer decoder on a communication system

• US 7,929,578 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Tiedemann, Edward G. Jr., Wei, Yongbin, Chen, Tao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo; Ricky
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHAU BA
• Application Number:
  US11/019,490
• Publication Number:
  US 20050135298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,310 Days
• Field of Search: 370/206, 370/331, 370/536, 375/308, 375/340, 714/755, 714/786, 341/94, 386/96
• US Class Current: 370/536
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/29 combining two or more codes or code structures, e.g. product codes, generalised product codes, concatenated codes, inner and outer codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2903 Methods and arrangements specifically for encoding, e.g. parallel encoding of a plurality of constituent codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2906 using block codes H03M13/2957 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0065 Serial concatenated codes

Abstract

An outer encoder and an inner encoder encode subsets of information to be transmitted, to improve protection by adding redundancy. The redundancy permits decoding of the information from less than a complete encoded block of information. The use of a combiner at an outer decoder enables better outer decoding of symbols.

Claims

1. A method for transmission of data, comprising:

outer encoding a set of data bits at an outer encoding rate;

inner encoding a first subset of outer encoded data bits at a first inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate, thereby creating a first subset of inner encoded data bits;

inner encoding a second subset of outer encoded data bits at a second inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate and different from the first inner encoding rate, thereby creating a second subset of inner encoded data bits; and

transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits to a subscriber station configured to inner decode the first subset of data bits at the first inner encoding rate and the second subset of data bits at the second inner encoding rate and combine the inner decoded first and second sets of data bits.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

inner decoding the first subset of data bits;

inner decoding the second subset of data bits; and

combining the inner decoded first and second subsets of data bits, thereby creating a combined set of data bits.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising:

outer decoding the combined set of data bits.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said combining is performed based on a signaling indicating the first and second subsets of data bits.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

determining a size of the first and second subsets of data bits based on available communication resources for said transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits.

6. An apparatus for transmission of data, comprising:

an outer encoder for outer encoding a set of data bits at an outer encoding rate;

an inner encoder for inner encoding a first subset of outer encoded data bits at a first inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate, thereby creating a first subset of inner encoded data bits, and inner encoding a second subset of outer encoded data bits at a second inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate and different from the first inner encoding rate, thereby creating a second subset of inner encoded data bits; and

means for transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits to a subscriber station configured to inner decode the first subset of data bits at the first inner encoding rate and the second subset of data bits at the second inner encoding rate and combine the inner decoded first and second sets of data bits.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein the subscriber station comprises:

an inner decoder for inner decoding the first subset of data bits and inner decoding the second subset of data bits; and

means for combining the inner decoded first and second subsets of data bits, thereby creating a combined set of data bits.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the subscriber station further comprises:

an outer decoder for outer decoding the combined set of data bits.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said means for combining combines the inner decoded first and second subsets of data bits based on a signaling indicating the first and second subsets of data bits.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

means for determining a size of the first and second subsets of data bits based on available communication resources for said means for transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded thereon with instructions that when executed cause an apparatus to perform a method for transmission of data, said method comprising:

outer encoding a set of data bits at an outer encoding rate;

inner encoding a first subset of outer encoded data bits at a first inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate, thereby creating a first subset of inner encoded data bits;

inner encoding a second subset of outer encoded data bits at a second inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate and different from the first inner encoding rate, thereby creating a second subset of inner encoded data bits; and

transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits to a subscriber station configured to inner decode the first subset of data bits and the second subset of data bits and combine the inner decoded first and second sets of data bits.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

inner decoding the first subset of data bits;

inner decoding the second subset of data bits; and

combining the inner decoded first and second subsets of data bits, thereby creating a combined set of data bits.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, the method further comprising:

outer decoding the combined set of data bits.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 12 wherein said combining is performed based on a signaling indicating the first and second subsets of data bits.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11 wherein the method further comprises:

determining a size of the first and second subsets of data bits based on available communication resources for said transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits.

16. An apparatus for transmission of data, comprising:

means for outer encoding a set of data bits at an outer encoding rate;

means for inner encoding a first subset of outer encoded data bits at a first inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate, thereby creating a first subset of inner encoded data bits;

means for inner encoding a second subset of outer encoded data bits, thereby creating a second subset of inner encoded data bits at a second inner encoding rate independent of the outer encoding rate and different from the first inner encoding rate; and

means for transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits to a subscriber station configured to inner decode the first subset of data bits and the second subset of data bits and combine the inner decoded first and second sets of data bits.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein the subscriber station further comprises:

means for inner decoding the first subset of data bits and inner decoding the second subset of data bits; and

means for combining the inner decoded first and second subsets of data bits, thereby creating a combined set of data bits.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

means for outer decoding the combined set of data bits.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein said means for combining combines the inner decoded first and second subsets of data bits based on a signaling indicating the first and second subsets of data bits.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

means for determining a size of the first and second subsets of data bits based on available communication resources for said means for transmitting, independently, the first and second subsets of inner encoded data bits.