Outer coding methods for broadcast/multicast content and related apparatus

• US 8,291,300 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Vayanos, Alkinoos Hector, Grilli, Francesco
• Primary Examiner(s): LAMARRE, GUY J
• Application Number:
  US11/947,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20080141097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 714/755, 714/786, 714/776
• US Class Current: 714/775
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/15 Cyclic codes, i.e. cyclic shifts of codewords produce other codewords, e.g. codes defined by a generator polynomial, Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem [BCH] codes H03M13/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/1515 Reed-Solomon codes
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 13/2707 Simple row-column interleaver, i.e. pure block interleaving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0041 Arrangements at the transmitter end
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0061 Error detection codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0083 Formatting with frames or packets; Protocol or part of protocol for error control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/18 Automatic repetition systems, e.g. Van Duuren systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

Transmission techniques are provided that improve service continuity and reduce interruptions in delivery of content that can be caused by transitions that occur when the User Equipment (UE) moves from one cell to the other, or when the delivery of content changes from a Point-to-Point (PTP) connection to a Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) connection in the same serving cell, and vice-versa. Such transmission techniques enable seamless delivery of content across cell borders and/or between different transmission schemes such as Point-to-Multipoint (PTM) and Point-to-Point (PIP). Mechanisms for adjusting different streams and for recovering content from each data block during such transitions are also provided so that data is not lost during a transition. In addition, mechanisms for realigning data during decoding at a receiving terminal are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of receiving user information, comprising:

receiving an outer code block comprising a plurality of rows of information blocks, wherein the rows of information blocks each include at least a portion of a row of user information, wherein the size of each row of information blocks is fixed and occupies one Transmission Timing Interval (TTI);

decoding the outer code block using rows of redundancy information to generate a complete encoder packet that comprises information blocks and length indicators, wherein the information blocks are free from errors; and

using at least one length indicator in each information block to determine where a row of user information ends within the outer code block row occupied by that information block, and splitting the information blocks into rows of user information.

2. A method of receiving user information, comprising:

receiving an outer code block comprising a plurality of rows of information blocks, wherein the rows of information blocks;

each include at least a portion of a row of user information, wherein the size of each row of information blocks is variable and the rows of user information fully occupy the plurality of rows of information blocks;

decoding the outer code block using rows of redundancy information to generate a complete encoder packet that comprises information blocks and length indicators, wherein the information blocks are free from errors; and

using at least one length indicator in each information block to determine where a row of user Information ends within the outer code block row occupied by that information block; and

splitting the information blocks into rows of user information.

3. A destination station, comprising:

a receive buffer that receives an outer code block comprising a plurality of rows of information blocks, wherein the rows of information blocks each include at least a portion of a row of user information, wherein the size of each row of information blocks is fixed and occupies one Transmission Timing Interval (TTI);

an outer decoder that decodes the outer code block using rows of redundancy information to generate a complete encoder packet that comprises information blocks and length indicators, wherein the information blocks free from errors; and

a reassembly unit that uses at least one length indicator in each information block to determine where a row of user information ends within the outer code block row occupied by that information block, and splits the information blocks into rows of user information.

4. A destination station, comprising:

a receive buffer that receives an outer code block comprising a plurality of rows of information blocks, wherein the rows of information blocks each include at least a portion of a row of user information, wherein the size of each row of information blocks is variable and the rows of user information fully occupy the plurality of rows of information blocks;

an outer decoder that decodes the outer code block using rows of redundancy information to generate a complete encoder packet that comprises information blocks and length indicators, wherein the information blocks are free from errors; and

a reassembly unit that uses at least one length indicator in each information block to determine where a row of user information ends within the outer code block row occupied by that information block, and splits the information blocks into rows of user information.

5. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium including codes stored thereon for causing a computer to:

receive an outer code block comprising a plurality of rows of information blocks, wherein the rows of information blocks each include at least a portion of a row of user information, wherein the size of each row of information blocks is fixed and occupies one Transmission Timing Interval (TTI);

decode the outer code block using rows of redundancy information to generate a complete encoder packet that comprises information blocks and length indicators, wherein the information blocks free from errors; and

use at least one length indicator in each information block to determine where a row of user information ends within the outer code block row occupied by that information block, and split the information blocks into rows of user information.

6. A computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium including codes stored thereon for causing a computer to:

receive an outer code block comprising a plurality of rows of information blocks, wherein the rows of information blocks each include at least a portion of a row of user information, wherein the size of each row of information blocks is variable and the rows of user information fully occupy the plurality of rows of information blocks;

decode the outer code block using rows of redundancy information to generate a complete encoder packet that comprises information blocks and length indicators, wherein the information blocks are free from errors; and

use at least one length indicator in each information block to determine where a row of user information ends within the outer code block row occupied by that information block, and split the information blocks into rows of user information.