Lucent Technologies Inc.

Agere Systems Inc.

Agere Systems Guardian Corp.

At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

Other

At&t Ipm Corp.

Alcatel Lucent

Mosaid Technologies Corporation

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

Carl-Erik Wilhelm Sundberg

Deepen Sinha

Brian Chen

Nambirajan Seshadri

Haralabos C Papadopoulos

Jerry Nicholas Laneman

Hui-Ling Lou

Inkyu Lee

Mohsen Kavehrad

Emin Martinian

Albert Chan

James David Johnston

Richard Vandervoort Cox

Schuyler Reynier Quackenbush

Nuggehally Sampath Jayant

Sean Matthew Dorward

Joachim Hagenauer

Isam M Habbab

Sean Anthony Ramprashad

James Walter Tracey

David Mansour

Nambirajan Seshardi

Wai-Choong Wong

Christiane G Nill

Herv&eacute; Taddei

Rainer Thomas Maerkle

Haralabos Papadopoulos

A system employs space-time coding characterized at the transmitter by bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) combined with multi-carrier Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation. Space-Time coding techniques improve transmission efficiency in radio channels by using multiple transmit and/or receive antennas and coordination of the signaling over these antennas. Bit-interleaved coded modulation provides good diversity gain with higher-order modulation schemes that employ binary convolutional codes. OFDM modulation allows for wideband transmission over frequency selective radio channels. A receiver demodulates the OFDM signal and applies multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) demapping to estimate the BICM encoded bitstream. After deinterleaving of the BICM encoded bitstream, maximum a posteriori (MAP) decoding is applied to the resulting bit stream to generate soft output values. The MIMO demapping and MAP decoding processes exchange likelihood information to improve the bit error rate performance over several iterations of demapping/decoding. By applying well-known turbo-decoding principles to iteratively demap and decode, the overall receiver performance is significantly improved.

Space-time bit-interleaved coded modulation for wideband transmission

A system employs space-time coding characterized at the transmitter by bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) combined with modulating several streams of the BICM encoded data for transmission over two or more antennas. Space-time coding techniques improve transmission efficiency in radio channels by using multiple transmit and/or receive antennas and coordination of the signaling over these antennas. Bit-interleaved coded modulation provides good diversity gain with higher-order modulation schemes that employ binary convolutional codes. A receiver demodulates the received signals and applies multi-input, multi-output (MIMO) demapping to estimate the BICM encoded bitstream. After deinterleaving of the BICM encoded bitstream, maximum a posteriori (MAP) decoding is applied to the resulting bit stream to generate soft output values. By applying well-known turbo-decoding principles to iteratively demap and decode, the overall receiver performance is significantly improved. The MIMO demapping and MAP decoding processes exchange likelihood information to improve the bit error rate performance over several iterations of demapping/decoding. By generating tentative decisions for transmitted bits, the overall number of evaluations used for demapping may be reduced.

Reduced complexity receiver for space-time- bit-interleaved coded modulation

The present invention provides for adaptive and multimode decoding, in a data packet-based communication system, to provide improved received signal quality in the presence of burst erasures or random bit errors, with particular suitability for real-time, delay sensitive applications, such as voice over Internet Protocol. In the presence of burst erasures, the adaptive multimode decoder of the present invention provides burst erasure correction decoding, preferably utilizes a maximally short (MS) burst erasure correcting code, which has a comparatively short decoding delay. Depending upon the level of such burst erasures, different rate MS codes may be utilized, or other codes may be utilized, such as hybrid or multidescriptive codes. When no burst erasures are detected, the adaptive multimode decoder of the present invention provides random bit error correction decoding, in lieu of or in addition to corresponding burst erasure correction coding.

Apparatus and method for adaptive, multimode decoding

In a digital audio broadcast system, to utilize transmission bandwidth efficiently, representations of a stereo audio signal for transmission are generated in accordance with an inventive multidescriptive coding technique. The representations, as generated, are then transmitted through multiple communication channels, respectively. The transmitted representations are received by a receiver where one or more of the representations are selected for recovery of the stereo audio signal. Because of the design of the multidescriptive coding used, the more representations are selected to recover the stereo audio signal, the higher the quality of the recovered signal.

Multidescriptive coding technique for multistream communication of signals

The invention provides methods and apparatus for processing information, e.g., audio, video or image information, for transmission in a communication system. In an illustrative embodiment, a joint multiple program coder determines the value of a single-bit or multiple-bit criticality measure, e.g., criticality flag, in a designated interval, e.g., the duration of an audio frame, for each of the programs in a set of multiple programs to be transmitted in the system. The joint multiple program coder allocates a pool of available bits to the programs based at least in part on the determined values of the criticality measures, such that a program with a higher-valued criticality measure in the designated time interval is allocated a greater percentage of the available bits for that interval than another one of the programs with a lower-valued criticality measure. The joint multiple program coder repeats the determination and allocation operations for each of a number of time intervals, e.g., frames, such that the bit allocation can vary from interval to interval.

Joint multiple program coding for digital audio broadcasting and other applications

Techniques are disclosed for processing received information in a communication system, such that performance is significantly improved in the presence of certain types of interference, e.g., partial-band interference. In an illustrative embodiment, first and second digital sidebands are transmitted on either side of an AM or FM host carrier signal in a hybrid in-band on-channel (HIBOC) digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system. The compressed digital audio information in the sidebands is encoded using an error correcting code such as a Reed-Solomon (RS) code. A receiver attempts to detect interference within a designated portion of a given one of the sidebands. If the interference is detected, the receiver eliminates the portion of the frequency band from consideration in the decoding process by using a fixed-erasure decoding (FED) technique to decode the error correcting code. If the interference is not detected, the receiver utilizes the designated portion of the sideband in the decoding process by using a hard-decision decoding (HDD) technique. Advantageously, this multi-mode approach of the present invention provides significantly reduced complexity relative to conventional maximum likelihood decoding, and also provides a block error flag for use in error concealment in an audio decoder. In addition, the invention provides improved performance relative to conventional systems in terms of reducing the probability that a block error flag will be generated, while also providing a manageable probability of undetected errors.

Multi-mode decoding for digital audio broadcasting and other applications

The invention provides optimal complementary punctured convolutional codes for coding information bits in a communication system. In an illustrative embodiment, an optimal pair of complementary punctured codes is selected from a set of potential code pairs. The set of potential code pairs includes all non-catastrophic complementary punctured code pairs which combine to produce to a specified full-bandwidth code, and thus includes both equivalent and non-equivalent complementary codes. The optimal code pair may be selected, for example, as the pair of equivalent or non-equivalent codes which has the best free Hamming distance and minimum information error weight of all the pairs in the set. In addition, the invention provides both rate-compatible and rate-incompatible codes suitable for use in providing unequal error protection (UEP) for different classes of information bits. The invention further provides optimal bit assignment techniques for use in digital audio broadcasting or other applications in which digital information is transmitted on subcarriers in both an upper and a lower sideband of an analog carrier.

Optimal complementary punctured convolutional codes

A method for providing packet loss recovery in a data packet-based network used for real-time multimedia communications. In accordance with a first illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the information payload associated with a given data packet k is identically copied and appended to data packet k&plus;w (i.e., the information payload is repeated with a delay of w transmitted packets). More generally, the present invention provides a method of coding a sequence of data packets representing a contiguous stream of information, with each data packet comprising, a set of payload information representative of a segment of the stream of information corresponding thereto. The method comprises the steps of coding a first data packet for transmission (wherein the encoded first data packet comprises a first set of payload information representative of a first segment of the stream of information), and coding a second data packet subsequence to the first data packet in the sequence for transmission (wherein the encoded second data packet comprises a second set of payload information representative of a second segment of the stream of information subsequent to the first segment of the stream of information). The encoded second data packet further comprises an additional set of payload information, the additional set of payload information also representative of the first segment of the stream of information, but not representative of other segments of the stream of information.

Packet loss control method for real-time multimedia communications

Source-coded information from a multi-mode source encoder is channel coded for transmission in a communication system. A multi-mode channel encoder associates a different channel coding error protection profile with each of the modes of the multi-mode source encoder. The channel encoder determines a mode used by the multi-mode source encoder to source code a given frame or other designated portion of the information, and channel codes the source-coded portion of the information utilizing an error protection profile identified at least in part based on the determined mode. A multi-mode channel decoder is operative to hypothesize that a particular one of the modes of the multi-mode source encoder was used to source code the designated portion of the information. The channel decoder analyzes at least part of a set of corresponding channel-coded information using an error protection profile associated with the hypothesized mode of the multi-mode source encoder, in order to determine if the error protection profile and the hypothesized mode are appropriate for respective channel decoding and source decoding of the designated portion of the information.

Channel coding with unequal error protection for multi-mode source coded information

A method and apparatus for coding and decoding a sequence of data packets with use of a novel class of forward error correcting codes having coding rates greater than 1/2 which nonetheless provide relatively high levels of channel protection against burst erasures with a relatively low decoding delay. In accordance with certain illustrative encoder embodiments of the present invention, the source information contained in each of a plurality of packets to be coded is similarly divided into a plurality of (similar) corresponding portions, and &ldquo;checksums&rdquo; are computed over multiple data packets, each such checksum being based on different (i.e., non-corresponding) portions of at least two of the multiple packets. These &ldquo;checksums&rdquo; are then advantageously appended to various subsequent data packets to be coded. By using different portions of multiple packets from which the checksums are computed, forward error correcting codes having rates greater than 1/2 which provide high levels of channel protection against burst erasures with relatively low decoding delays are advantageously provided. In accordance with illustrative decoder embodiments of the present invention, erased data packets may be regenerated based on the decoding of one or more subsequent (correctly received) data packets which include such appended &ldquo;checksum&rdquo; data.

Low delay channel codes for correcting bursts of lost packets

Digital information is processed for transmission in a communication system using a hidden puncturing technique. The digital information is encoded using a channel code having at least one puncturing pattern associated therewith. The puncturing pattern is preferably a rate compatible puncturing pattern. In accordance with the invention, there is no puncturing of the channel code applied at a transmitter side of the system. Instead, the resulting channel coded bits are assigned to different sections of a digital sideband or other portion of a frequency spectrum of the system, based at least in part on the puncturing pattern. The coded channel bits are then transmitted through the system in the assigned sections, and can be decoded at different code rates in a receiver of the system depending on which of the sections are used in the decoding process. By allowing different sections to be erased and the decoding to proceed at a corresponding higher code rate, the invention alleviates the effects of partial-band interference in the system.

Channel coding based on hidden puncturing for partial-band interference channels

Improved error screening techniques are used in processing digital audio or other types of information received in a digital communication system. Control information associated with a given packet of the received information is identified and compared with a decoding requirement of the packet, in order to control the generation of an error indicator for the packet. More particularly, the error indicator may be generated in response to an inconsistency between the control information and the decoding requirement. For example, the control information may include an indication of packet length that can be compared to a number of bits required to decode the corresponding packet, with any inconsistency between the packet length indication and the number of required bits leading to the generation of an error flag for the packet. The invention is particularly well-suited for use in the processing of encoded digital audio information received in a hybrid in-band on-channel (HIBOC) digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system, but is also applicable to other types of information and other types of communication systems.

Error screening based on code and control information consistency in a communication system

Improved channel code configurations for use in transmission of digital audio or other types of information in a digital communication system. The channel code may include an outer channel code, e.g., a cyclic redundancy code (CRC), and an inner channel code, e.g., a complementary punctured pair convolutional (CPPC) code. In accordance with the invention, multiple code words of the outer code are associated with a given packet of the digital information, in accordance with a particular outer code configuration, so as to provide partial error flagging for different portions of the given packet. An information encoder, e.g., a PAC encoder, interacts with an outer code encoder to determine a bit allocation for transmission of packets at a particular bit rate, based at least in part on the outer code configuration. The invention is particularly well-suited for use in the transmission of digital audio information in a hybrid in-band on-channel (HIBOC) digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system, but is also applicable to other types of communication systems.

Channel code configurations for digital audio broadcasting systems and other types of communication systems

In a communications system implementing an in-band on channel AM (IBOC-AM) (also known as &ldquo;hybrid IBOC-AM&rdquo;) scheme, digitally modulated signals are transmitted in a 30 kHz digital band centered at an analog host AM carrier frequency f . The host AM carrier is assigned to the geographic area served by the communications system for AM radio broadcast. It is likely that a similar IBOC-AM scheme is implemented in an adjacent area which is assigned a second analog host AM carrier having a frequency which is either 20 kHz higher or lower than f . In that case, the transmission of the digitally modulated signals are interfered by a similar transmission in the adjacent area. The interference is known as &ldquo;second adjacent channel interference.&rdquo; To reduce such interference, selected power profiles in accordance with the invention are used to allocate the relative transmission power to the digitally modulated signals in the digital band.

Technique for communicating digitally modulated signals over an amplitude-modulation frequency band

Techniques for processing received information in a communication system, such that performance is significantly improved in the presence of certain types of interference. In an illustrative embodiment, first and second digital sidebands are transmitted on either side of an FM or AM host carrier signal in a hybrid in-band on-channel (HIBOC) digital audio broadcasting (DAB) system. The compressed digital audio information in the sidebands is encoded using an outer code, e.g., a cyclic redundancy code (CRC), and an inner code, e.g., a complementary punctured pair convolutional (CPPC) code. A receiver generates an error indicator based at least in part on a first decoding of the received information. The error indicator characterizes interference associated with at least one of the digital sidebands. The receiver then generates at least one alternative decoding of the received information if the error indicator has a designated characteristic. For example, the receiver may generate the alternative decoding by eliminating from consideration in the receiver decoding process a designated portion of at least one of the digital sidebands. The error indicator may be indicative of the presence or absence of a first adjacent interference signal of a particular level within a frequency band associated with one of the sidebands, and may be based on, e.g., a signal-to-noise ratio measurement generated from a pilot tone associated with a given sideband, and/or an error flag generated using the CRC outer code. Portions of the given sideband may be eliminated from consideration via successive erasures of sideband components, i.e., subbands, thereby resulting in an increase in the effective code rate of the inner code.

Growing community of inventors

Chatham, NJ, United States of America

Carl-Erik Wilhelm Sundberg