Determination of bit assignments in multi-bit symbols transmitted to multiple receiving devices based on channel conditions

Abstract

A method and system for bit-level protection in concurrent downlink coordinated multipoint transmission of bit groups to multiple user equipment devices (UEs) from multiple base stations. Multiple base stations each serving a respective UE and each having a separate bit stream to communicate to its respective served UE will define bit groups across the bit streams, such that each bit group includes at least one bit from each base station's bit stream. Each bit group will be transmitted as a multi-bit data symbol modulated onto a subcarrier frequency. Susceptibility to pairwise confusion between different data symbols due to misidentification of particular bits will be used to determine bit-level protection for various bit positions of the data symbols. Assignment of particular bits of each bit group to particular UEs will include consideration of bit-level protection, such that UEs with lower quality downlink properties will be assigned bits providing higher bit-level protection, and vice versa.