Concatenated channel coding

Abstract

According to example aspects of the application, an apparatus is provided that is configured to perform outer encoding of data based on an outer error correction code to obtain an outer codeword, perform inner encoding of a segment of the outer codeword based on an inner error correction code to obtain an inner codeword, wherein a codeword length of the inner error correction code is based at least in part on a channel coherence of a wireless communication channel through which the data is to be transmitted, and perform a transmission through the wireless communication channel based at least in part on the inner encoding and the outer encoding.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to channel coding, such as, for example, channel coding for communication over a wireless communication channel. Background Technology

[0002] Data to be transmitted over a wireless channel can be encoded in a process known as channel coding. The purpose of channel coding is usually to increase the robustness of communication over a wireless channel, since such channels are inherently prone to introducing errors into the data.

[0003] Channel coding can be error-correcting codes, enabling the correction of individual bit errors. Alternatively or additionally, such codes can be error-detecting codes that can detect but not necessarily correct bit errors. When using codes that can only perform error detection, retransmission of the error-affected data block can be requested to obtain the correct version of the data at the receiver. On the other hand, some applications are inherently fault-tolerant to a certain extent, and isolated bit errors do not substantially affect the functionality of these applications, as long as the error rate is not too high. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The subject matter of the independent claims is provided according to several aspects. Several embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. The scope of protection sought by the various embodiments of the invention is set forth in the independent claims. Embodiments, examples, and features (if any) described in this specification that do not fall within the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding the various embodiments of the invention.

[0005] According to a first aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: perform external encoding of data based on an external error correction code to obtain an external codeword; perform internal encoding of segments of the external codeword based on an internal error correction code to obtain an internal codeword, wherein the codeword length of the internal error correction code is at least partially based on the channel coherence of a wireless communication channel through which the data is to be transmitted; and perform transmission through the wireless communication channel at least partially based on the internal and external encodings.

[0006] According to a second aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by the at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: perform joint channel estimation and decoding of segments of received modulation symbols based on an internal error correction code to obtain a channel estimate of a wireless communication channel, wherein the modulation symbols are received through the wireless communication channel, and the codeword length of the internal error correction code is based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel.

[0007] According to a third aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: performing external encoding of data based on an external error correction code to obtain an external codeword; performing internal encoding of segments of the external codeword based on an internal error correction code to obtain an internal codeword, wherein the codeword length of the internal error correction code is at least partially based on the channel coherence of a wireless communication channel through which the data is to be transmitted; and performing transmission through the wireless communication channel based at least partially on the internal and external encodings.

[0008] According to a fourth aspect of this disclosure, a method is provided, comprising: performing joint channel estimation and decoding of segments of received modulation symbols based on an internal error correction code to obtain a channel estimate of a wireless communication channel, wherein the modulation symbols are received through the wireless communication channel, and the codeword length of the internal error correction code is based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel.

[0009] According to a fifth aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided having a computer-readable instruction set stored thereon, which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the means to at least: perform external encoding of data based on an external error correction code to obtain an external codeword; perform internal encoding of segments of the external codeword based on an internal error correction code to obtain an internal codeword, wherein the codeword length of the internal error correction code is at least partially based on the channel coherence of a wireless communication channel through which the data is to be transmitted; and perform transmission through the wireless communication channel at least partially based on the internal and external encodings.

[0010] According to a sixth aspect of this disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided having a set of computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the means to at least: perform joint channel estimation and decoding of segments of received modulation symbols based on an internal error correction code to obtain a channel estimate of a wireless communication channel, wherein the modulation symbols are received through the wireless communication channel, and the codeword length of the internal error correction code is based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel.

[0011] According to a seventh aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for performing the following operations: performing external encoding of data based on an external error correction code to obtain an external codeword; performing internal encoding of segments of the external codeword based on an internal error correction code to obtain an internal codeword, wherein the codeword length of the internal error correction code is at least partially based on the channel coherence of a wireless communication channel through which the data is to be transmitted; and performing transmission through the wireless communication channel based at least partially on the internal and external encodings.

[0012] According to an eighth aspect of this disclosure, an apparatus is provided, comprising components for performing the following operations: performing joint channel estimation and decoding of segments of received modulation symbols based on an internal error correction code to obtain a channel estimate of a wireless communication channel, wherein the modulation symbols are received through the wireless communication channel, and the codeword length of the internal error correction code is based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 An example system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown; Figure 2A This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2B This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2C This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2D This is an example encoding process according to at least some embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 Exemplary apparatus capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown; Figure 4 Signaling according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown, and Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0014] This paper describes a solution for performing channel coding in at least two layers, where a first coding (referred to herein as outer coding) encodes the data to be transmitted to the receiver, and the resulting outer coding codewords are interleaved and segmented, these segments being encoded in a second coding (referred to herein as inner coding) to obtain inner coding codewords. The length of these inner codewords is chosen so as not to exceed the coherence characteristics of the wireless communication channel on which data is to be transmitted. Therefore, technical benefits are derived from this concatenated coding scheme to implement a Joint Channel Estimation and Decoding (JCED) process with finite complexity at the receiver. The JCED receiver process further improves link throughput by reducing the pilot overhead used for channel estimation.

[0015] Figure 1An example system according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown. The system includes base stations 130 and 135 communicating with a UE such as UE 110. A radio link connects base station 130 to UE 110. The radio link may be bidirectional, including an uplink UL for transmitting information from UE 110 to base station 130 and a downlink DL for transmitting information from base station 130 to UE 110. A cellular communication system may include hundreds or thousands of base stations; for clarity of illustration, [the following is omitted as it is not explicitly stated]. Figure 1 Only two of them are shown in the image. Base stations can be distributed, as they consist of a centralized unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DU).

[0016] Base station 130 is also communicatively coupled to core network node 140, which may include, for example, a Mobility Management Entity (MME) or an Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF). Core network node 140 may be coupled to other core network nodes and to network 150, which may include, for example, the Internet or a corporate network. The system can communicate with other networks via network 150. For clarity, in Figure 1 Examples of other core network nodes not shown include gateways and subscriber databases. Core network nodes can be virtualized because they can run as software modules on a computing substrate, allowing more than one virtualized network node to run on the same computing substrate. The network can be configured to operate according to a suitable cellular standard, such as LTE, 5G (also known as New Radio), or 6G, as defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). For interoperability, UEs attached to the network are configured to support the same standards as the network. For example, the Radio Access Technology (RAT) used between UE 110 and base stations 130, 135 (e.g., in 5G or 6G) can be based on Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).

[0017] exist Figure 1 In the example, base station 130 controls cells 130A and 130B, where UE 110 is attached to cell 130A. Figure 1 The situation shown, and in Figure 1 In the example, base station 135 controls cells 135A and 135B. The number of cells or beams can exceed [number missing]. Figure 1The number shown is not provided. It is also possible for a base station to have a single cell or beam. Although shown as a sector, cells of the same base station can be omnidirectional and operate, for example, on different frequencies or bands. Mobility events can include switching from one beam of the same cell to another, or from one cell to another. To support mobility procedures, the UE, including UE 110, is configured to perform mobility measurements to measure the signal strength of adjacent beams and / or cells and report the results of these measurements to the network, which can then make decisions regarding mobility events such as beam changes or cell handovers.

[0018] The wireless communication channel between a UE and a base station, or between two UEs, or simply the wireless channel, exhibits multipath propagation, fading, and changes over time.

[0019] The channel coherence of a wireless channel comprises coherence time and coherence frequency, which together form a coherence block, alternatively referred to as diversity branch. Coherence time is the duration for which the channel impulse response of a wireless channel can be considered constant; in other words, coherence time is the duration for which two received signals have a strong potential amplitude correlation. Changes in the wireless channel over time are caused by the movement of the UE and nearby objects, as the way these objects reflect and block electromagnetic waves changes with the movement of the objects. Generally, the faster the UE moves, the faster the wireless channel changes, and the shorter the time span for the wireless channel to remain approximately constant. Furthermore, noise and interference, as functions of time, introduce variability into the wireless channel. On the other hand, coherence frequency is the degree to which the wireless channel is considered constant in frequency space. Coherence frequency typically depends on the so-called delay spread of the wireless channel, which is the number of channel taps (corresponding to different propagation paths) in the channel impulse response of the wireless channel: the longer the delay spread, the shorter the coherence frequency. When using OFDM, coherence time can be expressed in the time domain as the number of OFDM symbols, and coherence frequency can be expressed in the frequency domain as the number of physical frequency resources of the OFDM system, such as the number of Physical Resource Blocks (PRBs) or the number of PRB bundles (blocks of PRBs of predefined size). In scalar block fading channels, channel coefficients... for Channel usage remains constant. It typically depends on the coherence time and coherence frequency of the underlying wireless channel.

[0020] To correctly receive data transmitted over a wireless channel, the channel's effect on transmission is essentially the opposite. A common approach to this is pilot-assisted transmission, where pilot symbols are included in the transmitted frames of encoded and modulated data symbols. Before data decoding begins at the receiver, the receiver uses the known pilot symbols to estimate the channel, so that the derived channel estimate can be used to equalize the wireless channel before demodulating and decoding the received symbols.

[0021] The performance of pilot-assisted transmission can be enhanced by using iterative channel estimation and decoding. Another option is to use mismatched log-likelihood ratios (LLRs) – these LLRs are calculated by using imperfect channel state information as the true channel rule – to obtain a candidate list of messages to include in the list, and to make the final decision by treating the pilots as part of the codebook. However, this is often the case when message lengths are short, such as in applications envisioned by ultra-reliable low-latency communication, where the rate of the underlying channel code is lost due to the inclusion of pilots used to estimate channel state information, thus degrading overall performance.

[0022] One approach to implementing this on the receiver side is joint channel estimation and decoding (JCED). JCED does not require embedded pilots for channel estimation because polar code constraints (such as knowledge of frozen bits) or other known constraints can be used to estimate the channel via, for example, successive elimination of SC or SC list SCL decoding. Frozen bits are bits known in advance to be set to predetermined values ​​(e.g., '0'), and the receiver knows these predetermined values. In other words, the number of pilots... and the number of data symbols N d The number of symbols that may be suitable for coherent time and frequency The same principle applies. Channel estimation, symbol detection, and code block decoding can all be performed jointly and sequentially in JCED by benefiting from knowledge of constraints such as frozen bits, dynamically frozen bits, and / or parity equations. Dynamically frozen bits refer to bits whose values ​​depend on previously decoded bits. Parity equations are equations that the decoded bits must satisfy. Simulations have confirmed that JCED benefits various channel models in the form of a reduced block error rate (BLER), which stems from reduced pilot overhead. However, JCED leads to exponential complexity in the channel estimation phase relative to the number of channel coefficients experienced by a single packet. In particular, JCED receiver complexity is high (due to the large number of diversity branches) when the wireless channel exhibits multipath propagation and frequency selectivity. This paper discloses a two-stage coding solution where code blocks are segmented according to the channel coherence block size to effectively benefit from the JCED method while maintaining coding gain usable for larger code blocks.

[0023] One solution to the JCED complexity problem is to divide the message into small blocks and encode them separately, ensuring that the encoded data always fits within a channel coherent block and avoiding frequency selectivity within a single codeword. However, this solution degrades performance due to the increased number of short message blocks caused by the added finite block length effect. Furthermore, diversity gain is lost in this solution.

[0024] This paper describes a concatenated coding solution in which the JCED process can be run on the receiver side. The concatenated coding solution involves outer coding and inner coding, which will be described in more detail below. Inner coding is performed to facilitate low-complexity estimation of the channel using code constraints (i.e., dependencies between coded bits) before decoding begins. Examples of these dependencies include constraints imposed by the parity check matrix in the case of LDPC codes, and known frozen bits or dynamically frozen bits in the case of polar codes. The concatenated code is then decoded in the receiver using a decoder suitable for the implementation discussed. Performance can be optimized by modifying the rates of the inner and outer codes, the number of pilot symbols and modulation format for a given coherent time pair, and the number of diversity branches. The solution described in this paper leverages the benefits of JCED in the presence of frequency-selective channels and thus achieves a low-complexity solution for incoherent communication.

[0025] This document uses expressions for external encoding (or first encoding) and internal encoding (or second encoding), as well as internal decoding (first decoding) and external decoding (second decoding), respectively, to identify these encoding and decoding stages of the concatenated code relative to each other and their roles in the overall concatenated code. Therefore, it is not intended to imply, for example, that external encoding will involve mathematical operations that are “external” in some sense. Internal and external codes may include error-correcting codes, for example, but not necessarily the same type of error-correcting codes. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the concatenated code includes more than two layers of encoding, such as three layers: an outer layer, a middle layer, and an inner layer.

[0026] In the concatenated coding scheme, the input of the inner code encoder is divided into multiple sub-blocks, each encoded with a channel code whose block length is determined by the coherence of the channel. Therefore, since the concatenated code, including the inner code, can also be used for error correction, the coding gain required for larger code blocks is maintained. Another benefit of the concatenated coding mechanism described in this paper is the enhanced retransmission request timing, which allows for the retransmission of individual inner codewords within the inner codeword, rather than the entire outer codeword.

[0027] The concatenated coding scheme involves performing at least two layers of channel coding on the data to be transmitted. The first coding layer (referred to as the outer code in this paper) uses a coding rate of and block length The message is encoded. The resulting external codeword is first corrupted, then segmented into... Each sub-block uses a second coding layer (referred to as the internal code in this paper) at a rate of and block length Encode it. The modulation order and the number of pilot symbols (if any) can all be applied to the coherence characteristics of the channel, i.e., in the embedding... After the pilot symbol, the length of the modulation sub-block should not exceed the channel length. Regarding the coherence, it should be understood that pilot symbols can be omitted. Therefore, in a concatenated coding scheme, the inner code length is at most matched with the coherence time and coherence frequency of the underlying wireless channel (such as one or more physical resource blocks (PRBs) and one or more OFDM symbols), and the receiver first uses the inner code, code constraints, and pilot symbols (if used) to estimate the channel, and then facilitates a decoder suitable for the specific implementation at hand.

[0028] The rate of the resulting concatenated code is the product of the rates of the inner code and the outer code, that is, Furthermore, the codeword length of the resulting concatenated code is the product of the codeword lengths of the inner code and the outer code, that is, The total transmission rate can be calculated in bits per channel (expressed as...) by taking into account the pilot symbols and the modulation order used. Defined by ), where , and It depends on the coherent block length and the performance trade-off between the chosen complexity.

[0029] On the receiver side, the JCED algorithm works as follows. First, the channel is estimated using pilot signals (if any) and internal code constraints, where, for example, a polar code such as CRC-auxiliary polar code can be used. This is for... Each sub-block is executed independently to obtain B channel estimates. In practice, it is possible that one or more sub-blocks may fail to be correctly decoded by the inner code. The receiver can be configured to discard erroneous or unreliable sub-blocks at this stage. Once the channel estimates are obtained, the receiver can be configured to operate in one of two modes: first, a suitable decoder can be used for concatenation to decode the message via the channel estimates obtained in the first stage; or second, inner code decoding can be used to provide bit-by-bit LLR using soft output decoding of the sub-blocks via inner code decoding, followed by a deinterleaving function and outer code decoding to estimate the data. As an alternative embodiment of the second option, the receiver can be configured to output a hard decision for the outer decoder. In the case of erroneous outer decoding and retransmission requests, the feedback can contain the index of the erroneously decoded sub-blocks, so that only these sub-blocks need to be retransmitted, thus saving the number of retransmission messages.

[0030] For both modes described above, if the obtained LLR value from the sub-block is considered unreliable, for example, if the absolute value of the likelihood is below the expected threshold, the sub-block can be discarded. Alternatively, based on the estimated receive channel of the corresponding coherent block, for example, in the case of a very poor receive channel, the sub-block can be considered unreliable and therefore discarded.

[0031] The transmitter can acquire channel coherence information in various ways that can be used to indicate or determine channel coherence. Generally, the goal is to find the maximum coherence block length, assuming the channel is flat with time and frequency within the coherence block, maximizing the gain from the JCED process. For example, UE category can provide information about the speed of the corresponding UE, which, as mentioned above, is associated with coherence time, such that a higher UE speed results in a shorter coherence time. Additionally or alternatively, the transmitter can send reference symbols to the receiver before transmitting data using concatenated codes. By estimating the channel state of the radio channel from the reference symbols, the receiver can determine the maximum observed coherence block. Then, the transmission can be determined accordingly. The receiver can directly provide the transmitter with the channel state (such as coherence time and coherence frequency) or the maximum value of the coherent block. The receiver can also inform the transmitter of the receiver's decoding capabilities, as different receivers may be able to achieve different levels of decoding complexity. Another option is for the transmitter to use pre-configured or pre-specified coherent blocks, for example, as an initial coherent block size to be modified later during continued or repeated communication. In this case, a lookup table of the maximum coherent block size can be used for each scenario, depending on the carrier frequency, the user's mobility category, and the deployment scenario, such as urban or rural. For example, the assumption that a Physical Resource Block (PRB) is the minimum coherent block size can be used as a starting point and modified upwards during communication between the transmitter and receiver.

[0032] In implementations where the wireless channel is reciprocal between the transmitter and receiver, such as in a time-division duplex system, the transmitter can obtain channel coherence information, such as coherence time and coherence frequency, by performing channel measurements on its own before transmitting using concatenated codes.

[0033] To help the receiver correctly process data transmitted using concatenated codes, the transmitter is configured to send scheduling information associated with the transmission to the receiver. This scheduling information may include information indicating the codeword lengths of the inner and outer codes. The scheduling information may also include information indicating the code rates of the inner and outer codes. For example, when the transmitter is a base station or a UE, this information can be provided to the receiver using the Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH). For example, the scheduling information can be provided in a Downlink Control Information (DCI) message. When both the transmitter and the receiver are UEs, the Physical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH) or the Physical Sidelink Shared Channel (PSSCH) can be used. For example, the scheduling information can be provided in a Sidelink Control Information (SCI) message.

[0034] The transmitter can use a pre-configured number of pilots, or it can be configured to dynamically select the number of pilots to embed in the internal codeword. For example, the quality of service (QoS) requirements of the data to be transmitted can be used, such that a higher QoS requirement results in the transmitter embedding more pilots, while a lower QoS requirement results in the transmitter embedding fewer pilots. Without dynamic selection of the pilot number, both the receiver and the transmitter can know the number of pilots in advance. When the pilot number is dynamically selected, it can be included in the scheduling information provided from the transmitter to the receiver.

[0035] In some embodiments, the transmitter is configured to select the code rate of the inner code based at least in part on the received signal power or received signal quality measured at the receiver and reported to the transmitter. For example, a lower code rate may be used for the inner code if the signal is weak, and a higher code rate may be used for the inner code when the signal is strong. Modulation order It can be determined based on the user's transmission attributes, including the composite bit rate. and modulation order It can be exported based on rate adaptation. Given... , Compared with pilot resources You can select the internal bitrate. To maximize the gain from JCED. Then, it can be based on the relational formula. To determine the bitrate ,and The value is determined by the modulation order and pilot resource ratio under consideration. Alternatively, the inner and outer code rate tuples can be derived jointly. To maximize the combined gain from external encoding and internal JCED, while satisfying For example, these two mechanisms for selecting the bitrate can be pre-configured or solved offline to create a given... The two bitrates of the value The lookup table. For a given [object] to be encoded. Bit messages and rates The rate is based on the number of diversity branches (or the number of coherent blocks). and coherence parameters The coding rate can be selected based on the underlying channel characteristics. and This optimizes the trade-off between complexity and performance.

[0036] Figure 2A This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2AThe process occurs at the transmitter. Initially, in stage 210, a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) is appended to the data to be transmitted to enable verification that the message as a whole has been successfully decoded in the receiver. In stage 220, as described above, external coding is performed at rate R1 to obtain the external codeword. Subsequently, in stage 230, rate matching is performed, and in stage 240, interleaving of the external codeword is performed. In stage 250, as described above, the external codeword is segmented based on the coherent block length of the radio channel intended for obtaining the sub-block, and in stage 260, optional appending of the sub-block CRC can be performed. Considering R2, segmentation can be performed to obtain an inner codeword length of up to the coherent block length of the multi-channel channel. In stage 270, internal coding is performed at rate R2 to obtain the inner codeword, and in stage 280, rate matching is performed. Stages 290, 2000, and 2110 correspond to modulation, pilot embedding in the inner codeword, and mapping of the inner codeword to the physical resources of the corresponding coherent block. As mentioned above, pilot embedding in phase 2000 is optional.

[0037] Figure 2B This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2B The process occurs at the receiver. Initially, in stage 2120, a modulated signal carrying modulation symbols is received. Subsequently, in stage 2130, rate dematching and channel estimation are performed, where the channel estimation is at least partially based on pilot and / or code constraints, as described above. Channel estimation is performed separately for each sub-block (or coherent block), and the received modulation symbols are equalized based on the corresponding channel estimation. In stage 2140, an optional CRC check is performed on the sub-block, such that in response to a failed CRC, if the CRC fails at stage 2160, retransmission of the individual sub-blocks in the sub-block can be requested from the transmitter (stage 2145). Stage 2145 does not exist if stage 2140 is absent.

[0038] In phase 2150, decoding has R=R 1 R The concatenated code of 2 decodes the inner and outer codes in one stage to obtain the data. In stage 2160, a CRC check is performed on the data to verify that the entire data has been correctly received. In general, this process corresponds to the option in the receiver where JCED is performed at the concatenated code level.

[0039] Therefore, in Figure 2B During the process, the internal code JCED operation is only used to estimate the channel according to the following formula, using internal code constraints and pilots (if any):

[0040] in It is a sub-block The modulation codebook. Furthermore... and They are respectively of length The transmission and reception of signals, and This is the implementation of the channel coefficients. (Partial) Corresponding to the pilot embedded in the sub-block known to the receiver for channel estimation, and This is the corresponding part of the received signal. The superscript (d) indicates the signal portion containing the actual data. The estimator can be divided into two parts, where the amplitude is first approximated simply using the expected energy of the block. And can be done by using Replace and rewrite the above formula to approximate its phase. .for With a specific choice, different approximations can be used with a suitable decoding function for the second term of the objective function, such as with polar codes. In the case of universal codes, the calculation of the sum in the above objective function can be restricted to... A subset of the outer code, which can be implemented using any effective decoder that outputs a candidate list at the end of decoding, such as a successive elimination list or the most reliable base code. Then, the combination of the outer code, interleaving function, and inner code is treated as a single-channel code for decoding the message.

[0041] Figure 2C This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2C The process occurs at the receiver. Initially, in stage 2170, a modulated signal carrying modulation symbols is received. Subsequently, in stage 2180, rate dematching and JCED are performed for each sub-block, where JCED is at least partially based on pilot and / or code constraints, as described above. This stage also includes internal decoding. In stage 2190, optional CRC checks of the sub-blocks are performed, such that in response to a failed CRC at stage 2230, a request can be made to retransmit the individual sub-blocks from the transmitter, stage 2195.

[0042] In stage 2200, the sub-blocks are concatenated together, and in stage 2210, the obtained data blocks are deinterleaved. In stage 2220, rate dematching is performed, and in stage 2230, external decoding is performed, followed by CRC check of the data as a whole, stage 2230.

[0043] Figure 2D This is an example encoding process according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. Initially, the data 2250 to be transmitted to the receiver is encoded in the external encoding to obtain the external codeword 2250E. The external codeword is interleaved and segmented into fragments 2251, 2252 and 2253, and each fragment is input into the internal encoding to obtain the internal codewords 2251E, 2252E and 2253E. Figure 2DThe number of segments (three) is merely an example chosen for clarity of illustration. As mentioned above, the lengths of the inner codewords 2251E, 2252E, and 2253E are chosen to be less than or equal to the coherent block size of the wireless channel intended for transmission. The inner codewords can then be processed for transmission. In the case of embedding pilots, the lengths of the inner codewords 2251E, 2252E, and 2253E with embedded pilots are less than the coherent block size of the wireless channel.

[0044] Figure 3 Exemplary apparatus capable of supporting at least some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Device 300 is shown, which may include, for example, a mobile communication device, such as... Figure 1 UE 110. Furthermore, in applicable sections, device 300 may correspond to a base station, such as... Figure 1 The base station 130. The UE and the base station can each act as a transmitter or receiver in the concatenation code process described herein. Device 300 includes a processor 310, which may include, for example, a single-core or multi-core processor, wherein a single-core processor includes one processing core, and a multi-core processor includes more than one processing core. Processor 310 typically includes a control device. Processor 310 may include more than one processor. When processor 310 includes more than one processor, device 300 may be a distributed device, wherein the processing of tasks occurs in more than one physical unit. Processor 310 may be a control device. Processing cores may include, for example, a Cortex-A8 processing core manufactured by ARM Holdings or a Zen processing core designed by Advanced MicroDevices. A processing core or processor may be or may include at least one qubit. Processor 310 may include at least one Qualcomm Snapdragon and / or Intel Atom processor. Processor 310 may include at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Processor 310 may include at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). Processor 310 may optionally be, together with memory and computer instructions, an apparatus for performing method steps (such as execution, acquisition, determination, transfer, equalization, and assumption) in device 300. Processor 310 may be configured, at least in part, by computer instructions to perform actions.

[0045] A processor may include or be configured as one or more circuits configured to perform stages of the methods according to embodiments described herein. As used herein, the term "circuit" may refer to one or more of the following: (a) a hardware circuit implementation only, such as an implementation in analog and / or digital circuits only; and (b) a combination of hardware circuits and software, such as applicable: (i) a combination of (multiple) analog and / or digital hardware circuits with software / firmware; and (ii) (multiple) hardware processors with any portion of software (including (multiple) digital signal processors), software, and (multiple) memories, which work together to enable a device to perform various functions; and (c) (multiple) hardware circuits and / or (multiple) processors, such as (multiple) microprocessors or portions thereof, which require software (e.g., firmware) to operate, but may be absent when the software is not required to operate.

[0046] This definition of "circuit" applies to all uses of the term in this application (including in any claim). As another example, as used herein, the term "circuit" also encompasses only hardware circuitry or a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion thereof and its accompanying software and / or firmware implementation. The term "circuit" also encompasses, for example and if applicable to a particular claim element, baseband integrated circuits or processor integrated circuits for mobile devices or similar integrated circuits in servers, cellular network devices, or other computing or network devices.

[0047] Device 300 may include memory 320. Memory 320 may include random access memory and / or permanent memory. Memory 320 may include at least one RAM chip. Memory 320 may be a computer-readable medium. For example, memory 320 may include solid-state, magnetic, optical, and / or holographic memory. Memory 320 may be at least partially accessible by processor 310. Memory 320 may be at least partially included in processor 310. Memory 320 may be a means for storing information. Memory 320 may include computer instructions configured to be executed by processor 310. When computer instructions configured to cause processor 310 to perform certain actions are stored in memory 320, and device 300 as a whole is configured to operate under the guidance of processor 310 using computer instructions from memory 320, processor 310 and / or at least one of its processing cores may be considered to be configured to perform said certain actions. Memory 320 may be at least partially external to device 300, but accessible by device 300. Memory 320 may be transient or non-transient. As used herein, the term “non-transient” refers to a limitation on the medium itself (i.e., tangible, not a signal), rather than a limitation on the persistence of data storage (e.g., RAM vs. ROM).

[0048] Device 300 may include a transmitter 330. Device 300 may include a receiver 340. Transmitter 330 and receiver 340 may be configured to transmit and receive information and signals according to at least one cellular or non-cellular standard, respectively. Transmitter 330 may include more than one transmitter. Receiver 340 may include more than one receiver. For example, transmitter 330 and / or receiver 340 may be configured to operate according to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMO), GSM, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), 5G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), LTE, IS-95, Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), Ethernet and / or Global Microwave Access Interoperability (GMI) standards, and WiMAX.

[0049] Device 300 may include a near-field communication (NFC) transceiver 350. The NFC transceiver 350 may support at least one NFC technology, such as NFC, Bluetooth, Wibree, or similar technologies.

[0050] Device 300 may include a user interface (UI) 360. UI 360 may include at least one of a display, keyboard, touchscreen, vibrator arranged to signal to the user by causing device 300 to vibrate, speaker, or microphone. The user may be able to operate device 300 via UI 360, for example, to accept incoming telephone calls, initiate telephone or video calls, browse the internet, manage digital files stored in memory 320 or accessible in the cloud via transmitter 330 and receiver 340 or via NFC transceiver 350, and / or play games.

[0051] Device 300 may include or be arranged to accept a user identity module 370. User identity module 370 may include, for example, a subscriber identity module SIM card that can be installed in device 300. User identity module 370 may include subscription information identifying the user of device 300. User identity module 370 may include password information that can be used to verify the identity of the user of device 300 and / or facilitate the encryption of transmitted information and billing of the user of device 300 for communications performed via device 300.

[0052] Processor 310 may be equipped with a transmitter arranged to output information from processor 310 to other devices included in device 300 via electrical leads within device 300. Such a transmitter may include a serial bus transmitter arranged to output information to memory 320 for storage, for example, via at least one electrical lead. Alternatively, the transmitter may include a parallel bus transmitter. Similarly, processor 310 may include a receiver arranged to receive information from other devices included in device 300 via electrical leads within device 300. Such a receiver may include a serial bus receiver arranged to receive information from receiver 340, for example, via at least one electrical lead, for processing within processor 310. Alternatively, the receiver may include a parallel bus receiver.

[0053] Device 300 may include Figure 3 Other devices not shown. For example, in the case where device 300 includes a smartphone, it may include at least one digital camera. Some devices 300 may include a rear camera and a front camera, wherein the rear camera may be designed for digital photography and the front camera for video calls and selfies. Device 300 may include a fingerprint sensor arranged to at least partially authenticate the user of device 300. In some embodiments, device 300 lacks at least one of the above-described devices. For example, some devices 300 may lack an NFC transceiver 350 and / or a user identity module 370.

[0054] Processor 310, memory 320, transmitter 330, receiver 340, NFC transceiver 350, UI 360, and / or user identity module 370 can be interconnected in various ways via electrical leads within device 300. For example, each of the above devices can be individually connected to the main bus within device 300 to allow the devices to exchange information. However, as those skilled in the art will understand, this is merely an example, and various ways of interconnecting at least two of the above devices can be selected according to embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0055] Figure 4 Signaling according to at least some embodiments of the present invention is illustrated. On the vertical axis, a signal is provided on the left side. Figure 1 The UE 110, and set on the right side Figure 1 Base station 130. Time progresses from top to bottom.

[0056] In phase 410, Figure 4 In the example, the base station acting as the transmitter determines that it has data to provide to UE 110, and UE 110 in Figure 4In the example, it acts as a receiver. As described above, base station 130 selects transmission parameters based on concatenated codes. Specifically, base station 130 selects the coding rates of the internal and external error correction codes, and selects the lengths of the internal and external codewords based at least in part on the channel coherence of the wireless channel between UE 110 and base station 130.

[0057] In phase 420, base station 130 informs UE 110 of the parameters for the concatenation code-based transmission, for example, by providing appropriate indication on the PDCCH. This control data may be referred to as scheduling information. In phase 430, base station 130 performs transmit-side processing for the concatenation code-based transmission. This document has already incorporated... Figure 2A An example of this sending-side processing is described.

[0058] Following phase 430 is transmission 440, in which data processed in phase 430 is transmitted to UE 110 in modulated form by performing transmission at least partially based on internal codewords. For example, this transmission could be based on OFDM RAT. In phase 450, UE 110 performs receive-side processing of the transmission based on concatenated codes. This document has already incorporated... Figure 2B and Figure 2C An example of this receiving-side processing is described.

[0059] overall Figure 4 No specific method is specified for how the transmitter selects the codeword length for the internal coding. When the wireless channel is reciprocal, the base station can estimate channel coherence by performing channel measurements. Conversely, when the wireless channel is not reciprocal, the base station can provide a reference symbol to the receiver to facilitate the receiver's estimation of channel coherence, and then inform the base station 130 of the channel coherence or the appropriate codeword length for the internal coding. Furthermore, as mentioned above, at least initially, the base station can select a default codeword length for the internal coding.

[0060] Figure 5 This is a flowchart of a method according to at least some embodiments of the present invention. The various stages of the method shown can be performed by a device (such as UE 110 or base station 130) acting as a transmitter in a concatenated code-based transmission. In some cases, the method is performed in a control device configured to control the functionality of the device acting as a transmitter when installed therein.

[0061] Phase 510 includes performing external encoding of the data based on an external error correction code to obtain an external codeword. Phase 520 includes performing internal encoding of segments of the external codeword based on an internal error correction code to obtain an internal codeword, wherein the codeword length of the internal error correction code is at least partially based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel through which the data is to be transmitted. Finally, Phase 530 includes performing transmission over the wireless communication channel based at least partially on the internal and external encodings. The transmission in Phase 530 can be performed by a transmitter or a transceiver, which is a tangible hardware element.

[0062] It should be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not limited to the specific structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but extend to equivalents that will be recognized by those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0063] Throughout this specification, any reference to an embodiment or embodiment means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Therefore, the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" appearing throughout this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Precise numerical values ​​are also disclosed where terms such as, for example, approximately or substantially, are used to refer to numerical values.

[0064] As used herein, for convenience, multiple items, structural elements, constituent elements, and / or materials may be presented in a common list. However, these lists should be interpreted as if each member of the list were individually identified as a separate and unique member. Therefore, without indication to the contrary, any individual member of such a list should not be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in the common group. Furthermore, various embodiments and examples of the invention may be cited herein along with alternatives to their various components. It should be understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives should not be construed as de facto equivalents of each other, but should be considered as separate and autonomous representations of the invention.

[0065] Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Numerous specific details, such as examples of length, width, shape, etc., have been provided in the foregoing description to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced without one or more specific details or using other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations have not been shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.

[0066] While the foregoing examples illustrate the principles of the invention in one or more specific applications, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many modifications in form, use, and detail may be made without inventive effort and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited except by the claims set forth below.

[0067] The verbs “comprising” and “including” are used herein as open-ended restrictions, neither excluding nor requiring the presence of any unlisted features. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the features recited in the dependent claims may be freely combined with each other. Furthermore, it should be understood that the use of “a” or “an,” i.e., the singular form, throughout this document does not exclude a plurality.

[0068] As used herein, “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and “at least one of the following: a list of two or more elements” and similar wording (where the list of two or more elements is connected by “and” or “or”) means at least any one of the elements, or at least any two or more of the elements, or at least all of the elements.

[0069] Industrial applicability At least some embodiments of the present invention can be applied in industrial applications in wireless communication.

[0070] List of abbreviations 3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project JCED Joint Channel Estimation and Decoding LDPC low-density parity check code LLR log-likelihood ratio OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) List of reference numerals

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by said at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: External encoding of data is performed based on external error correction codes to obtain external codewords; Inner coding of segments of the outer codeword is performed based on an inner error correction code to obtain an inner codeword, wherein the codeword length of the inner error correction code is at least partially based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel through which the data will be transmitted; and Transmissions through the wireless communication channel are performed at least in part based on the inner encoding and the outer encoding.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least: Acquire channel coherence information indicating the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel; and The codeword length of the internal error correction code is determined at least in part based on the channel coherence information.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the channel coherence information is obtained from the second apparatus, and the data is to be transmitted to the second apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least: The channel coherence information is obtained at least in part based on channel measurements performed by the device prior to the transmission.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the channel coherence information comprises at least one of the following: Channel coherence in the time domain; and Channel coherence in the frequency domain.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least: The codeword length of the internal error correction code is obtained from the second device, and the data is to be sent to the second device.

7. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the apparatus is further comprising at least: Sending scheduling information associated with the transmission and including information indicating the codeword length of the internal error correction code.

8. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the code rate of the internal error correction code is at least partially based on the received signal power or the received signal quality.

9. The apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the apparatus is further comprising at least: The internal codeword is mapped onto a corresponding resource element block for another transmission via the wireless communication channel, wherein the size of the corresponding resource element block in the time domain and / or frequency domain is at least partially based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least: The codeword length of the internal error correction code is determined at least in part based on the number of resource elements in the corresponding resource element block, the number of pilot symbols inserted in the corresponding resource element block, and the modulation order used on the corresponding resource element block.

11. An apparatus comprising at least one processing core and at least one memory storing instructions, the instructions, when executed by said at least one processing core, causing the apparatus to at least: Joint channel estimation and segment decoding of received modulation symbols are performed based on internal error correction codes to obtain a channel estimate of a wireless communication channel, wherein the modulation symbols are received through the wireless communication channel, and the codeword length of the internal error correction codes is based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least: Based on the internal error correction code, perform internal decoding on the received modulation symbol segment to further obtain the internally decoded segment; and The external decoding of the internal decoding segment is performed based on the external error correction code to obtain data.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is further configured to at least: The modulation symbols received based on the channel estimation equalization; and Decoding of the received modulation symbols after equalization is performed based on concatenated error correction codes, wherein the concatenated error correction codes are a concatenation of at least the inner error correction codes and the outer error correction codes.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the internal decoding segment comprises hard or soft values ​​of decoded bits as output by the internal error correction code.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the apparatus is configured to obtain the channel estimate based at least in part on the constraints of the internal error-correcting code.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the constraint of the internal error correction code includes at least one of the following: One or more frozen bits; One or more dynamically frozen bits; and One or more parity check equations.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 or 16, wherein the apparatus is configured to obtain the channel estimate based on one or more received pilot symbols.

18. The apparatus according to any one of claims 11-17, wherein the apparatus is further configured to assume that the wireless communication channel is constant over each segment of the received modulation symbols.

19. The apparatus according to any one of claims 12-18, wherein the apparatus is further comprising at least: In response to poor channel estimation, or in response to failure of internal decoding of one or more segments of the received modulation symbols, and further, in response to failure of external decoding to correctly acquire the data, a request is made to retransmit one or more segments of the external codeword instead of all segments.

20. A method comprising: External encoding of data is performed based on external error correction codes to obtain external codewords; Inner coding of segments of the outer codeword is performed based on an inner error correction code to obtain an inner codeword, wherein the codeword length of the inner error correction code is at least partially based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel through which the data will be transmitted; and Transmissions through the wireless communication channel are performed at least in part based on the inner encoding and the outer encoding.

21. A method comprising: Joint channel estimation and segment decoding of received modulation symbols are performed based on internal error correction codes to obtain a channel estimate of a wireless communication channel, wherein the modulation symbols are received through the wireless communication channel, and the codeword length of the internal error correction codes is based on the channel coherence of the wireless communication channel.

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