Dynamic Bit-Level Error Protection for Modulation Communication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Shared-media communication environments, such as wireless computer networks, face challenges with unreliable communication channels due to interference, leading to errors in data transmission, particularly for high-priority messages, where existing error correction schemes like ARQ and FEC incur significant overhead and complexity.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves determining the error protection level of each bit position within a constellation map used for modulation-based communication and dynamically selecting the constellation map based on channel conditions and application priorities, ensuring higher priority data bits are placed in more protected positions, and informing receivers how to decode the data within the symbols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If error correction schemes like ARQ and FEC are used to protect message transmissions, then reliability of data transmission is improved, but overhead and device complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing unequal error protection to different bits within the same data stream. Specifically, it identifies and protects the most significant bits (MSBs) that carry critical information with higher error correction strength, while using lighter protection for less critical bits. This resolves the contradiction by improving reliability for critical data without uniformly increasing overhead across all bits, thereby reducing overall system complexity while maintaining essential reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the protection parameter dynamically based on bit position and data importance. It adjusts the error correction level applied to each bit position, using stronger correction for MSBs and weaker correction for LSBs. This parameter change approach allows the system to achieve necessary reliability for critical information without the full overhead of uniform strong protection, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.
2Reliability
If uniform error protection is applied to all data bits, then reliability is improved, but resource utilization efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality by differentiating error protection levels across different bit positions. It applies stronger error protection specifically to MSBs that contain critical information, while using minimal or no additional protection for LSBs. This resolves the contradiction by concentrating protection resources where they are most needed, improving reliability for critical data without wasting resources on uniformly protecting all bits, thereby maintaining resource utilization efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by providing error protection only to the extent necessary for critical bits. Instead of applying uniform excessive protection to all bits, it selectively applies protection only to MSBs that require it for reliable communication. This resolves the contradiction by achieving sufficient reliability for critical information without the resource overhead of protecting all bits equally, thus maintaining productivity and resource efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a device (e.g., a transmitter) determines a level of error protection of each bit position within symbols of a particular constellation map used for modulation-based communication, and also determines priority levels of application data bits to be placed into a communication frame. Application data bits may then be placed into symbols of the communication frame, where higher priority application data bits are placed into bit positions with greater or equal levels of protection than bit positions into which lower priority application data bits are placed. The communication frame may then be transmitted to one or more receivers with an indication of how to decode the placement of the application data bits within the symbols. In another embodiment, the particular constellation map may be dynamically selected from a plurality of available constellation maps, such as based on communication channel conditions and/or applications generating the data.