Multi-Channel FEC Encoding for Fragmented Spectrum Utilization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional wireless systems face inefficiencies due to fragmented spectrum allocation and susceptibility to interference, leading to disruptive reallocation and inadequate spectral usage, as well as susceptibility to errors in data transmission.

Innovation Solution

The system encodes data streams into FEC blocks, segments them into substreams, and transmits each substream over multiple links, utilizing flexible spectral allocation and error correction mechanisms to ensure resilient data transmission across point-to-point and point-to-multipoint communication networks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If spectrum is allocated contiguously to match bandwidth requirements, then transmission capacity is improved, but spectral efficiency deteriorates due to unused blocks between allocated spectrum regions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransmission capacityVSAvoidspectral efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The data stream is segmented into multiple substreams, each transmitted over a separate spectral fragment. This allows the system to utilize non-contiguous spectrum blocks efficiently by mapping different data portions to different available frequency regions, thereby improving spectral efficiency without sacrificing transmission capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from single-channel contiguous spectrum allocation to multi-channel non-contiguous spectrum utilization by introducing a temporal dimension through interleaving. Data is distributed across multiple spectral fragments over time, allowing efficient use of fragmented spectrum resources while maintaining overall transmission capacity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of energy

If spectrum reallocation is performed to coalesce unused blocks, then spectral efficiency is improved, but system disruption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespectral efficiencyVSAvoidsystem disruption
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adapts to fragmented spectrum allocation without requiring reallocation. By implementing flexible mapping between data substreams and available spectral fragments, the system can operate efficiently over fragmented spectrum while maintaining stability and avoiding disruptive reallocation events.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the transmission parameters by dividing data into multiple substreams and assigning them to different spectral fragments. This parameter transformation allows the system to work with fragmented spectrum as-is, improving spectral efficiency without requiring spectrum reallocation that would cause system disruption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If data is transmitted over single channel, then system complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to interference and errors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoiddata transmission reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The data stream is divided into multiple substreams transmitted over separate channels. This segmentation provides diversity against interference and errors, as failure in one channel does not necessarily affect other channels, thereby improving reliability while maintaining manageable system complexity through systematic processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements forward error correction (FEC) encoding on each substream before transmission. This beforehand cushioning protects against errors and interference that may occur during transmission, improving reliability by preemptively adding error protection rather than requiring complex retransmission protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

4Reliability

If FEC encoding is applied to entire data stream, then error correction capability is improved, but processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror correction capabilityVSAvoidprocessing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of applying FEC to the entire data stream as a single block, the patent segments the data into multiple substreams and applies FEC encoding to each substream independently. This reduces the processing complexity of each encoding operation while maintaining overall error correction capability through the combined protection of multiple substreams.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2853051B1System and method for multi-channel FEC encoding and transmission of data
Publication Date: 2020.11.18 ALCATEL LUCENT SA
  • EP2853051B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2853051B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2853051B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A mechanism for resilient transmission of a data stream D by associating sequential data stream portions with respective memory elements within an array of memory elements, defining and FEC encoding each non-sequential data stream portion associated with a memory element group, dividing the sequence of FEC blocks into a plurality of substreams, and associating each substream with a respective transmission channel.