FEC Symbol Inactivation for Low-Overhead Decoding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing communication systems face challenges in efficiently encoding and decoding data to account for errors and gaps in transmitted data, particularly in channels with imperfect fidelity, where computational complexity and memory requirements are high, and there is a need for reduced absolute and relative reception overhead.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a multi-stage encoding system that generates intermediate symbols from source symbols, partitions them into sets, and designates some as permanently inactivated, allowing for efficient decoding by scheduling decoding steps around these symbols and using methods like Gaussian elimination to recover the original data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional error-correcting codes are used to handle data transmission over imperfect channels, then data reliability is improved, but computational complexity and memory requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata recovery reliabilityVSAvoidcomputational complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The encoding process is divided into multiple stages: first generating intermediate symbols from source symbols, then generating encoded symbols from intermediate symbols. The decoding process is similarly segmented into phases where permanently inactivated symbols are identified and handled separately from actively decoded symbols. This segmentation reduces the complexity of each individual stage while maintaining overall reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Intermediate symbols serve as mediators between source symbols and encoded symbols. By introducing this intermediate layer, the direct complex relationship between source and encoded data is broken down into simpler transformations. The permanently inactivated symbols act as additional intermediaries that structure the decoding process to reduce computational burden.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If traditional error-correcting codes are used to ensure accurate data reception, then data reliability is improved, but memory requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata reception accuracyVSAvoidmemory requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The set of intermediate symbols is partitioned into multiple sets, with certain symbols designated as permanently inactivated. This segmentation allows the decoder to maintain smaller memory structures by treating inactivated symbols differently, reducing the overall memory footprint while preserving error correction capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Permanently inactivated symbols are effectively discarded from active decoding operations but their information is preserved through the encoding structure. This allows the system to reduce memory requirements by not maintaining full state information for all symbols, while still enabling complete data recovery through the structured encoding approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

3Reliability

If conventional encoding methods are used, then data can be transmitted with error correction, but absolute and relative reception overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveerror correction capabilityVSAvoidreception overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of applying full error correction processing to all symbols, the method applies partial processing by identifying and permanently inactivating certain intermediate symbols. This partial action reduces the overhead associated with transmitting and processing redundant error correction data for symbols that don't require full treatment, while maintaining sufficient reliability through the structured approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP2467942B1Methods employing FEC codes with permanent inactivation of symbols for encoding and decoding processes
Publication Date: 2018.05.02 QUALCOMM INC
  • EP2467942B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2467942B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2467942B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Encoding of a plurality of encoded symbols is provided wherein an encoded symbol is generated from a combination of a first symbol generated from a first set of intermediate symbols and a second symbol generated from a second set of intermediate symbols, each set having at least one different coding parameter, wherein the intermediate symbols are generated based on the set of source symbols. A method of decoding data is also provided, wherein a set of intermediate symbols is decoded from a set of received encoded symbols, the intermediate symbols organized into a first and second sets of symbols for decoding, wherein intermediate symbols in the second set are permanently inactivated for the purpose of scheduling the decoding process to recover the intermediate symbols from the encoded symbols, wherein at least some of the source symbols are recovered from the decoded set of intermediate symbols.