LDPC Decoding with Modulation-Aware Shortening Patterns

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current LDPC codes used in communication systems, such as DVB-S2, are limited to only two codeword lengths, which restricts their extendibility and flexibility, especially in high-order modulation schemes like 16-QAM, 64-QAM, and 256-QAM, where bit reliabilities differ, necessitating a method to generate LDPC codes with varying codeword lengths without requiring new parity-check matrices.

Innovation Solution

The method involves using shortening or puncturing techniques to adapt LDPC codeword lengths, considering the specific characteristics of high-order modulation schemes, by optimizing shortening and puncturing patterns based on the modulation scheme and signal constellation, allowing for efficient generation of LDPC codes with varying lengths from a given parity-check matrix.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If LDPC codes are designed for specific codeword lengths (e.g., DVB-S2 standard with lengths 16200 and 64800), then encoding and decoding performance is optimized for those lengths, but the system lacks flexibility to support other codeword lengths required by different modulation schemes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecodeword length flexibilityVSAvoidencoding performance
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The parity-check matrix is divided into column groups, where each group can be independently selected or removed. This segmentation allows the system to flexibly adjust the codeword length by including or excluding specific column groups while maintaining the structured properties needed for reliable encoding and decoding.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the codeword length by selectively removing column groups from the parity-check matrix based on the required modulation scheme and signal-to-noise ratio. This dynamic adaptation allows the same base matrix to support multiple codeword lengths (e.g., 16200, 64800, and intermediate lengths) while preserving encoding performance through maintained degree distribution properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If separate parity-check matrices are designed for each codeword length to maintain optimal performance, then encoding reliability is preserved, but memory storage requirements and system complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding performanceVSAvoidmemory storage requirement
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A single base parity-check matrix is designed to serve multiple codeword lengths through the column group removal mechanism. The same base matrix can generate codes of different lengths (16200, 64800, and intermediate lengths) by selectively removing column groups, eliminating the need to store multiple separate parity-check matrices while maintaining decoding performance through preserved degree distribution properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Adaptability or versatility

If column groups are removed from the parity-check matrix to achieve shorter codeword lengths, then adaptability to different modulation schemes is improved, but the code rate and error correction capability may be degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemodulation scheme compatibilityVSAvoiderror correction capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different column groups are designed with different local properties (degree distributions) to serve different functions. By selectively removing specific column groups, the system can adjust the overall degree distribution to match the requirements of different modulation schemes while preserving error correction capability through careful selection of which groups to remove.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP2099136B1Method and apparatus for channel encoding and decoding in a communication system using low-density parity-check codes
Publication Date: 2016.10.12 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP2099136B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2099136B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2099136B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A method and apparatus for decoding a channel in a communication system using a Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) code. The decoding method includes demodulating a signal transmitted from a transmitter; determining whether there is at least one shortened bit in the demodulated signal; when there is at least one shortened bit, determining a position of the at least one shortened bit by estimating information about a shortening pattern; and decoding data using the determined position of the shortened bit; wherein the shortening pattern is determined in consideration of a modulation scheme.