Polar Code Decoder Parallel Branching Before First Split

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mechanisms for decoding polar codes are prone to error propagation and limited parallelization due to dependencies between processes, leading to inefficiencies in decoding performance.

Innovation Solution

The method involves decoding an encoded sequence using a polar code with a given list size, where the sequence is decoded by at least half the list size of processing units in parallel until the first branching, reducing the need for inter-process communication and enabling independent parallel processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional successive decoding is used for polar codes, then the decoding follows the bit-order of the polar codes, but error propagation occurs and decoding performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedecoding accuracyVSAvoiddecoding efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the decoding process into multiple independent parallel paths instead of a single sequential path. By dividing the successive decoding into parallel branches that can be processed simultaneously, the system maintains decoding accuracy while improving efficiency. Each parallel path processes different portions of the code independently, preventing error propagation from affecting the entire decoding process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If branching with limited candidate branches is used, then the number of candidate decoded sequences is controlled, but parallelization is limited due to dependencies between processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveparallelization gainVSAvoidinter-process communication complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the decoding process into multiple independent parallel paths instead of a single sequential path. By dividing the successive decoding into parallel branches that can be processed simultaneously, the system maintains decoding accuracy while improving efficiency. Each parallel path processes different portions of the code independently, preventing error propagation from affecting the entire decoding process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-determining the branching structure and candidate paths before parallel processing begins. This allows the system to set up independent parallel processes with predetermined branching criteria, reducing the need for complex inter-process communication during execution and enabling more effective parallelization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If communication between processes is required at every bit-position, then candidate branches can be compared, but computation stalls and parallelization gain is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemetric comparison accuracyVSAvoidcomputation stall time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-determining the branching structure and candidate paths before parallel processing begins. This allows the system to set up independent parallel processes with predetermined branching criteria, reducing the need for complex inter-process communication during execution and enabling more effective parallelization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the comparison and metric evaluation operations from the critical parallel processing path. By performing metric calculations and comparisons at predetermined branching points rather than continuously during parallel execution, the system eliminates computation stalls and maintains high parallelization gain while still ensuring accurate metric comparison for selecting candidate branches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11233532B2Information decoder for polar codes

Publication Date: 2022.01.25 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

There is provided mechanisms for decoding an encoded sequence into a decoded sequence. A method is performed by an information decoder. The method comprises obtaining the encoded sequence. The encoded sequence has been encoded using a polar code. The method comprises successively decoding the encoded sequence into the decoded sequence. The decoding is performed for a given list size, LS, where LS>1, defining how many candidate decoded sequences in total the thus far decoded sequence is allowed to branch into during the decoding. The encoded sequence is decoded, until its first branching, by at least as many processing units in parallel as a factor, f, of the given list size. The factor is at least half the given list size, f≥LS/2.