Error detection in communication systems using polar coded data transmission

A communication device, comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the communication device to decode a polar coded signal by carrying out a method, the method comprising:
• determining channel reliabilities for a plurality of polar coded bit channels in a data communication system including a plurality of frozen bit channels and non-frozen bit channels;
• selecting a frozen bit channel of the plurality of frozen bit channels;
• calculating a likelihood value for a bit estimate associated with the frozen bit channel;
• generating a hard decision value for the bit estimate in response to the likelihood value;
• comparing the hard decision value for the bit estimate to a known value of a frozen bit transmitted on the frozen bit channel;
• in response to determining that the hard decision value for the bit estimate differs from the known value of the frozen bit transmitted on the frozen bit channel, updating an accumulated uncertainty;
• comparing the accumulated uncertainty to a threshold;
• and
• determining that a decoding error has occurred in response to the comparison of the accumulated uncertainty to the threshold.