Methods and apparatuses for communication

An apparatus, comprising:

• a receiver or determiner configured to obtain an input data stream;
• a propagator configured to propagate the input data stream through a plurality of consecutive input processing stages, wherein the input data stream is provided at an input section of the consecutive input processing stages, wherein a plurality of output data streams is provided at an output section of the plurality of consecutive input processing stages, wherein the plurality of input processing stages include an increasing number of processing units per processing stage in a direction of the output section,
• wherein each respective processing unit determines a respective plurality of output streams based on its input data stream and based on a scheduling scheme that is associated with its respective input processing stage, and wherein the scheduling schemes differ from each other at least between adjacent input processing stages, each of the scheduling schemes being one of the following plurality of scheduling schemes:
• (i) a duplication scheme, wherein each input packet of a respective input data stream is replicated, by means of a respective processing unit, in the form of a respective output packet in the plurality of output data streams of the respective processing unit so that the plurality of output data streams include the same respective output packet, (ii) a split scheme, wherein each input packet of a respective input data stream is split up, by means of a respective processing unit, into a plurality of output packets of the output data streams of the respective processing unit so that the plurality of output data streams include different parts of the input packet, and (iii) a distribution scheme, wherein each input packet of the respective input data stream is assigned, by means of a respective processing unit, to one of the plurality of output data streams of the respective processing unit;
• and
• a transmitter configured to transmit the plurality of output data streams provided at the output section via a plurality of communication channels.

A method, comprising the following steps:

• receiving a plurality of input data streams via a plurality of communication channels;
• propagating the plurality of input data streams through a plurality of consecutive output processing stages, wherein the plurality of received input data streams is provided at an input section of the consecutive output processing stages, wherein an output data stream is provided at an output section of the plurality of consecutive output processing stages, wherein the plurality of output processing stages include a decreasing number of processing units per output processing stage in a direction of the output section, wherein each respective processing unit of each respective output processing stage determines a respective output data stream based on a plurality of respective input data streams of the respective processing unit and based on a respective scheduling scheme that is associated with the respective output processing stage, and wherein the scheduling schemes differ from each other at least between adjacent output processing stages, wherein each of the scheduling schemes is one of the following plurality of scheduling schemes:
• (i) a duplication scheme wherein each output packet of the respective output data stream of the respective processing unit is determined based on expected duplicate input packets of different respective input data streams of the respective processing unit, (ii) a split scheme wherein parts of each output packet of the respective output data stream of the respective processing unit is determined based on a plurality of input packets from the plurality of respective input data streams of the respective processing unit, wherein each input packet of the plurality of input packets represents a part of the output packet;
• and (iii) a distribution scheme, wherein each output packet of the respective output data stream of the processing unit is represented by an input packet of one of the plurality of respective input data streams of the processing unit;
• and
• providing the output data stream at the output section.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive a plurality of input data streams via a plurality of communication channels;
• a propagator configured to propagate the plurality of input data streams through a plurality of consecutive output processing stages, wherein the plurality of received input data streams is provided at an input section of the consecutive output processing stages, wherein an output data stream is provided at an output section of the plurality of consecutive output processing stages, wherein the plurality of output processing stages include a decreasing number of respective processing units per output processing stage in the direction of the output section, wherein each respective processing unit of each respective output processing stage determines a respective output data stream based on a plurality of respective input data streams of the respective processing unit and based on a scheduling scheme that is associated with a respective output processing stage of the respective processing unit, and wherein the scheduling schemes differ from each other at least between adjacent output processing stages, wherein each of the scheduling schemes is one of the following plurality of scheduling schemes:
• (i) a duplication scheme wherein each output packet of the respective output data stream of the respective processing unit is determined based on expected duplicate input packets of different respective input data streams of the respective processing unit, (ii) a split scheme wherein parts of each output packet of the respective output data stream of the respective processing unit is determined based on a plurality of input packets from the plurality of respective input data streams of the respective processing unit, wherein each input packet of the plurality of input packets represents a part of the output packet;
• and
• iii) a distribution scheme, wherein each output packet of the respective output data stream of the processing unit is represented by an input packet of one of the plurality of respective input data streams of the processing unit;
• and
• a provisioner configured to provide the output data stream at the output section.