Forward error correction using source blocks with symbols from at least two datastreams with synchronized start symbol identifiers among the datastreams

A forward error correction decoder comprising:

• an input configured to receive a repair stream comprising repair symbols relative to at least two received datastreams to be forward error corrected;
• a signaling information analyzer configured to analyze a signaling information within a repair symbol or linked therewith, the signaling information comprising a pointer to a start symbol within at least one datastream of the at least two datastreams, a number of symbols within the first datastream that belong to the corresponding source block, and a number of symbols within the second datastream that belong to the corresponding source block;
• a source block collector configured to collect symbols within the at least two datastreams belonging to a current source block using the signaling information;
• wherein the pointer to the start symbol within at least one datastream is a common identifier for the start symbols within the at least two datastreams, and wherein the source block collector is further configured to collect the number of symbols within the first datastream starting at the first start symbol indicated by the common identifier, and to collect the number of symbols within the second datastream starting at the second start symbol equally indicated by the common identifier.

A method for generating forward error correction data, the method comprising:

• receiving at least two datastreams for which forward error correction data shall be generated in a joint manner, each datastream comprising a plurality of symbols, wherein a forward error correction data symbol is based on a forward error correction (FEC) source block possibly comprising a subset of symbols of the at least two data streams;
• and
• generating signaling information for the forward error correction data symbol regarding which symbols within the at least two datastreams belong to the corresponding source block by determining a pointer to a start symbol within a first datastream of the at least two datastreams, a pointer to a start symbol within a second datastream of the at least two datastreams, a number of symbols within the first datastream that belong to the corresponding source block, and a number of symbols within the second datastream that belong to the corresponding source block;
• determining a common identifier for the start symbols within the at least two datastreams;
• wherein generating the signaling information further comprises including the common identifier into the signaling information to serve as the pointer to the start symbols within the at least two datastreams.

A method for forward error correction decoding, the method comprising:

• receiving at least one repair stream comprising repair symbols relative to at least two received datastreams to be forward error corrected;
• analyzing a signaling information within a repair symbol or linked therewith, the signaling information comprising a pointer to a start symbol within at least one datastream of the at least two datastreams, a number of symbols within the first datastream that belong to the corresponding source block, and a number of symbols within the second datastream that belong to the corresponding source block;
• and
• collecting symbols within the at least two datastreams belonging to a current source block using the signaling information,
• wherein the pointer to the start symbol within at least one datastream is a common identifier for the start symbols within the at least two datastreams, and wherein collecting the symbols further comprises collecting the number of symbols within the first datastream starting at the first start symbol indicated by the common identifier, and to collect the number of symbols within the second datastream starting at the second start symbol equally indicated by the common identifier.