Overlapped multilevel codes

A method for processing a data-bearing signal received from a communication channel, said received data-bearing signal being of a type generated by the steps of encoding a first portion of input data at least using a first redundancy code to provide a first encoded signal having at least a first portion;

• encoding a second portion of said input data along with said first portion of said first encoded signal using a second redundancy code to provide a second encoded signal;
• and generating said data-bearing signal in response to at least said second encoded signal, said method comprising the steps of
• decoding said received data-bearing signal in accordance with said second redundancy code to recover said second portion of said input data and a signal representing said first encoded signal, and
• decoding the recovered signal representing said first encoded signal in accordance with said first redundancy code to recover said first portion of said input data.

A method for processing a data-bearing signal received from a communication channel, said data-bearing signal being of a type generated by the steps of encoding a first portion of input data using a first redundancy code to provide a first encoded signal;

• differentially encoding said first encoded signal to provide a differentially encoded signal having first and second portions;
• encoding a second portion of said input data along with said first portion of said differentially encoded signal using a second redundancy code to provide a second encoded signal;
• and generating said data-bearing signal in response to said second portion of said differentially encoded signal and second encoded signal, said method comprising the steps of
• decoding said received data-bearing signal in accordance with said second redundancy code to recover said second portion of said input data and said differentially encoded signal,
• differentially decoding the recovered differentially encoded signal to recover said first encoded signal, and
• decoding the recovered first encoded signal in accordance with said first redundancy code to recover said first portion of said input data.

A method comprising the steps of

• encoding a first portion of input data at least using a first redundancy code to provide a first encoded signal having at least a first portion,
• encoding a second portion of said input data along with said first portion of said first encoded signal using a second redundancy code to provide a second encoded signal
• communicating over a communication channel a data-bearing signal representing at least said second encoded signal,
• receiving said data-bearing signal from said channel,
• decoding said received data-bearing signal in accordance with said second redundancy code to recover said second portion of said input data and a signal representing said first encoded signal, and
• decoding the recovered signal representing the first encoded signal in accordance with said first redundancy code to recover said first portion of said input data.

A method comprising the steps of

• encoding a first portion of input data using a first redundancy code to provide a first encoded signal,
• differentially encoding said first encoded signal to provide a differentially encoded signal having first and second portions,
• encoding a second portion of said input data along with said first portion of said differentially encoded signal using a second redundancy code to provide a second encoded signal,
• generating a data-bearing signal in response to said second portion of said differentially encoded signal and second encoded signal and applying said data-bearing signal to a communication channel,
• receiving said data-bearing signal from said channel,
• decoding said received data-bearing signal in accordance with said second redundancy code to recover said second portion of said input data and said differentially encoded signal,
• differentially decoding the recovered differentially encoded signal to recover said first encoded signal, and
• decoding the recovered first encoded signal in accordance with said first redundancy code to recover said first portion of said input data.

Apparatus for processing a data-bearing signal received from a communication channel, said data-bearing signal being of a type generated by the steps of encoding a first portion of input data using a first redundancy code to provide a first encoded signal;

• differentially encoding said first encoded signal to provide a differentially encoded signal having first and second portions;
• encoding a second portion of said input data along with said first portion of said differentially encoded signal using a second redundancy code to provide a second encoded signal;
• and generating said data-bearing signal in response to said second portion of said differentially encoded signal and second encoded signal, said apparatus comprising
• means for decoding said received data-bearing signal in accordance with said second redundancy code to recover said second portion of said input data and said differentially encoded signal,
• means for differentially decoding the recovered differentially encoded signal to recover said first encoded signal, and
• means for decoding the recovered first encoded signal in accordance with said first redundancy code to recover said first portion of said input data.