Receiver for a trellis coded digital television signal

A data receiver comprising:

• means for developing a received data signal comprising M groups of independently coded interleaved one dimensional symbols of a phase variant symbol constellation, each of said groups including a plurality of regularly spaced symbols each representing 3 bits Z.sub.0, Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2 produced by coding a first data bit X.sub.1 with a coder comprising a multi-state convolutional encoder to derive bits Z.sub.0, Z.sub.1 and a second data bit X.sub.2 with a coder comprising a modulo-2 precoder to derive bit Z.sub.2, wherein bits Z.sub.0, Z.sub.1 identify respective subsets (a-d) of said symbols, each of said subsets (a-d) comprising two equally spaced symbol values, and bits Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2 identify respective pairs of said symbols each comprising two adjacent symbol values;
• means for reducing channel interference characterizing said received data signal;
• and
• a decoder operable for estimating data bits X.sub.1, X.sub.2 in response to each symbol of each of said groups of symbols of said received interference reduced data signal.

A data receiver comprising:

• means for developing a received data signal including a plurality of regularly spaced synchronization intervals and comprising M groups of independently coded interleaved one dimensional symbols of a phase variant symbol constellation, each of said groups including a plurality of regularly spaced symbols each representing 3 bits Z.sub.0, Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2 produced by coding a first data bit X.sub.1 with a coder comprising a multi-state convolutional encoder to derive bits Z.sub.0, Z.sub.1 and a second data bit X.sub.2 with a coder comprising a modulo-2 precoder to derive bit Z.sub.2, wherein bits Z.sub.0, Z.sub.2 identify respective subsets (a-d) of said symbols, each of said subsets (a-d) comprising two equally spaced symbol values, and bits Z.sub.1, Z.sub.2 identify respective pairs of said symbols each comprising two adjacent symbol values;
• means coupled to said means for developing for reducing channel interference characterizing said received data signal;
• a first decoder for estimating data bit X.sub.1 and a bit Y.sub.2 in response to each symbol of each of said groups of symbols,
• a second decoder for converting each of said estimated bits Y.sub.2 into an estimation of data bit X.sub.2 ;
• and
• means for preventing said second decoder from changing state during said synchronization intervals.