Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving concatenated code data

An apparatus for receiving concatenated code data from a remote station comprising:

• a first decoder for receiving a signal sent from the remote station and decoding said signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide a first decoded data;
• a block decoder for receiving said first decoded data, detecting errors in said first decoded data, and providing a signal indicative of an absence of errors in said decoded data;
• a transmitter for receiving said signal indicative of an absence of errors and for transmitting a control signal to said remote station in response to said signal indicative of an absence of errors;
• and
• a signal processing system for forming, in accordance with said signal indicative of an absence of errors, a purged parity bit signal at the remote station by omitting parity bit symbols associated with a correctly decoded code word from said signal sent to said first decoder, and for transmitting the purged parity bit signal to the first decoder.

A method for receiving concatenated code data comprising the steps of:

• decoding, with a trellis decoder, a received signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide decoded data;
• block decoding said decoded data;
• detecting an absence of errors in said decoded data;
• providing a correction signal to said decoding step upon detection of an absence of errors;
• and
• eliminating branches in a trellis of the trellis decoder and decoding a remaining portion of said received signal in accordance with said correction signal;
• and
• wherein said trellis decoder has a chain back distance that is a function of said correction signal.

A method for receiving concatenated code data from a remote station comprising:

• decoding a received signal sent from said remote station in accordance with a first decoding format to provide a first decoded data;
• block decoding said first decoded data;
• detecting errors in said first decoded data;
• providing a signal indicative of an absence of errors in said first decoded data;
• transmitting a control signal to said remote station in response to said signal indicative of an absence of errors;
• and
• forming, in accordance with said signal indicative of an absence of errors, a purged parity bit signal at the remote station by omitting parity bit symbols associated with a correctly decoded code word from said signal sent to said first decoder, and transmitting the purged parity bit signal.

An apparatus for receiving concatenated code data comprising:

• a first decoder for receiving a signal and decoding said signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide decoded data;
• and
• a variable rate Reed-Solomon decoder for receiving said decoded data, detecting an absence of errors in said decoded data, and providing a correction signal to said first decoder upon detection of an absence of errors;
• wherein said first decoder decodes a remaining portion of said signal in accordance with said correction signal;
• and
• wherein said trellis decoder has a chain back distance that is a function of said correction signal.

An apparatus for receiving concatenated code data comprising:

• a first decoder for receiving a signal and decoding said signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide decoded data;
• and
• a block decoder for receiving said decoded data, detecting an absence of errors in said decoded data, and providing a correction signal to said first decoder upon detection of an absence of errors;
• wherein said first decoder is a trellis decoder that weights branch metrics and decodes a remaining portion of said signal in accordance with said correction signal;
• and
• said trellis decoder has a chain back distance that is a function of said correction signal.

A method for receiving concatenated code data comprising the steps of:

• first decoding a received signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide decoded data;
• block decoding, with a variable rate Reed-Solomon decoder, said decoded data;
• detecting an absence of errors in said decoded data;
• providing a correction signal to said first decoding step upon detection of an absence of errors;
• decoding a remaining portion of said received signal in accordance with said correction signal;
• generating parity symbols by encoding a corrected data symbol upon said detecting of an absence of errors, and wherein said branches eliminated from the trellis correspond to the generated parity symbols.

A method for receiving concatenated code data comprising the steps of:

• decoding, with a trellis decoder, a received signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide decoded data;
• block decoding said decoded data wherein said block decoding step is a variable rate Reed-Solomon decoding using variable rate Reed Solomon decoding;
• detecting an absence of errors in said decoded data;
• providing a correction signal to said decoding step upon detection of an absence of errors;
• and
• weighting branch metrics of the trellis decoder and decoding a remaining portion of said received signal in accordance with said correction signal.

A method for receiving concatenated code data comprising the steps of:

• decoding, with a trellis decoder, a received signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide decoded data;
• block decoding said decoded data;
• detecting an absence of errors in said decoded data;
• providing a correction signal to said decoding step upon detection of an absence of errors;
• and
• weighting branch metrics of the trellis decoder and decoding a remaining portion of said received signal in accordance with said correction signal;
• and
• wherein said trellis decoder has a chain back distance that is a function of said correction signal.

A method for receiving concatenated code data comprising the steps of:

• decoding, with a trellis decoder, a received signal in accordance with a first decoding format to provide decoded data;
• block decoding said decoded data;
• detecting an absence of errors in said decoded data;
• providing a correction signal to said decoding step upon detection of an absence of errors;
• and
• weighting branch metrics of the trellis decoder and decoding a remaining portion of said received signal in accordance with said correction signal;
• and further comprising generating parity symbols by encoding a corrected data symbol upon said detecting of an absence of errors, and wherein said trellis decoder weights said branch metrics in favor of the generated parity symbols.