Multiword information encoded by wordwise interleaving and wordwise error protection with error locative clues derived from synchronizing channel bit groups and directed to target words

A method for decoding multiword information, comprising:

• providing a unitary medium comprising data embedded therein, said data including channel bit groups comprising synchronizing bit patterns, wherein the synchronizing bit patterns provide first clues for locating errors in the data,
• reading the data from the unitary medium to form an information stream that comprises the channel bit groups;
• demodulating the channel bit groups to generate demodulated information words;
• and
• deriving clue words from the demodulated information words, wherein the clue words provide second clues for locating errors in the data.

A method for decoding multiword information, comprising:

• providing a unitary medium comprising data embedded therein, said data including channel bit groups comprising synchronizing bit patterns, wherein the synchronizing bit patterns provide first clues for locating errors in the data,
• wherein the channel bit groups further comprise clue words of bits,
• wherein the clue words provide second clues for locating errors in the data,
• wherein the synchronizing bit patterns comprise a first synchronizing bit pattern, a second synchronizing bit pattern, and a third synchronizing bit pattern,
• wherein a first clue word of the clue words is disposed between the first and second synchronizing bit patterns,
• wherein none of said clue words is disposed between the second and third synchronizing bit patterns, and
• wherein the distance between the first and second synchronizing bit patterns exceeds the distance between the second and third synchronizing bit patterns.

A device for encoding multiword information, comprising:

• splitting means for splitting multibit information words into first multibit information words and second multibit information words;
• first encoding means for encoding the first multibit information words into first code words of a first multi-symbol error correcting code, said first code words including error protected clue words, said clue words providing first clues for locating errors in said multibit information words;
• and
• second encoding means for encoding the second multibit information words into second code words of a second multi-symbol error correcting code, said second code words including target words, said clue words having a higher degree of error protection than said target words.

A device for decoding multiword information words, comprising:

• reading means for reading data from a unitary medium to form an information stream, wherein the data comprises channel bit groups having synchronizing bit patterns, wherein the synchronizing bit patterns provide first clues for locating errors in the data;
• demodulating means for demodulating the channel bit groups to generate demodulated information words;
• and
• deriving means for deriving clue words from the demodulated information words, wherein the clue words provide second clues for locating errors in the data.