Method and system for utilizing space-time overlays for convolutionally coded systems

An apparatus for encoding signals for transmission over a communication channel of a communication system having a plurality of transmit antennas, the apparatus comprising:

• a source configured to output a message signal;
• and
• an encoder configured to generate a code word in response to the message signal, the code word having a construction that is based upon a single dimensional binary code and that specifies a space-time overlay having a predetermined constraint, wherein the code word is a part of C that is a linear Lt×n space-time code, and Lt represents the number of transmit antennas, the constraint being
• └c1(s), c2(s), . . . , cn−1(s), cn(s)┘=└c1(t), c2(t), . . . , cn−1(t), cn(t)┘,
• wherein ct(i) is a code symbol assigned to an i-th one of the transmit antennas at time t.

An apparatus for encoding signals for transmission over a communication channel of a communication system having a plurality of transmit antennas, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a message signal;
• and
• means for generating a code word in response to the message signal, the code word having a construction that is based upon a single dimensional binary code and that specifies a space-time overlay having a predetermined constraint, wherein the code word is a part of C that is a linear Lt×n space-time code, and Lt represents the number of transmit antennas, the constraint being
• └c1(s), c2(s), . . . , cn−1(s), cn(s)┘=└c1(1), c2(1), . . . , cn−1(1), cn(1)┘,
• wherein ct(i) is a code symbol assigned to an i-th one of the transmit antennas at time t.

A communication system for transmitting encoded signals over a communication channel, the system comprises:

• a transmitter including,
• a source configured to output a message signal,
• an encoder configured to generate a code word in response to the message signal, the code word having a construction that is based upon a single dimensional binary code and that specifies a space-time overlay having a predetermined constraint, wherein the code word is a part of C that is a linear Lt×n space-time code, and Lt represents the number of transmit antennas, the constraint being
• └c1(s), c2(s), . . . , cn−1(s), cn(s)┘=└c1(1), c2(1), . . . , cn−1(1), cn(1)┘,
• wherein ct(i) is a code symbol assigned to an i-th one of the transmit antennas at time t,
• a modulator configured to modulate the code word for transmission over the communication channel, and
• a plurality of transmit antennas configured to transmit the modulated code word over the communication channel;
• and
• a receiver including a plurality of receive antennas, the receiver being configured to receive the transmitted code word via the plurality of receive antennas.

A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for transmitting encoded signals over a communication channel of a communication system having a plurality of transmit antennas and a plurality of receive antennas, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

• receiving a message signal;
• and
• generating a code word in response to the message signal, the code word having a construction that is based upon a single dimensional binary code and that specifies a space-time overlay having a predetermined constraint, wherein the code word is a part of C that is a linear Lt×n space-time code, and Lt represents the number of transmit antennas, the constraint being
• └c1(s), c2(s), . . . , cn−1(s), cn(s)┘=└c1(1), c2(1), . . . , cn−1(1), cn(1)┘,
• wherein ct(i) is a code symbol assigned to an i-th one of the transmit antennas at time t.

An apparatus for receiving signals over a communication channel of a communication system having a plurality of transmit antennas, the apparatus comprising:

• a demodulator configured to demodulate a signal containing a code word, the code word having a construction that is based upon a single dimensional binary code and that specifies a space-time overlay having a predetermined constraint, wherein the code word is a part of C that is a linear Lt×n space-time code, and Lt represents the number of transmit antennas, the constraint being
• └c1(s), c2(s), . . . , cn−1(s), cn(s)┘=└c1(1), c2(1), . . . , cn−1(1), cn(1)┘,
• wherein ct(i) is a code symbol assigned to an i-th one of the transmit antennas at time t;
• and
• a decoder configured to decode the code word and to output a message signal.