Packet encoding method to provide unequal error protection to users and/or applications data

A system to process bits in a bit stream, the system comprising:

• a scrambler to scramble the bit stream;
• a transmitter separation module to separate the scrambled bit stream into separate high priority bits and low priority bits to form a high priority bit stream and a low priority bit stream, the high priority bit stream having an order of high priority bits from left to right and the low priority bit stream having an order of low priority bits from left to right;
• a transmitter rearranging module to rearrange the bits by embedding the high priority bits from the high priority bit stream in the low priority bit stream to form a rearranged bit stream while preserving the order of the high priority bits and the order of the low priority bits in the rearranged bit stream, the rearranged bit stream including blocks of bits, each block including one or more adjacent high priority bits disposed left of corresponding one or more adjacent low priority bits in order to provide protection for the high priority bits against noise which is at least equal to protection for the low priority bits in the block;
• a modulation mapper to modulate the rearranged bit stream using Gray encoding method to produce an encoded bit stream;
• and
• a transmitter to transmit the encoded bit stream to a communication medium.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions for controlling a data processor to process bits in a bit stream, the plurality of instructions comprising:

• instructions that cause the data processor to scramble the bit stream;
• instructions that cause the data processor to separate the scrambled bit stream into separate high priority bits and low priority bits to form a high priority bit stream and a low priority bit stream, the high priority bit stream having an order of high priority bits from left to right and the low priority bit stream having an order of low priority bits from left to right;
• instructions that cause the data processor to rearrange the bits by embedding the high priority bits from the high priority bit stream in the low priority bit stream to form a rearranged bit stream while preserving the order of the high priority bits and the order of the low priority bits in the rearranged bit stream, the rearranged bit stream including blocks of bits, each block including one or more adjacent high priority bits disposed left of corresponding one or more adjacent low priority bits in order to provide protection for the high priority bits against noise which is at least equal to protection for the low priority bits in the block;
• and
• instructions that cause the data processor to modulate the rearranged bit stream using Gray encoding method to produce an encoded bit stream.