List Viterbi decoding of tail biting convolutional codes

An apparatus configured to operate in a wireless communication system and configured to decode tail biting convolutional codes (TBCCs) with a List Viterbi algorithm (LVA), the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a signal containing a TBCC;
• means for determining a list of potential states from the received signal, a size of the list being Ls, Ls being determined from potential states identified in a single Viterbi algorithm;
• means for determining a list of potential codewords for each state in the list of potential states, a size of the list of potential codewords being Lc;
• means for operating a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code to determine a final decoding solution for a List Viterbi algorithm (LVA)-tail biting convolutional codes (TBCC) algorithm using the list of potential codewords;
• means for determining a plurality of state transitions by repeating the received signal into N signal blocks a predetermined number of times N;
• means for determining a plurality of states, the plurality of states including beginning states and ending states that correspond to beginnings and endings of each signal block and including all ending states at an end of an Nth signal block;
• and
• means for generating the list of potential states by selecting states from the plurality of states until the list reaches a predetermined size.

A computer program product configured for decoding tail biting convolutional codes (TBCCs) with a List Viterbi algorithm (LVA), the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program code recorded thereon, the program code comprising:
• program code to receive a signal containing a TBCC;
• program code to determine a list of potential states from the received signal, a size of the list being Ls, Ls being determined from potential states identified in a single Viterbi algorithm;
• program code to determine a list of potential codewords for each state in the list of potential states, a size of the list of potential codewords being Lc;
• program code to operate a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code to determine a final decoding solution for a List Viterbi algorithm (LVA)-tail biting convolutional codes (TBCC) algorithm using the list of potential codewords;
• program code to determine a plurality of state transitions by repeating the received signal into N signal blocks a predetermined number of times N;
• program code to determine a plurality of states, the plurality of states including beginning states and ending states that correspond to beginnings and endings of each signal block and including all ending states at an end of an Nth signal block;
• and
• program code to generate the list of potential states by selecting states from the plurality of states until the list reaches a predetermined size.

An apparatus configured for decoding tail biting convolutional codes (TBCCs) with a List Viterbi algorithm (LVA), the apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the at least one processor, the at least one processor being configured:
• to receive a signal containing a TBCC;
• to determine a list of potential states from the received signal, a size of the list being Ls, Ls being determined from potential states identified in a single Viterbi algorithm;
• to determine a list of potential codewords for each state in the list of potential states, a size of the list of potential codewords being Lc;
• to operate a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) code to determine a final decoding solution for a List Viterbi algorithm (LVA)-tail biting convolutional codes (TBCC) algorithm using the list of potential codewords;
• to determine a plurality of state transitions by repeating the received signal into N signal blocks a predetermined number of times N;
• to determine a plurality of states, the plurality of states including beginning states and ending states that correspond to beginnings and endings of each signal block and including all ending states at an end of an Nth signal block;
• and
• to generate the list of potential states by selecting states from the plurality of states until the list reaches a predetermined size.