Puncture-aware low density parity check (LDPC) decoding

A communication device comprising:

• a communication interface;
• and
• a processor, the processor and communication interface configured to:
• receive a low density parity check (LDPC) coded signal, wherein the LDPC coded signal is generated from an other LDPC coded signal that has had at least one parity bit punctured there from, wherein the other LDPC coded signal is generated based on an LDPC code that is characterized by a first LDPC matrix, wherein:
• the first LDPC matrix includes a plurality of sub-matrices arranged in a left hand side matrix and a right hand side matrix;
• the right hand side matrix is lower triangular and includes a first plurality of all-zero-valued sub-matrices located above and to the right of a main diagonal of the right hand side matrix;
• a first plurality of CSI (Cyclic Shifted Identity) sub-matrices are located on the main diagonal of the right hand side matrix;
• and
• a second plurality of CSI sub-matrices and a second plurality of all-zero-valued sub-matrices are located below and left of the main diagonal of the right hand side matrix;
• process the first LDPC matrix to generate a second LDPC matrix by excluding at least one column and at least one row from the first LDPC matrix based on a number of bits of the at least one parity bit punctured from the other LDPC coded signal to generate the LDPC coded signal, wherein the second LDPC matrix includes an upper left-hand portion of the first LDPC matrix;
• and
• decode the LDPC coded signal using the second LDPC matrix to make a plurality of estimates of a plurality of information bits encoded within the LDPC coded signal.

A method for execution by a communication device, the method comprising:

• receiving, via a communication interface of the communication device, a low density parity check (LDPC) coded signal, wherein the LDPC coded signal is generated from an other LDPC coded signal that has had at least one parity bit punctured there from, wherein the other LDPC coded signal is generated based on an LDPC code that is characterized by a first LDPC matrix;
• processing the first LDPC matrix to generate a second LDPC matrix by excluding at least one column and at least one row from the first LDPC matrix based on a number of bits of the at least one parity bit punctured from the other LDPC coded signal to generate the LDPC coded signal;
• and
• decoding the LDPC coded signal using the second LDPC matrix to make a plurality of estimates of a plurality of information bits encoded within the LDPC coded signal.