Baseband processors, mobile terminals, base stations and methods and systems for decoding a punctured coded received signal using estimates of punctured bits

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 wherein error correction decoding the received symbols and the default symbol values to provide first signal estimates comprises convolutional decoding the received symbols and the default symbol values to provide first signal estimates.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2 wherein generating punctured location symbol estimates based on the first signal estimates comprises: encoding the first signal estimates to provide a corrected signal; and determining the punctured location symbol estimates based on signals in locations in the corrected signal corresponding to the punctured locations.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3 further comprising determining if the first signal estimates contain an error; and wherein generating punctured location symbol estimates based on the first signal estimates comprises generating punctured location symbol estimates based on the first signal estimates if the first signal estimates contain an error.

Claim 6

The method of claim 4 wherein determining if the first signal estimates contain an error comprises detecting a CRC error in the first signal estimates.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3 wherein the received symbols, the default symbol values and the punctured location symbol estimates are soft information, the soft information having a low confidence value, a high confidence one value and a high confidence zero value and wherein initializing symbol positions associated with punctured locations to default symbol values comprises initializing symbol positions associated with punctured locations to the low confidence value.

Claim 8

The method of claim 6 wherein determining the punctured location symbol estimates based on signals in locations in the corrected signal corresponding to the punctured locations comprises converting the corrected signal to soft information.

Claim 9

The method of claim 7 wherein converting the corrected signal to soft information comprises converting the corrected signal in the punctured locations having a one value to the high confidence one value and converting the corrected signals in the punctured locations having a zero value to the high confidence zero value.

Claim 10

The method of claim 8 wherein the punctured coded signal comprises a signal coded at a low coding rate.

Claim 11

The method of claim 9 wherein the low coding rate is a 1/2 coding rate and wherein error correction decoding the combined received symbols with the punctured location symbol estimates to provide second signal estimates provides performance equivalent to a lower coding rate.

Claim 12

A baseband processor for decoding a punctured coded signal, comprising: an error correction decoder configured to generate estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates; a punctured symbol estimate generator that generates the punctured location symbol estimates from estimates of a received punctured coded signal and provides the punctured location symbol estimates to the error correction decoder; an error detector that determines if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error; and a transceiver that requests transmission of punctured signals associated with the received punctured coded signal if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error.

Claim 13

A baseband processor for decoding a punctured coded signal, comprising: an error correction decoder configured to generate estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates; a punctured symbol estimate generator that generates the punctured location symbol estimates from estimates of a received punctured coded signal and provides the punctured location symbol estimates to the error correction decoder; an error detector that determines if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error; and a transceiver that requests transmission of punctured signals associated with the received punctured coded signal if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error.

Claim 14

The baseband processor of claim 11 further comprising a demodulator configured to provide soft information as the received punctured coded signal.

Claim 15

The baseband processor of claim 12 wherein the error correction decoder is a convolutional decoder.

Claim 16

The baseband processor of claim 12 wherein the convolutional decoder is a rate 1/3 convolutional decoder and wherein the punctured coded signal is punctured to a higher coding rate than 1/3.

Claim 19

The system of claim 15 wherein the means for error correction decoding the received symbols and the default symbol values to provide first signal estimates comprises means for convolutional decoding the received symbols and the default symbol values to provide first signal estimates and wherein the means for generating punctured location symbol estimates based on the first signal estimates comprises: means for encoding the first signal estimates to provide a corrected signal; and means for determining the punctured location symbol estimates based on signals in locations in the corrected signal corresponding to the punctured locations.

Claim 20

The system of claim 16 wherein the received symbols, the default symbol values and the punctured location symbol estimates are soft information, the soft information having a low confidence value, a high confidence one value and a high confidence zero value and wherein the means for initializing symbol positions associated with punctured locations to default symbol values comprises means for initializing symbol positions associated with punctured locations to the low confidence value.

Claim 21

The system of claim 17 wherein the means for determining the punctured location symbol estimates based on signals in locations in the corrected signal corresponding to the punctured locations comprises means for converting encoded signal estimates in the punctured locations having a one value to the high confidence one value and converting the punctured locations having a zero value to the high confidence zero value.

Claim 22

A mobile terminal comprising: an antenna that receives a punctured coded signal; a receiver coupled to the antenna that generates soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal; and a baseband processor coupled to the receiver, the baseband processor comprising: an error correction decoder configured to generate estimates of the received punctured coded signal from the soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal and from punctured location symbol estimates; a punctured symbol estimate generator that generates the punctured location symbol estimates from estimates of a received punctured coded signal and provides the punctured location symbol estimates to the error correction decoder; an error detector that determines if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error; and a transceiver that requests transmission of punctured signals associated with the received punctured coded signal if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error.

Claim 23

A mobile terminal comprising: an antenna that receives a punctured coded signal; a receiver coupled to the antenna that generates soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal; and a baseband processor coupled to the receiver, the baseband processor comprising: an error correction decoder configured to generate estimates of the received punctured coded signal from the soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal and from punctured location symbol estimates; a punctured symbol estimate generator that generates the punctured location symbol estimates from estimates of a received punctured coded signal and provides the punctured location symbol estimates to the error correction decoder; an error detector that determines if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error; and a transceiver that requests transmission of punctured signals associated with the received punctured coded signal if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error.

Claim 24

The mobile terminal of claim 19 wherein the receiver further comprises a demodulator configured to provide the soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal.

Claim 25

The mobile terminal of claim 20 wherein the error correction decoder comprises a convolutional decoder.

Claim 26

The mobile terminal of claim 21 wherein the error detector further comprises a CRC error detector.

Claim 27

The mobile terminal of claim 22 wherein the convolutional decoder is a rate 1/3 convolutional decoder and wherein the punctured coded signal is punctured to a higher coding rate than 1/3.

Claim 28

A base station comprising: an antenna that receives a punctured coded signal; a receiver coupled to the antenna that generates soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal; and a baseband processor coupled to the receiver, the baseband processor comprising: an error correction decoder configured to generate estimates of the received punctured coded signal from the soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal and from punctured location symbol estimates; a punctured symbol estimate generator that generates the punctured location symbol estimates from estimates of a received punctured coded signal and provides the punctured location symbol estimates to the error correction decoder; an error detector that determines if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error; and a transceiver that requests transmission of punctured signals associated with the received punctured coded signal if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error.

Claim 29

A base station comprising: an antenna that receives a punctured coded signal; a receiver coupled to the antenna that generates soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal; and a baseband processor coupled to the receiver, the baseband processor comprising: an error correction decoder configured to generate estimates of the received punctured coded signal from the soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal and from punctured location symbol estimates; a punctured symbol estimate generator that generates the punctured location symbol estimates from estimates of a received punctured coded signal and provides the punctured location symbol estimates to the error correction decoder; an error detector that determines if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error; and a transceiver that requests transmission of punctured signals associated with the received punctured coded signal if the estimates of a received punctured coded signal from the punctured coded signal combined with punctured location symbol estimates contain an error.

Claim 30

The base station of claim 24 wherein the receiver further comprises a demodulator configured to provide the soft information associated with the received punctured coded signal.

Claim 31

The base station of claim 25 wherein the error correction decoder comprises a convolutional decoder.

Claim 32

The base station of claim 26 wherein the error detector further comprises a CRC error detector.

Claim 33

The base station of claim 27 wherein the convolutional decoder is a rate 1/3 convolutional decoder and wherein the punctured coded signal is punctured to a higher coding rate than 1/3.