Method to reduce the number of bits per soft bit

1. A method of receiving and transferring data comprising:

receiving, by a communications reception data path between a rake receiver and a channel decoder, soft bits having a first amount of bits per each soft bit;

collecting the soft bits into first groups;

performing a first stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within each of the first groups to reduce the number of bits in each of the soft bits;

collecting the first groups into second group; and

performing a second stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within the second group to further reduce the number of bits in of the soft bits.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

collecting a plurality of second groups into a third group; and

performing a third stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within the third group.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein collecting the second groups into the third group comprises collecting frames into a code block.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein said performing the third stage at normalization comprises calculating of third scaling factor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein collecting the first groups into the second group comprises collecting slots into a frame.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said performing the first stage of normalization comprises calculating a first scaling factor.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said performing the second stage of normalization comprises calculating a second scaling factor.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said performing the second stage of normalization and comprises calculating a correcting scaling factor.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein calculating said correcting scaling factor comprises dividing said second scaling factor by said first scaling factor.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising multiplying one or more of said soft bits by said correcting scaling factor.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said performing the second stage of normalization comprises normalizing said soft bits by calculating said second scaling factor as a root-mean-square function of said soft bits.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said performing the quantization comprises quantizing the bits in each of said soft bits such that there are fewer bits in each soft bit after the second stage than in each soft bit after the first stage.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising concatenating data transferred from said first stage to said second stage.

14. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising deinterleaving data transferred from said first stage to said second stage.

15. Apparatus for processing data in a communications reception data path, the apparatus comprising:

a processor operatively coupled to said communications reception data path between a rake receiver and a channel decoder,

to receive soft bits;

to collect the soft bits into first groups;

to perform a first stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within each of the first groups to reduce the number of bits in each of the soft bits;

to collect the first groups into a second group; and

to perform a second stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within the second group to further reduce the number of bits in each of the soft bits.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said processor is to collect a plurality of second groups into a third group and to perform a third stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within the third group.

17. A communications system comprising:

a communications reception data path comprising a rake receiver and a channel decoder;

a processor,

to receive soft bits;

to collect the soft bits into first groups;

to perform a first stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within each of the first groups to reduce the number of bits in each of the soft bits;

to collect the first groups into a second groups; and

to perform a second stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within the second group to further reduce the number of bits in each of the soft bits; and

a flash memory coupled to said processor, to store one or more instructions executable by said processor.

18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein said processor is to collect a plurality of second groups into a third group and to perform a third stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within the third group.

19. The system according to claim 17 , wherein said processor is to quantized the bits in each of said soft bits such that there are fewer bits in each soft bit after the second stage than in each soft bit after the first stage.

20. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a computer, result in:

receiving, by a communications reception data path between a rake receiver and a channel decoder, soft bits having a first amount of bits per each soft bit;

collecting the soft bits into first groups;

performing a first stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within each of the first groups to reduce the number of bits in each of the soft bits;

collecting the first groups into a second groups; and

a second stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within performing the second group to further reduce the number of bits in each of the soft bits.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 20 , wherein said instructions further result in:

collecting a plurality of second groups into a third group; and

performing third stage of normalization and quantization on the soft bits within the third group.