Generalized puncturing in a communication system

1 . A method for providing increased redundancy in a system transmitting symbols representing multiple bits, comprising:

encoding an information message of i bits using a code having a first code rate to form an encoded information message of m bits;

receiving an indication of a selected code rate;

determining a length of the encoded information message of m bits if punctured to the selected code rate;

determining a number of symbols required to transmit the encoded information message of m bits if punctured to the selected code rate;

adapting the encoded information message of m bits to an encoded information message of a number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein adapting the encoded information message of m bits to an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises puncturing at least some of the m bits.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein adapting the encoded information message of m bits to an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises repeating at least some of the m bits.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein adapting the encoded information message of n bits to an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises puncturing at least some of the m bits to form a selected code rate encoded information message and unpuncturing at least some of the punctured bits to form an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting symbols representing the encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

6 . The method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting an indication of the number of bits of the encoded information message of n bits and an indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

7 . The method of claim 6 wherein the indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols is a selected data rate.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the selected data rate indicates a selected code rate and a modulation scheme.

9 . The method of claim 5 wherein transmitting the symbols representing the encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises transmitting over a plurality of antennas.

10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising transmitting an indication of the number of bits of the encoded information message of n bits, an indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols, and an indication of the number of the plurality of antennas.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols is a selected data rate.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the selected data rate indicates a selected code rate and a modulation scheme.

13 . A method for providing increased redundancy in a system transmitting symbols representing multiple bits, comprising:

encoding an information message of m bits using a code having a first code rate to form an encoded information message of n bits;

determining a number of symbols, associated with a selected code rate, required to transmit the n bits;

determining a number of bits represented by the number of symbols;

adapting the encoded information message of n bits to an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein adapting the encoded information message of n bits to an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises puncturing at least some of the n bits.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein adapting the encoded information message of n bits to an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises repeating at least some of the n bits.

16 . The method of claim 13 wherein adapting the encoded information message of n bits to an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises puncturing at least some of the n bits to form a selected code rate encoded information message and unpuncturing at least some of the punctured bits to form an encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

17 . The method of claim 13 further comprising transmitting symbols representing the encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising transmitting an indication of the number of bits of the encoded information message of n bits and an indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols is a selected data rate.

20 . The method of claim 19 wherein the selected data rate indicates a selected code rate and a modulation scheme.

21 . The method of claim 17 wherein transmitting the symbols representing the encoded information message of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols comprises transmitting over a plurality of antennas.

22 . The method of claim 21 further comprising transmitting an indication of the number of bits of the encoded information message of n bits, an indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols, and an indication of the number of the plurality of antennas.

23 . The method of claim 22 wherein the indication of the number of bits represented by the number of symbols is a selected data rate.

24 . The method of claim 23 wherein the selected data rate indicates a selected code rate and a modulation scheme.

25 . A method of determining a code rate of a received message, comprising:

receiving an indication of an information message length, an indication of a selected code rate, and an indication of a selected modulation scheme;

determining a received message length based on the indication of the information message length, the indication of the selected code rate, and the indication of the selected modulation scheme;

determining an effective code rate based on a ratio of the indication of the information message length and the received message length;

decoding a received message using the effective code rate.

26 . The method of claim 25 wherein the indication of the selected code rate and the indication of a selected modulation scheme are provided by an indication of a selected data rate.

27 . The method of claim 25 further comprising receiving an indication of a number of transmit antennas.

28 . The method of claim 27 wherein determining a received message length is further based on the indication of the number of transmit antennas.

29 . The method of claim 28 wherein the selected modulation scheme comprises a QAM scheme.

30 . A wireless communication system, comprising:

a mother rate encoding block including circuitry configured to encode an item of information at a mother rate;

a data rate determination block including circuitry configured to determine a selected modulation scheme and a selected code rate;

a channel encoder block including circuitry configured to adapt the encoded item of information to an adapted code rate based on the selected modulation scheme, the selected code rate, and a length of the encoded item of information if modified to the selected code rate.

31 . A wireless communication system, comprising:

a rate calculation block including circuitry configured to determine a selected code rate and a selected modulation scheme based on a selected data rate, and to determine an adapted code rate based on a message length, the selected code rate, a number of transmit antennas, and the selected modulation scheme;

a depuncterer block including circuitry configured to depuncture a received message using the adapted code rate;

a decoder block including circuitry configured to decode the depunctured received message.

32 . A method of adapting a code rate in a communication scheme communicating encoded information of length n=1,2,3, . . . using message units lengths selected from a subset of n=2,3, . . . , comprising:

determining a length of a communication message;

determining a message unit length;

determining a number of message units required to communicate the communication message; and

determining a code rate such that each message unit includes only information of the communications message.

33 . The method of claim 32 wherein the communication message includes a tail message.

34 . A method of increasing code redundancy in a multiple bit transmission system, comprising:

receiving an information message for transmission;

determining a length of the information message;

determining a length of a communication message comprised of a number of symbols, each symbol encoding information of multiple bits; and

determining a code rate such that each symbol of the communication message includes only encoded information of the information message.

35 . A method of adapting a code rate, comprising:

encoding an information message using a mother rate code;

determining a data rate, the data rate determining a selected code rate and a modulation scheme;

determining an effective code rate based on the length of the mother rate encoded information message and the data rate;

adapting the mother rate encoded information message to the effective code rate.

36 . The method of claim 35 wherein determining the effective code rate comprises determining a ratio between a length of the encoded information message and a length of a transmission message for the information message.

37 . A method of adapting a communication rate, comprising:

encoding an information message using a mother code having a mother code rate to form a mother rate encoded information message;

receiving a selected code rate of a discrete set of code rates;

puncturing the mother rate encoded information message to form a selected code rate encoded information message;

determining a length of a transmission message for the selected code rate encoded information message;

determining an adapted code rate based on a ratio of a length of the information message and the length of the transmission message; and

adapting the selected code rate encoded information message to an adapted code rate encoded information message.