Variable throughput reduction communications system and method

1. A communications system comprising

a transmitter, including,

a demultiplexer for demultiplexing input data into a plurality of data channels;

a plurality of forward-error-correction encoders and interleavers, coupled to said demultiplexer, for FEC encoding and interleaving the plurality of data channels as a plurality of FEC encoded and interleaved channels, respectively;

a plurality of processors coupled to said plurality of FEC encoders and interleavers, for processing the plurality of FEC encoded and interleaved channels as a plurality of modulated channels;

a combiner coupled to said plurality of processors, for combining the plurality of modulated channels as a multiplexed signal;

a receiver, including,

a plurality of demodulators for demodulating the multiplexed signal into a plurality of demodulated channels, respectively;

a multiplicity of FEC decoder and de-interleavers, coupled to said plurality of demodulators for FEC decoding and de-interleaving the multiplicity of demodulated channels, as a multiplicity of decoded demodulated channels having an error rate;

a command processor responsive to the error rate for determining a desired data rate and generating a control signal to be transmitted to the transmitter; and

a multiplexer, coupled to said plurality of FEC decoders and de-interleavers, for multiplexing the multiplicity of decoded channels.

2. The communications system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein

said multiplicity of FEC decoders generates a plurality of syndrome signals; and

said command processor is responsive to the plurality of syndrome signals, for determining which channels in the plurality of modulated channels to delete from transmission over the communications channel.

3. The communications system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein

said multiplicity of FEC decoders generates a plurality of syndrome signals; and

a said command processor is responsive to the plurality of syndrome signals, for employing erasure decoding for correcting errors.

4. The communications system as set forth in claims 1 wherein said command processor is responsive to the a plurality of syndrome signals for sending a data-rate command signal to the transmitter.

5. A communications system comprising:

a transmitter, including,

demultiplexer means for demultiplexing input data into a plurality of data channels;

encoder means far FEC encoding and interleaving the plurality of data channels as a plurality of FEC encoded and interleaved channels, respectively;

processor means for processing the plurality of FEC encoded and interleaved channels as a plurality of modulated channels;

combiner means for combining the plurality of modulated channels as a multiplexed signal;

a receiver, including,

demodulator means for demodulating the multiplexed signal into a plurality of demodulated channels, respectively;

decoder means for FEC decoding and de-interleaving the multiplicity of demodulated channels, as a multiplicity of decoded channels having an error rate;

command processor means responsive to the error rate for generating a signal indicating a desired data rate to be sent to said transmitter; and

multiplexer means for multiplexing the multiplicity of decoded channels.

6. The communications system as set forth in claim 5 , wherein

said decoder means generates a plurality of syndrome signals; and

said command processor is responsive to the plurality of syndrome signals for determining which channels in the plurality of modulated channels to delete from transmission over the communications channel.

7. The communications system as set forth in claim 5 , wherein

said decoder means generates a plurality of syndrome signals; and

said command processor means is responsive to the plurality of syndrome signals, for employing erasure decoding for correcting errors.

8. A communications method comprising the steps of:

demultiplexing input data into a plurality of data channels;

FEC encoding and interleaving the plurality of data channels as a plurality of FEC encoded and interleaved channels, respectively;

processing the plurality of FEC encoded and interleaved channels as a plurality of modulated channels;

combining the plurality of channels as a multiplexed signal;

transmitting the multiplexed signal having the plurality of modulated channels, over a communications channel;

demodulating the multiplexed signal into a plurality of demodulated channels, respectively;

FEC decoding and de-interleaving the plurality of demodulated channels, as a multiplicity of decoded channels;

generating a syndrome signal from an error rate of the multiplicity of decoded channels;

generating, in response to the syndrome signal, a channel quality indication signal indicating a desired data rate;

transmitting the quality indication signal to the transmitter; and

multiplexing the multiplicity of decoded channels.

9. The communications method as set forth in claim 8 , further including the steps of:

generating a plurality of syndrome signals; and

determining, responsive to the plurality of syndrome signals, which channels in the plurality of modulated channels to delete from transmission over the communications channel.

10. The communications method as set forth in claim 8 , further including the steps of:

generating a plurality of syndrome signals; and

employing, responsive to the plurality of syndrome signals, erasure decoding for correcting errors.