Retransmission of erroneous data

1. A method for retransmission of a data block portion in a communications system, comprising:

receiving data blocks at a receiver which have been generated by the use of an error correcting code in a transmitter;

decoding the received data blocks by linear programming decoding;

identifying one or more symbols in a decoded data block by subjecting the symbols in the decoded data block to an integrality criterion; and

initiating a retransmission of a part of the data block based on the one or more identified symbols.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the integrality criterion determines that each decoded symbol that is not within a predetermined range around an integer is identified as a symbol having low confidence.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein linear programming decoding uses a linear programming algorithm with a partial optimality property which guarantees that each decoded symbol that is within a predetermined range around an integer coincides with the corresponding symbol of an optimum solution.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the error correcting code used at the transmitter comprises a low density parity check code.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retransmitted part of the data block solely contains that symbol or symbols which correspond to the identified symbol or symbols.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retransmitted part of the data block comprises one or more predetermined sub-blocks of the data block which contain that symbol or symbols which correspond to the identified symbol or symbols.

7. A receiver in a communications system for retransmission of a data block portion, comprising:

a receiving unit configured to receive data blocks that have been generated by the use of an error correcting code in a transmitter;

a linear programming decoder configured to decode the received data blocks;

an identification unit configured to subject the symbols in one decoded data block to an integrality criterion, thereby identifying one or more symbols in the one decoded data block; and

a retransmission requesting unit configured to request retransmission of a part of the data block based on the one or more identified symbols.

8. The receiver of claim 7 , wherein the integrality criterion determines that each decoded symbol that is not within limits around an integer is identified.

9. The receiver of claim 7 , wherein the linear programming decoder is configured to execute a linear programming algorithm with a partial optimality property that guarantees that each decoded symbol that is within a predetermined range around an integer coincides with the corresponding symbol of an optimum solution.

10. The receiver of claim 7 , wherein the error correcting code used at the transmitter comprises a low density parity check code.

11. The receiver of claim 7 , wherein the retransmission requesting unit is configured to request retransmission solely of that symbol or symbols that correspond to the identified symbol or symbols.

12. The receiver of claim 7 , wherein the retransmitted part of the data block comprises one or more predetermined sub-blocks of the data block that contain that symbol or symbols that correspond to the identified symbol or symbols.

13. A method for transmitting data in a communications system, comprising:

encoding data by using an error correcting code in a transmitter to obtain a block of encoded data;

transmitting the block of encoded data to a receiver;

receiving the data block corresponding to the transmitted block of encoded data at the receiver;

decoding the received data block by a linear programming algorithm to obtain a decoded data block;

identifying one or more symbols in the decoded data block by subjecting the symbols in the decoded data block to an integrality criterion; and

initiating a retransmission of a part of the data encoded in the block of encoded data, wherein the part of the data is dependent on the identified symbol or symbols.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the integrality criterion determines that each decoded symbol that is within a predetermined range around an integer is identified.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the linear programming algorithm has a partial optimality property that guarantees that each decoded symbol that is within a predetermined range around an integer coincides with the corresponding symbol of an optimum solution.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the error correcting code used at the transmitter is a low density parity check code.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the retransmitted part of the data solely contains that symbol or symbols that correspond to the identified symbol or symbols.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the retransmitted part of the data block comprises one or more predetermined sub-blocks of the data block that contain that symbol or symbols that correspond to the identified symbol or symbols.

19. A communications system comprising a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting data in the communications system, wherein the transmitter comprises:

an encoding unit configured to encode data by using an error correcting code to obtain a block of encoded data;

a transmitting unit configured to transmit the block of encoded data to a receiver, and wherein the receiver comprises:

a receiving unit configured to receive a data block corresponding to the transmitted block of encoded data;

a receiving unit configured to decode the received data block by a linear programming algorithm to obtain a decoded data block;

an identification unit configured to identify one or more symbols in the decoded data block by subjecting the symbols in the decoded data block to an integrality criterion; and

a retransmission requesting unit configured to initiate a retransmission of a part of the data encoded in the block of encoded data, wherein the part of the data is dependent on the identified symbol or symbols.

20. The communications system of claim 19 , wherein the integrality criterion determines that each decoded symbol that is not within a predetermined range around an integer is identified.

21. The communications system of claim 19 , wherein the linear programming algorithm has a partial optimality property that guarantees that each decoded symbol that is within a predetermined range around an integer coincides with the corresponding symbol of an optimum solution.

22. The communications system of claim 19 , wherein the encoding unit is configured to use a low density parity check code.

23. The communications system of claim 19 , wherein the retransmission requesting unit is configured to request retransmission solely of that symbol or symbols that correspond to the identified symbol or symbols having low confidence.

24. The communications system of claim 19 , wherein the retransmitted part of the data block comprises one or more predetermined sub-blocks of the data block that contains that symbol or symbols that correspond to the identified symbol or symbols.