Method and system for advanced outer coding

1. A method for performing multi-layer packet coding (MLPC) in a communication device, the method comprising:

segmenting a data stream into a plurality of data segments;

encoding each of the plurality of data segments into a respective forward error correction (FEC) codeword of a plurality of FEC codewords;

performing first exclusive OR (XOR) operations on the plurality of FEC codewords to generate a plurality of first layer parity codewords;

parsing the plurality of first layer parity codewords into a plurality of sections;

performing at least one second XOR operation on the plurality of first layer parity codewords to generate at least one second layer parity codeword, including performing an XOR operation on the plurality of first layer parity codewords on a section-by-section basis to generate a second layer parity codeword for each of the plurality of sections; and

transmitting at least one of: the plurality of FEC codewords, the plurality of first layer parity codewords, or the at least one second layer parity codeword.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing at least one third XOR operation on a plurality of second layer parity codewords to generate at least one third layer parity codeword, and

wherein the transmitting includes transmitting at least one of: the plurality of FEC codewords, the plurality of first layer parity codewords, the plurality of second layer parity codewords, or the at least one third layer parity codeword.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to at least one failed FEC codeword of the transmitted plurality of FEC codewords; and

transmitting at least one of the plurality of first layer parity codewords or at least one of the at least one second layer parity codeword in a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission responsive to the NACK.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to a failed FEC codeword of the transmitted plurality of FEC codewords; and

retransmitting the failed FEC codeword in a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission responsive to the NACK; and

transmitting a first layer parity codeword in the HARQ transmission, wherein the first layer parity codeword is associated with the failed FEC codeword.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to a failed first layer parity codeword of the transmitted plurality of first layer parity codewords;

retransmitting the failed first layer parity codeword in a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission responsive to the NACK; and

transmitting a second layer parity codeword in the HARQ transmission, wherein the second layer parity codeword is associated with the failed first layer parity codeword.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a first type negative acknowledgement (NACK1) in response to a packet error rate (PER) of a k-th layer transmission exceeding a PER threshold, wherein a transmission of the plurality of FEC codewords is a zero-th layer transmission where k=0, a transmission of the plurality of first layer parity codewords is a first layer transmission where k=1, and a transmission of the at least one second layer parity codeword is a second layer transmission where k=2; and

retransmitting at least part of the k-th layer transmission responsive to the NACK1.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a second type negative acknowledgement (NACK2) in response to a packet error rate (PER) of a k-th layer transmission being greater than zero and equal to or less than a PER threshold, wherein a transmission of the plurality of FEC codewords is a zero-th layer transmission where k=0, a transmission of the plurality of first layer parity codewords is a first layer transmission where k=1, and a transmission of the at least one second layer parity codeword is a second layer transmission where k=2;

transmitting a (k+1) layer transmission responsive to the NACK2.

8. A communication device configured to perform multi-layer packet coding (MLPC), the communication device comprising:

at least one processor configured to segment a data stream into a plurality of data segments;

an inner encoder configured to encode each of the plurality of data segments into a respective forward error correction (FEC) codeword of a plurality of FEC codewords;

the at least one processor configured to perform first exclusive OR (XOR) operations on the plurality of FEC codewords to generate a plurality of first layer parity codewords;

the at least one processor is configured to parse the plurality of first layer parity codewords into a plurality of sections;

the at least one processor configured to perform at least one second XOR operation on the plurality of first layer parity codewords to generate at least one second layer parity codeword, including performing an XOR operation on the plurality of first layer parity codewords on a section-by-section basis to generate a second layer parity codeword for each of the plurality of sections; and

a transmitter configured to transmit at least one of: the plurality of FEC codewords, the plurality of first layer parity codewords, or the at least one second layer parity codeword.

9. The communication device of claim 8 , wherein:

the at least one processor is configured to perform at least one third XOR operation on a plurality of second layer parity codewords to generate at least one third layer parity codeword, and

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit at least one of: the plurality of FEC codewords, the plurality of first layer parity codewords, the plurality of second layer parity codewords, or the at least one third layer parity codeword.

10. The communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to at least one failed FEC codeword of the transmitted plurality of FEC codewords,

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit at least one of the plurality of first layer parity codewords or at least one of the at least one second layer parity codeword in a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission responsive to the NACK.

11. The communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to a failed FEC codeword of the transmitted plurality of FEC codewords,

wherein the transmitter is configured to:

retransmit the failed FEC codeword in a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission responsive to the NACK; and

transmit a first layer parity codeword in the HARQ transmission, wherein the first layer parity codeword is associated with the failed FEC codeword.

12. The communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of feedback bits, each feedback bit indicating an acknowledgement (ACK) or a negative acknowledgement (NACK) for a different one of a plurality of sections of a transport block, wherein a feedback bit indicates the NACK in response to at least one failed FEC codeword among transmitted FEC codewords in a corresponding section of the transport block, and

the transmitter is further configured to retransmit all the transmitted FEC codewords in the corresponding section responsive to the received NACK.

13. The communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a negative acknowledgement (NACK) corresponding to a failed first layer parity codeword of the transmitted plurality of first layer parity codewords,

wherein the transmitter is configured to:

retransmit the failed first layer parity codeword in a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) transmission responsive to the NACK; and

transmit a second layer parity codeword in the HARQ transmission, wherein the second layer parity codeword is associated with the failed first layer parity codeword.

14. The communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first type negative acknowledgement (NACK1) in response to a packet error rate (PER) of a k-th layer transmission exceeding a PER threshold, wherein a transmission of the plurality of FEC codewords is a zero-th layer transmission where k=0, a transmission of the plurality of first layer parity codewords is a first layer transmission where k=1, and a transmission of the at least one second layer parity codeword is a second layer transmission where k=2, and

wherein the transmitter is configured to retransmit at least part of the k-th layer transmission responsive to the NACK1.

15. The communication device of claim 8 , further comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a second type negative acknowledgement (NACK2) in response to a packet error rate (PER) of a k-th layer transmission being greater than zero and equal to or less than a PER threshold, wherein a transmission of the plurality of FEC codewords is a zero-th layer transmission where k=0, a transmission of the plurality of first layer parity codewords is a first layer transmission where k=1, and a transmission of the at least one second layer parity codeword is a second layer transmission where k=2, and

wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a (k+1) layer transmission responsive to the NACK2.