Enhanced puncturing and low-density parity-check (LDPC) code structure

1. A wireless-communication-device implemented method for wireless communications across a wireless radio channel at varying communication rates within a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices, the method comprising:

encoding, via an encoder of a wireless communication device, a set of information bits based on a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code to produce a code word, the LDPC code defined by a base graph having a first number of variable nodes and a second number of check nodes;

puncturing, via a puncturing module of the wireless communication device according to a puncturing pattern, bits in the code word corresponding to at least two of the first number of variable nodes in the base graph to produce a punctured code word,

wherein the base graph includes at least one additional variable node for the at least two punctured variable nodes, and wherein each additional variable node is connected to one check node, the check node coupled to a pair of punctured variable nodes; and

transmitting a radio frequency signal comprising transmit symbols associated with the punctured code word via an antenna of the wireless communication device across the wireless radio channel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a higher degree of connectivity to the check nodes than the other variable nodes in the base graph.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes comprise M variable nodes, and wherein the at least one additional variable node comprises M−1 variable nodes.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first number of variable nodes is 27 or 28 variable nodes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a first degree of connectivity to the check nodes that is lower than a second degree of connectivity of a variable node in a reference LDPC code.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating at least one lifted LDPC code by taking Z copies of the LDPC code defined by the base graph with the at least two punctured variable nodes and the at least one additional variable node.

7. An apparatus for wireless communications across a wireless radio channel at varying communication rates within a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices, the apparatus comprising:

means for encoding a set of information bits based on a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code to produce a code word, the LDPC code defined by a base graph having a first number of variable nodes and a second number of check nodes;

means for puncturing bits in the code word corresponding to at least two of the first number of variable nodes in the base graph to produce a punctured code word,

wherein the base graph includes at least one additional variable node for the at least two punctured variable nodes, and wherein each additional variable node is connected to one check node, the check node coupled to a pair of punctured variable nodes; and

means for transmitting a radio frequency signal comprising transmit symbols associated with the punctured code word.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a higher degree of connectivity to the check nodes than the other variable nodes in the base graph.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes comprise M variable nodes, and wherein the at least one additional variable node comprises M−1 variable nodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first number of variable nodes is 27 or 28 variable nodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a first degree of connectivity to the check nodes that is lower than a second degree of connectivity of a variable node in a reference LDPC code.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:

means for generating at least one lifted LDPC code by taking Z copies of the LDPC code defined by the base graph with the at least two punctured variable nodes and the at least one additional variable node.

13. An apparatus for wireless communications across a wireless radio channel at varying communication rates within a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices, comprising:

at least one processor coupled with a memory and configured to:

encode a set of information bits based on a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code to produce a code word, the LDPC code defined by a base graph having a first number of variable nodes and a second number of check nodes; and

puncture bits in the code word corresponding to at least two of the first number of variable nodes in the base graph to produce a punctured code word,

wherein the base graph includes at least one additional variable node for the at least two punctured variable nodes, and wherein each additional variable node is connected to one check node, the check node coupled to a pair of punctured variable nodes; and

a transmitter configured to transmit a radio frequency signal comprising transmit symbols associated with the punctured code word via an antenna of the apparatus across the wireless radio channel.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a higher degree of connectivity to the check nodes than the other variable nodes in the base graph.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes comprise M variable nodes, and wherein the at least one additional variable node comprises M−1 variable nodes.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the first number of variable nodes is 27 or 28 variable nodes.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a first degree of connectivity to the check nodes that is lower than a second degree of connectivity of a variable node in a reference LDPC code.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

generate at least one lifted LDPC code by taking Z copies of the LDPC code defined by the base graph with the at least two punctured variable nodes and the at least one additional variable node.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable code stored thereon for wireless communications across a wireless radio channel at varying communication rates within a wireless communication network comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices, the code comprising:

code for encoding, via an encoder of a wireless communication device, a set of information bits based on a low-density parity-check (LDPC) code to produce a code word, the LDPC code defined by a base graph having a first number of variable nodes and a second number of check nodes;

code for puncturing, via a puncturing module of the wireless communication device according to a puncturing pattern, bits in the code word corresponding to at least two of the first number of variable nodes in the base graph to produce a punctured code word,

wherein the base graph includes at least one additional variable node for the at least two punctured variable nodes, wherein each additional variable node is connected to one check node, the check node coupled to a pair of punctured variable nodes; and

code for transmitting a radio frequency signal comprising transmit symbols associated with the punctured code word via an antenna of the wireless communication device across the wireless radio channel.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a higher degree of connectivity to the check nodes than the other variable nodes in the base graph.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes comprise M variable nodes, and wherein the at least one additional variable node comprises M−1 variable nodes.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the first number of variable nodes is 27 or 28 variable nodes.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the at least two punctured variable nodes have a first degree of connectivity to the check nodes that is lower than a second degree of connectivity of a variable node in a reference LDPC code.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising:

code for generating at least one lifted LDPC code by taking Z copies of the LDPC code defined by the base graph with the at least two punctured variable nodes and the at least one additional variable node.