JP2009088720A - Radio receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a radio receiver for performing decoding processing a plurality of times by reducing the necessity of a re-transmission request even when the decoding of reception data is unsuccessful. <P>SOLUTION: The decoding means of the radio receiver decodes data by LDPC decoding, which is encoded by an LDPC code. In the LDPC decoding, likelihood is obtained by each bit of block data with a prescribed length. When the failure of decoding is determined by error checking, the likelihood of one or a plurality of bits with the smaller absolute value of the likelihood is replaced with a prescribed optimal value, and then, decoding is performed again. In the LDPC decoding, perfect parallelization processing is possible and time for decoding processing is short. Thus, the decoding processing can be performed a plurality of times till the reception of the succeeding block data. Besides, the decoding is performed by replacing the likelihood with low reliability with another value, so that the decoding is not the one for one and the same data and the decoding processing is made to be the processing after replacement with more reliable value. Thus, higher probability for successful decoding is obtained, thereby reducing the necessity of the re-transmission request. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a radio reception apparatus that receives encoded data and decodes the received data in radio communication, and more particularly to radio reception that decodes received data encoded by an LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) code. Relates to the device.

  On the transmission side in wireless communication, data is encoded and transmitted from a transmission antenna. For example, a convolutional code or a turbo code is used for the encoding. On the receiving side, the encoded data is received by the receiving antenna via the propagation path. The received data is demodulated and then decoded by a decoder. In the case of a convolutional code, for example, Viterbi decoding is used, and in the case of a turbo code, for example, turbo decoding is used. When the decryption process is completed, the success / failure of decryption (with / without error) is determined (error check). CRC is often used for error checking. Data determined to be successfully decoded by the error check is sent to an upper layer. On the other hand, if the error check determines that decoding has failed, the data is discarded and a retransmission request is sent to send the same data again. The retransmission request is sent from the reception side to the transmission side, and the transmission side that has received the retransmission request transmits the requested data again.

  Here, Viterbi decoding and turbo decoding will be briefly described. Viterbi decoding is one of the maximum likelihood decoding methods and is a method for decoding a convolutional code. The principle is that, from the received data, the path that is considered to be closest to the path on the trellis diagram that was passed when the convolutional coding was performed on the transmission side is selected in order. Since it is necessary to sequentially decode the received signal (encoded signal), it takes a time corresponding to the length of the received signal in principle to complete the entire processing. When convolutional coding is performed, a plurality of codewords corresponding to the coding rate are output in parallel. If this is transmitted in parallel, the received signal length is the same as the signal length before encoding. The time required for decoding is the same as the length of data before encoding.

  The turbo code is a code using two or more convolutional codes, and is generally generated from information bits, convolutional code 1 generated in the input order of the information bits, and interleaved (reordered) information bits. The convolutional code 2 is included. The basic principle of the turbo decoding method for decoding the turbo code is to estimate the path on the trellis diagram that has passed when encoding is performed from the received data, similarly to Viterbi decoding. The turbo decoding is characterized in that decoding is performed even after deinterleaving, and the decoding is repeated several to dozens of times. This makes it possible to obtain very high decoding performance, but it takes many times longer than Viterbi decoding.

  In addition, since Viterbi decoding and turbo decoding must decode received data in order from the front (after), in principle, complete parallel processing is impossible (in actual turbo decoding circuits, various devices are used). Partly parallel processing).

  On the other hand, LDPC decoding is known (Non-Patent Document 1), and it has been proposed to use an LDPC decoding method as a data decoding method in wireless communication (Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3). LDPC decoding is a method of decoding an LDPC code (Low Density Parity Check), and is used as a general term for the sum-product method and min-sum method for decoding an LDPC code. As its name suggests, LDPC code is a linear code defined by a check matrix with a very small number of 1's in the matrix, and the LDPC code itself was invented in the 1960s. Re-evaluated and expected as a next-generation error correction code.

LDPC code is
・ Decoding performance approaching the theoretical limit (Shannon limit) (If the code length is long, it exceeds the turbo code. There is also an experimental result that the code length is 1 million and 0.3 dB from the Shannon limit)
・ Decoding time is proportional to code length (Computation amount does not increase exponentially with respect to code length, and the sum-product algorithm can be used to reduce the amount of computation. ・ Decoding process can be parallelized (theoretical Can be decrypted in parallel)
It has the characteristics.

  In particular, LDPC decoding (sum-product decoding) is capable of full parallel processing in principle, and by performing full parallel processing, two clocks (one α calculation and one β calculation are performed for each clock) regardless of the code length. Can be processed. However, LDPC decoding is also an iterative decoding method, and decoding needs to be repeated several to several tens of times. Also, depending on the code length, if an attempt is made to design a circuit for completely parallel processing of LDPC decoding, the circuit scale increases.

  Comparison of processing times of Viterbi decoding, turbo decoding, and LDPC decoding will be described with a simple example.

Example)
5000 bits of information bits are encoded at a coding rate of 1/2 by each encoding method of convolutional code, turbo code, and LDPC code, and a 10000-bit code word is generated and transmitted. The time taken when receiving this codeword on the receiving side and performing decoding processing by each decoding method of Viterbi decoding, turbo decoding, and LDPC decoding (sum-product decoding) is as follows. Here, the number of iterations of turbo decoding is 10 and the number of iterations of LDPC decoding is 30.
-Viterbi decoding Since the number of data before encoding is 5000 bits, if it takes 1 clock per bit, the time taken to process all is
5000 clocks.
・ Turbo decoding As with Viterbi decoding, the time required for one decoding is 5000 clocks. Since it is decoded once more after interleaving it, “× 2” (ignoring the processing time of interleaving etc.) is required, and if iterative decoding is repeated 10 times, it is necessary to do “× 10”, so the total processing time is ,
5000 × 2 × 10 = 100000 clocks.
・ LDPC decoding (sum-product decoding)
When fully parallel processing is performed, processing can be performed in two clocks (α and β operations are performed in one clock each) regardless of the code length. When iterative decoding is performed 30 times, it is necessary to do “× 30”, so the total processing time is
2 x 30 = 60 clocks.

Thus, the processing time of LDPC decoding is very short compared to that of Viterbi decoding and turbo decoding. Although this is an overwhelmingly simple calculation that requires a short time for the decoding process, in principle there is a large difference in processing time as described above. (Circuit scale is ignored.) Viterbi decoding and turbo decoding are longer in processing time than LDPC decoding, and repeating the decoding causes a communication delay.
JP 2006-60695 A JP 2005-347883 A JP 2003-348064 A "Low-density parity check code and its decoding method" (June 5, 2002, published by Triqueps Co., Ltd., written by Tadashi Wadayama)

  As described above, when it is determined that the decoding has failed due to the error check, a retransmission request is currently made and the same data is transmitted again. Accordingly, time and bandwidth are lost due to the retransmission request.

  It is assumed that the data is decoded again without requesting retransmission, but even if the data once failed to be decoded is decoded again, it will only fail in the same way. There is a need to improve the data.

  Even if some improvement measures are applied to the data, Viterbi decoding and turbo decoding require a relatively long time for one decoding, so a communication delay is caused by re-decoding and a desired communication rate is secured. Can not.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a radio reception apparatus that reduces the necessity of a retransmission request and performs a decoding process a plurality of times even when reception data decoding fails.

  In order to achieve the above object, a first configuration of a radio receiving apparatus according to the present invention is a radio receiving apparatus that receives and decodes block data of a predetermined length encoded by an LDPC code, and performs a bit-wise likelihood of block data. A block that constitutes block data when it is determined that there is an error by a decoding unit that obtains a degree of data by LDPC decoding, an error check unit that determines whether there is an error in the decoding result by the decoding unit, and an error check unit A likelihood replacement unit that replaces the likelihood of predetermined bit data with a predetermined optimal value, and the decoding unit re-decodes block data including the bit data replaced with the optimal value by the likelihood replacement unit Is a requirement.

  According to a second configuration of the wireless reception apparatus of the present invention, in the first configuration, the predetermined bit data is required to be bit data having the lowest likelihood absolute value.

  According to a third configuration of the wireless reception apparatus of the present invention, in the second configuration, the optimum value has two values, and the likelihood replacement unit replaces the likelihood of the predetermined bit data with one optimum value. The decoding unit re-decodes the block data including the predetermined bit data replaced with the one optimum value by the likelihood replacement unit, and the error check unit determines that there is an error in the re-decoding result In this case, the likelihood replacement unit replaces the likelihood of the predetermined bit data with the other optimal value, and the decoding unit replaces the predetermined bit with the other optimal value by the likelihood replacement unit. It is a requirement that the block data including the data is decoded again and again.

  According to a fourth configuration of the wireless reception apparatus of the present invention, in the first configuration, the predetermined bit data is a plurality of bit data selected in ascending order of absolute value of likelihood among the bit data. Is a requirement.

  According to a fifth configuration of the radio reception failure of the present invention, in the fourth configuration, the optimal value is binary, and when the error check unit determines that there is an error in the decoding result, the likelihood replacement unit is It is a requirement that decoding is performed by sequentially replacing the likelihood of the selected bit data with one of the optimum values with different replacement patterns.

  According to the wireless reception device of the present invention, by performing LDPC decoding on data encoded by an LDPC code, a time for re-decoding is ensured, and when decoding fails, a bit having a low absolute value of likelihood is added. By replacing the optimum value and performing re-decoding, the possibility of successful decoding can be increased and the need for a retransmission request can be reduced.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, such an embodiment does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, the decoding means of the radio receiving apparatus decodes data encoded by the LDPC code by LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) decoding (sum-product method, min-sum method, etc.). To do. In LDPC decoding, the likelihood for each bit of block data of a predetermined length is obtained, and when it is determined that decoding has failed by error check, the likelihood of one or more bits having a small absolute value of the likelihood is predetermined. It replaces with the optimal value of and performs decoding again. In LDPC decoding, complete parallel processing is possible, and the time required for decoding processing is short. Therefore, decoding can be performed multiple times before receiving the next block data, and the likelihood of low reliability is low. Decoding by replacing the degree with another value eliminates the decoding of the same data, and the decoding process is performed by replacing it with a more reliable value, so the possibility of successful decoding increases and the need for a retransmission request Can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a block configuration example of a radio reception apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The transmission unit 11 of the wireless transmission device 10 encodes data stored in the transmission buffer 12 using an LDPC code and transmits the encoded data. Data transmitted from the transmission unit 11 is received by the antenna of the wireless reception device 20 via the propagation path. The received data is demodulated by the receiving unit 21 and then sent to the LDPC decoding unit 22, and the LDPC decoding unit 22 performs LDPC decoding on the received data.

  The error check unit 23 determines whether the decoding unit 22 succeeds in decoding (with an error) / decoding failure (without an error) by a method such as CRC check. Data determined by the error check unit 23 as being successfully decoded is sent to a higher layer.

  On the other hand, when the error check unit 23 determines that the decoding has failed, the likelihood replacement unit 24 sets the likelihood having the lowest absolute value among the likelihoods of the respective bits obtained by the LDPC decoding unit 22 to a predetermined optimal value. Replace with a value.

  The LDPC decoding unit 22 calculates the likelihood of the input received data. Each bit of data transmitted from the transmission unit 11 is transmitted as one of predetermined values (referred to as optimum values) such as binary (+1, −1), for example. Each bit in the received data becomes a value different from the optimum value due to various factors such as attenuation in the propagation path, and the likelihood is expressed as a value of each bit of the received data. The greater the absolute value of this likelihood, the more likely it is. For example, the absolute value of the likelihood “−0.5” is “0.5”, the absolute value of the likelihood “+0.7” is “0.7”, and “+0.7 ”Is closer to the positive optimum value“ +1 ”, so the value is more likely. The absolute value of the likelihood of “−0.5” is “0.5”, which is smaller than the absolute value of the likelihood of “+0.7” “0.7”, and is relatively less likely.

  The reason for the failure in decoding is that there is a bit with a small absolute value of likelihood. Therefore, bit data with a low absolute value of likelihood (hereinafter simply referred to as a bit) is converted to a positive optimum value (+1). ) Or a negative optimum value (−1). Since each bit can only take either a positive optimum value or a negative optimum value, either one is always a correct value. Therefore, if both the block data assuming that the value of a predetermined bit having a low likelihood absolute value is a positive optimum value and the block data assuming a negative optimum value are re-decoded, either of them will improve the decoding result. , Either will go wrong.

  A plurality of bits having a low absolute value of likelihood may be selected, and each may be replaced with a positive and negative optimum value for re-decoding. For example, if a plurality of bits (for example, 3) having the lowest likelihood value are selected and replaced with positive and negative optimum values, there are 8 assumptions, of which 7 are incorrect. One is always correct. In this case, it is necessary to perform decoding in a maximum of eight ways, but the probability of successful decoding by re-decoding increases as the number of bits that are replaced with positive and negative optimum values among the bits having a relatively low absolute value of likelihood increases. Get higher.

  In FIG. 1, a likelihood replacement unit 24 replaces the likelihood of each bit with a positive or negative optimal value. The LDPC decoding unit 22 sends likelihood information obtained by the decoding process to the likelihood replacing unit 24 to the likelihood replacing unit 24. The likelihood replacement unit 24 obtains likelihood data (likelihood data) of each bit in the data (block data) in units of a predetermined number of bits from the LDPC decoding unit 22. Then, when receiving the decoding failure result information from the error check unit 23, the value of the bit (one or more) having a low absolute value of the likelihood is replaced with one of the positive and negative optimum values, and the data after the replacement Is sent to the LDPC decoding unit 22.

  For example, data in which the bit with the lowest absolute value of the likelihood is replaced with a positive optimum value is sent to the LDPC decoding unit 22, and the LDPC decoding unit 22 performs a decoding process. The error check unit 23 performs an error check on decoding, and if the decoding is successful, sends the data to an upper layer.

  On the other hand, in the case of decoding failure, the error check unit 23 sends the decoding result to the likelihood replacement unit 24. The likelihood replacement unit 24 subsequently replaces the bit having the lowest absolute value of the likelihood with a negative optimal value, sends the replaced data to the LDPC decoding unit 22, and repeats the above-described re-decoding process.

  When replacing the likelihood of a plurality of bits with an optimum value, the plurality of bits are selected in the order of decreasing absolute value of the likelihood, each selected bit is replaced with one of positive and negative optimum values, and the decoding process is repeated. In the case of decoding failure, the decoding is sequentially repeated by changing the replacement pattern of the positive and negative optimum values of each selected bit. If the decoding process for all the replacement patterns does not succeed in decoding, the likelihood replacement unit 24 sends the decoding result information (decoding failure) from the error check unit 23 to the retransmission request unit 25, and the retransmission request unit 25. Performs retransmission request processing. The retransmission request process is performed by a known procedure.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a block configuration example of the LDPC decoding unit. The likelihood calculation unit 221 calculates likelihood from the demodulated data (if the LDPC decoding algorithm is the min-sum method, the received data becomes the likelihood as it is). The calculated likelihood is stored in the likelihood data memory 222. The likelihood data memory 222 stores the likelihood data calculated by the likelihood calculation unit 221 and outputs the likelihood data to the β calculation unit 224 during β calculation of LDPC decoding.

  The α operation unit 223 performs an α operation for LDPC decoding, and the β operation unit 224 performs a β operation for LDPC decoding. In LDPC decoding, one α calculation is performed once and one β operation is performed (this is called one iteration). This iteration is repeated 20 to 30 times to obtain a final decoding result. The obtained decryption result is sent to the error check unit 23 to determine success / failure of the decryption.

  When the calculated likelihood is stored in the likelihood data memory 222 (or after it is stored), the likelihood replacement unit 23 accesses the likelihood data memory 222 to acquire stored likelihood data. , A predetermined number (one or more) of bits having a low likelihood absolute value is stored. Preferably, a predetermined number of bits are selected in order from the bit with the lowest absolute value of likelihood. When the error check unit 23 determines that decoding has failed and a failure notification is sent, the likelihood replacement unit 24 sets the data having the lowest absolute value of the likelihood in the likelihood data memory 222 as the optimum value. replace. For example, initially, it is assumed that the optimum value is positive (it may be either negative or negative), and the α calculation unit 223 and the β calculation unit 224 perform decoding again using the replaced data. The decoding result is checked for errors by the error checking unit 23. If the decoding is successful, the decoding result is sent to the upper layer and the decoding is completed. In the case of failure, since the failure notification is sent again to the likelihood replacement unit 24, this time, it is replaced with a negative optimum value (a positive optimum value if it was initially assumed to be a negative optimum value), Decoding processing (α calculation and β calculation) is performed again. If decoding still fails, the retransmission request unit 25 transmits a retransmission request to the transmission side (wireless transmission apparatus 10) as a final means.

  The above is the case where the likelihood replacement bit number is 1. When the number of likelihood replacement bits is 2 or more, two or more bits having a low absolute value of likelihood are stored. The number of likelihood replacement bits is variable depending on the setting. Even when replacement is performed with the optimum values, the number of combinations of positive and negative optimum values is the power of the number of likelihood replacement bits of 2. Therefore, it is necessary to decode data corresponding to all the combinations at the maximum. If the decoding is not successful even after trying all combinations, a retransmission request is transmitted.

  As described above, LDPC decoding can theoretically completely parallelize decoding processing. In LDPC decoding, LDPC decoding is performed by performing an α operation and a β operation, and it is possible to process all of the α operation and β operation in one clock. In other words, theoretically, regardless of the data length, all β operations can be decoded once with a total of 2 clocks of 1 clock and all α operations can be performed with 1 clock (although there are restrictions as a physical circuit) ).

  By making use of the feature of LDPC decoding, which is the complete parallelization of decoding processing, it is possible to create time for re-decoding a data block in which a bit value having a low absolute value of likelihood is replaced with an optimum value.

For example, when 10000 bits of data for one block are received at 10000 clocks, there is a time margin of 10000 clocks until the next block completes reception, and therefore decoding may be completed during this time. Here, when LDPC decoding is completely parallelized, if one decoding is performed with two clocks for one decoding and one repetition with 30 repetitions, one decoding is completed with 2 × 30 = 60 clocks. Here, when the decoding result is an error, assuming that data with a low absolute value of likelihood is assumed to be an optimal value, decoding can be simply attempted 10000 ÷ 60 = 166.67 times. Considering the number of bits, 2 ⁷ = 128, so it is possible to assume an optimum value up to 7 bits (7 likelihood replacement bits).

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a simulation result of BLER (BLock Error Rate) measurement. The measurement conditions are as shown in Table 1 below. In order to simplify the calculation, the code length is set to 100, and processing delay when actually configured by hardware is not considered. The horizontal axis is the number of likelihood replacement bits, and the vertical axis is BLER.

図３に示されるように、尤度を置き換えない場合（尤度置換ビット数＝０）、すなわち従来の方法では、ブロックエラー率＝0.859であるが、上述の本発明の実施の形態西多賀って、尤度置換ビット数を設定し、尤度を置き換えるビット数を増やしていくことにより、ブロックエラー率が改善し、尤度置換ビット数＝５では、ブロックエラー率＝0.716まで改善していることがわかる。

As shown in FIG. 3, when the likelihood is not replaced (the number of likelihood replacement bits = 0), that is, in the conventional method, the block error rate is 0.859, but the above-described embodiment of the present invention Nishitaga The block error rate is improved by setting the number of likelihood replacement bits and increasing the number of bits for replacing the likelihood. When the number of likelihood replacement bits is 5, the block error rate is improved to 0.716. I understand.

Since the maximum number of repetitions is 50 under the conditions in Table 1, if 2 clocks are required for each decoding, the decoding processing time for the maximum number of repetitions is 2 × 50 = 100 clocks, and the code length is 100 bits. Since it coincides with the data reception time, re-decoding cannot be performed. However, by increasing the code length, time for re-decoding can be created. For example, if the code length is 10000 bits, 10000 clocks can be secured for re-decoding (when receiving 1 bit per clock), and the likelihood replacement bit number can be 6 to 7 bits (in the case of 6 bits) , 64 (2 ⁶ ) replacements are 100 clocks each, so when replacing 6400 clocks and 7 bits, it takes 100 clocks for 128 replacements, so all 12800 clocks and 10000 clocks are re-decoded. Assuming that the time is for the second time, re-decoding can be performed up to the middle of the seventh bit).

  Viterbi decoding and turbo decoding require a decoding time according to the code length, so the time for re-decoding cannot be secured, but LDPC decoding has a decoding time that does not depend on the code length. With the above processing, re-decoding can be performed. Then, by replacing a bit with a low likelihood absolute value with an optimal value and performing re-decoding, the possibility of successful decoding can be increased, retransmission requests can be reduced, and communication speed can be improved.

It is a figure which shows the block structural example of the radio | wireless receiving apparatus in embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the block structural example of a LDPC decoding part. It is a figure which shows the simulation result of a block error rate (BLER: BLock Error Rate) measurement.

Explanation of symbols

  10: wireless transmission device, 20: wireless reception device, 21: reception unit, 22: LDPC decoding unit, 23: error check unit, 24: likelihood replacement unit, 25: retransmission request unit, 221: likelihood calculation unit, 222 : Likelihood data memory, 223: α computing unit, 224: β computing unit

Claims (5)

In a wireless reception device that receives and decodes block data of a predetermined length encoded by an LDPC code,
A decoding unit that obtains the likelihood of each bit of the block data and performs LDPC decoding of the block data;
An error check unit for determining whether there is an error in the decoding result by the decoding unit;
When it is determined by the error check unit that there is an error, a likelihood replacement unit that replaces the likelihood of the predetermined bit data constituting the block data with a predetermined optimal value,
The radio receiving apparatus, wherein the decoding unit re-decodes block data including the bit data replaced with the optimum value by the likelihood replacement unit. In claim 1,
The radio receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined bit data is bit data having the lowest absolute value of likelihood. In claim 2,
The optimal value is binary, and the likelihood replacement unit replaces the likelihood of the predetermined bit data with one optimal value,
The decoding unit re-decodes the block data including the predetermined bit data replaced with the one optimal value by the likelihood replacement unit, and the error check unit determines that there is an error in the decoding result again If
The likelihood replacement unit replaces the likelihood of the predetermined bit data with the other optimal value, and the decoding unit includes the predetermined bit data replaced with the other optimal value by the likelihood replacement unit A radio receiving apparatus which decodes block data again and again. In claim 1,
The radio reception apparatus, wherein the predetermined bit data is a plurality of bit data selected from the bit data in descending order of the absolute value of likelihood. In claim 4,
When the optimum value has two values, and the error check unit determines that there is an error in the decoding result, the likelihood replacement unit sequentially sets the likelihood of the selected bit data with the different replacement patterns in the optimum value. A radio receiving apparatus that performs decoding in place of either one.

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