Hybrid arq method with single constellation rearrangement

摘要

A hybrid ARQ retransmission method in a communication system, wherein data packets being encoded with a forward error correction (FEC) technique prior to transmission, are retransmitted based on an automatic repeat request and subsequently soft-combined with previously received erroneous data packets either on a symbol-by-symbol or a bit-by-bit basis. The symbols of said erroneous data packets are modulated by employing a predetermined first signal constellation. The symbols of the retransmitted data packets are modulated by employing at least a predetermined second signal constellation. Each symbol bit has a mean bit reliability defined by the individual bit reliabilities over all symbols of the predetermined signal constellation. According to the invention, the predetermined first and the at least second signal constellation are selected such that the combined mean bit reliabilities for the respective bits of all transmissions are averaged out.