METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTINUOUS CROSS-CHANNEL INTERLEAVING

摘要

A method of interleaving data for transmission is provided wherein first (10 6) and second (108) interleaving patterns for arranging data symbols in a sourc e data stream (110) into first (106) and second (108) transmitted data streams are selected. Each of said data symbols has at least one bit. The first (106 ) and second (108) transmitted data streams are transmitted substantially simultaneously on separate transmission channels (102 and 104) to at least o ne receiver. The first (106) and second (108) patterns are used to transmit the data symbols in the source data stream (110) in a different order on the respective transmission channels (106 and 108) to maximize recovery of the source data stream (110) when the transmission channels (106 and 108) are blocked. The selected interleaving patterns can involve reordering the data symbols throughout the first (106) and second (108) transmitted data streams (106 and 108) using different reordering criteria. The reordering criteria c an vary on a frame-by-frame basis if the source data stream (110) is time division multiplexed. Complementary data can be sent on respective transmission channels (102 and 104).