Abstract:
A transmission system comprising a transmitter comprising at least a first channel encoder for encoding source symbols into coded symbols and for setting at least one coding property thereof, and a further channel encoder for encoding the at least one coding property of the at least first channel encoder; and a receiver comprising at least a first channel decoder for deriving reconstructed source symbols from the coded symbols received from the transmitter and a further channel decoder for obtaining the at least one coding property by decoding the encoded coding property; wherein the receiver is capable of setting the at least one coding property of the at least first channel decoder according to the at least one coding property and the transmitter is capable of transmitting the encoded coding property to the receiver over a transmission channel.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a transmission system comprising a transmitter coupled via a transmission channel to a receiver, in which the transmitter comprises a channel encoder for encoding source symbols into coded symbols, and in which the receiver comprises a source decoder for deriving reconstructed source symbols from the coded symbols received from the transmission channel, the transmission system comprising coding property setting means for setting at least one coding property of the channel encoder and the channel decoder. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The present invention also relates to a transmitter and a receiver for use in such a transmission system. The invention further relates to a transmission method. 
     Such transmission systems can be used in applications where the quality of the transmission channel shows considerable variations. To enable a virtual error free transmission over such a transmission channel, in the transmitter the source symbols are encoded using a channel encoder according a code which has error correcting and/or error detecting capabilities. In the receiver the source symbols are reconstructed by a channel decoder. Useful codes can include convolutional codes and several types of block codes such as Reed-Solomon codes. Also a combination of a convolutional code with a block code is often used. 
     The ratio between the number of source symbols and the number of channel symbols of such a code is called the rate of the code. The error correction capabilities of such a code depend heavily on the rate of the code. In case of a transmission channel with a strongly varying transmission quality the rate of the used channel code should be chosen to obtain virtually error free transmission at the worst channel conditions. This leads to a loss of useful transmission capacity when the transmission quality is high. 
     To prevent this loss of transmission capacity, the transmission system can set the at least one coding property e.g. the rate of the channel encoder, in dependence on the transmission quality. It is further observed that it can be desirable to set the coding property of the channel encoder and decoder decoder in dependence of the type of source symbols to be transmitted. E.g. the transmission of data signals representing computer files, requires bit error rates below 10 −10 , and the transmission of digitized speech signal may require bit error rates only below 10 −4 . 
     The problem to be solved by the present invention is how to inform the receiver of a change of the at least one property of the channel encoder, in order to be able to decode it. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     To solve this problem the transmission system according to the present invention is characterized in that the transmitter comprises a further channel encoder for obtaining an encoded coding property from the at least one coding property, in that the transmitter is arranged for transmitting the encoded coding property to the receiver, in that the receiver comprises a further channel decoder for obtaining the at least one coding property from the encoded coding property, and in that the receiver is arranged for setting the at least one coding property of the channel decoder according to the at least one coding property. 
     By using a separate channel for transmitting the at least one coding property, it is obtained that the transmission of this coding property does not depend on the (main) channel coding scheme which might fail under rapidly changing channel conditions. Because in general the amount of information needed to communicate the at least one coding property is very small, a very strong error correcting coding scheme can be used in the further channel encoder. 
     An embodiment of the invention is characterized in that that the further channel encoder comprises a block encoder, and in that the further channel decoder comprises a block decoder. 
     The use of a combination of a block encoder and a block decoder enables an easy decoding, in particular when the amount of information to be transmitted is low. 
     A further embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the encoded symbols are arranged in frames, and in that the transmitter is arranged for splitting the encoded coding property into at least two parts, and for transmitting said at least two parts in subsequent frames. 
     By splitting the encoded coding property in at least two parts which are transmitted in subsequent frames, it becomes possible to choose longer codewords in order to obtain a further increased error correcting capability. 
     A still further embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the transmission system comprises transmission quality determining means for deriving a transmission quality measure from the channel decoder in the receiver, and means for transmitting via a further transmission channel the quality measure to the transmitter. 
     By using a return link from the receiver to the transmitter, it becomes easy to obtain a transmission quality at the transmitter. In a similar way, it is also possible to use transmission quality dependent channel encoding on a full duplex link. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawing figures. 
     FIG. 1 shows a transmission system according to the invention. 
     FIG. 2 shows a frame structure use in the transmission system according to FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The transmission system according to FIG. 1, comprises three important elements being the TRAU (Transcoder and Rate Adapter Unit)  2 , the BTS (Base Transceiver Station)  4  and the Mobile Station  6 . The TRAU  2  is coupled to the BTS  4  via the A-bis interface  8 . The BTS  4  is coupled to the Mobile Unit  6  via an Air Interface  10 . 
     A main signal being here a speech signal to be transmitted to the Mobile Unit  6 , is applied to a speech encoder  12 . A first output of the speech encoder  12  carrying an encoded speech signal, also referred to as source symbols, is coupled to a channel encoder  14  via the A-bis interface  8 . A second output of the speech encoder  12 , carrying a background noise level indicator B D  is coupled to an input of a system controller  16 . A first output of the system controller  16  carrying a coding property, being here a downlink rate assignment signal R D  is coupled to the speech encoder  12  and, via the A-bis interface, to coding property setting means  15  in the channel encoder  14  and to a further channel encoder being here a block coder  18 . A second output of the system controller  16  carrying an uplink rate assignment signal R U  is coupled to a second input of the channel encoder  14 . The two-bit rate assignment signal R U  is transmitted bit by bit over two subsequent frames. The rate assignment signals R D  and R U  constitute a request to operate the downlink and the uplink transmission system on a coding property represented by R D  and R U  respectively. 
     It is observed that the value of R D  transmitted to the mobile station  6  can be overruled by the coding property sequencing means  13  which can force a predetermined sequence of coding properties, as represented by the rate assignment signal R U , onto the block encoder  18  the channel encoder  14  and the speech encoder  13 . This predetermined sequence can be used for conveying additional information to the mobile station  6 , without needing additional space in the transmission frame. It is possible that more than one predetermined sequence of coding properties is used. Each of the predetermined sequences of coding properties corresponds to a different auxiliary signal value. 
     The system controller  16  receives from the A-bis interface quality measures Q U  and Q D  indicating the quality of the air interface  10  (radio channel) for the uplink and the downlink. The quality measure Q U  is compared with a plurality of threshold levels, and the result of this comparison is used by the system controller  16  to divide the available channel capacity between the speech encoder  36  and the channel encoder  38  of the uplink. The signal Q D  is filtered by low pass filter  22  and is subsequently compared with a plurality of threshold values. The result of the comparison is used to divide the available channel capacity between the speech encoder  12  and the channel encoder  14 . For the uplink and the downlink four different combinations of the division of the channel capacity between the speech encoder  12  and the channel encoder  14  are possible. These possibilities are presented in the table below. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 R x   
                 R SPEECH (kbit/s) 
                 R CHANNEL   
                 R TOTAL (kbit/s) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 0 
                 5.5 
                 ¼ 
                 22.8 
               
               
                   
                 1 
                 8.1 
                 ⅜ 
                 22.8 
               
               
                   
                 2 
                 9.3 
                 {fraction (3/7)} 
                 22.8 
               
               
                   
                 3 
                 11.1 
                 ½ 
                 22.8 
               
               
                   
                 0 
                 5.5 
                 ½ 
                 11.4 
               
               
                   
                 1 
                 7.0 
                 ⅝ 
                 11.4 
               
               
                   
                 2 
                 8.1 
                 ¾ 
                 11.4 
               
               
                   
                 3 
                 9.3 
                 {fraction (6/7)} 
                 11.4 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     From Table 1 it can be seen that the bitrate allocated to the speech encoder  12  and the rate of the channel encoder increases with the channel quality. This is possible because at better channel conditions the channel encoder can provide the required transmission quality (Frame Error Rate) using a lower bitrate. The bitrate saved by the larger rate of the channel encoder is exploited by allocating it to the speech encoder  12  in order to obtain a better speech quality. It is observed that the coding property is here the rate of the channel encoder  14 . The coding property setting means  15  are arranged for setting the rate of the channel encoder  14  according to the coding property supplied by the system controller  16 . 
     Under bad channel conditions the channel encoder needs to have a lower rate in order to be able to provide the required transmission quality. The channel encoder will be a variable rate convolutional encoder which encodes the output bits of the speech encoder  12  to which an 8 bit CRC is added. The variable rate can be obtained by using different convolutional codes having a different basic rate or by using puncturing of a convolutional code with a fixed basic rate. Preferably a combination of these methods is used. 
     In Table 2 presented below the properties of the convolutional codes given in Table 1 are presented. All these convolutional codes have a value v equal to 5. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 2 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 Pol/Rate 
                 1/2 
                 1/4 
                 3/4 
                 3/7 
                 3/8 
                 5/8 
                 6/7 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 G 1  = 43 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 000002 
               
               
                 G 2  = 45 
                   
                   
                   
                 003 
                   
                 00020 
               
               
                 G 3  = 47 
                   
                   
                 001 
                   
                 301 
                 01000 
               
               
                 G 4  = 51 
                   
                 4 
                   
                   
                   
                 00002 
                 101000 
               
               
                 G 5  = 53 
                   
                   
                   
                 202 
               
               
                 G 6  = 55 
                   
                 3 
                   
                   
               
               
                 G 7  = 57 
                 2 
                   
                   
                 020 
                 230 
               
               
                 G 8  = 61 
                   
                   
                 002 
               
               
                 G 9  = 65 
                 1 
                   
                 110 
                   
                 022 
                 02000 
                 000001 
               
               
                 G 10  = 66 
               
               
                 G 11  = 67 
                   
                 2 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 000010 
               
               
                 G 12  = 71 
                   
                   
                   
                 001 
               
               
                 G 13  = 73 
                   
                   
                   
                   
                 010 
               
               
                 G 14  = 75 
                   
                   
                   
                 110 
                 100 
                 10000 
                 000100 
               
               
                 G 15  = 77 
                   
                 1 
                   
                   
                   
                 00111 
                 010000 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     In Table 2 the values G i  represent the generator polynomials. The generator polynomials G(n) are defined according to: 
     
       
           G   i ( D )= g   0   ⊕g   1   ·D⊕ . . . ⊕g   n−1   ·D   n−1   ⊕g   n   ·D   n   (A) 
       
     
     In (1) ⊕ is a modulo-2 addition. i is the octal representation of the sequence g 0 , g 1 , . . . g v−1 , g v . 
     For each of the different codes the generator polynomials used in it, are indicated by a number in the corresponding cell. The number in the corresponding cell indicates for which of the source symbols, the corresponding generator polynomial is taken into account. Furthermore said number indicates the position of the coded symbol derived by using said polynomial in the sequence of source symbols. Each digit indicates the position in the sequence of channel symbols, of the channel symbol derived by using the indicated generator polynomial. For the rate 1/2 code, the generator polynomials  57  and  65  are used. For each source symbol first the channel symbol calculated according to polynomial  65  is transmitted, and secondly the channel symbol according to generator polynomial  57  is transmitted. In a similar way the polynomials to be used for determining the channel symbols for the rate 1/4 code can be determined from Table 3. The other codes are punctured convolutional codes. If a digit in the table is equal to 0, it means that the corresponding generator polynomial is not used for said particular source symbol. From Table 2 can be seen that some of the generator polynomials are not used for each of the source symbols. It is observed that the sequences of numbers in the table are continued periodically for sequences of input symbols longer than 1, 3, 5 or 6 respectively. 
     It is observed that Table 1 gives the values of the bitrate of the speech encoder  12  and the rate of the channel encoder  14  for a full rate channel and a half rate channel. The decision about which channel is used is taken by the system operator, and is signaled to the TRAU  2 , the BTS  4  and the Mobile Station  6 , by means of an out of band control signal, which can be transmitted on a separate control channel.  16 . To the channel encoder  14  also the signal R U  is applied. 
     The block coder  18  is present to encode the selected rate R D  for transmission to the Mobile Station  6 . This rate R D  is encoded in a separate encoder for two reasons. The first reason is that it is desirable to inform the channel decoder  28  in the mobile station of a new rate R D  before data encoded according to said rate arrives at the channel decoder  28 . A second reason is that it is desired that the value R D  is better protected against transmission errors than it is possible with the channel encoder  14 . To enhance the error correcting properties of the encoded R D  value even more, the codewords are split in two parts which are transmitted in separate frames. This splitting of the codewords allows longer codewords to be chosen, resulting in further improved error correcting capabilities. 
     The block coder  18  encodes the coding property R D  which is represented by two bits into an encoded coding property encoded according to a block code with codewords of 16 bits if a full rate channel is used. If a half rate channel is used, a block code with codewords of 8 bits are used to encode the coding property. The codewords used are presented below in Table 3 and Table 4. 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 3 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Half Rate Channel 
               
             
          
           
               
                 R D [1] 
                 R D [2] 
                 C 0   
                 C 1   
                 C 2   
                 C 3   
                 C 4   
                 C 5   
                 C 6   
                 C 7   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
               
               
                 0 
                 1 
                 0 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
               
               
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 0 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
               
               
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 4 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Half Rate Channel 
               
             
          
           
               
                 R D [1] 
                 R D [2] 
                 C 0   
                 C 1   
                 C 2   
                 C 3   
                 C 4   
                 C 5   
                 C 6   
                 C 7   
                 C 8   
                 C 9   
                 C 10   
                 C 11   
                 C 12   
                 C 13   
                 C 14   
                 C 15   
               
               
                   
               
               
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
                 0 
               
               
                 0 
                 1 
                 0 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 0 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
               
               
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 0 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 0 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
               
               
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
                 1 
                 1 
                 1 
                 0 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     From Table 3 and Table 4, it can be seen that the codewords used for a full rate channel are obtained by repeating the codewords used for a half rate channel, resulting in improved error correcting properties. In a half-rate channel, the symbols C 0  to C 3  are transmitted in a first frame, and the bits C 4  to C 7  are transmitted in a subsequent frame. In a full-rate channel, the symbols C 0  to C 7  are transmitted in a first frame, and the bits C 8  to C 15  are transmitted in a subsequent frame. 
     The outputs of the channel encoder  14  and the block encoder  18  are transmitted in time division multiplex over the air interface  10 . It is however also possible to use CDMA for transmitting the several signals over the air interface  10 . In the Mobile Station  6 , the signal received from the air interface  10  is applied to a channel decoder  28  and to a further channel decoder being here a block decoder  26 . The block decoder  26  is arranged for deriving the coding property represented by the R D  bits by decoding the encoded coding property represented by codeword C 0  . . . C N , in which N is 7 for the half rate channel and N is 15 for the full rate channel. 
     The block decoder  26  is arranged for calculating the correlation between the four possible codewords and its input signal. This is done in two passes because the codewords are transmitted in parts in two subsequent frames. After the input signal corresponding to the first part of the codeword has been received, the correlation value between the first parts of the possible codewords and the input value are calculated and stored. When in the subsequent frame, the input signal corresponding to the second part of the codeword is received, the correlation value between the second parts of the possible codewords and the input signal are calculated and added to the previously stored correlation value, in order to obtain the final correlation values. The value of R D  corresponding to the codeword having the largest correlation value with the total input signal, is selected as the received codeword representing the coding property, and is passed to the output of the block decoder  26 . The output of the block decoder  26  is connected to a control input of the property setting means in the channel decoder  28  and to a control input of the speech decoder  30  for setting the rate of the channel decoder  28  and the bitrate of the speech decoder  30  to a value corresponding to the signal R D . 
     The channel decoder  28  decodes its input signal, and presents at a first output an encoded speech signal to an input of a speech decoder  30 . 
     The channel decoder  28  presents at a second output a signal BFI (Bad Frame Indicator) indicating an incorrect reception of a frame. This BFI signal is obtained by calculating a checksum over a part of the signal decoded by a convolutional decoder in the channel decoder  28 , and by comparing the calculated checksum with the value of the checksum received from the air interface  10 . 
     The speech decoder  30  is arranged for deriving a replica of the speech signal of the speech encoder  12  from the output signal of the channel decoder  20 . In case a BFI signal is received from the channel decoder  28 , the speech decoder  30  is arranged for deriving a speech signal based on the previously received parameters corresponding to the previous frame. If a plurality of subsequent frames are indicated as bad frame, the speech decoder  30  can be arranged for muting its output signal. 
     The channel decoder  28  provides at a third output the decoded signal R U . The signal R U  represents a coding property being here a bitrate setting of the uplink. Per frame the signal R U  comprises 1 bit (the RQI bit). In a deformatter  34  the two bits received in subsequent frames are combined in a bitrate setting R U ′ for the uplink which is represented by two bits. This bitrate setting R U ′ which selects one of the possibilities according to Table 1 to be used for the uplink is applied to a control input of a speech encoder  36 , to a control input of a channel encoder  38 , and to an input of a further channel encoder being here a block encoder  40 . If the channel decoder  20  signals a bad frame by issuing a BFI signal, the decoded signal R U  is not used for setting the uplink rate, because it is regarded as unreliable. 
     The channel decoder  28  provides at a fourth output a quality measure MMDd. This measure MMD can easily be derived when a Viterbi decoder is used in the channel decoder. This quality measure is filtered in the processing unit  32  according to a first order filter. For the output signal of the filter in the processing unit  32  can be written: 
     
       
           MMD′[n]= (1−α)· MMD[n]+α·MMD′[n− 1]  (B) 
       
     
     After the bitrate setting of the channel decoder  28  has been changed in response to a changed value of R D , the value of MMD′[n−1] is set to a typical value corresponding to the long time average of the filtered MMD for the newly set bitrate and for a typical downlink channel quality. This is done to reduce transient phenomena when switching between different values of the bitrate. 
     The output signal of the filter is quantized with 2 bits to a quality indicator Q D . The quality indicator Q D  is applied to a second input of the channel encoder  38 . The 2 bit quality indicator Q D  is transmitted once each two frames using one bit position in each frame. 
     A speech signal applied to the speech encoder  36  in the mobile station  6  is encoded and passed to the channel encoder  38 . The channel encoder  38  calculates a CRC value over its input bits, adds the CRC value to its input bits, and encodes the combination of input bits and CRC value according to the convolutional code selected by the signal R U ′ from Table 1. 
     The block encoder  40  encodes the signal R U ′ represented by two bits according to Table 3 or Table 4 dependent on whether a half-rate channel or a full-rate channel is used. Also here only half a codeword is transmitted in a frame. 
     The output signals of the channel encoder  38  and the block encoder  40  in the mobile station  6  are transmitted via the air interface  10  to the BTS  4 . In the BTS  4 , the block coded signal R U ′ is decoded by a further channel decoder being here a block decoder  42 . The operation of the block decoder  42  is the same as the operation of the block decoder  26 . At the output of the block decoder  42  a decoded coding property represented by a signal R U ″ is available. This decoded signal R U ″ is applied to a control input of coding property setting means in a channel decoder  44  and is passed, via the A-bis interface, to a control input of a speech decoder  48 . 
     In the BTS  4 , the signals from the channel encoder  38 , received via the air interface  10 , are applied to the channel decoder  44 . The channel decoder  44  decodes its input signals, and passes the decoded signals via the A-bis interface  8  to the TRAU  2 . The channel decoder  44  provides a quality measure MMDu representing the transmission quality of the uplink to a processing unit  46 . The processing unit  46  performs a filter operation similar to that performed in the processing unit  32  and  22 . Subsequently the result of the filter operation is quantized in two bits and transmitted via the A-bis interface  8  to the TRAU  2 . 
     In the system controller  16 , a decision unit  20  determines the bitrate setting R U  to be used for the uplink from the quality measure Q U . Under normal circumstances, the part of the channel capacity allocated to the speech coder will increase with increasing channel quality. The rate R U  is transmitted once per two frames. 
     The signal Q D ′ received from the channel decoder  44  is passed to a processing unit  22  in the system controller  16 . In the processing unit  22 , the bits representing Q D ′ received in two subsequent frames are assembled, and the signal Q D ′ is filtered by a first order low-pass filter, having similar properties as the low pass filter in the processing unit  32 . 
     The filtered signal Q D ′ is compared with two threshold values which depend on the actual value of the downlink rate R D . If the filtered signal Q D ′ falls below the lowest of said threshold value, the signal quality is too low for the rate R D , and the processing unit switches to a rate which is one step lower than the present rate. If the filtered signal Q D ′ exceeds the highest of said threshold values, the signal quality is too high for the rate R D , and the processing unit switches to a rate which is one step higher than the present rate. The decision taking about the uplink rate R U  is similar as the decision taking about the downlink rate R D . 
     Again, under normal circumstances, the part of the channel capacity allocated to the speech coder will increase with increasing channel quality. Under special circumstances the signal R D  can also be used to transmit a reconfiguration signal to the mobile station. This reconfiguration signal can e.g. indicate that a different speech encoding/decoding and or channel coding/decoding algorithm should be used. This reconfiguration signal can be encoded using a special predetermined sequence of R D  signals. This special predetermined sequence of R D  signals is recognised by an escape sequence decoder  31  in the mobile station, which is arranged for issuing a reconfiguration signal to the effected devices when a predetermined (escape) sequence has been detected. The escape sequence decoder  30  can comprise a shift register in which subsequent values of R D  are clocked. By comparing the content of the shift register with the predetermined sequences, it can easily be detected when an escape sequence is received, and which of the possible escape sequences is received. 
     An output signal of the channel decoder  44 , representing the encoded speech signal, is transmitted via the A-Bis interface to the TRAU  2 . In the TRAU  2 , the encoded speech signal is applied to the speech decoder  48 . A signal BFI at the output of the channel decoder  44 , indicating the detecting of a CRC error, is passed to the speech decoder  48  via the A-Bis interface  8 . The speech decoder  48  is arranged for deriving a replica of the speech signal of the speech encoder  36  from the output signal of the channel decoder  44 . In case a BFI signal is received from the channel decoder  44 , the speech decoder  48  is arranged for deriving a speech signal based on the previously received signal corresponding to the previous frame, in the same way as is done by the speech decoder  30 . If a plurality of subsequent frames are indicated as bad frame, the speech decoder  48  can be arranged for performing more advanced error concealment procedures. 
     FIG. 2 shows the frame format used in a transmission system according to the invention. The speech encoder  12  or  36  provides a group  60  of C-bits which should be protected against transmission errors, and a group  64  of U-bits which do not have to be protected against transmission errors. The further sequence comprises the U-bits. The decision unit  20  and the processing unit  32  provide one bit RQI  62  per frame for signalling purposes as explained above. 
     The above combination of bits is applied to the channel encoder  14  or  38  which first calculates a CRC over the combination of the RQI bit and the C-bits, and appends 8 CRC bits behind the C-bits  60  and the RQI bit  62 . The U-bits are not involved with the calculation of the CRC bits. The combination  66  of the C-bits  60  and the RQI bit  62  and the CRC bits  68  are encoded according to a convolutional code into a coded sequence  70 . The encoded symbols comprise the coded sequence  70 . The U-bits remain unchanged. 
     The number of bits in the combination  66  depends on the rate of the convolutional encoder and the type of channel used, as is presented below in Table 5. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 5 
               
               
                   
               
               
                 #bits/rate 
                 1/2 
                 1/4 
                 3/4 
                 3/7 
                 3/8 
                 5/8 
                 6/7 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 Full rate 
                 217 
                 109 
                   
                 189 
                 165 
                   
                   
               
               
                 Half rate 
                 105 
                   
                 159 
                   
                   
                 125 
                 174 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The two R A  bits which represent the coding property are encoded in codewords  74 , which represent the encoded coding property, according the code displayed in Table 3 or 4, dependent on the available transmission capacity (half rate or full rate). This encoding is only performed once in two frames. The codewords  74  are split in two parts  76  and  78  and transmitted in the present frame and the subsequent frame.