Patent ID: 8503585

Claim:
A decoding method for determining a preferred survivor path in a decoding process, the method comprising: calculating a first determination value of a first survivor path at a first time point, the first determination value being determined by a first sub determination value and a second determination value at a second time point, the second time point being prior to the first time point; calculating a third determination value of a second survivor path at the first time point, the third determination value being determined by a second sub determination value and a fourth determination value at the second time point; when a difference between the first determination value and the third determination value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, determining the preferred survivor path at the first time point according to the second and the fourth determination values, or the first and the second sub determination values; and when a difference between the second determination value and the fourth determination value is less than or equal to the predetermined value, comparing a sub determination value corresponding to the second determination value of the first survivor path with a sub determination value corresponding to the fourth determination value of the second survivor path prior to a present time point, or comparing a determination value of the first survivor path at a previous time point prior to the second time point with a determination value of the second survivor path at the previous time point prior to the second time point until the difference between the individual determination values of the two paths at the same time point is larger than the predetermined value.