Patent ID: 8683095

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: a receiver configured to receive data from a data source, wherein the data is transmitted in packets; a decoder configured to decode a packet identifier from a received packet, wherein the decoder performs error correction if an error exists in the packet identifier; a packet identification tracker configured to determine a packet identifier of a received packet based at least in part on prior packet information maintained by a first counter and a second counter, wherein the packet identification tracker: increments the first counter and the second counter; sets the first counter and the second counter equal to the decoded packet identifier if no error occurred during decoding; if the decoder corrects a number of bytes from the decoded packet identifier that is greater than or equal to a threshold, and if the decoded identifier equals to the second counter, then sets the first counter equal to the second counter, else sets the first counter equal to the decoded packet identifier; and outputs the first counter as the packet identifier.