Patent ID: 7707475

Claim:
A method of transmitting digital data over a transmission medium, the method comprising: receiving by a receiver digital values representing a plurality of N-bit characters to be output over the transmission medium, each of the N-bit characters being either a data character or a control character; determining by a controller which, if any, of the plurality of N-bit characters are control characters; encoding by an encoder the digital values represented by the plurality of N-bit characters to provide an encoded codeword, the encoded codeword being {M×(N−1)+P} bits having M fields of N−1 bits, each of said M fields corresponding to one of the N-bit characters being encoded, wherein the encoding by the encoder further comprises: designating, for each data character, the respective field of the M fields as a data field, designating, for each control character, the respective field of the M fields as a control field, and ordering the M fields to position any control fields at predetermined positions with respect to each other in the encoded codeword and to position any data fields at other remaining positions within the encoded codeword; and transmitting by a transmitter the encoded codeword over the transmission medium; wherein M and N are integer values greater than 1, and wherein P is an integer value greater than or equal to 1.