Patent ID: 8432963

Claim:
A method of encoding digital signals for transmission over a channel by allocating redundant channel encoding bits, the method comprising: subjecting said digital signals to multiple description coding to produce therefrom multiple description encoded signals; and allocating at least part of said redundant channel encoding bits to said multiple description encoded signals, wherein the allocating includes: allocating a first portion of said redundant channel encoding bits to unbalanced multiple description encoded signals; and allocating a second portion of said redundant channel encoding bits to unequal channel encoding of said multiple description encoded signals, wherein the unequal channel encoding includes protecting a first description of said multiple description encoded signals more heavily than a second description of said multiple description encoded signals, and wherein said unbalanced multiple description encoded signals comprise a set of descriptions including a larger description and a smaller description and wherein said first portion of said redundant channel encoding bits is allocated to channel encoding said smaller description in the set.