Patent ID: 8386882

Claim:
A method for encoding data, comprising: receiving input data, wherein the input data includes a first portion and a second portion; determining, based at least in part on the first portion and without taking into consideration the second portion, whether the input data is associated with either a first set of values or a second set of values, wherein the first set of values has a signal margin that is greater than the second set of values; using a processor to encode the first portion using an error correction code to obtain output data corresponding to the first portion; outputting the output data corresponding to the first portion; in the event the input data is associated with the first set of values: obtaining output data corresponding to the second portion by applying less error correction coding protection to the second portion than if the input data were associated with the second set of values; and outputting the output data corresponding to the second portion obtained by applying less error correction coding protection to the second portion than if the input data were associated with the second set of values; and in the event the input data is associated with the second set of values: obtaining output data corresponding to the second portion by applying more error correction coding protection to the second portion than if the input data were associated with the first set of values; and outputting the output data corresponding to the second portion obtained by applying more error correction coding protection to the second portion than if the input data were associated with the first set of values.