Patent ID: 7173974

Claim:
A method of approximating log-likelihood ratio metrics for a plurality of turbo encoded symbols, the plurality of turbo encoded symbol having been modulated with M-ary phase shift keyed signal constellations having gray code labeling, the method comprising the steps of: extracting a complex-valued modulation symbol soft decision on a modulation symbol, the modulation symbol being associated with a plurality of turbo encoded symbols, the complex-valued modulation symbol soft decision having an in-phase component and a quadrature component; scaling the quadrature component to obtain a log-likelihood ratio metric for a most-significant code symbol of the modulation symbol; scaling the in-phase component to obtain a log-likelihood ratio metric for a second-most-significant code symbol of the modulation symbol; and applying a product of a first number and a second number to the complex-valued modulation symbol soft decision to obtain log-likelihood ratio metrics for remaining code symbols of the modulation symbol, the first number being dependent on a magnitude of the complex-valued modulation symbol soft decision, and the second number being dependent on a phase of the complex-valued modulation symbol soft decision.