Patent ID: 7146553

Claim:
A method of increasing error correction capability in an error correction system using a plurality of encoders and decoders using block coding wherein codewords are encoded and decoded using concatenated codes and utilizing iterative decoding, the method comprising the steps of: encoding data into codewords in multiple dimensions, with each dimension having a plurality of encoders; after transmission, decoding the codewords in each dimension with a plurality of decoders through a plurality of iterative decoding passes; checking the degree of the error locator polynomial providing an indication as to how many codeword errors are expected arid verifying that expectation by a number of solved polynomial roots found so that when the agree of the error locator polynomial is equal to a error correction capability of t and if the number of solved roots is also equal to t, then codeword correction is performed, else if the number of solved roots does not equal t for an error locator polynomial of degree t, then codeword correction is not performed to avoid codeword miscorrections; and if the codeword correction is to be performed, then correcting codeword errors for error locator polynomials through multiple successive iterative decoding passes with each pass having a degree that is less than the error correction capability of t so that probability of any codeword miscorrections is reduced.