Patent ID: 7076005

Claim:
A method for detecting a correct transmission format upon encountering a decoding error in a variable-format transmission scheme, wherein the decoding error results from an unsuccessful decoding of a frame including data, comprising: prioritizing a plurality of permissible formats, resulting in a prioritized order; and decoding the data according to one or more of said permissible formats in said prioritized order, and if said decoding according to one of said permissible formats is successful, selecting the corresponding permissible format as the correct transmission format; wherein said prioritizing comprises: determining a metric for each of said plurality of permissible formats; and ordering said permissible formats according to said metrics to form said prioritized order; wherein the frame further includes a format indication corresponding to a first format, wherein a permissible format indication corresponds to each of said plurality of permissible formats, and wherein said metrics are a function of the indication and the corresponding permissible format indication.