Patent ID: 8824599

Claim:
A method comprising: in a receiver: generating, utilizing a sequence estimation process, estimates of transmitted symbols which comprise information symbols and one or more pilot symbols, wherein: for each of the information symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a first set of one or more values based on a search; each of the values in the first set comprises a value in a first modulation symbol constellation associated with the information symbols; for each of the one or more pilot symbols, a corresponding one of the generated estimates is selected from a second set of one or more values based on a predetermination; each of the values in the second set comprises a value in a second modulation symbol constellation not associated with the information symbols; and receiving the one or more pilot symbols at a pilot rate and a forward error correction (FEC) rate that adapts in presence of phase noise and AWGN according to a specified overall rate budget for the pilot rate and the FEC rate.