Patent ID: 7406650

Claim:
An apparatus, comprising: an input that is operable to receive a signal from a communication channel, wherein: the signal includes a first symbol, that includes a first number of bits, that has been symbol mapped to a first modulation; and the signal includes a second symbol, that includes a second number of bits, that has been symbol mapped to a second modulation; and one decoder that is operable to: make a first best estimate of the first number of bits within the first symbol; and make a second best estimate of the second number of bits within the second symbol; and a rate control sequencer that is operable to provide a rate control sequence, that includes a first rate control and a second rate control, to the one decoder; and wherein: the first symbol has been encoded using a first code rate; the second symbol has been encoded using a second code rate; the first rate control indicates the first code rate and the first modulation to the one decoder; and the second rate control indicates the second code rate and the second modulation to the one decoder.