Patent ID: 8458555

Claim:
A receiver-implemented method for recovering an error correction-encoded codeword, the method comprising: (a) performing a first stage of error correction decoding on a first set of input values to generate a first set of output values, one or more of which correspond to one or more first-stage unsatisfied check nodes; (b) performing a second stage of error correction decoding on a second set of input values to generate a second set of output values, one or more of which correspond to one or more second-stage unsatisfied check nodes, wherein: the second set of input values is based on the first set of output values; and one or more of the input values of the second set of input values are generated by adjusting one or more corresponding output values of the first set of output values, wherein each of the one or more corresponding output values of the first set of output values is associated with a first-stage unsatisfied check node; (c) comparing a difference of (i) the number of first-stage unsatisfied check nodes and (ii) the number of second-stage unsatisfied check nodes to a specified threshold value; (d) selecting a subsequent stage of error correction decoding based on the comparison of step (c); and (e) performing the selected subsequent stage of error correction decoding.