Patent ID: 8619901

Claim:
A method for providing unequal message protection, comprising: coding input data in accordance with a coding method that allows for either coded data or messages to be transmitted with pre-determined, but unequal reliability over a communication channel, wherein the coding method allows the messages to be transmitted with higher reliability than the coded data, and wherein the coding method comprises: encoding the input data with a linear encoder; appending a complement of a bit to every bit of encoded input data to obtain a balanced codeword, wherein each codeword is at a maximal Hamming distance from the messages; utilizing a balanced code, wherein the balanced code is approximated by a linear code preceded by a non-linear function which removes non-balanced codewords within a Hamming distance d of repetitions of a single symbol, where d is a positive number; and storing the balanced codewords in a buffer for transmission; transmitting the messages when they are available; and otherwise transmitting the coded data, and wherein at least one of the messages to be transmitted with higher reliability comprises repetitions of one symbol.