Patent ID: 8705669

Claim:
A method, performed by a data processor, for processing electromagnetic signals representing convolutionally encoded data streams, the method comprising: while performing a trellis search of a convolutionally encoded data stream of bit length L, where L is an integer: storing decision bit data representing results of the trellis search for a first D bits of the convolutionally encoded data stream in a (D×N)-bit register accessible by the data processor, where D is an integer greater than zero and less than L, and ordering the decision bit data according to the results of the trellis search for the first D bits of the convolutionally encoded data stream; storing decision bits representing results of the trellis search for a subsequent L-D bits of the convolutionally encoded data stream in random access memory accessible by the data processor; and upon completion of the trellis search for the first D bits of the convolutionally encoded data stream, commencing a first trace-forward process of the results of the trellis search, starting with a (D+1) st bit of the convolutionally encoded data stream; and commencing at least one trace-back process to decode the stored decision bits in the random access memory corresponding to the (D+1) st through L th bits of the convolutionally encoded data stream, and storing decoded bits determined by the at least one trace-back process in at least one last-in first-out (LIFO) register.