Patent ID: 7308636

Claim:
A method of interleaving encoded bits into an interleaving pattern for a frame such that the interleaving pattern facilitates early decoding of the frame at a decoding site, comprising: interleaving encoded bits into at least a first fractional segment of the frame, a second fractional segment of the frame, and a third fractional segment of the frame, wherein the first fractional segment is characterized by a code rate R 1 , the second fractional segment is characterized by a code rate R 2 , and the third fractional segment is characterized by a code rate R 3 such that the code rate R 1 is greater than the code rate R 2 , the code rate R 2 is greater than the code rate R 3 , and the code rate R 3 is greater than a frame code rate R, wherein R 1 =R/a 1 , a 1 corresponds to the duration of the first fractional segment, and the interleaved pattern of the frame has a starting time that coincides with a starting time of the first fractional segment, wherein R 2 =R/a 2 , a 2 corresponds to the duration of the second fractional segment, the starting time of the interleaved pattern of the frame coincides with a starting time of the second fractional segment, and the second fractional segment has an ending time that is after an ending time of the first fractional segment, wherein R 3 =R/a 3 , a 3 corresponds to the duration of the third fractional segment, the starting time of the interleaved pattern of the frame coincides with a starting time of the third fractional segment, and the third fractional segment has an ending time that is after the ending time of the second fractional segment, and wherein the bits in the first fractional segment are included in the second fractional segment, and the bits in the first and second fractional segments are included in the third fractional segment.