Patent ID: 7584409

Claim:
A decoding method comprising: obtaining first and second element codes through a transmission channel; performing a first decoding by calculating a and 13 path metrics in this order using the first element code and a first extrinsic information to store the a and 13 path metrics in a first memory; obtaining a second extrinsic information using the a and 13 path metrics stored in the first memory; performing a second decoding following the first decoding by calculating a β and α path metrics in this order using the second element code and the second extrinsic information to store the β and α path metrics in a second memory; obtaining the first extrinsic information using the 13 and a path metrics stored in the second memory; outputting a decoded sequence corresponding to the first and second element code based on a result of the second decoding; deinterleaving the second extrinsic information and outputting deinterleaved second extrinsic information after obtaining the second extrinsic information; and interleaving the first extrinsic information and outputting interleaved first extrinsic information after obtaining the first extrinsic information.