Patent ID: 8732558

Claim:
A forward error correcting method in a multi protocol encapsulation-forward error correction (MPE-FEC) system, in which FEC modes are selected, the method comprising: a first comparator receiving a count of received ERASUREs and a first reference count to output a first comparison value indicating an ERASURE ONLY mode when the count of ERASUREs is less than or equal to the first reference count and a NORMAL RS mode otherwise; a second comparator receiving a number of ERASURE flags obtained from a CRC test, a count of errors whose locations and sizes are not known, and a second reference count to output a second comparison value indicating whether an AUTO ERRATA mode is available; a selector, receiving the first and second comparison values, selecting the AUTO ERRATA mode when the second comparison value indicates the AUTO ERRATA mode is available, selecting the ERASURE ONLY mode when the second comparison value indicates the AUTO ERRATA mode is not available and the first comparison value indicates the ERASURE ONLY mode, and selecting the NORMAL RS mode when the second comparison value indicates the AUTO ERRATA mode is not available and the first comparison value indicates the NORMAL RS mode; and performing FEC in the selected mode, wherein the ERASURE ONLY mode is a mode in which FEC is performed based on information about locations and sizes of errors by referring to the ERASURE flags obtained by the CRC test, wherein the NORMAL RS mode is a mode in which FEC is performed with respect to errors whose locations and sizes are not known by referring to the ERASURE flags, and wherein the AUTO ERRATA mode is a mode in which FEC is performed with respect to errors whose locations and sizes are not known by not referring to the ERASURE flags.