Patent ID: 7447281

Claim:
A method for recognizing the validity of convolution-coded control information that is transmitted, together with useful data that is associated with and follows the convolution-coded control information, as a data signal over a transmission path subject to interference, the control information having, at its end, a preset, (k-1) long tail bit-sequence and a convolutional encoder, which has a constraint length of k, being preloaded with the tail bit-sequence prior to the convolutional coding of the control information, and, after transmission, the received, convolution-coded control information being decoded in a Viterbi decoder on the basis of finding a path in the trellis diagram having a maximum or minimum accumulated metric, the method comprising: communicating at least an end section of the received, convolution-coded control information as a prefix to the received, convolution-coded control information, the length of the end section being at least that of the convolution-coded tail bit-sequence, and feeding the prefixed control information to the Viterbi decoder to allow the convolution-coded control information to be decoded.