Patent ID: 7127009

Claim:
A method of decoding a digital data stream coded with bitwise interleaving in multiple transmission and reception on a transmission channel which creates intersymbol interference, the digital data stream coded with interleaving comprising a set of transmitted elementary digital streams obtained from an initial digital data stream subjected to: an outer coding by means of a code of specified rate, so as to generate a coded digital stream, an interleaving at bit level of this coded digital stream so as to generate an interleaved coded digital stream, a layer demultiplexing of this interleaved coded digital stream on a specified number ν of demultiplexed pathways, so as to generate a corresponding number of layers of interleaved coded digital stream, converting each digital modulation string consisting of q m successive bits of one and the same layer into a Q m -ary symbol, Q m =2 qm , according to a specific mapping scheme, transmitting each Q m -ary symbol by means of a distinct transmission antenna, the set of these antennas forming a space-diversity array, making it possible to generate this set of transmitted elementary digital streams, wherein said method further comprises the steps of: receiving, on a plurality p of reception antennas, said digital data stream coded with bitwise interleaving in multiple transmission and reception consisting of said set of elementary digital streams transmitted on this transmission channel, there being a number p of said reception antennas, which number is independent of the number ν of transmission antennas and said reception antennas forming an array of space-diversity reception antennas so as to define a set of elementary streams of modulation symbols received; subjecting said set of elementary streams of modulation symbols received to an iterative process of equalization of the transmission channel and of joint multilayer detection by means of an extrinsic information stream on the bits coded by said outer code and interleaved, said extrinsic information stream constituting an a priori information item, so as to generate a first extrinsic information stream on the bits coded by the outer code and interleaved; subjecting said first extrinsic information stream to a deinterleaving, so as to generate a second extrinsic information stream on the coded bits originating from the equalization process; subjecting said second extrinsic information stream on the coded bits to a decoding on the basis of said outer code, so as to generate a third extrinsic information stream on the coded bits, which stream arises from the decoding on the basis of said outer code; subjecting said third extrinsic information stream to an interleaving, so as to generate said extrinsic information stream on the bits coded by said outer code and interleaved constituting said a priori information item; reinjecting said a priori information item into the iterative process of equalization of the transmission channel and ofjoint multilayer detection.