Patent ID: 8000410

Claim:
A method for transmitting a data block consisting of a plurality of bits using higher order modulation schemes, the method comprising: mapping each data bit of the data block to a respective bit position of a first modulation symbol according to a first modulation scheme, wherein at least two of the bit positions of the first modulation symbol have different error probabilities, transmitting the data block in the first modulation symbol on the mapped bit positions according to the first modulation scheme, receiving from a receiver a request for retransmission of the data block, deciding for each data bit of the data block whether or not to retransmit the respective data bit based on a reliability of the bit position to which the respective data bit has been mapped in the first modulation symbol, mapping data bits, for which it has been decided to perform a retransmission of during the deciding, to respective bit positions of a second modulation symbol according to a second modulation scheme, wherein at least two of the bit positions of the second modulation symbol have different error probabilities, and retransmitting the data bits, for which it has been decided to perform the retransmission of during the deciding, in the second modulation symbol on the mapped bit positions according to the second modulation scheme.