Patent ID: 6956912

Claim:
An iterative turbo decoder for error correcting communication signal data which recursively evaluates signal data for a selected number of iterations comprising: a decoder data memory for storing turbo decoder estimate data generated for one decoding iteration; a signature memory for storing a code signature corresponding to turbo decoder estimate data generated for one decoding iteration; decoder circuitry for producing decoder estimate data for each iteration of decoding and storing it in said decoder data memory; signature code generating circuitry for generating code signature corresponding to turbo decoder data for each decoder iteration such that each code signatures is at least twenty times smaller than the corresponding turbo decoder data; and a comparator operatively associated with the signature code circuitry and decoder circuitry for comparing a generated code signature for turbo decoder estimate data being produced and stored for a present decoder iteration with the contents of the signature memory such that if the comparison reflects equality, the decoder circuitry ceases iteration processing and if the comparison reflects inequality, the generated code signature is stored in the signature memory where it is available for comparison relative to a code signature for a next decoder iteration.