Patent ID: 8149925

Claim:
A method of differential decoding for use in a differential decoder having a first branch for a first candidate and a second branch for a second candidate, said method comprising the steps of: determining whether a previous decoder input is a boundary point, and if not, applying a current first candidate to a first differential decoder in said first branch, applying a current second candidate to a second differential decoder in said second branch and setting an output score to a current input score; if a previous decoder input is a boundary point and a current input score is greater than a previous input score, applying a current first candidate to said first differential decoder and said second differential decoder and setting said output score to said previous input score; and if a previous decoder input is a boundary point and a current input score is not greater than a previous input score, setting a memory of said second differential decoder to value of memory of said first differential decoder, applying a current first candidate and a current second candidate to said first differential decoder and second differential decoder, respectively, and setting said output score to a current input score.