Patent ID: 8335152

Claim:
A method for transmitting a data word from a transmission unit to a reception unit over a channel in a wireless communication system, the channel being divided into a number of subchannels, wherein the channel is allocated a frequency interval for transmission, and each subchannel is allocated a respective subfrequency interval, each subfrequency interval being a fraction of the frequency interval, wherein the method comprises the steps of: estimating the quality of each subchannel; classifying the subchannels into a number of quality groups based on the estimated quality of each subchannel; selecting a code rate per quality group; coding the data word in a common code block with certain code rates, wherein coding the data word comprises coding each fraction of the data word according to a respective selected code rate depending on to which subchannel the fraction of the coded data word is to be modulated and wherein the different selected code rates per quality group are achieved by an unequal error protection method used in the common code block; modulating the coded data word onto the number of subchannels, wherein a fraction of the coded data word is modulated onto a subchannel; and transmitting the coded and modulated data word over the channel to the receiver.