Patent ID: 8189704

Claim:
A method for decoding a signal received from a dispersive channel causing intersymbol interference, said signal encoded using an MLT-3 code, said method comprising the steps of: generating a combined trellis representing both said MLT-3 code and said dispersive channel, wherein a state in said combined trellis is given by a concatenation of a MLT-3 code state and a truncated channel state, wherein said truncated channel state partially describes said dispersive channel, wherein a number of states in said combined trellis is given by 4×(2 K ), where K is the truncated channel memory, wherein said combined trellis is based on an MLT-3 code trellis, wherein said MLT-3 code uses three signal levels to represent two binary values, wherein said MLT-3 code trellis has a plurality of MLT-3 code trellis states, wherein each of said MLT-3 code trellis states is associated with a value for a signal in a previous symbol period and has at least two branches leaving or entering each state, each of said at least two branches corresponding to state transitions associated with said two binary values, wherein a first binary value substantially always causes a state transition in said MLT-3 code trellis from a first state to a different state and a second binary value does not cause a state transition in said MLT-3 code trellis; and performing joint equalization and decoding of said received signal using said combined trellis.