Forward error correction (FEC) for local area networks (LANs)

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9660668-B2
Application number	US-201514656839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2015
Priority date	Mar 14, 2014
Publication date	May 23, 2017
Grant date	May 23, 2017

Abstract

A local area network (LAN) backbone is implemented within an environment such as a self-contained environment (e.g., an automobile, an aircraft, a train, a ship, and/or any other environment). The LAN backbone is affected by AWGN, NBI, and/or impulse noise (noise). The LAN backbone supports communications based on an Ethernet communication protocol (e.g., a 1000Base-T1 based system that includes at least one single twisted pair). A device receives a first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone and decodes it to recover an input signal of a control system. The device also uses soft information generated during the decoding to compensate for the noise affecting the LAN backbone and then processes the input signal to generate a control signal for the control system. The device then and encodes the control signal to generate a second LDPC coded signal and transmits the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication device comprising:
a communication interface; and
a processor configured to:
receive, via the communication interface, a first low density parity check (LDPC) coded signal that is compliant with an Ethernet communication protocol via a local area network (LAN) backbone that supports communications based on the Ethernet communication protocol and that is affected by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), narrowband interference (NBI), and impulse noise;
decode the first LDPC coded signal to generate soft information;
employ the soft information to compensate for the AWGN, the NBI, and the impulse noise and to recover an input signal of a control system;
process the input signal of the control system to generate a control signal for the control system to adapt operation of at least one other device that is implemented within the control system;
encode the control signal of the control system to generate a second LDPC coded signal that is compliant with the Ethernet communication protocol; and
transmit, via the communication interface, the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone to the at least one other device that is implemented within the control system.

2. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
receive the first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone from a first transducer that is configured to:
process the input signal of the control system to generate the first LDPC coded signal; and
transmit the first LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone; and

transmit the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone to a second transducer that is configured to:
receive the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone; and
decode the second LDPC coded signal to recover the control signal for the control system to use to adapt operation of the control system.

3. The communication device of claim 2 , wherein the control system includes an automotive control system implemented within an automobile that further comprises:
a plurality of cameras configured to:
capture at least one of photographic or video information of a physical environment of the automobile;
generate the input signal based on the at least one of photographic or video information; and
provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

a user interface configured to:
receive the control signal from the second transducer; and
generate and output information corresponding to the physical environment of the automobile based on the control signal.

4. The communication device of claim 2 , wherein the control system includes an automotive control system implemented within an automobile that further comprises:
a laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to:
determine a characteristic that corresponds to a physical environment of the automobile;
generate the input signal based on the characteristic; and
provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

a user interface configured to:
receive the control signal from the second transducer; and
generate and output information corresponding to the physical environment of the automobile based on the control signal.

5. The communication device of claim 2 , wherein the control system is implemented within an autonomous vehicle and further comprises:
a laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor configured to:
determine a characteristic of a physical environment of the autonomous vehicle;
generate the input signal based on the characteristic; and
provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

an actuator configured to:
receive the control signal from the second transducer; and
adapt operation of the autonomous vehicle based on the control signal.

6. The communication device of claim 2 , wherein the control system includes an aircraft flight control system implemented within an aircraft that further comprises:
at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope configured to:
generate the input signal based on at least one of acceleration or rotation of the aircraft; and
provide the input signal to the first transducer; and

an actuator configured to:
receive the control signal from the second transducer; and
adapt position of one or more flight control surfaces of the aircraft flight control system based on the control signal.

7. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the LAN backbone comprises a single twisted pair that supports full-duplex communications.

8. The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the processor and the communication interface are further configured to:
process the first and the second LDPC coded signals based on an LDPC code that is selected for compliance within a maximum latency tolerance of the control system when supporting real-time operation.

9. A communication device implemented within a transportation vehicle, the communication device comprising:
a communication interface; and
a processor configured to:
receive, via the communication interface, a first low density parity check (LDPC) coded signal that is compliant with an Ethernet communication protocol via a local area network (LAN) backbone that supports communications based on the Ethernet communication protocol and that is affected by additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN), narrowband interference (NBI), and impulse noise, wherein the first LDPC coded signal is based on an input signal that is generated by a sensor and that is based on an operational parameter of a control system of the transportation vehicle;
decode the first LDPC coded signal to generate soft information;
employ the soft information to compensate for the AWGN, the NBI, and the impulse noise and to recover the input signal of a control system;
process the input signal of the control system to generate a control signal for the control system to adapt operation of at least one other device including an actuator that is implemented within the control system;
encode the control signal of the control system to generate a second LDPC coded signal that is compliant with the Ethernet communication protocol; and
transmit, via the communication interface, the second LDPC coded signal via the LAN backbone for use by the actuator that is configured to use the control signal that is based on the second LDPC coded signal to adapt position of a control element of the control system of the transportation vehicle.

10. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein:
the control system of the transportation vehicle includes an automotive control system implemented within an automobile; and
the sensor includes a camera configured to generate the input signal, wherein the operational parameter of the control system of the transportation vehicle includes at least one of photographic or video information of a physical environment of the automobile.

11. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein:
the control system of the transportation vehicle includes an aircraft flight control system implemented within an aircraft;
the sensor includes at least one of an accelerometer or a gyroscope configured to generate the input signal, wherein the operational parameter of the control system of the transportation vehicle includes at least one of acceleration or rotation of the aircraft; and
the actuator configured to adapt position of one or more flight control surfaces of the aircraft flight control system based on the control signal.

12. The communication device of claim 9 , wherein the LAN backbone comprises a single twisted pair that supports full-duplex communications.

13. The

Assignees

• Broadcom Corp
• Avago Technologies General Ip

Inventors

• Shen Ba-Zhong
• Tazebay Mehmet Vakif
• Bliss William Gene
• Chini Ahmad
• Kilani Mehdi Tavassoli

Classifications

• H03M13/658

  Scaling by multiplication or division · CPC title

• H03M13/1111 Primary

  Soft-decision decoding, e.g. by means of message passing or belief propagation algorithms · CPC title

• H03M13/3715

  Adaptation to the number of estimated errors or to the channel state · CPC title

• H04L1/0057

  Block codes (H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence) · CPC title

• H03M13/116

  Quasi-cyclic LDPC [QC-LDPC] codes, i.e. the parity-check matrix being composed of permutation or circulant sub-matrices · CPC title