Polar coding with dynamic frozen bits
11108411 · 2021-08-31
Assignee
Inventors
- Tobias Prinz (Munich, DE)
- Peihong Yuan (Munich, DE)
- Georg Boecherer (Munich, DE)
- Gerhard Kramer (Munich, DE)
- Onurcan Iscan (Munich, DE)
- Ronald Boehnke (Munich, DE)
- Wen Xu (Munich, DE)
Cpc classification
H03M13/1148
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H03M13/00
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
The present application concerns an encoding device comprising a FC 11 configured to generate m FC-output-bit-sequences by executing m polar encoding steps upon m FC-input-bit-sequences that comprise frozen and unfrozen bits, wherein m≥2. In an i-th polar encoding step of the m polar encoding steps at least one frozen bit is based on at least one unfrozen bit. The present application also concerns a decoding device comprising a processor configured to decode successively a polar-coded-bitstream comprising m-polar decoding steps, wherein m≥2. In an i-th polar decoding step of the m polar decoding steps at least one frozen bit is based on at least one unfrozen bit. Further, the present application concerns also correspondingly arranged encoding and decoding methods.
Claims
1. An encoding device, comprising: an encoder configured to generate m number of FC-output-bit-sequences by executing m number of polar encoding steps upon m number of FC-input-bit-sequences, respectively, wherein each FC-input-bit-sequence of the m number of FC-input-bit-sequences comprises frozen bits and unfrozen bits, wherein m is an integer value and m≥2, wherein one of the m number of polar encoding steps is denoted as an i-th polar encoding step, and another one of the m number of polar encoding steps other than the i-th polar encoding step is denoted as a j-th polar encoding step, and wherein the j-th polar encoding step is performed prior to the i-th polar encoding step, wherein the i-th polar encoding step corresponds to an i-th FC-input-bit-sequence, wherein the j-th polar encoding step corresponds to a j-th FC-input-bit-sequence, and wherein at least one frozen bit of the i-th FC-input-bit-sequence is based on at least one unfrozen bit of the j-th FC-input-bit-sequence.
2. The encoding device of claim 1, wherein j=1 and/or j=i−1.
3. The encoding device of claim 1, further comprising: a postcoder configured to map the m FC-output-bit-sequences by a linear transformation to m system-output-bit sequences.
4. The encoding device of claim 3, further comprising: a precoder configured to map a system-input-bit-sequence to the m FC-input-bit-sequences.
5. The encoding device of claim 4, wherein the precoder comprises an inverse of the mapping of the m FC-input-bit-sequences to the m FC-output-bit-sequences or them system-output-bit-sequences.
6. The encoding device of claim 5, wherein the precoder is configured to map bits of the m system-input-bit-sequences such that they appear at pre-defined positions in the m system-output-bit-sequences.
7. The encoding device of claim 5, wherein the precoder is configured to map the m system-input-bit-sequences such that at least a subsequence of the m system-input-bit-sequences is comprised by the m system-output-bit-sequences.
8. The encoding device of claim 7, wherein the precoder is configured to map bits of the system-input-bit-sequence such that parity bits appear at pre-defined positions.
9. The encoding device of claim 8, further comprising: a shaping encoder configured to map an input-bit-sequence to the system-input-bit-sequence such that the system-input-bit-sequence is distributed non-uniformly.
10. The encoding device of claim 8, wherein the pre-defined positions are in the m-th system-output-bit-sequence.
11. An encoding method, comprising: generating, by an encoder, m number of FC-output-bit-sequences by executing m number of polar encoding steps upon m number of FC-input-bit-sequences, respectively, wherein each FC-input-bit-sequence of the m number of FC-input-bit-sequences comprises frozen bits and unfrozen bits, wherein m is an integer value and m≥2, wherein one of the m number of polar encoding steps is denoted as an i-th polar encoding step, and another one of the m number of polar encoding steps other than the i-th polar encoding step is denoted as a j-th polar encoding step, and wherein the j-th polar encoding step is performed prior to the i-th polar encoding step, wherein the i-th polar encoding step corresponds to an i-th FC-input-bit-sequence, wherein the j-th polar encoding step corresponds to a j-th FC-input-bit-sequence, and wherein at least one frozen bit of the i-th FC-input-bit-sequence is based on at least one unfrozen bit of the j-th FC-input-bit-sequence.
12. A decoding device, comprising: a processor configured to decode successively a polar-coded-bitstream comprising m number of polar decoding steps, wherein m is an integer value and m≥2, wherein one of the m number of polar encoding steps is denoted as an i-th polar encoding step, and another one of the m number of polar encoding steps other than the i-th polar encoding step is denoted as a j-th polar encoding step, and wherein the j-th polar encoding step is performed prior to the i-th polar encoding step, wherein at least one frozen bit in the i-th polar decoding step is based on at least one unfrozen bit in the j-th polar decoding step.
13. The decoding device according to claim 12, wherein j=1 and/or j=i−1.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
(1) The above-described aspects and implementation forms of the present application will be explained in the following description of exemplary embodiments in relation to the enclosed drawings, in which:
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
(10) Generally, it has to be noted that all arrangements, devices, modules, components, models, elements, units, entities, and means and so forth described in the present application could be implemented by software or hardware elements or any kind of combination thereof. All steps which are performed by the various entities described in the present application as well as the functionality described to be performed by the various entities are intended to mean that the respective entity is adapted to or configured to perform the respective steps and functionalities. Even if in the following description of the specific embodiments, a specific functionality or step to be performed by a general entity is not reflected in the description of a specific detailed element of the entity which performs the specific step or functionality, it should be clear for a skilled person that these methods and functionalities can be implemented in respective hardware or software elements, or any kind of combination thereof. Further, the method of the present application and its various steps are embodied in the functionalities of the various described apparatus elements.
(11) Moreover, any of the embodiments and features of any of the embodiments, described herein, may be combined with each other, unless a combination is explicitly excluded.
(12)
(13) The FC 11 of the device 1 is configured to generate m FC-output-bit-sequences by executing m polar encoding steps upon m FC-input-bit-sequences, which includes frozen and unfrozen bits. Thereby, m≥2. In particular, the FC 11 is configured such that in an i-th polar encoding step of the m polar encoding steps, at least one frozen bit is based on at least one unfrozen bit. Here, i may be equal to or larger than two, and equal to or smaller than m (i.e. i≤m).
(14) The FC 11 of the encoding device 1 is preferably configured such that in the i-th polar encoding step, at least one frozen bit of an i-th FC-input-bit-sequence is based on a j-th FC-input-bit-sequence, wherein j<i. More preferably, j=1 and/or j=i−1.
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(16) The encoding method 2 includes as step of generating m FC-output-bit-sequences by executing m polar encoding steps upon FC-input-bit-sequences, which includes frozen and unfrozen bits. Thereby, m≥2. In particular, in an i-th polar encoding step 21 of the m polar encoding steps, at least one frozen bit is based on at least one unfrozen.
(17) The method 2 preferably includes that in the i-th polar encoding step 21, at least one frozen bit of an i-th FC-input-bit-sequence is based on a j-th FC-input-bit-sequence, wherein j<i. More preferably, j=1 and/or j=i−1.
(18) The m FC-input-bit-sequences represent information sequences to be encoded. For each FC-input-bit-sequence, preferably a different polar code is used for the corresponding polar encoding step.
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(20) After the execution of the polar encoding steps at the polar encoding blocks 31_1, 31_2, respectively, encoded bits {tilde over (B)}.sub.1,1 to {tilde over (B)}.sub.1,8 and {tilde over (B)}.sub.2,1 to {tilde over (B)}.sub.2,8 are obtained. The encoding device 1 of
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(22) In particular, so-called dynamically frozen bits are used in the second polar encoding step, wherein a dynamically frozen bit is a frozen bit that bases on at least one unfrozen bit. Here, in the second polar encoding step at the polar encoding block 31_2, the frozen bits are “dynamically frozen” according to the unfrozen bits in the first polar encoding step at the polar encoding block 31_1. Due to this implementation, and the resulting dependency introduced into the polar encoding, a decoding of the polar-coded bitstream output from the encoding device 1 is easier and more robust, because the codes are partly based on redundant information. Further, this allows also performing efficiently a matrix inversion, which is explained in the following.
(23) Because it is desired that systematic bits appear in the first polar encoding step, and the parity bits appear in the second polar encoding step, the encoding device 1 of
(24) Generally, the PC 33 is selected such that it is configured to map bits of the system-input-bit-sequence such that they appear at pre-defined positions in the m system-output-bit-sequences. Preferably, such that it is configured to map the system-input-bit-sequence such that at least a subsequence of the sequence is included by the m system-output-bit-sequences. More preferably such that it is configured to map bits of the system-input-bit-sequence such that parity bits appear at pre-defined positions, in particular of the m-th system-output-bit-sequence.
(25) According to an exemplary embodiment, the precoding operation of the PC 33 is a multiplication of an input sequence with a matrix A, which is an inverse of matrix B, wherein the matrix B is a matrix that describes a mapping from unfrozen bits of each one of the m-th polar encoding steps and dynamical frozen bits of each one of m-th polar encoding steps to systematic bit positions in the output after the label transform.
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(27) According to the FC-input-bit-sequences output of the precoder 43, values of the unfrozen bits of the first encoding step are preselected, and the frozen bits of the other polar encoding steps are dynamically frozen according to the unfrozen values of the first encoding step. This is shown in
(28) The values of the dynamically frozen bits are selected such that each dynamically frozen bit equals to an unfrozen bit from the first level. Which dynamically frozen bit takes the values of which unfrozen bit is explained in detail hereinafter with sets U.sub.1, U.sub.1,m, U.sub.2,m, . . . .
(29) The outputs by three polar encoding blocks 41_1, 41_2, 41_3, i.e. the three FC-output-bit-sequences, are further mapped by a linear transformation to the m system-output-bit sequences in postcoder block 42, also called linear transformer (LT). Particularly, the FC-output-bit-sequences are converted to gray labeling in postcoder block 42. This is done by use of a label transform. According to the present embodiment, the label transform of postcoder block 42 is defined exemplary as follows:
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(31) Finally, a symbol mapping may executed by symbol mapping blocks 44_1 to 44_4 of the encoding device 1. The symbol mapping is executed as generally known, i.e. by mapping all encoded bits of a polar encoding block 411, 41_2, 41_3 to symbols. In
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(33) Similarly to the encoding device 1 of
(34) Since in this embodiment, the system input bit sequence should appear in the system output bit sequence, calculation of only a part of the system output bit sequence is enough (which correspond to {tilde over (B)}.sub.1,3 to {tilde over (B)}.sub.4,3 in
(35) Finally, a symbol mapping is executed by the symbol mapping blocks 44_1 to 44_4. The symbol mapping is executed by mapping all encoded bits of a polar encoding block 41_1, 41_2, 41_3 to symbols. In
(36) In the following, two more exemplary embodiments that are based on the aforesaid will be presented. The two more exemplary embodiments are executable by the encoding device 1 and/or via the encoding method 2. Here, the encoding device 1 includes a shaping encoder (SC) configured to map an input-bit-sequence to the system-input-bit-sequence such that the system-input-bit-sequence is distributed non-uniformly.
(37) In the first more specific embodiment, a systematic polar encoding is implemented for probabilistic amplitude shaping (PAS). In this PAS scheme with m different polar encoding steps, a channel code of rate R=(m−1)/m is used with the systematic encoding device 1. According to the first specific embodiment, the first m−1 polar encoding steps are used to transmit systematic bits, and the last polar encoding step is used to transmit parity bits b.sub.m. The following steps are executed for systematic encoding according to the first more specific embodiment.
(38) At first, the following sets are defined: U.sub.1: set of indices of unfrozen bits within a first polar code used by the first polar encoding blocks 31_1, 41_1 or used in the first polar encoding step 21, respectively. F.sub.2, . . . , F.sub.m: set of indices of frozen bits within the 2.sup.nd, . . . , m-th polar codes, corresponding to the 2.sup.nd, . . . , m-th polar encoding blocks 31_2, 41_2, 41_3 or used in the 2.sup.nd, . . . , m-th polar encoding steps 21, respectively. Here, it has to be noted that the m-th polar encoding step is the encoding step corresponding to the parity bits b.sub.m, i.e. that in the m-th polar encoding step 21 parity bits b.sub.m only are generated. b.sub.1, . . . , b.sub.m-1 input information sequences (and hence systematic bits) for polar encoding steps 1 to m−1 or for 1.sup.st to (m−1)-th polar encoding step 21, respectively.
(39) Secondly, the set U.sub.1 is partitioned into sub-sets U.sub.1,2, . . . , U.sub.1,m such that:
|U.sub.1,2|=|F.sub.2|
. . .
|U.sub.1,m|=|F.sub.m|
(40) According to an embodiment, the actual partitioning of U.sub.1 is arbitrary.
(41) Thus, the unfrozen bit indices set U.sub.1 of the first polar encoding step 21 or of the first encoding block 311, respectively, is partitioned into m−1 sub-sets U.sub.1,2, . . . , U.sub.1,m, wherein each one of the m−1 sub-sets U.sub.1,2, . . . , U.sub.1,m is assigned to a corresponding i-th polar encoding step or polar encoding block, respectively (i=2, . . . , m, i.e. 2≤i≤m).
(42) Thirdly, the following procedure is used exemplary according to the first more specific embodiment to generate the parity bits b.sub.m from the information bits b.sub.i:
(43) TABLE-US-00001 1: procedure ENCODE(b.sub.1, . . . , b.sub.m−1) 2: for i = 2, . . . m do 3: a.sub.i ← polar transform of b.sub.i−1 4: for j = i, . . . , m do 5: a.sub.i,u.sub.
(44) This procedure is an efficient implementation of the box 46, assuming the dynamically frozen bits are selected according to the defined sets. The input is the system-input-bit-sequence and output is the parity bits of the system-output-bit-sequence. By combining the output of this procedure with the input sequence (which corresponds to the systematic part of the system-output-bit-sequence), one gets the whole system output sequence.
(45) The procedure basically performs a ‘multiplication with an inverse matrix (box 43)’ in an efficient way, followed by a last polar transform (which corresponds to the block 41_3). Note that the efficient ‘multiplication with an inverse matrix’ is performed by using polar transforms in a successive manner.
(46) Here, bits in sub-sets U.sub.1,j are used for dynamically freezing the bits in the j-th polar encoding step, wherein 2≤j≤m.
(47) Thus, in the m-th polar encoding step, the parity bits b.sub.m are generated by: generating, for each i-th polar encoding step a corresponding i-th bit vector a.sub.i by assigning to the corresponding i-th bit vector a.sub.i a polar transformation of an information bit sequence that is encoded in (i−1)-th polar encoding step, and by combining, in the corresponding i-th bit vector a.sub.i, bits indicated in the sub-set assigned to the i-th polar encoding step and bits indicated in the frozen bit set of the i-th polar encoding step or bit-level respectively; and computing the encoded bit sequence b.sub.m of the m-th polar encoding step including the parity bits b.sub.m by executing a polar transform on a combination of all of the generated i-th bit vectors a.sub.i.
(48) Fourthly, the parity bits b.sub.m (generated in the m-th bit-level or in the m-th polar encoding step respectively) are appended to the systematic bits b.sub.1, b.sub.2, . . . , b.sub.m-1 (generated in the 1.sup.st to (m−1)-th polar encoding steps).
(49) In the second more specific embodiment, a systematic polar encoding is implemented for extended PAS in the systematic encoding device 1. The extended PAS scheme of the second more specific embodiment is a modified scheme of the first more specific embodiment. I.e. the second more specific embodiment is based on the first more specific embodiment and represents a modification of the first more specific embodiment. The extended PAS scheme has m different polar encoding blocks 31_1, 31_2, 41_1, 41_2, 241_3 or m different polar encoding steps 21 respectively. I.e. the extended PAS scheme has m input/information sequences respectively. Further, the extended PAS scheme has a channel code of rate R that is larger than (m−1)/m. According to the second specific embodiment, the first m−1 polar encoding steps are used to transmit systematic bits, and the last polar encoding step is used to transmit parity bits and also systematic bits. The following steps are executed for systematic encoding according to the second more specific embodiment.
(50) Firstly, the sets U.sub.1 and F.sub.2, . . . , F.sub.m and b.sub.1, b.sub.2, . . . , b.sub.m-1 are defined in the same way as in the first more specific embodiment. In addition, u is defined as sequence including information bits to be transmitted with the same polar encoding step as the parity bits being the m-th polar encoding step.
(51) Secondly, the set U.sub.1, including indices of unfrozen bits within the first polar code, is partitioned into sub-sets U.sub.1,1, U.sub.1,2, . . . , U.sub.1,m, such that:
|U.sub.1,1|=g(g is the length of the sequence u)
|U.sub.1,2|=|F.sub.2|
. . .
|U.sub.1,m|=|F.sub.m|
i.sub.1<i.sub.2< . . . <i.sub.m∀i.sub.1∈U.sub.1,1,∀i.sub.2∈U.sub.1,2, . . . ,∀i.sub.m∈U.sub.1,m
(52) Particularly, partition an unfrozen bit indices set U.sub.1 of a first polar encoding step of the m polar encoding steps into m sub-sets is executed such that: a first sub-set U.sub.1,1 is assigned to a first polar encoding step of the m polar encoding steps and has a size that is equal to a number of encoded information bits to be transmitted in m-th encoding step or bit-level respectively; and each one of the m−1 sub-sets U.sub.1,2, . . . , U.sub.1,m, following the first sub-set U.sub.1,1, is assigned to a corresponding i-th polar encoding step has a size that is equal to a size of a frozen bit indices set of the i-th polar encoding step.
(53) Thirdly, the following procedure is used exemplary according to the second more specific embodiment to generate parity bits from data/information bits b.sub.i and u:
(54) TABLE-US-00002 1: procedure ENCODE(b.sub.1, . . . , b.sub.m−1, u) 2: c ← array of size n.sub.c initialized with zeros 3: for i = 2, . . . m do 4: a.sub.i ← polar transform of b.sub.i−1 5: for j = i, . . . , m do 6: a.sub.i,u.sub.
(55) Similar to the first more specific embodiment, this procedure is an efficient implementation of box 46 for extended PAS. Instead of using block 43 (multiplication with an inverse matrix), m polar transforms and the LT, this procedure generates the parity part of the system output bit sequence for extended PAS by using m polar transforms and some linear operations.
(56) Similarly to the first more specific embodiment, in the second more specific embodiment bits in U.sub.1,j are particularly used for dynamically freezing the bits in the j-th polar encoding step.
(57) Thus, in the m-th polar encoding step the encoded bit sequence b.sub.m, including both parity bits and information bits, is generated by the execution of the following steps. For each i-th polar encoding step, a corresponding i-th bit vector a.sub.i is generated by assigning to the corresponding i-th bit vector a.sub.i a polar transformation of an information bit sequence that is encoded in (i−1)-th polar encoding step, and by combining, in the corresponding i-th bit vector a.sub.i, bits indicated in the sub-set assigned to the i-th polar encoding step and bits indicated in the frozen bit set of the i-th polar encoding step. Then, a further vector c (consisting of zeros first, i.e. at the time of the initiation of the further vector c) is generated by: establishing the further vector c with bits of the first sub-set U.sub.1; for each i, combining bits of the further vector c with a combination of bits of (i−1)-th information bit sequence of (i−1)-th polar encoding step, said (i−1)-th information bit sequence corresponding to frozen bit set of the i-th encoding step, and information bits to be encoded in m-th polar encoding step; and executing a polar transform on the further vector c. Subsequently, the encoded bit sequence b.sub.m of the m-th polar encoding step is computed by executing a polar transform on a combination of all of the generated i-th bit vectors a.sub.i and the further vector c.
(58) Fourthly, the encoded bit sequence b.sub.m of the the m-th polar encoding step is appended or added to the systematic bits.
(59) In view of the aforesaid, the present application relates also to a decoding device 5 as shown in
(60) Accordingly, a decoding method 6, which is shown in
(61) By the present application an efficient encoding device and an efficient encoding method are provided that have an improved performance, provide capacity-achieving codes, and are utilizable in different applications, e.g. also in applications requiring systematic encoding.
(62) The application has been described in conjunction with various embodiments herein. However, other variations to the enclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art and practicing the claimed application, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the appended claims. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.