Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
132 words
In a communications system comprising a plurality of N independent data streams and a pluraity of N+M communications links, a method of providing protection against the failure of up to M of the N+M communications links, M>1, comprising the steps of: (a) encoding the N independent data streams to generate N+M separate coded streams, any N of which may be used to decode the N independent data streams; said step of encoding including the step of generating a matrix product GD where D is a vector comprising N digital data symbols, one digital data symbol from each of the data streams, and G is a matrix comprising M+N rows, each row comprising N digital elements; (b) transmitting each of the N+M coded streams over a separate one of the N+M communications links.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
132 words
In a communications system comprising a plurality of N independent data streams and a pluraity of N+M communications links, a method of providing protection against the failure of up to M of the N+M communications links, M>1, comprising the steps of: (a) encoding the N independent data streams to generate N+M separate coded streams, any N of which may be used to decode the N independent data streams; said step of encoding including the step of generating a matrix product GD where D is a vector comprising N digital data symbols, one digital data symbol from each of the data streams, and G is a matrix comprising M+N rows, each row comprising N digital elements; (b) transmitting each of the N+M coded streams over a separate one of the N+M communications links.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein the generator matrix G is arranged such that any combination of N rows are linearly independent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein the matrix G is equivalent to an N×N identity matrix concatenated with an M×N parity matrix.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the M×N parity matrix comprises M rows, each row comprising N elements, and wherein each element is assigned a separate value r.sup.(i-1)(j-1), where 1≦i≦M, i is one of M row numbers, 1≦j≦N, j is one of N column numbers, and r is a primitive root of a finite field, or proportional to a root of unity in a field of complex numbers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
144 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein the M×N parity matrix is equivalent to a matrix formed from a product A -1 B, wherein A comprises M rows, each row comprising M elements, and wherein each element is assigned a separate value r.sup.(i-1)(j-1), where 1≦i≦M, i is one of M row numbers, N+1≦j≦N+M, j is one of M column numbers, and r is a primitive root of a finite field, or proportional to a root of unity in a field of complex numbers, and wherein B comprises M rows, each row comprising N elements, and wherein each element is assigned a separate value r.sup.(i-1)(j-1) where 1≦i≦M, i is one of M row numbers, 1≦j≦N, j is one of N column numbers, and r is a primitive root of a finite field, or proportional to a root of unity in a field of complex numbers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein the plurality of N data streams are produced from a plurality of sources, and wherein said step (a) comprises the step of partially encoding the N independent data streams at each of the plurality of N or fewer sources.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 wherein the plurality of N data streams are received at a plurality of destinations, and wherein said step (d) comprises the step of partially decoding the N independent data streams at each of the plurality of N or fewer destinations.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
109 words
A communications system for conveying N data streams of interest, said communications system comprising: means for encoding the N data streams of interest to generate N+M coded streams, where M>1 and where any N of the N+M coded streams may be used to decode the N data streams of interest; said means for encoding comprising means for generating a matrix product GD where D comprises N digital data symbols, one digital data symbol from each of the data streams, and the matrix G comprises M+N rows, each row comprising N digital elements; N+M communications links, each communications link being disposed for conveying a separate one of the coded streams.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
109 words
A communications system for conveying N data streams of interest, said communications system comprising: means for encoding the N data streams of interest to generate N+M coded streams, where M>1 and where any N of the N+M coded streams may be used to decode the N data streams of interest; said means for encoding comprising means for generating a matrix product GD where D comprises N digital data symbols, one digital data symbol from each of the data streams, and the matrix G comprises M+N rows, each row comprising N digital elements; N+M communications links, each communications link being disposed for conveying a separate one of the coded streams.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
23 words
The communication system according to claim 8 wherein the G matrix is arranged such that any combination of N rows are linearly independent.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The communications system according to claim 9 wherein the matrix G is equivalent to an N×N identity matrix concatenated with an M×N parity matrix.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
71 words
The communications system according to claim 10 wherein the M×N parity matrix comprises M rows, each row comprising N elements, and wherein each element is assigned a separate value r.sup.(i-1)(j-1), where 1≦i≦M, where i is one of M row numbers, 1≦j≦M+N, j is one of M+N column numbers, and r is a primitive root of a finite field or proportional to a root of unity in a field of complex numbers.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
145 words
The communications system according to claim 10 wherein the M×N parity matrix is equivalent to a matrix formed from a product A -1 B, wherein A comprises M rows, each row comprising M elements, and wherein each element is assigned a separate value r.sup.(i-1)(j-1), where 1≦i≦M, i is one of M row numbers, N+1≦j≦N+M, j is one of M column numbers, and r is a primitive root of a finite field, or proportional to a root of unity in a field of complex numbers, and wherein B comprises M rows, each row comprising N elements, and wherein each element is assigned a separate value r.sup.(i-1)(j-1) where 1≦i≦M, i is one of M row numbers, 1≦j≦N, j is one of N column numbers, and r is a primitive root of a finite field, or proportional to a rood of unity in a field of complex numbers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
The communications system according to claim 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 wherein the plurality of N independent data streams are produced from a plurality of sources, and wherein said means for encoding comprises means for partially encoding the N independent data streams at each of the plurality of N or fewer sources.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
56 words
The communications system according to claim 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12 wherein the plurality of N independent data streams are received at a plurality of destinations, and wherein said means for receiving and for recovering comprises means for partially decoding the N independent data streams at each of the plurality of N or fewer destinations.