Abstract: A mobile-link system for a radio communication system including a first mobile-link assembly, a second mobile-link assembly, and a satellite feeder-link assembly located in a satellite; and an earth feeder-link assembly located in an earth station. The first mobile-link assembly receives mobile uplink signals including zone-one uplink signals transmitted from mobile stations located in a first zone of a coverage area and zone-two uplink signals transmitted from mobile stations located in a second zone of the coverage area, and outputs received zone-one uplink signals and received zone-two uplink signals. The second mobile-link assembly receives mobile uplink signals transmitted from mobile stations in the coverage area, and outputs received zone-two uplink signals and not zone-one uplink signals. The second mobile link assembly also transmits mobile downlink signals to at least the first and second zones of the coverage area.

Abstract: A coding system for error protecting both insignificant and significant symbols of a digital message to be transmitted from a transmitter to a receiver of a digital system. Error protection for both insignificant and significant symbols is provided by coding at the transmitter both significant and insignificant symbols of message blocks forming the digital message. The symbol rate of the coded signal to be transmitted is reduced and unequal error protection is provided to the significant symbols by puncturing a selected number of insignificant symbols of each codeword of the coded signal. At the receiver, a correction determination is made for each received codeword as to whether the erasures and errors of the received codeword are correctable. The correction determination is a function of the number of errors, number of erasures, and the minimum distance of the code. Based on this correction determination, the received codeword is depunctured and decoded.

Abstract: A digital communication system having a punctured convolutional coding system and method. The digital communication system includes a coder for coding a digital input to be transmitted from a transmitter and a decoder for decoding the coded input received at the receiver. The coder includes a convolutional coding circuit of rate k/n for outputting a convolutional coded output and a puncturing circuit for puncturing the convolutionally coded output to achieve a punctured code rate of z/q, where z=.gamma.k. The puncturing circuit punctures the convolutional coded output according to a deleting pattern chosen to have a bit length of L=p.gamma.n, where p.gtoreq.2. The puncturing circuit outputs a punctured output at punctured code rate of z/q and the punctured output is transmitted to the receiver. The receiver decodes the transmitted punctured output and outputs a decoded output.