Combined Speech and Channel Coding for Wireless Communications

In this paper, we propose acombined variable-rate code-excited linearly predictive (QCELP)speech coding and unequal error protection (UEP) channel codingsystem for wireless communications. In contrast to theconventional schemes, our system employs a concatenatedsuper-imposed rate-compatible punctured convolutional (SI-RCPC)channel coding scheme which can provide UEP with respect to notonly the bit-significance of speech packets but also the speechactivity and local channel characteristics. Verified by thesimulation results, the combined system achieves an averagetransmission rate less than 8 kb/s as well as an average 2 dBsignal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain over the conventional equal errorprotection system.