On capacity and coding for segmented deletion channels

We consider binary deletion channels with a segmentation assumption which appears to be suited for more practical scenarios. Unlike the binary independent and identically distributed (i.i.d.) deletion channel where each bit is independently deleted with an equal probability, the segmentation assumption prohibits certain transmitted bits to be deleted, i.e., in a block of bits of a certain length, only a limited number of deletions can occur. We first propose several upper and lower capacity bounds for the segmented deletion channel. Then we focus on an interleaved concatenation of an outer low-density parity check (LDPC) code with error-correction capabilities and an inner marker code with synchronization capabilities over these channels. With the help of a specifically designed maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) detector, we demonstrate reliable transmission at higher code rates than the existing ones reported in the literature. © 2011 IEEE