This paper generalizes parallel error correcting codes proposed by Ahlswede et al. over a new type of multiple access channel called parallel error channel. The generalized parallel error correcting codes can handle with more errors compared with the original ones. We show construction methods of independent and non-independent parallel error correcting codes and decoding methods. We derive some bounds about the size of respective parallel error correcting codes. The obtained results imply a single parallel error correcting code can be constructed by two or more kinds of error correcting codes with distinct error correcting capabilities.

Reliability-based maximum likelihood decoding (MLD) algorithms of linear block codes have been widely studied. These algorithms efficiently search the most likely codeword using the generator matrix whose most reliable and linearly independent k (dimension of the code) columns form the identity matrix. In this paper, conditions for omitting unnecessary metrics computation of candidate codewords are derived in reliability-based MLD algorithms. The proposed conditions utilize an order relation of binary vectors. A simple method for testing if the proposed conditions are satisfied is devised. The method for testing proposed conditions requires no real number operations and, consequently, the MLD algorithm employing this method reduces the number of real number operations, compared to known reliability-based MLD algorithms.