Method for controlling a wireless link in a local area network including a wireless bridge, respective wireless bridge, program storage medium and computer program

• US 10,251,028 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2016
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Van Oost, Koen, Segers, Stijn, Verwaest, Frederik
• Primary Examiner(s): Levitan, Dmitry
• Application Number:
  US15/382,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20170181217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 835 Days
• Field of Search: 370310, 370312, 370315, 370433, 370449, 370463
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1863 comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/19 Connection re-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method for operating a wireless link in a local area network is described. The wireless link includes a LAN access point, a wireless bridge linked with the LAN access point and a receiver linked with the wireless bridge. The wireless bridge includes a bridge access point and a bridge station. A multicast data connection is established between the LAN access point and the receiver via the wireless bridge by forwarding a multicast data stream, received by the bridge access point from the LAN access point, to the bridge station, restoring the wireless link after a connection loss of the wireless link, and sending a query message by the bridge station to the receiver, when the wireless link is restored.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless link in a local area network (LAN) including a LAN access point, a wireless bridge linked with the LAN access point and a receiver linked with the wireless bridge, the wireless bridge including a bridge access point and a bridge station providing the wireless link therebetween, wherein a multicast data connection is established between the LAN access point and the receiver via the wireless bridge, comprising:

recieving by the bridge station, through the wirelss link, a multicast data stream from the LAN access point, and

sending a query message by the bridge station to the receiver when the wireless link is restored after a connection loss of the wireless link, for triggering a transmission, by the receiver, of a join request message to renew the multicast stream.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

sending the query message by the bridge station to the receiver immediately, without a pause, after the wireless link is restored.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the join request message from the receiver in the bridge station to renew the multicast stream.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the query message and the join request message are messages in accordance with an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a wireless repeater is included in the local area network being configured to provide a first wireless link between the bridge access point and the wireless repeater and a second wireless link between the repeater and the bridge station, the method comprising:

receiving by the bridge station a multicast data stream from the LAN access point, via the repeater, and

sending a query message by the bridge station to the receiver, when the at least one of the first and second wireless links is restored after a connection loss of the at least one of the first and second wireless links, for triggering a transmission, by the receiver, of a join request message to renew the multicast stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stream is a video stream, the wireless bridge is a video bridge and the receiver is a video receiver.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the video receiver is a set-top box, a satellite receiver or a television set.

8. A bridge station comprising:

a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the microprocessor is configured to

receive a multicast data stream from a LAN access point, and send a query message by the bridge station to a receiver when a wireless link between the bridge station and a bridge access point is restored after a connection loss of the wireless link, for triggering a transmission, by the receiver, of a join request message to renew the multicast stream.

9. The bridge station of claim 8, wherein the query message is sent by the bridge station to the receiver immediately, without a pause, after the wireless link is restored.

10. The bridge station of claim 8, wherein the join request message from the receiver to renew the multicast stream is received in the bridge station.

11. The bridge station of claim 8, wherein the query message and the join request message are messages in accordance with an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

12. The bridge station of claim 8, configured to

receive a multicast data stream, from the LAN access point via a repeater, and

send a query message to a receiver, when the at least one of a first wireless link between the repeater and a bridge access point and a second wireless link between the repeater and the bridge station is restored after a connection loss of the at least one of the first and second wireless links, for triggering a transmission, by the receiver, of a join request message to renew the multicast stream.

13. The bridge station of claim 8, wherein the data stream is a video stream, the bridge station is a video bridge and the receiver is a video receiver.

14. The bridge station of claim 13, wherein the video receiver is a set-top box, a satellite receiver or a television set.

15. A non-transitory program storage medium, readable by a microprocessor and comprising executable program code for:

receiving by a bridge station, through a wireless link, a multicast data stream, from a LAN access point, and

sending a query message by the bridge station to a receiver when the wireless link is restored after a connection loss of the wireless link, for triggering a transmission, by the receiver, of a join request message to renew the multicast stream.