Communique system with dynamic bandwidth allocation in cellular communication networks

• US 20020018450A1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vesuvius, Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: McKenna, Daniel B., Graziano, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,907,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5322 for recording text messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53375 Message broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/20 Selecting an access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

The communique system for cellular communication networks operates with existing cellular communication networks to provide communique communication services to subscribers. The communique can be unidirectional (broadcast) or bidirectional (interactive) in nature and the extent of the communique can be network-wide broadcast or narrowcast, where one or more cells and/or cell sectors are grouped to cover a predetermined geographic area or demographic population or subscriber interest group to transmit information to subscribers who populate the target audience for the narrowcast transmissions. The communique system for cellular communication networks can dynamically allocate the available bandwidth to thereby serve subscribers with more control channel(s) and/or control channel bandwidth and/or communication channels and/or communication channels of greater bandwidth as the need presents itself. The dynamic bandwidth allocation can simultaneously occur in multiple domains: time, code, frequency to thereby serve the needs of the subscribers to receive Communiques. The content of these transmissions can be multi-media in nature and comprising a combination of various forms of media: audio, video, graphics, text, data and the like. The subscriber terminal devices used to communicate with the communique system for cellular communication networks are typically full function communication devices that include: WAP enabled cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, Palm Pilots, personal computers, and the like or special communique only communication devices that are specific to communique reception; or MP3 audio players (essentially a radio receiver or communique radio); or an MPEG4 video receiver (communique TV); or other such specialized communication device.

Claims

1. A communique system for providing communique communication services to subscribers, who are equipped with wireless subscriber devices, via a cellular communication network that includes a plurality of cell sites, each of which provides a plurality of wireless communication channels in a cell that covers a predetermined volume of space around a cell site transmitting antenna, comprising:

means for receiving program content from a plurality of program sources;

means for selecting at least one of said plurality of cells to provide a communique communication service; and

means for routing program content from at least one of said plurality of program sources to cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells for transmission via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels to a plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to provide said communique communication service.

2. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for routing comprises:

means for combining said received program content into a plurality of program streams, each of which comprises at least one media from the class of media including;

audio, video, graphics, text, data, and the like.

3. The communique system of claim 2 further comprising:

means for transmitting a program stream to said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells; and

wherein said means for routing further comprises;

means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said cell sites associated with said at least one of said plurality of cells to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream in said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

4. The communique system of claim 3 further comprising:

means, located in said at least one of said plurality of cell sites, for generating a plurality of communiques from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals; and

means for transmitting said plurality of communiques to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

5. The communique system of claim 2 further comprising:

means for transmitting a program stream to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells; and

wherein said means for routing further comprises;

means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream.

6. The communique system of claim 5 further comprising:

means for generating a plurality of subframes from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals for transmission to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

7. The communique system of claim 6 further comprising:

means for generating program stream subframe parsing control signals to define at least one communique that is excerpted from a subframe of said program stream; and

means for transmitting said received program stream subframe and said program stream subframe parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

8. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for routing comprises:

means for dividing a communication space in at least two dimensions to create said plurality of communication channels for carrying data; and

means for transmitting each said received program content in a selected one of said communication channels.

9. The communique system of claim 8 wherein said means for dividing comprises:

means for dividing a communication space in in time, frequency and code domains to create said plurality of communication channels, each comprising a plurality of communication segments for carrying data.

10. The communique system of claim 9 wherein said received program content comprises communique transmissions and at least one of the classes of transmissions:

voice, and data transmissions, said means for routing further comprises;

means for assigning at least one of said plurality of communication channels exclusively for use in transmitting each of said at least two classes of transmissions; and

means for transmitting each of said received program content comprising at least two of;

voice, data and communique transmissions in said associated assigned ones of said plurality of communication channels.

11. The communique system of claim 10 wherein said means for routing further comprises:

means for reserving at least one of said plurality of communication channels for use on a non-exclusive basis for use in transmitting each of said at least two classes of transmissions.

13. The method of operating a communique system of claim 12 wherein said step of routing comprises:

combining said received program content into a plurality of program streams, each of which comprises at least one media from the class of media including;

audio, video, graphics, text, data, and the like.

14. The method of operating a communique system of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a program stream to said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells; and

wherein said step of routing further comprises;

transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said cell sites associated with said at least one of said plurality of cells to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream in said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

15. The method of operating a communique system of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

generating, in said at least one of said plurality of cell sites, a plurality of communiques from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals; and

transmitting said plurality of communiques to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

16. The method of operating a communique system of claim 13 further comprising the step of:

transmitting a program stream to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells; and

wherein said step of routing further comprises;

transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream.

17. The method of operating a communique system of claim 16 further comprising the step of:

generating a plurality of subframes from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals for transmission to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

18. The method of operating a communique system of claim 17 further comprising the steps of:

generating program stream subframe parsing control signals to define at least one communique that is excerpted from a subframe of said program stream; and

transmitting said received program stream subframe and said program stream subframe parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

19. The method of operating a communique system of claim 12 wherein said step of routing comprises:

dividing a communication space in at least two dimensions to create said plurality of communication channels for carrying data; and

transmitting each said received program content in a selected one of said communication channels.

20. The method of operating a communique system of claim 19 wherein said step of dividing comprises:

dividing a communication space in in time, frequency and code domains to create said plurality of communication channels, each comprising a plurality of communication segments for carrying data.

21. The method of operating a communique system of claim 20 wherein said received program content comprises communique transmissions and at least one of the classes of transmissions:

voice, and data transmissions, said step of routing further comprises;

assigning at least one of said plurality of communication channels exclusively for use in transmitting each of said at least two classes of transmissions; and

transmitting each of said received program content comprising at least two of;

voice, data and communique transmissions in said associated assigned ones of said plurality of communication channels.

22. The method of operating a communique system of claim 21 wherein said step of routing further comprises:

reserving at least one of said plurality of communication channels for use on a non-exclusive basis for use in transmitting each of said at least two classes of transmissions.

24. The communique system of claim 23 wherein said router means comprises:

content scheduling means for combining said received program content into a plurality of program streams, each of which comprises at least one media from the class of media including;

audio, video, graphics, text, data, and the like.

25. The communique system of claim 24 further comprising:

distribution means for transmitting a program stream to said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells; and

wherein said router means further comprises;

control signal means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said cell sites associated with said at least one of said plurality of cells to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream in said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

26. The communique system of claim 25 further comprising:

communique generation means, located in said at least one of said plurality of cell sites, for generating a plurality of communiques from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals; and

program distribution means for transmitting said plurality of communiques to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

27. The communique system of claim 24 further comprising:

link means for transmitting a program stream to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells; and

wherein said router means further comprises;

communique parsing control means for transmitting program stream parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to define at least one communique that is excerpted from said program stream.

28. The communique system of claim 27 further comprising:

subframe generating means for generating a plurality of subframes from said received program stream and said program stream parsing control signals for transmission to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

29. The communique system of claim 28 further comprising:

subframe control means for generating program stream subframe parsing control signals to define at least one communique that is excerpted from a subframe of said program stream; and

transmitter means for transmitting said received program stream subframe and said program stream subframe parsing control signals to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

30. The communique system of claim 23 wherein said router means comprises:

subframe generating means for dividing a communication space in at least two dimensions to create said plurality of communication channels for carrying data; and

transmitter means for transmitting each said received program content in a selected one of said communication channels.

31. The communique system of claim 30 wherein said subframe generating means comprises:

domain parsing means for dividing a communication space in in time, frequency and code domains to create said plurality of communication channels, each comprising a plurality of communication segments for carrying data.

32. The communique system of claim 31 wherein said received program content comprises communique transmissions and at least one of the classes of transmissions:

voice, and data transmissions, said router means further comprises;

channel assignment means for assigning at least one of said plurality of communication channels exclusively for use in transmitting each of said at least two classes of transmissions; and

transmitter means for transmitting each of said received program content comprising at least two of;

voice, data and communique transmissions in said associated assigned ones of said plurality of communication channels.

33. The communique system of claim 32 wherein said router means further comprises:

channel allocation means for reserving at least one of said plurality of communication channels for use on a non-exclusive basis for use in transmitting each of said at least two classes of transmissions.

12. A method of operating a communique system for providing communique communication services to subscribers, who are equipped with wireless subscriber devices, via a cellular communication network that includes a plurality of cell sites, each of which provides a plurality of wireless communication channels in a cell that covers a predetermined volume of space around a cell site transmitting antenna, comprising the steps of:

receiving program content from a plurality of program sources;

selecting at least one of said plurality of cells to provide a communique communication service; and

routing program content from at least one of said plurality of program sources to cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells for transmission via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels to a plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to provide said communique communication service.

23. A communique system for providing communique communication services to subscribers, who are equipped with wireless subscriber devices, via a cellular communication network that includes a plurality of cell sites, each of which provides a plurality of wireless communication channels in a cell that covers a predetermined volume of space around a cell site transmitting antenna, comprising:

program manager means for receiving program content from a plurality of program sources;

spatial temporal content manager means for selecting at least one of said plurality of cell sites to provide a communique communication service; and

router means for routing program content from at least one of said plurality of program sources to said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites for transmission via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels to a plurality of wireless subscriber devices served by said selected at least one of said plurality of cell sites to provide said communique communication service.