Communique subscriber handoff between a narrowcast cellular communication network and a point-to-point cellular communication network

• US 20020028690A1
• Filed: 07/11/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• 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 6,681,115 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/517
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/142 over the same radio air interface technology
• 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 4/08 User group management
• 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 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• 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 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 grouping of cells to form the communique coverage area for the narrowcast transmissions need not be contiguous and can comprise dynamic combinations of contiguous and non-contiguous cells. In addition, the Communique transmission to an individual subscriber can be managed using the hand off capability of the cellular communication network. Thus, if the subscriber roams out of the narrowcast coverage area, the communique transmission to the subscriber is extended from the narrowcast coverage area via an “umbilical” connection on a point-to-point basis using the existing capabilities of the cellular communication network. This enables uninterrupted service for the subscriber even if the subscriber does not continue to remain within the narrowcast coverage area.

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

means for routing information, constituting said communique communication service, from a selected program source 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; and

means, responsive to a one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices roaming outside of a coverage area of said selected at least one of said plurality of cells, for extending said communique communication service to said one wireless subscriber device via a one-to-one communication connection through at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

2. The communique system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for identifying a plurality of cell sites adapted to serve said subscribers; and

means for establishing communication connections from said communique system to said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

3. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for extending said communique communication service comprises:

means for establishing communication connection from said communique system to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to transmit communiques comprising said communique communication service to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

4. The communique system of claim 3 wherein said means for extending said communique communication service further comprises:

means for transmitting information, constituting said communique communication service, from said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to said one wireless subscriber device via a selected one of a plurality of wireless communication channels in said at least one of said plurality of cells.

5. The communique system of claim 3 wherein said means for extending said communique communication service further comprises:

means for terminating said communication connection from said communique system to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells upon completion of transmission of communiques comprising said communique communication service.

6. The communique system of claim 1 wherein said means for extending said communique communication service comprises:

means for determining whether a communication connection from said communique system to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to transmit communiques comprising said communique communication service to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells is authorized for said one wireless subscriber device.

7. The communique system of claim 1 further comprising:

means for enabling each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to receive said information via said one of said plurality of wireless communication channels.

8. The communique system of claim 7 wherein said means for enabling comprises:

means for identifying each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

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

means for assigning a common MIN as said communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

10. The communique system of claim 7 wherein said means for enabling comprises:

means for registering at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to uniquely identify said at least one wireless subscriber device; and

means for authorizing said at least one wireless subscriber device to receive a subscriber selected communique.

11. The communique system of claim 1 further comprising:

means, responsive to a one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices roaming into a coverage area of said selected at least one of said plurality of cells and receiving said communique communication service via a one to one communication connection through at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells, for transmitting said communique communication service to said one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels in said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

identifying a plurality of cell sites adapted to serve said subscribers; and

establishing communication connections from said communique system to said cell sites associated with said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of extending said communique communication service comprises:

establishing communication connection from said communique system to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to transmit communiques comprising said communique communication service to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of extending said communique communication service further comprises:

transmitting information, constituting said communique communication service, from said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to said one wireless subscriber device via a selected one of a plurality of wireless communication channels in said at least one of said plurality of cells.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein said step of extending said communique communication service further comprises:

terminating said communication connection from said communique system to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells upon completion of transmission of communiques comprising said communique communication service.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said step of extending said communique communication service comprises:

determining whether a communication connection from said communique system to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells to transmit communiques comprising said communique communication service to said at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells is authorized for said one wireless subscriber device.

18. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

enabling each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to receive said information via said one of said plurality of wireless communication channels.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of enabling comprises:

identifying each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of identifying comprises:

assigning a common MIN as said communique address assigned to said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to enable the cell sites to recognize each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices without requiring a unique identity for each of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of enabling comprises:

registering at least one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices to uniquely identify said at least one wireless subscriber device; and

authorizing said at least one wireless subscriber device to receive a subscriber selected communique.

22. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of:

transmitting, in response to a one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices roaming into a coverage area of said selected at least one of said plurality of cells and receiving said communique communication service via a one to one communication connection through at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells, said communique communication service to said one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices via a one of said plurality of wireless communication channels in said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.

12. A method 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:

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

routing information, constituting said communique communication service, from a selected program source 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; and

extending, in response to a one of said plurality of wireless subscriber devices roaming outside of a coverage area of said selected at least one of said plurality of cells, said communique communication service to said one wireless subscriber device via a one-to-one communication connection through at least one of said plurality of cells other than said selected at least one of said plurality of cells.