Broadcasting and multicasting in wireless communication

• US 20030026240A1
• Filed: 07/23/2001
• Published: 02/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Evdo, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Airvana Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eyuboglu, M. Vedat, Kim, Dae-Young
• Granted Patent: US 6,781,999 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/349
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/2625 using common wave
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• 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

Abstract

In a radio access network, multicast packets are delivered each identified by a multicast network layer address representing a multicast group of access terminals. The multicast packets are delivered in one or more air link frames using a common control channel that is shared among access terminals in a sector. Each airlink frame carries a multicast air link address that identifies the multicast group of terminals.

Claims

1. A method comprising

in a radio access network, delivering multicast packets each identified by a multicast network layer address representing a multicast group of access terminals,

the multicast packets being delivered in one or more air link frames using a common control channel that is shared among access terminals in a sector,

each airlink frame carrying a multicast air link address that identifies the multicast group of terminals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common control channel comprises the control channel of IS-856.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast air link address comprises a broadcast or multicast Access Terminal Identifier (ATI).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast packets are sent to the radio access network from a router.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the router comprises a packet data serving node, and the multicast packets are sent to the radio access network using a multicast network layer tunnel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the network layer tunnel comprises an IP tunnel using the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) protocol.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the router uses a stateless simple link layer protocol to frame the network layer multicast packets for transmission to the access terminals.

8. The method of claim 1 further including enabling an access terminal to join or leave a multicast group.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein an access terminal joins a multicast group by sending a message to a multicast router.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the multicast router comprises a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) or a Home Agent (HA).

11. The method of claims 9 and 10 wherein an access terminal joins a multicast group by registering out-of-band at a web server, and the multicast router obtains the registration information from the web server.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the packets are sent to the radio access network using a reliable protocol involving error detection and retransmission.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said airlink frames are sent repetitively in multiple Control Channel Cycles in order to reach dormant terminals.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the radio access network sends a multicast page to multiple terminals in order to wake them up before the transmission of multicast data starts.

13. A method comprising

in a radio network, sending multicast packets from a router to a radio access network,

the router using a stateless simple link layer protocol to frame the network layer multicast packets for transmission to access terminals in the sector.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the router comprises a packet data serving node, and the multicast packets are sent to the radio access network using a multicast network layer tunnel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the network layer tunnel comprises an IP tunnel using the Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) protocol.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the multicast router comprises a Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN) or a Home Agent (HA).