Method and apparatus for selecting a packet data serving node for multi-cast/broadcast services

• US 20030086423A1
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Published: 05/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsu, Raymond T.
• Granted Patent: US 6,987,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• 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 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Method and apparatus for selecting a Packet Data Service Node (PDSN) for a communication in a wireless transmission system supporting broadcast transmissions. The packet control function node determines a number of communicable PDSNs and assigns each a unique identifier. The PCF then selects one of the communicable PDSNs based on the multi-cast address of a given communication. One embodiment performs a modulo operation on a function of the multi-cast address and the number of communicable PDSNs, wherein the result of the modulo operation corresponds to a unique identifier.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication system supporting broadcast transmissions, the system having a protocol control function node and a plurality of packet data service nodes, a method for setting up transmission paths comprising:

determining a first number of the plurality of packet data service nodes communicable with the protocol control function node; and

determining a first packet data service node for a first communication as a function of the first number.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein determining the first packet data service node comprises:

assigning a unique identifier to each packet data service node communicable with the protocol control function node.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein determining the first packet data service node further comprises:

receiving a multi-cast address for the first communication; and

determining the first packet data service node as a function of the multi-cast address.

4. The method as in claim 3, wherein determining the first packet data service node as a function of the multi-cast address comprises:

performing a modulo operation on the multi-cast address and the first number, wherein the result of the modulo operation corresponds to one of the unique identifiers assigned to reachable packet data service nodes.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the multi-cast address is an Internet Protocol address.

6. In a wireless communication system supporting broadcast transmissions, the system having a protocol control function node and a plurality of packet data service nodes, a method for setting up transmission paths comprising:

determining a multi-cast address of a first communication; and

determining a first packet data service node for the first communication as a function of the multi-cast address.

7. The method as in claim 6, further comprising:

determining a first number of the plurality of packet data service nodes communicable with the protocol control function node.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein determining a first packet data service node for the first communication as a function of the multi-cast address comprises:

performing a modulo operation on the multi-cast address and the first number, wherein the result of the modulo operation corresponds to one of the unique identifiers assigned to reachable packet data service nodes.

9. An infrastructure element for setting up transmission paths in a wireless transmission system supporting broadcast transmissions, the infrastructure element comprising:

means for determining a first number of the plurality of packet data service nodes communicable with the protocol control function node; and

means for determining a first packet data service node for a first communication as a function of the first number.

10. An infrastructure element for setting up transmission paths in a wireless transmission system supporting broadcast transmissions, the infrastructure element comprising:

means for determining a multi-cast address of a first communication; and

means for determining a first packet data service node for the first communication as a function of the multi-cast address.

11. A wireless communication system supporting broadcast transmissions, the system having a protocol control function node and a plurality of packet data service nodes, a method for setting up transmission paths comprising:

means for determining a first number of the plurality of packet data service nodes communicable with the protocol control function node; and

means for determining a first packet data service node for a first communication as a function of the first number.

12. A wireless communication system supporting broadcast transmissions, the system having a protocol control function node and a plurality of packet data service nodes, a method for setting up transmission paths comprising:

means for determining a multi-cast address of a first communication; and

means for determining a first packet data service node for the first communication as a function of the multi-cast address.