Multicast session handover

• US 20030100325A1
• Filed: 11/19/2001
• Published: 05/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Luoma, Juha-Pekka, Xu, Lin, Paila, Toni, Paikela, Jani, Walsh, Rod
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,832 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/506
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/00 Hand-off or reselection arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0007 for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

A method and system for performing multicast broadcast handover in a wireless data network are disclosed. Each cell broadcasts administrative announcements over a logical channel to mobile terminals. The announcements indicate which multicast broadcasts are available in specified cells, as well as connection information for each cell. The mobile terminals may tune to a multicast broadcast as defined by the administrative announcements. While tuned to the multicast, the mobile terminal continues to receive administrative announcements. As the broadcast fades out or is otherwise interrupted, the mobile terminal can retune to the same multicast broadcast in another cell, based on the cell connection information included in the previously received administrative announcements.

Claims

1. A method for performing multicast session handover, comprising the steps of:

(i) in a first cell, receiving multicast session information for a plurality of cells comprising the first cell and a second cell;

(ii) tuning to a multicast session in the first cell using the received multicast session information;

(iii) when a predetermined condition occurs, tuning to the multicast session in the second cell using the received multicast session information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a session identifier and a list of cells in which the multicast session is available.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a frequency.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a session title.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises a signal strength fading.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition comprises receiving predetermined user input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise receiving a digital video broadcast terrestrial (DVB-T) multicast session.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise receiving a UMTS multicast session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises link-level access parameters corresponding to the first and second cells,

wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise using the link-level access parameters to tune to the multicast session in each cell.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of joining an IP multicast group in the first cell.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of periodically receiving multicast session announcements while tuned to the multicast session in the first cell.

12. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor; and

memory for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the mobile terminal to perform steps of;

(i) in a first cell, receiving multicast session information for a plurality of cells comprising the first cell and a second cell;

(ii) tuning to a multicast session in the first cell using the received multicast session information;

(iii) when a predetermined condition occurs, tuning to the multicast session in the second cell using the received multicast session information.

13. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a session identifier and a list of channels in which the multicast session is available.

14. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a frequency.

15. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a session title.

16. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise receiving a digital video broadcast terrestrial (DVB-T) multicast session.

17. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise receiving a UMTS multicast session.

18. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises link-level access parameters corresponding to the first and second cells, and

wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise using the link-level access parameters to tune to the multicast session in each cell.

19. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise the step of joining an IP multicast group in the first cell.

20. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise the step of periodically receiving multicast session announcements while tuned to the multicast session in the first cell.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein in step (iii) the predetermined condition comprises a signal strength fading.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein in step (iii) the predetermined condition comprises receiving predetermined user input.

23. A computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a data processing device to perform the steps of:

(i) in a first cell, receiving multicast session information for a plurality of cells comprising the first cell and a second cell;

(ii) tuning to a multicast session in the first cell using the received multicast session information;

(iii) when a predetermined condition occurs, tuning to the multicast session in the second cell using the received multicast session information.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a session identifier and a list of channels in which the multicast session is available.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a frequency.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises a session title.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise receiving a digital video broadcast terrestrial (DVB-T) multicast session.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise receiving a UMTS multicast session.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein, in step (i), the multicast session information comprises link-level access parameters corresponding to the first and second cells, and

wherein steps (ii) and (iii) comprise using the link-level access parameters to tune to the multicast session in each cell.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise the step of joining an IP multicast group in the first cell.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise the step of periodically receiving multicast session announcements while tuned to the multicast session in the first cell.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein in step (iii) the predetermined condition comprises a signal strength fading.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 23, wherein in step (iii) the predetermined condition comprises receiving predetermined user input.

34. A method for performing multicast session handover, comprising steps of:

(i) tuning to a logical announcement channel;

(ii) receiving a session announcement corresponding to a multicast session, the session announcement comprising information that maps link-level access parameters in each of a plurality of cells to the multicast session;

(iii) receiving the multicast session in a first cell using the first cell'"'"'s received link-level access parameters; and

(iv) when reception of the multicast session in the first cell changes from a first signal strength, receiving the multicast session in a second cell using link-level access parameters contained in the session announcement.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein steps (iii) and (v) comprise tuning to a digital video broadcast terrestrial (DVB-T) multicast session.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein steps (iii) and (v) comprise tuning to a UMTS multicast session.