System and method for providing selection diversity for multicasting content

• US 20040081125A1
• Filed: 10/28/2002
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ranta-Aho, Karri, Toskala, Antti
• Granted Patent: US 7,606,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/335
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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 36/00692 using simultaneous multiple data streams, e.g. cooperative multipoint [CoMP], carrier aggregation [CA] or multiple input multiple output [MIMO] allocation of physical resources in CoMP or in CA H04L5/0035
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/185 using make before break
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

The invention provides a method and system for providing multicasting content in a network having several cells which can communicate with one or more terminals such as user equipments, the terminals being able to select which cell or cells they desire to communicate which, wherein at least some of the cells transmitting multicasting content also transmit cell information on one or more other cells transmitting the same multicasting content, the terminal or terminals selecting one of the cells transmitting multicasting content which the terminal intends to receive, based on this information.

Claims

1. Method for providing multicasting content in a network having several cells which can communicate with one or more terminals, the terminals being able to select which cell or cells they desire to communicate which, wherein at least some of the cells transmitting multicasting content also transmit cell information on one or more other cells transmitting the same multicasting content, the terminal or terminals selecting one of the cells transmitting multicasting content which the terminal intends to receive, based on this information.

2. Method according to claim 1, wherein the cell information is transmitted as System Information Blocks (SIBs).

3. Method according to claim 1, wherein the cell information is transmitted on the broadcast channels in the cells.

4. Method according to claim 1, wherein the cell information is transmitted on a Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH).

5. Method according to claim 1, wherein the cell information includes the channelisation codes with regard to each of the cells which transmit the same multicasting content.

6. Method according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the cells send the same multicasting content on a downlink shared channel (DSCH) which is received by at least two terminals.

7. Method according to claim 1 wherein a radio network controller (RNC) sends multicast content in a downlink shared channel (DSCH) to at least two base stations of the cells each of which broadcast the DSCH, and the terminal selects the DSCH that it can receives with sufficient or strongest power.

8. Method according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the cells send the same multicasting content on a forward access channel (FACH) which is received by at least two terminals.

9. Method according to claim 1 wherein base stations of the cells are informed on dedicated channels (DCHs) related to forward access channels (FACHs) used for transmitting multicast content.

10. Method according to claim 9 wherein base stations of the cells adjust transmission power based on:

detected DCH powers, or

Presence of the associated DCH channels, or

SSDT (Site-Selection Diversity Transmission) uplink feedback information indicating the primary/non-primary cell status.

11. Method according to claim 9 wherein DCH is associated for each DSCH separately for each terminal, the DCHs associated to a DSCH are observed, and the sending of those DSCHs to which no DCHs are associated, is stopped.

12. Method according to claim 1, wherein the terminals are adapted to compare the quality of reception of information from at least two cells, and to select the cell providing better or stronger reception for receiving the multicasting content.

13. Method according to claim 12, wherein the terminal compares the strength or power of pilot signals received from the several cells, and, when detecting that a certain cell sends a pilot signal received with higher strength or power than the strength or power of the pilot signals of the cell presently listened to, checks whether the certain cell offers the same multicasting content as the cell presently listened to, and if yes starts to decode the multicasting content from the certain cell.

14. Method according to claim 13, wherein the terminal, when detecting that the certain cell does not offer the same multicasting content as the cell presently listened to, initiates a cell reselection procedure wherein the certain cell is instructed to start to transmit the multicasting content.

15. Method according to claim 12, wherein the terminal compares the strength or power of pilot signals received from the several cells on the Primary Common Pilot Channel (P-CPICH).

16. System for providing multicasting content in a network having several cells which can communicate with one or more terminals, the terminals being able to select which cell or cells they desire to communicate which, wherein at least some of the cells transmitting multicasting content also transmit cell information on one or more other cells transmitting the same multicasting content, the terminal or terminals selecting one of the cells transmitting multicasting content which the terminal intends to receive, based on this information.

17. System according to claim 16, wherein the cell information is transmitted as System Information Blocks (SIBs).

18. System according to claim 16, wherein the cell information is transmitted on the broadcast channels in the cells.

19. System according to claim 16, wherein the cell information is transmitted on a Dedicated Control Channel (DCCH).

20. System according to claim 16, wherein the cell information includes the channelisation codes with regard to each of the cells which transmit the same multicasting content.

21. System according to claim 16 wherein at least two of the cells send the same multicasting content on a downlink shared channel (DSCH) which is received by at least two terminals.

22. System according to claim 16 wherein a radio network controller (RNC) sends multicast content in a downlink shared channel (DSCH) to at least two base stations of the cells each of which broadcast the DSCH, and the terminal selects the DSCH that it can receives with sufficient or strongest power.

23. System according to claim 16 wherein at least two of the cells send the same multicasting content on a forward access channel (FACH) which is received by at least two terminals.

24. System according to claim 16 wherein base stations of the cells are informed on dedicated channels (DCHs) related to forward access channels (FACHs) used for transmitting multicast content.

25. System according to claim 24 wherein base stations of the cells adjust transmission power based on:

detected DCH powers, or

Presence of the associated DCH channels, or

SSDT (Site-Selection Diversity Transmission) uplink feedback information indicating the primary/non-primary cell status.

26. System according to claim 24 wherein DCH is associated for each DSCH separately for each terminal, at least one network element is adapted to observe the DCHs associated to a DSCH, and the, or another, network element is adapted to stop sending those DSCH'"'"'s to which no DCHs are associated.

27. System according to claim 16, wherein the terminals are adapted to compare the quality of reception of information from at least two cells, and to select the cell providing better or stronger reception for receiving the multicasting content.

28. System according to claim 27, wherein the terminal compares the strength or power of pilot signals received from the several cells, and, when detecting that a certain cell sends a pilot signal received with higher strength or power than the strength or power of the pilot signals of the cell presently listened to, checks whether the certain cell offers the same multicasting content as the cell presently listened to, and if yes starts to decode the multicasting content from the certain cell.

29. System according to claim 28, wherein the terminal, when detecting that the certain cell does not offer the same multicasting content as the cell presently listened to, initiates a cell reselection procedure wherein the certain cell is instructed to start to transmit the multicasting content.

30. System according to claim 27, wherein the terminal compares the strength or power of pilot signals received from the several cells on the Primary Common Pilot Channel (P-CPICH).

31. Terminal for receiving multicasting content in a network having several cells which can communicate with the terminal, the terminal being able to select which cell or cells it desire to communicate which, wherein the terminal or terminals selects one of the cells transmitting multicasting content which the terminal intends to receive, based on cell information transmitted from the cells and indicating which cells are transmitting the same multicasting content.

32. Terminal according to claim 31, wherein multicast content is transmitted in a downlink shared channel (DSCH) broadcast by at least two base stations of the cells, and the terminal selects the DSCH that it can receives with sufficient or strongest power.

33. Terminal according to claim 31, wherein the terminal is adapted to compare the quality of reception of information from at least two cells, and to select the cell providing better or stronger reception for receiving the multicasting content.

34. Terminal according to claim 33, wherein the terminal compares the strength or power of pilot signals received from the several cells, and, when detecting that a certain cell sends a pilot signal received with higher strength or power than the strength or power of the pilot signals of the cell presently listened to, checks whether the certain cell offers the same multicasting content as the cell presently listened to, and if yes starts to decode the multicasting content from the certain cell.

35. Terminal according to claim 34, wherein the terminal, when detecting that the certain cell does not offer the same multicasting content as the cell presently listened to, initiates a cell reselection procedure wherein the certain cell is instructed to start to transmit the multicasting content.

36. Terminal according to claim 33, wherein the terminal compares the strength or power of pilot signals received from the several cells on the Primary Common Pilot Channel (P-CPICH).