Channel switching for support of multimedia broadcast and multicast services

• US 20040116125A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Terry, Stephen E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,212,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/450
• 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 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 72/1263 Mapping of traffic onto schedule, e.g. scheduled allocation or multiplexing of flows
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/51 based on terminal or device properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/18 Service support devices; Network management devices

Abstract

The present invention includes a radio access network and a method for sending a multimedia broadcasts/multicast services (MBMS) using channel switching. The channel switching is between dedicated and shared/common channels. The invention also includes MBMS reception scheduling for use when a wireless transmit/receive device receives an MBMS service from multiple transmission sources. The sources transmitting the MBMS service data in differing orders. One embodiment uses in band segmentation information and another embodiment uses out of band synchronization information.

Claims

1. A method for transferring multimedia broadcasts/multimedia services (MBMS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

determining a number of users in a cell to receive the MBMS;

using the determined number of users to determine whether a dedicated channel or a shared/common channel is to be used for the MBMS;

receiving MBMS data; and

mapping the MBMS data to the determined dedicated or shared/common channel.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined dedicated or shared/common channel is based on a threshold test where if the determined number of users is below the threshold, a dedicated channel is used for the MBMS and if the determined number of users is above the threshold, a shared/common channel is used for the MBMS.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the threshold test has the threshold and a second threshold and if the determined number of users is above the second threshold, a common channel is used for the MBMS and if the determined number is between the threshold and the second threshold, a shared channel is used for the MBMS.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the dedicated or shared/common channel determination is based on cell conditions.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the dedicated channel is a dedicated shared channel and the shared/common channel is a common shared channel.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the dedicated channel is a dedicated high speed shared channel and the shared/common channel is a common high speed shared channel.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein steps of determining the dedicated channel or shared/common channel and mapping the MBMS data onto the determined dedicated channel or shared/common channel is repeated during a MBMS service.

9. A radio network controller comprising:

an input configured to receive multimedia broadcasts/multimedia services (MBMS) data; and

a MBMS channel switching device for determining whether the MBMS data should be mapped to a dedicated channel or a shared/common channel for a particular cell and mapping the MBMS data onto the determined channel for the particular cell, the determined channel is based on a number of users of the particular cell.

10. The radio network controller of claim 9 further comprising a database indicating users subscribed for each MBMS service.

11. The radio network controller of claim 9 having an input configured to receive a unique radio link indicator that identifies a particular MBMS service of the MBMS data.

12. The radio network controller of claim 9 wherein the MBMS channel switching device re-determining whether the MBMS data should be mapped to a dedicated channel or a shared/common channel and remapping the MBMS data to the re-determined channel.

13. A method for transferring multimedia broadcasts/multimedia services (MBMS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving MBMS data;

transmitting the MBMS data from a first MBMS transmitting source to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) along with segmentation information;

the WTRU receiving the MBMS data and the segmentation information from the first MBMS transmitting source;

the WTRU moving from the first MBMS transmitting source to a second MBMS transmitting source and receiving the MBMS data and segmentation information from the second source, the MBMS data from the first MBMS transmitting source and the second MBMS transmitting source having different orders; and

the WTRU reassembling the MBMS data using the first and second MBMS transmitter source segmentation information.

14. A method for transferring multimedia broadcasts/multimedia services (MBMS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving MBMS data;

transmitting the MBMS data from a first MBMS transmitting source to a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and out of band scheduling information;

the WTRU receiving the MBMS data from the first MBMS transmitting source and the out of band scheduling information;

the WTRU moving from the first MBMS transmitting source to a second MBMS transmitting source and receiving the MBMS data from the second source, the MBMS data from the first MBMS transmitting source and the second MBMS transmitting source having different orders; and

the WTRU reassembling the MBMS data using the first and second transmitter source scheduling information.

15. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for receiving a multimedia broadcasts/multimedia services (MBMS) from a plurality of transmitting sources at differing times, the plurality of transmitting sources transmitting the MBMS data in different orders, the WTRU comprising:

a MBMS receiver for receiving MBMS segment from each of the transmitting sources;

a segmentation information recovery device for receiving segmentation information transmitted in band with the MBMS segments; and

a MBMS segmentation reassembly device for reassembling the MBMS segments based on the segmentation information.

16. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for receiving a multimedia broadcasts/multimedia services (MBMS) from a plurality of transmitting sources at differing times, the plurality of transmitting sources transmitting the MBMS data in different orders, the WTRU comprising:

a MBMS receiver for receiving MBMS segment from each of the transmitting sources;

a out of band synchronization information receiver for receiving out of band synchronization information from each of the transmitting sources;

a MBMS segmentation reassembly device for reassembling the MBMS segments based on the synchronization information.