Handover decision for IP services broadcasted on a DVB network

• US 20040125769A1
• Filed: 12/31/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vare, Jani
• Granted Patent: US 7,260,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• 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 36/302 due to low signal strength
• 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 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation

Abstract

Mobile terminals and methods are provided for making handover decisions based on the priority of IP streams that are being received by a mobile terminal. The IP streams currently being received or requested are ranked according to their priority. The selection of a new cell during the handover procedure is a function of the ranking of priorities.

Claims

1. A method of making a handover decision for a mobile terminal, which is receiving or has requested at least two IP streams broadcasted over a digital broadband transmission network, the method comprising:

(a) identifying at least two potential handover cells;

(b) ranking the priority of the at least two IP streams that are received or requested by the mobile terminal; and

(c) selecting one from the at least two potential handover cells based on the ranking made in (b).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) comprises identifying signal strengths of the at least two potential cells.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein (a) comprises identifying cells that broadcast at least one of the at least two IP streams.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein (b) comprises a user of the mobile terminal ranking the priority of the at least two IP streams

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is configured to perform (b).

6. The method of claim 1., wherein the at least two IP streams include information used in (b).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) includes identifying which of the at least two IP streams are broadcasted by each of the potential cells.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein (c) comprises selecting a cell that broadcasts the highest priority IP service when the other cells do not broadcast the highest priority IP service.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein (c) comprises selecting a cell that:

(i) broadcasts the highest priority IP service that is not broadcasted by any of the other cells that broadcast all of the higher priority IP services; and

(ii) broadcasts all IP services that have priorities higher than the highest priority identified in (i).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) comprises selecting a cell that broadcasts the largest number of the currently received or requested IP streams.

11. The method of claim 1, further including:

(d) executing a handover from a first cell to a second cell; and

wherein the first and second cells belong to separate networks.

12. A mobile terminal configured to process at least two IP streams broadcasted over a digital broadband transmission network, the mobile terminal comprising:

a receiving module that receives the at least two IP streams;

a ranking module that ranks the priority of the at least two IP streams; and

a handover module that selects a new cell during a handover procedure based at least in part on information received from the ranking module.

13. A computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for causing a mobile terminal that is receiving at least two IP streams broadcasted over a digital broadband transmission network and making a handover decision to perform the steps comprising:

(a) identifying at least two potential cells;

(b) ranking the priority of the at least two IP streams that are received by the mobile terminal; and

(c) selecting a cell based on the ranking made in (b).

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, containing further computer-executable instructions for causing the mobile terminal to select a cell that:

(i) broadcasts the highest priority IP service that is not broadcasted by any of the other cells that broadcast all of the higher priority IP services; and

(ii) broadcasts all IP services that have priorities higher than the highest priority identified in (i).