Method and apparatus for interrupting a transmission of a multicast signal

• US 20050100037A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Burbidge, Richard C., Putcha, Padmaja, Stewart, Kenneth A., Kuchibhotla, Ravi
• Granted Patent: US 7,817,534 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for interrupting a transmission of a multicast signal includes a common channel selector (106) coupled to a receiver (102) to receive common channel information (116) therefrom. A repetition value calculator (108) receives measurement occasion information (118) from the common channel selector (106) to calculate a repetition factor (120). A system frame number comparator (110) determines if a channel measurement occasion (128) should be performed based on the repetition factor (120), a common identifier (124) and a largest common channel transmission time interval (122). The method and apparatus further includes a measurement occasion generator (112) coupled to the system frame number comparator (110), wherein if a measurement occasion is to be performed, a measurement occasion command signal (126) is provided to the measurement occasion generator (112) and the measurement occasion generator generates the channel measurement occasion (128).

Claims

1. A method for interrupting a transmission of a multicast signal, the method comprising:

determining a common identifier for a plurality of mobile devices on a common channel;

sending the common identifier to the plurality of mobile devices;

transmitting the multicast signal on the common channel; and

interrupting transmission of the multicast signal during a time interval determined by the common identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a subgroup of mobile devices from the plurality of mobile devices using at least one mobile specific identifier; and

selectively transmitting at least one conventional common data channel signal to the subgroup of mobile devices during the time interval.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the conventional common data channel signal and the multicast signal are mapped onto a common physical channel.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the conventional common data channel signal and the multicast signal are mapped onto different physical channels.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of identifying a subgroup includes:

using a mobile specific identifier to identify one of the plurality of mobile devices in a cell.

6. The method of claim 2 where the step of identifying a subgroup includes:

using a mobile specific identifier to identify one of the plurality of mobile devices in a radio coverage area.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the radio coverage area is a UTRAN registration area.

8. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

assigning a transmission interruption time interval repetition factor to one of the plurality of mobile devices based on the mobile specific identifier.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

transmitting the transmission interruption time interval repetition factor to the one of the plurality of mobile devices.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting further includes:

transmitting the multicast signal on at least one of a plurality of common channels monitored by the plurality of mobile communication devices.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending the common identifier includes:

providing the common identifier to the plurality of mobile devices through a system broadcast.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of sending the common identifier includes:

providing the common identifier to a first mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices through a dedicated message addressed to the first mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the common identifier is a multicast radio network temporary identifier.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining includes:

assigning a single common identifier for a plurality of multicast services.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining includes:

assigning a different common identifier for each multicast service.

16. A method for interrupting a reception of a multicast signal at a wireless communication device comprising:

obtaining a common identifier;

receiving a multicast signal; and

interrupting the reception of the multicast signal during a first time interval based on the common identifier.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

performing a measurement occasion during the time interval.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a conventional common data channel transmission during a portion of the time interval.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of obtaining includes:

obtaining the common identifier through a broadcast message.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of obtaining includes:

obtaining the common identifier through a dedicated message addressed to the wireless communication device.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the first time interval is determined by a repetition factor assigned to the wireless communication device.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

obtaining a mobile specific identifier; and

interrupting the reception of a conventional common data channel signal during a second time interval based on the mobile specific identifier.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

receiving a conventional common data channel signal during a portion of the first time interval.

24. A wireless mobile device for interrupting reception of a multicast signal, the apparatus comprising:

a common channel selector operably coupled to a receiver wherein the common channel selector is operative to receive common data channel information therefrom;

a repetition value calculator operative to receive measurement occasion information from the common channel selector and operative to calculate a repetition factor; and

a system frame number comparator operably coupled to the repetition value calculator and the common channel selector, the system frame number comparator operative to receive the repetition factor from the repetition value calculator, a common identifier and a largest common channel transmission time interval from the common channel selector to determine if a measurement occasion should be performed; and

a measurement occasion generator operably coupled to the system frame number comparator and operative to receive a measurement occasion command signal such that the measurement occasion generator generates a channel measurement occasion.

25. The wireless mobile device of claim 24 wherein the common channel selector is operative to select one of a plurality of common channels on a common physical channel.

26. The wireless mobile device of claim 24 wherein the system frame number comparator uses the common identifier to determine if a measurement occasion should be performed for any multicast service.

27. The wireless mobile device of claim 24 wherein the system frame number comparator uses the common identifier to determine if a measurement occasion should be performed for a single multicast service.

28. A method for interrupting a transmission of a multicast signal, the method comprising:

receiving a channel configuration signal from a network;

identifying a common channel of a selected common physical channel where the common channel has the largest transmission time interval;

calculating a repetition value using channel configuration information acquired from the network; and

determining if a system frame number corresponds with a timing of a channel measurement occasion using a radio network temporary identifier, the repetition value and the largest transmission time interval.

29. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

if the system frame number corresponds with the timing of the channel measurement occasion, performing a channel measurement occasion.

30. The method of claim 28 further comprising:

if the system frame number does not correspond with the timing of the channel measurement occasion, reading a selected conventional common data channel.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

determining if a transmission time interval is complete;

if the transmission time interval is not complete, reading a selected conventional common data channel; and

if the transmission time interval is complete, determining if the system frame number corresponds with the timing of the channel measurement occasion.