Quality-of-service (QoS)-based delivery of multimedia call sessions using multi-network simulcasting

• US 20060025148A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 9,089,003 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/452.200
• 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: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/92 for local area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/02 : Traffic management, e.g. flow control or congestion control
• 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 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A method and system for the consumption of simulcasted or multicasted multimedia information via a wireless personal or local area network by a broadband access gateway, is disclosed. A user of an access device such as, for example, a mobile multimedia handset may engage in a call served by a wireless wide area network, and may consume components of multimedia information via the wireless wide area network. Additional components of the multimedia information may be provided to the user via a second communication path, based upon user-defined parameters in a user profile. Selected components or all of the multimedia information may be communicated to a broadband access gateway, where it may be cached, or simulcast to a plurality of access devices in a wired fashion, or wirelessly via a personal area and/or wireless local area network.

Claims

1. A system supporting consumption of multimedia information using simulcasting via a broadband access gateway, the system comprising:

a gateway communicatively coupled to a broadband network and at least one wireless interface, the gateway capable of selectively exchanging multimedia information among the at least one wireless interface and the broadband network, and of communicating with a plurality of access devices via the at least one wireless interface;

the access devices capable of concurrently exchanging components of the multimedia information using a plurality of communication paths; and

the gateway capable of a first exchange of a first component of the multimedia information with a first of the plurality of access device via a first communication path, the first exchange being concurrent with a second exchange of a second component of the multimedia information with the first of the plurality of access device via a second communication path.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the first communication path comprises the at least one wireless interface and the broadband network.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the second communication path comprises a wireless wide area network.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein the wireless wide area network comprises at least one of:

a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) network.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the gateway capable of determining whether the first of the plurality of access devices is within a coverage area of the at least one wireless interface.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

the gateway capable of establishing with a second of the plurality of access devices a third communication path for exchange of a component of the multimedia information.

7. The system according to claim 1 wherein at least one of:

the first and second communication paths is automatically selected based upon the multimedia information and at least one user-defined criteria.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the at least one user-defined criteria comprises one of:

a cost, a bit rate, a bandwidth, a spatial resolution, a grey scale level, a color depth, a frame rate, quality of service, and a delivery delay.

9. The system according to claim 1 wherein a communication path is selected in response to input from a user of the first of the plurality of access devices.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the component of multimedia information comprise at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

11. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless interface is compliant with at least one of:

a Bluetooth V1.2 or compatible personal area network (PAN) specification and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a or compatible ultrawideband network specification.

12. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless interface is compliant with at least one of:

the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n standards.

13. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one wireless interface comprises two wireless interfaces.

14. The system according to claim 1 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a digital subscriber line (DSL) network, a cable network, a satellite network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), and the Internet.

15. The system according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of access devices comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a personal computer (PC).

16. A mobile multimedia handset capable of communicating separate components of multimedia information using at least two wireless communication paths selected based upon the components of multimedia information and input from a user.

17. The handset according to claim 16 wherein the components of multimedia information comprise at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

18. The handset according to claim 16 wherein the at least two wireless communication paths comprise one of:

a personal area network compliant with a Bluetooth V1.2 or compatible specification, an ultrawideband network compatible with an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a or compatible specification, and a wireless local area network compliant with at least one of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n standards.

19. The handset according to claim 16 wherein input from a user comprises at least one key press in response to a user prompt.

20. The handset according to claim 16 wherein input from a user comprises at least one user defined parameter resident in at least one of the handset, a broadband access gateway, and a wide area network.

21. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for operating a system supporting consumption of multimedia information by a plurality of access devices using simulcasting via a broadband access gateway communicatively coupled to a broadband network, the code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

establishing a first wireless communication path for the exchange of a first component of the multimedia information with a first of the plurality of access devices;

establishing a second wireless communication path for the concurrent exchange of a second component of the multimedia information with the first of the plurality of access devices based upon at least one user-defined criteria; and

concurrently exchanging multimedia information with the first of the plurality of access devices via the first and second wireless communication paths.

22. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein the first wireless communication path comprises at least one of:

a personal area network and a wireless local area network, communicatively coupled to the broadband access gateway.

23. The machine-readable storage according to claim 22 wherein the personal area network is compliant with at least one of:

a Bluetooth V1.2 or compatible personal area network (PAN) specification and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a compatible specification.

24. The machine-readable storage according to claim 22 wherein the wireless local area network is compliant with at least one of:

the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n standards.

25. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a digital subscriber line (DSL) network, a cable network, a satellite network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), and the Internet.

26. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein the second communication path comprises a wireless wide area network.

27. The machine-readable storage according to claim 26 wherein the wireless wide area network comprises at least one of:

a global system for mobile communications (GSM) network, a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) network.

28. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein the code sections executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

determining whether the first of the plurality of access devices is within a coverage area of the at least one wireless interface.

29. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein the code sections executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

establishing with a second of the plurality of access devices a third communication path for exchange of a component of the multimedia information.

30. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein at least one of:

the first and second wireless communication paths is automatically selected based upon the multimedia information and at least one user-defined criteria.

31. The machine-readable storage according to claim 30 wherein the at least one user defined criteria comprises at least one of:

a cost, a bit rate, a bandwidth, a spatial resolution, a grey scale level, a color depth, a frame rate, quality of service, and a delivery delay.

32. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein a wireless communication path is selected in response to input from a user of the first of the plurality of access devices.

33. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein the component of multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

34. The machine-readable storage according to claim 21 wherein the plurality of access devices comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a personal computer (PC).