Broadcasting channel handover in mobile communication terminal

• US 20060111109A1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Ha-Yun
• Granted Patent: US 7,970,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/02 Arrangements for relaying broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/42 for identifying broadcast areas
• 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 36/083 wherein at least one of the access points is a moving node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/18 for allowing seamless reselection, e.g. soft reselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal for receiving a multimedia broadcast signal comprises a controlling unit adapted to extract channel information associated with a first mobile communication terminal location from a signal at the first mobile communication terminal location. The mobile communication terminal also comprises a comparing unit adapted to compare extracted channel information associated with the first mobile communication terminal location against channnel information associated with a second mobile communication terminal location in response to movement of the mobile communication terminal from the first mobile communication terminal location to the second mobile communication terminal location. The mobile communication terminal may further comprise a memory adapted to store channel information received from a base station and a broadcasting network.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal configured for receiving a multimedia broadcast signal, comprising:

a controlling unit adapted to determine location of the mobile communication terminal;

the controlling unit further adapted to extract broadcast channel information associated with a first mobile communication terminal location; and

a comparing unit adapted to compare extracted broadcast channel information associated with the first mobile communication terminal location against broadcast channel information associated with a second mobile communication terminal location in response to movement of the mobile communication terminal from the first mobile communication terminal location to the second mobile communication terminal location.

2. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory adapted to store broadcast channel information received from a broadcasting station.

3. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the broadcast channel information is obtained from a broadcast signal from a broadcast station.

4. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the location of the mobile communication terminal is determined from information received from one of a base station and a GPS.

5. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the controlling unit switches to a different frequency range to maintain reception of a broadcasting channel as the mobile communication terminal moves from the first mobile communication terminal location to the second mobile communication terminal location if the channel information associated with the broadcasting channel in the first mobile communication terminal location differs from the channel information associated with the broadcasting channel in the second mobile communication terminal location.

6. The mobile communication terminal of claim 2, wherein the controlling unit calculates the first mobile communication terminal location and the second mobile communication terminal location using base station position information.

7. The mobile communication terminal of claim 5, wherein the controlling unit determines a position of a broadcast station from the broadcast channel information.

8. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the location information is provided through a paging channel received from the base station.

9. The mobile communication terminal of claim 8, wherein the paging channel comprises information associated with a longitude value and a latitude value of the base station.

10. The mobile communication terminal of claim 7, wherein the comparing unit determines whether to switch to the different frequency range based on the mobile communication terminal location and the position of the broadcast station.

11. The mobile communication terminal of claim 10, wherein the controlling unit performs switching to the different frequency range based on determination of the comparing unit.

12. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the broadcast channel information comprises ensemble channel information in an EID field of a channel information list and broadcasting service information in an SID field of the channel information list.

13. A method for receiving a multimedia broadcast signal at a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

determining location of the mobile communication terminal;

extracting broadcast channel information associated with a first mobile communication terminal location; and

comparing extracted broadcast channel information associated with the first mobile communication terminal location against broadcast channel information associated with a second mobile communication terminal location in response to movement of the mobile communication terminal from the first mobile communication terminal location to the second mobile communication terminal location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

performing a handover to maintain reception of a broadcasting channel as the mobile communication terminal moves from the first mobile communication terminal location to the second mobile communication terminal location if the channel information associated with the broadcasting channel in the first mobile communication terminal location differs from the channel information associated with the broadcasting channel in the second mobile communication terminal location.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the extracting comprises:

extracting broadcasting channel information associated with the first mobile communication terminal location;

selecting a channel based on the broadcasting channel information associated with the first mobile communication terminal location;

obtaining position information of a base station;

monitoring the position of the mobile communication terminal within a broadcasting network using the position information of the base station; and

extracting broadcasting channel information associated with the second mobile communication terminal location in response to the mobile communication terminal entering a handover area.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing broadcast channel information received from a broadcasting station.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the broadcast channel information is obtained from a broadcast signal from a broadcast station.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the location of the mobile communication terminal is determined from information received from one of a base station and a GPS.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising determining the first mobile communication terminal location and the second mobile communication terminal location using base station position information.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein a broadcast station position is determined from the broadcast channel information.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the location information is provided through a paging channel received from the base station.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the paging channel comprises information associated with a longitude value and a latitude value of the base station.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein determining whether to switch to the different frequency range is based on the mobile communication terminal location and the position of the broadcast station.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the broadcast channel information comprises ensemble channel information in an EID field of a channel information list and broadcasting service information in an SID field of the channel information list.