Method for converting between unicast sessions and a multicast session

• US 20070147411A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Lagerberg, Ko, Bijwaard, Dennis
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• 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

Abstract

The invention includes methods for converting between a plurality of unicast sessions and a multicast session. A method for converting from unicast sessions to a multicast session includes receiving a request for establishing a unicast session for delivering content to a first client device, generating a multicast session establishment message adapted for establishing a multicast session with the client device for delivering the content to the client device, and generating at least one multicast session join message for the other client devices, the at least one multicast session join message adapted for enabling the other client devices to join the multicast session. The multicast session establishment message is generated using a threshold number of unicast sessions. A method for converting from a multicast session to a unicast session is provided. A method for converting from a plurality of unicast sessions to a plurality of multicast sessions is provided.

Claims

1. A method for converting a plurality of unicast sessions to a multicast session, comprising:

receiving a request for establishing a unicast session for delivering content to a first client device;

in response to a determination that a threshold number of unicast sessions exist for delivering the content to a threshold number of other client devices, generating a multicast session establishment message adapted for establishing a multicast session with the first client device; and

generating at least one multicast session join message for the other client devices, the at least one multicast session join message adapted for enabling the other client devices to join the multicast session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the multicast session establishment message comprises:

determining whether the content requested in the request is the same as the content requested by each of the other client devices; and

generating the multicast session establishment message in response to a determination that the threshold number of other unicast sessions exist for delivering the same requested content to the threshold number of other client devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing the multicast session with the first client device using the multicast session establishment message.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one multicast session join message to the other client devices.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transmitting the at least one multicast session join message to the other client devices comprises:

transmitting the at least one multicast session join message from a content provider server to a proxy server; and

forwarding the at least one multicast session join message from the proxy server toward the other client devices.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

initiating, from each of the other client devices, signaling for enabling each of the other client devices to join the multicast session;

wherein the signaling for enabling each of the other client device to join the multicast session terminates each of the other unicast sessions associated with each of the other client devices.

7. A method for converting a plurality of unicast sessions to a multicast session, comprising:

receiving a request for establishing a unicast session for delivering content to a first client device;

in response to a determination that a threshold number of other unicast sessions exist for delivering the content to a threshold number of other client devices, generating a multicast source establishment message adapted for establishing a server as a multicast session source for delivering the content to the first client device using a multicast session; and

generating at least one multicast session join message for the other client devices, the at least one multicast session join message adapted for enabling the other client devices to join the multicast session.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the multicast source establishment message comprises:

determining whether the content requested in the content request message is the same as the content delivered to each of the other client devices;

determining, in response to a determination that the content requested in the content request message is the same as the content delivered to each of the other client devices, whether the threshold number of other unicast sessions exist for delivering the content to the threshold number of other client devices; and

generating the multicast source establishment message in response to a determination that the threshold number of other unicast sessions exist for delivering the same requested content to the threshold number of other client devices.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving the multicast source establishment message at the server; and

establishing, in response to the multicast source establishment message, the multicast session between the server and the first client device for delivering the content from the server to the first client device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

establishing a unicast session with the server for providing the content to the server.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one multicast session join message to the other client devices.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the at least one multicast session join message to the other client devices comprises:

transmitting the at least one multicast session join message from a content provider server to a proxy server; and

forwarding the at least one multicast session join message from the proxy server toward the other client devices.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

initiating, from each of the other client devices, signaling for enabling each of the other client devices to join the multicast session;

wherein the signaling for enabling each of the other client device to join the multicast session terminates each of the other unicast sessions associated with each of the other client devices.

14. A method for converting a plurality of unicast sessions to a multicast session, comprising:

receiving a request for establishing a unicast session for delivering content to a first client device;

in response to a determination that a threshold number of other unicast sessions exist for delivering the content to a threshold number of other client devices, generating a multicast source establishment message adapted for establishing a multicast server as a multicast session source for delivering the content to the first client device using a multicast session;

generating at least one unicast session establishment message adapted for establishing a unicast session between a content provider server and the multicast server for delivering the content from the content provider server to the multicast server; and

generating at least one multicast session join message for the at least one other client device, the at least one multicast session join message adapted for enabling the at least one other client device to join the multicast session.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein generating the multicast source establishment message comprises:

determining whether the content requested in the content request message is the same as the content delivered to each of the other client devices;

determining, in response to a determination that the content requested in the content request message is the same as the content delivered to each of the other client devices, whether the threshold number of other unicast sessions exist for delivering the content to the threshold number of other client devices; and

generating the multicast source establishment message in response to the determination that the threshold number of other unicast sessions is satisfied.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the multicast source establishment message at the multicast server; and

establishing, in response to the multicast source establishment message, the multicast session between the multicast server and the first client device for delivering the content from the multicast server to the first client device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the unicast session establishment message at the content provider server; and

establishing, in response to the unicast session establishment message, a unicast session between the content provider server and the multicast server for delivering the content from the content provider server to the multicast server.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting the at least one multicast session join message to the other client devices.

initiating, from each of the other client devices, signaling for enabling each of the other client devices to join the multicast session;

wherein the signaling for enabling each of the other client device to join the multicast session terminates each of the other unicast sessions associated with each of the other client devices.

19. A method for converting a multicast session to a plurality of unicast sessions, comprising:

receiving a message terminating an association of a first client device with the multicast session; and

in response to a determination that a threshold number of other client devices are associated with the multicast session, generating at least one unicast session join message for the other client devices, the at least one unicast session join message adapted for enabling the other client devices to establish respective unicast sessions.

20. A method for converting a plurality of unicast sessions to a plurality of multicast sessions, comprising:

receiving a request for establishing a unicast session for delivering content to a first client device;

in response to a determination that a threshold number of unicast sessions exist for delivering the content to a threshold number of other client devices, determining a codec type for each of the first client device and the other client devices;

forming a plurality of client device groups according to the codec types associated with the first client device and the other client devices; and

generating, for each of the plurality of client device groups, at least one multicast session establishment message for establishing a respective plurality of multicast sessions associated with the plurality of client device groups.