Broadcast handoff between communication networks

• US 20070254659A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Paul, Lizy, Thommana, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/436
• 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 36/144 over a different radio air interface technology
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/22 for handling the traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Methods (400, 500) and corresponding systems (100) for handing off between a broadcast network and a cellular network include receiving, in a cooperation platform, incoming data from a content provider. Broadcast data corresponding to the incoming data is then sent to a broadcast network output for broadcasting to one or more subscribers including, a subscriber station. Handoff information from the cellular network is received in the cooperation platform, and, in response to the handoff information, cellular data corresponding to the incoming data is sent to a cellular network output for transmission to the subscriber station. The handoff information can correspond to a user request for handoff sent from the subscriber station via the cellular network, or can be a request for handoff sent from the cellular network based upon a loading level within one or more of the broadcast network and the cellular network.

Claims

1. A method for handing off between a broadcast network and a bidirectional network comprising:

receiving, in a cooperation platform, incoming data from a content provider;

sending broadcast data corresponding to the incoming data to a broadcast network output for broadcasting to one or more subscribers including a subscriber station;

receiving, in the cooperation platform, handoff information from the bidirectional network; and

in response to the handoff information, sending bidirectional network data corresponding to the incoming data to a bidirectional network output for transmission to the subscriber station.

2. The method for handing off according to claim 1 wherein the receiving handoff information from the bidirectional network comprises receiving handoff information from a cellular network, and wherein the sending bidirectional network data corresponding to the incoming data to the bidirectional network output comprises sending cellular network data corresponding to the incoming data to a cellular network output.

3. The method for handing off according to claim 1 wherein the receiving, in the cooperation platform, handoff information from the bidirectional network comprises receiving, in the cooperation platform, handoff information corresponding to a user request for handoff sent from the subscriber station via the bidirectional network.

4. The method for handing off according to claim 1 wherein the receiving, in the cooperation platform, handoff information from the bidirectional network comprises receiving, in the cooperation platform, a request for handoff sent from the bidirectional network based upon a location of the subscriber station.

5. The method for handing off according to claim 1 wherein the receiving, in the cooperation platform, handoff information from the bidirectional network comprises receiving, in the cooperation platform, a request for handoff sent from the bidirectional network based upon a loading level within one or more of the broadcast network and the bidirectional network.

6. The method for handing off according to claim 1 wherein the receiving, in the cooperation platform, handoff information from the bidirectional network comprises receiving, in the cooperation platform, a request for handoff sent from the bidirectional network based upon a power level status of the power source of the subscriber station.

7. The method for handing off according to claim 1 further comprising formatting the incoming data from the content provider for transmission by a transceiver in the bidirectional network.

8. The method for handing off according to claim 1 further comprising formatting the incoming data from the content provider for transmission by a broadcast transmitter in the broadcast network in response to the handoff information.

9. The method for handing off according to claim 1 comprising stopping, in response to the handoff information, the sending, to the broadcast network output, the broadcast data corresponding to the incoming data.

10. The method for handing off according to claim 9 comprising sending, in response to updated handoff information, broadcast data corresponding to the incoming data to the broadcast network output for broadcast to the subscriber station.

11. A system for handing off between a broadcast network and a cellular network comprising:

a switch having an incoming data input, a broadcast data output, and a cellular data output; and

a controller coupled to the switch and configured to control the switch in response to handoff information received from the cellular network.

12. The system for handing off according to claim 11 further comprising a cellular formatter having an input coupled to the cellular data output of the switch, an output coupled to a cellular network output, and a control input coupled to the controller.

13. The system for handing off according to claim 11 further comprising a broadcast formatter having an input coupled to the broadcast data output of the switch, an output coupled to a broadcast network output, and a control input coupled to the controller.

14. The system for handing off according to claim 11 wherein the controller includes a handoff trigger processor for processing the handoff information and determining whether to handoff.

15. A method, in a multi-mode subscriber station, for handing off between a broadcast network and a cellular network comprising:

receiving service data using a broadcast receiver; and

reconfiguring, in response to receiving a handoff instruction from the cellular network, a data directing processor having inputs coupled to the broadcast receiver and the cellular transceiver, and an output coupled to a media output device.

16. The method for handing off according to claim 15 wherein the reconfiguring the data directing processor comprises reconfiguring, in response to receiving a handoff instruction from the cellular network, a switch having inputs coupled to the broadcast receiver and the cellular transceiver, and an output coupled to a media output device.

17. The method for handing off according to claim 15 comprising sending handoff information corresponding to subscriber station status to the cellular network using a cellular transceiver, wherein the handoff information facilitates a handoff.

18. The method for handing off according to claim 17 wherein the sending handoff information to the cellular network comprises sending a user-initiated handoff request to the cellular network.

19. The method for handing off according to claim 17 wherein the sending handoff information to the cellular network comprises sending location handoff information to the cellular network.

20. The method for handing off according to claim 17 wherein the sending handoff information to the cellular network comprises sending battery handoff information to the cellular network that indicates the status of a battery in the subscriber station.

21. The method for handing off according to claim 15 comprising configuring a formatter in the data directing processor to format data from at least one of the inputs and output formatted data to the output coupled to the media output device.

22. The method for handing off according to claim 15 wherein the reconfiguring the data directing processor comprises reconfiguring the data directing processor to pass data from the input coupled to the cellular transceiver to the output.

23. A multi-mode subscriber station comprising:

a broadcast receiver configured to receive data from a broadcast transmitter;

a transceiver configured to communicate data bidirectionally with a bidirectional network transceiver;

a media output device;

a router having a first input coupled to the broadcast receiver, a second input coupled to the bidirectional network transceiver, and an output coupled to the media output device; and

a processor coupled to the router and configured to control the router in response to handoff information received from the cellular network.

24. The multi-mode subscriber station according to claim 23 wherein the bidirectional transceiver is a cellular transceiver, and wherein the bidirectional network transceiver is a cellular network transceiver.

25. The multi-mode subscriber station according to claim 23 comprising one or more handoff data sources coupled to the processor.

26. The multi-mode subscriber station according to claim 25 wherein the one or more handoff data sources comprises a user input device configured to permit a multi-mode subscriber station user to indicate a desire for a service data handoff between the broadcast transmitter and the bidirectional network transceiver.