Method and apparatus for providing local multimedia content at a mobile wireless base station using a satellite receiver

• US 20080305834A1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Recchione, Michael Charles, McGowan, James William, Janiszewski, Thomas John
• Application Number:
  US11/811,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20080305834A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6193 involving transmission via a satellite arrangements for data linking, networking or transporting, or for controlling an end to end session in a satellite broadcast system H04B7/18526
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

An enhanced Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) includes a satellite receiver for use in receiving video and/or data signals. Since most video services (and many data services) are updated relatively infrequently, and since most such services require that the majority of traffic be sent from the core to the client (as opposed to from the client to the core), delivering such services over a satellite channel advantageously provides an opportunity to offer broadcast services, for example, with minimal use of the existing backhaul network, thereby advantageously eliminating the bottleneck typically created by the limited bandwidth of the backhaul network which is conventionally used to supply such video and/or data signals.

Claims

1. A base station in a wireless network for delivering content to one or more mobile terminals, the base station comprising:

a controller, said controller operative in response to a request to deliver one or more selected content signals to one or more of said mobile terminals;

a backhaul link connecting the base station to a backhaul network; and

one or more tuners, controlled by said controller, for receiving an output signal from a content receiver and for generating said one or more selected content signals therefrom,

wherein said content receiver receives content from a content source external to the base station, and wherein said content is not received by said content receiver with use of said backhaul link or said backhaul network.

2. The base station of claim 1 wherein said content receiver is contained within said base station.

3. The base station of claim 1 wherein said content receiver is external to said base station but provides said output signal to said base station.

4. The base station of claim 1 wherein said content receiver comprises a satellite dish.

5. The base station of claim 1 further comprising one or more transcoders, controlled by said controller, each of said transcoders for converting a corresponding one of said selected content signals generated by said one or more tuners from a first signal format into a second signal format.

6. The base station of claim 5 wherein said first signal format comprises an MPEG-2 video format and wherein said second signal format comprises an MPEG-4 layer 10 video format.

7. The base station of claim 6 wherein said second signal format comprises an MPEG-4 layer 10 video format having a size, frame rate, and bit rate adapted to characteristics of one or more of said mobile terminals.

8. The base station of claim 5 wherein said one or more transcoders is adapted to modify a bit rate of said second signal format based at least in part on current network conditions associated with said wireless network.

9. The base station of claim 1 wherein said one or more selected content signals is delivered to said one or more mobile terminals in-band with the delivery of wireless network content received from said backhaul network.

10. The base station of claim 1 wherein said one or more selected content signals is delivered to said one or more mobile terminals with use of a radio path which is distinct from a radio path used to deliver wireless network content received from said backhaul network.

11. The base station of claim 1 wherein said content comprises video content.

12. The base station of claim 1 wherein said content comprises audio content.

13. The base station of claim 1 wherein said content comprises generic data.

14. A method for delivering content to one or more mobile terminals by a base station in a wireless network, the base station including a controller, a backhaul link connecting the base station to a backhaul network, and one or more tuners, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, with use of the controller, a request to deliver one or more selected content signals to one or more of said mobile terminals;

receiving, with use of said one or more tuners, an output signal from a content receiver; and

generating, with use of said one or more tuners, said one or more selected content signals from said output signal from said content receiver,

wherein said content receiver receives content from a content source external to the base station, and wherein said content is not received by said content receiver with use of said backhaul link or said backhaul network.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the base station further includes one or more transcoders, and wherein the method further comprises the step of converting, with use of said one or more transcoders, corresponding ones of said selected content signals generated by said one or more tuners from a first signal format into a second signal format.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said first signal format comprises an MPEG-2 video format and wherein said second signal format comprises an MPEG-4 layer 10 video format.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said second signal format comprises an MPEG-4 layer 10 video format having a size, frame rate, and bit rate adapted to characteristics of one or more of said mobile terminals.

18. The method of claim 15 further wherein said step of one converting said selected content signals from a first signal format into a second signal format comprises modifying a bit rate of said second signal format based at least in part on current network conditions associated with said wireless network.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of delivering said one or more selected content signals to said one or more mobile terminals in-band with the delivery of wireless network content received from said backhaul network.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of delivering said one or more selected content signals to said one or more mobile terminals with use of a radio path which is distinct from a radio path used to deliver wireless network content received from said backhaul network.