Reducing an occurrence of false grants for a multicast session within a wireless communications network

• US 20090080360A1
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: SONG, Bongyong
• Granted Patent: US 8,427,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/45 for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services

Abstract

Aspects of reducing an occurrence of false grants for a multicast session within a wireless communications network are disclosed. For example, an access network receives an announce message to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals, the received announce message configured to announce a given multicast session. The access network determines whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session. The access network configures the received announce message to convey whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the determining step, and transmits the configured announce message to the plurality of access terminals. A given access terminal receives the announce message, and determines whether the received announce message indicates whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session. The given access terminal sends an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance or rejection of the given multicast session.

Claims

1. A method of granting the floor to an access terminal initiating a multicast session within a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

receiving an announce message to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals, the received announce message configured to announce a given multicast session;

determining whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session;

configuring the received announce message to convey whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the determining step; and

transmitting the configured announce message to the plurality of access terminals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step determines whether sufficient resources are available by comparing a level of load on a downlink channel that is to carry media for the given multicast session with a load threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determining step determines sufficient resources are available if the comparison indicates the level of load on the downlink channel is less than the load threshold, and the determining step determines sufficient resources are not available if the comparison indicates the level of load on the downlink channel is not less than the load threshold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step determines whether sufficient resources are available, in each of a plurality of sectors of the wireless communications system, to carry the given multicast session on a downlink broadcast channel (BCH).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining step determines whether sufficient resources are available by comparing a level of load on the downlink BCH in each of the plurality of sectors with a load threshold.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining step determines sufficient resources are available on a per-sector basis such that if the comparison indicates the level of load on the downlink BCH for a given sector is less than the load threshold, then sufficient resources are available, and if the comparison indicates the level of load on the downlink BCH for the given sector is not less than the load threshold, then sufficient resources are not available.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recognizing, at an access network, the received announce message to be an application-layer message that announces a multicast communication on a downlink broadcast channel (BCH),

wherein the determining step is performed at the access network in response to the recognition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring step includes:

generating an access control message (ACM) that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit response to the announce message;

configuring the ACM to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the determining step determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

wherein the transmitting step transmits the ACM along with the announce message such that the combination of the ACM and the announce message correspond to the configured announce message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the resource availability indicator corresponds to a single-bit resource availability (RA) field of the ACM.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the resource availability indicator is customized to reflect resource availability for a particular sector that transmits the combination of the ACM and the announce message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring step includes:

formatting the received announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message configured for multicast transmission to the plurality of access terminals; and

configuring the DOS announce message to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the determining step determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the DOS announce message corresponds to the configured announce message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the resource availability indicator corresponds to a single-bit acknowledgment required (ACK_REQ) field of the DOS announce message.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the resource availability indicator is customized to reflect resource availability for a particular sector that transmits the DOS announce message.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the configuring step includes generating a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the transmitting step transmits the combination of the announce message and the BRM as the configured announce message, the inclusion of the BRM with the announce message indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step determines that sufficient resources are available,

wherein the configuring step does not include generating a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the transmitting step transmits the announce message without the BRM as the configured announce message, the absence of the BRM indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in response to the transmitted configured announce message, an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message from one of the plurality of access terminals, the announce ACK message configured to indicate a rejection of the announced multicast session;

forwarding the announce ACK message to an application server from which the receiving step received the announce message; and

transmitting a broadcast reject message (BRM) to the plurality of access terminals after the announce ACK message is received.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the BRM is transmitted only within sectors that the determining step determines to lack sufficient resources for the given multicast session.

18. A method of granting the floor to an access terminal initiating a multicast session within a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

receiving an announce message announcing a given multicast session;

determining whether the received announce message indicates whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

sending an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance or rejection of the given multicast session, in response to the received announce message, based on the determining step.

19. The method of claim 18,

wherein the receiving step receives an access control message (ACM) with the announce message that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit a response to the announce message, the ACM including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session, and

wherein the determining step evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the resource availability indicator corresponds to a single-bit resource availability (RA) field of the ACM.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the sending step sends the announce ACK message in accordance with the instructions included within the ACM.

22. The method of claim 18,

wherein the receiving step receives the announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message, the DOS announce message including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the determining step evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the resource availability indicator corresponds to a single-bit acknowledgment required (ACK-REQ) field of the DOS announce message.

24. The method of claim 18,

wherein the receiving step receives a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the determining step determines that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session based on the BRM, and

wherein the sending step sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates a rejection of the given multicast session.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the determining step determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the receiving step does not receive a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the determining step determines that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the absence of the BRM, and

wherein the sending step sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance of the given multicast session.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising, if the announce ACK message indicates a rejection of the given multicast session,

receiving a broadcast reject message (BRM) after the sending step.

27. An access network within a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

means for receiving an announce message to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals, the received announce message configured to announce a given multicast session;

means for determining whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session;

means for configuring the received announce message to convey whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the determination of the means for determining; and

means for transmitting the configured announce message to the plurality of access terminals.

28. The access network of claim 27, wherein the means for configuring includes:

means for generating an access control message (ACM) that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit response to the announce message;

means for configuring the ACM to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the means for determining determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

wherein the means for transmitting transmits the ACM along with the announce message such that the combination of the ACM and the announce message correspond to the configured announce message.

29. The access network of claim 27, wherein the means for configuring includes:

means for formatting the received announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message configured for multicast transmission to the plurality of access terminals; and

means for configuring the DOS announce message to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the means for determining determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the DOS announce message corresponds to the configured announce message.

30. The access network of claim 27, wherein the means for determining determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the means for configuring generates a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the means for transmitting transmits the combination of the announce message and the BRM as the configured announce message, the inclusion of the BRM with the announce message indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session.

31. The access network of claim 27, wherein the means for determining determines that sufficient resources are available,

wherein the means for configuring does not generate a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the means for transmitting transmits the announce message without the BRM as the configured announce message, the absence of the BRM indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

32. The access network of claim 27, further comprising:

means for receiving, in response to the transmitted configured announce message, an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message from one of the plurality of access terminals, the announce ACK message configured to indicate a rejection of the announced multicast session;

means for forwarding the announce ACK message to an application server from which the means for receiving received the announce message; and

means for transmitting a broadcast reject message (BRM) to the plurality of access terminals after the announce ACK message is received.

33. An access terminal within a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

means for receiving an announce message announcing a given multicast session;

means for determining whether the received announce message indicates whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

means for sending an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance or rejection of the given multicast session, in response to the received announce message, based on the determination of the means for determining.

34. The access terminal of claim 33,

wherein the means for receiving receives an access control message (ACM) with the announce message that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit a response to the announce message, the ACM including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session, and

wherein the means for determining evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

35. The access terminal of claim 33,

wherein the means for receiving receives the announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message, the DOS announce message including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the means for determining evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

36. The access terminal of claim 33,

wherein the means for receiving receives a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the means for determining determines that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session based on the BRM, and

wherein the means for sending sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates a rejection of the given multicast session.

37. The access terminal of claim 33, wherein the means for determining determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the means for receiving does not receive a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the means for determining determines that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the absence of the BRM, and

wherein the means for sending sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance of the given multicast session.

38. An access network within a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

logic configured to receive an announce message to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals, the received announce message configured to announce a given multicast session;

logic configured to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session;

logic configured to configure the received announce message to convey whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the determination of the logic configured to determine; and

logic configured to transmit the configured announce message to the plurality of access terminals.

39. The access network of claim 38, wherein the logic configured to configure includes:

logic configured to generate an access control message (ACM) that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit response to the announce message;

logic configured to configure the ACM to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the logic configured to determine determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

wherein the logic configured to transmit transmits the ACM along with the announce message such that the combination of the ACM and the announce message correspond to the configured announce message.

40. The access network of claim 38, wherein the logic configured to configure includes:

logic configured to format the received announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message configured for multicast transmission to the plurality of access terminals; and

logic configured to configure the DOS announce message to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the logic configured to determine determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the DOS announce message corresponds to the configured announce message.

41. The access network of claim 38, wherein the logic configured to determine determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the logic configured to configure generates a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the logic configured to transmit transmits the combination of the announce message and the BRM as the configured announce message, the inclusion of the BRM with the announce message indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session.

42. The access network of claim 38, wherein the logic configured to determine determines that sufficient resources are available,

wherein the logic configured to configure does not generate a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the logic configured to transmit transmits the announce message without the BRM as the configured announce message, the absence of the BRM indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

43. The access network of claim 38, further comprising:

logic configured to receive, in response to the transmitted configured announce message, an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message from one of the plurality of access terminals, the announce ACK message configured to indicate a rejection of the announced multicast session;

logic configured to forward the announce ACK message to an application server from which the logic configured to receive received the announce message; and

logic configured to transmit a broadcast reject message (BRM) to the plurality of access terminals after the announce ACK message is received.

44. An access terminal within a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

logic configured to receive an announce message announcing a given multicast session;

logic configured to determine whether the received announce message indicates whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

logic configured to send an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance or rejection of the given multicast session, in response to the received announce message, based on the determination of the logic configured to determine.

45. The access terminal of claim 44,

wherein the logic configured to receive receives an access control message (ACM) with the announce message that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit a response to the announce message, the ACM including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session, and

wherein the logic configured to determine evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

46. The access terminal of claim 44,

wherein the logic configured to receive receives the announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message, the DOS announce message including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the logic configured to determine evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

47. The access terminal of claim 44,

wherein the logic configured to receive receives a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the logic configured to determine determines that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session based on the BRM, and

wherein the logic configured to send sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates a rejection of the given multicast session.

48. The access terminal of claim 44, wherein the logic configured to determine determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the logic configured to receive does not receive a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the logic configured to determine determines that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the absence of the BRM, and

wherein the logic configured to send sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance of the given multicast session.

49. A computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, the program code configured to operate within an access network of a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

program code to receive an announce message to be transmitted to a plurality of access terminals, the received announce message configured to announce a given multicast session;

program code to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session;

program code to configure the received announce message to convey whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the determination of the program code to determine; and

program code to transmit the configured announce message to the plurality of access terminals.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the program code to configure includes:

program code to generate an access control message (ACM) that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit response to the announce message;

program code to configure the ACM to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the program code to determine determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

wherein the program code to transmit transmits the ACM along with the announce message such that the combination of the ACM and the announce message correspond to the configured announce message.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the program code to configure includes:

program code to format the received announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message configured for multicast transmission to the plurality of access terminals; and

program code to configure the DOS announce message to include a resource availability indicator that conveys whether the program code to determine determines sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the DOS announce message corresponds to the configured announce message.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the program code to determine determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the program code to configure generates a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the program code to transmit transmits the combination of the announce message and the BRM as the configured announce message, the inclusion of the BRM with the announce message indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, wherein the program code to determine determines that sufficient resources are available,

wherein the program code to configure does not generate a broadcast reject message (BRM), and

wherein the program code to transmit transmits the announce message without the BRM as the configured announce message, the absence of the BRM indicating, to the plurality of access terminals, that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 49, further comprising:

program code to receive, in response to the transmitted configured announce message, an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message from one of the plurality of access terminals, the announce ACK message configured to indicate a rejection of the announced multicast session;

program code to forward the announce ACK message to an application server from which the program code to receive received the announce message; and

program code to transmit a broadcast reject message (BRM) to the plurality of access terminals after the announce ACK message is received.

55. A computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, the program code configured to operate within an access terminal of a wireless communication system operating in accordance with a wireless communication protocol, comprising:

program code to receive an announce message announcing a given multicast session;

program code to determine whether the received announce message indicates whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session; and

program code to send an announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance or rejection of the given multicast session, in response to the received announce message, based on the determination of the program code to determine.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 55,

wherein the program code to receive receives an access control message (ACM) with the announce message that includes instructions with regard to how the plurality of access terminals are to transmit a response to the announce message, the ACM including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session, and

wherein the program code to determine evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 55,

wherein the program code to receive receives the announce message as a data over signaling (DOS) message, the DOS announce message including a resource availability indicator that conveys whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session,

wherein the program code to determine evaluates the resource availability indicator to determine whether sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 55,

wherein the program code to receive receives a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the program code to determine determines that sufficient resources are not available to support the given multicast session based on the BRM, and

wherein the program code to send sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates a rejection of the given multicast session.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 55, wherein the program code to determine determines that sufficient resources are not available,

wherein the program code to receive does not receive a broadcast reject message (BRM) with the announce message,

wherein the program code to determine determines that sufficient resources are available to support the given multicast session based on the absence of the BRM, and

wherein the program code to send sends the announce acknowledgment (ACK) message that indicates an acceptance of the given multicast session.