VIDEO TRANSMISSION SYSTEM HAVING UNICAST AND MULTICAST MODES AND METHODS FOR USE THEREWITH

• US 20090293095A1
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosmann, David, Chen, Sherman (Xuemin), Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Quigley, Thomas J., Dove, Michael, Gordon, Stephen E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,015,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• 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 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A video transmission system includes a video server module that selectively operates in a unicast mode and a multicast mode, wherein the video server module generates a video signal that includes a unicast video signal when the video server module is in the unicast mode and that includes a multicast video signal when the video server module is in the multicast mode. A wireless access device transmits the video signal to at least one mobile video device.

Claims

1. A video transmission system comprising:

a video server module that selectively operates in a unicast mode and a multicast mode, wherein the video server module generates a video signal that includes a unicast video signal when the video server module is in the unicast mode and that includes a multicast video signal when the video server module is in the multicast mode; and

a wireless access device, coupled to the video server module, that transmits the video signal to at least one mobile video device.

2. The video transmission system of claim 1 wherein the wireless access device receives location data from the at least one mobile video device and that communicates the location data to the video server module and wherein the video server module selects one of:

the multicast mode, and the unicast mode, based on the location data.

3. The video transmission system of claim 2 wherein the at least one mobile video device includes a plurality of mobile video devices and the wherein the video server module selects one of:

the multicast mode, and the unicast mode, based on a comparison of the location data for the plurality of mobile devices.

4. The video transmission system of claim 2 wherein the video server module correlates the location data to roads located in the vicinity of the at least one mobile video device.

5. The video transmission system of claim 2 wherein the video server module correlates the location data to places of interest located in the vicinity of the at least one mobile video device.

6. The video transmission system of claim 1 wherein the wireless access device receives a request for video content from the at least one mobile video device and that communicates the request for video content to the video server module and wherein the video server module selects one of:

the multicast mode, and the unicast mode, based on the request for video content.

7. The video transmission system of claim 6 wherein the request for video content is received from a single mobile video device and wherein the video server module generates the multicast video signal that includes the video content in response to the request for the video content from the single mobile video device.

8. The video transmission system of claim 6 wherein the request for video content is received from a plurality of mobile video devices and wherein the video server module generates the multicast video signal that includes the video content in response to the request for the video content from the plurality of mobile video devices.

9. The video transmission system of claim 1 wherein the video signal includes a mode indication, and wherein the wireless access device (WAD) selects one of:

a unicast WAD mode and a multicast WAD mode, in response to the mode indication.

10. The video transmission system of claim 9 wherein the wireless access device (WAD) selectively adjusts one of:

a transmit power level, and an antenna beam pattern, based on a selection of either the unicast WAD mode, and a multicast WAD mode.

11. A method comprising:

selecting one of;

a unicast mode and a multicast mode;

generating a video signal that includes a unicast video signal when the unicast mode is selected and that includes a multicast video signal when the multicast mode is selected; and

transmitting the video signal to at least one mobile video device.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving location data from the at least one mobile video device;

wherein the selecting includes selecting one of;

the multicast mode, and the unicast mode, based on the location data.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one mobile video device includes a plurality of mobile video devices and the wherein the step of selecting includes selecting one of:

the multicast mode, and the unicast mode, based on a comparison of the location data for the plurality of mobile devices.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of selecting includes correlating the location data to roads located in the vicinity of the at least one mobile video device.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of selecting includes correlating the location data to places of interest located in the vicinity of the at least one mobile video device.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a request for video content from the at least one mobile video device;

wherein the step of selecting includes selecting one of;

the multicast mode, and the unicast mode, based on the request for video content.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the request for video content is received from a single mobile video device and wherein the step of generating generates the multicast video signal that includes the video content in response to the request for the video content from the single mobile video device.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the request for video content is received from a plurality of mobile video devices and wherein the step of generating generates the multicast video signal that includes the video content in response to the request for the video content from the plurality of mobile video devices.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein the video signal includes a mode indication, and the method further comprises:

selecting one of;

a unicast wireless access device (WAD) mode and a multicast WAD mode, in response to the mode indication.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

selectively adjusting at least one of;

a WAD transmit power level, and a WAD antenna beam pattern, based on a selection of either the unicast WAD mode, and a multicast WAD mode.