METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING MEDIA IN AN INFRASTRUCTURE BASED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20100020745A1
• Filed: 07/22/2008
• Published: 01/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: TIRPAK, THOMAS M., XIE, HANG, AGULNIK, ANATOLY
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/328
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1854 with non-centralised forwarding system, e.g. chaincast
• 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A wireless communication device acquires membership in a predefined group, joins an ad hoc network associated with the predefined group, and joins and participates in a first session established through an infrastructure device for distributing media to the predefined group. If the wireless communication device is a duplicator node for the ad hoc network, then it receives the media from the infrastructure device and distributes the media other nodes of the ad hoc network, otherwise it receives the media from the duplicator node. The infrastructure device identifies the duplicator node for each ad hoc network associated with the predefined group and each member of the predefined group that is not a node of any of the ad hoc networks and distributes the media only to these members of the predefined group.

Claims

1. A method for media distribution in an infrastructure-based communication system, the method comprising:

acquiring membership in a first predefined group comprising a plurality of wireless communication devices where distribution of media within the first predefined group is managed by a first infrastructure device;

joining a first ad hoc network associated with the first predefined group and comprising as nodes a subset of the plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein one of the nodes of the first ad hoc network is selected as a duplicator node for the first ad hoc network;

participating in a session for distributing media to the first predefined group; and

if serving as the duplicator node, then receiving the media from the first infrastructure device and distributing the media to the other nodes of the first ad hoc network, otherwise receiving the media from the duplicator node.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining the identity of the duplicator node; and

notifying the first infrastructure device of the identity of the duplicator node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first infrastructure device is notified of the identity of the duplicator node in an invitation for establishing the session or in a response to the invitation.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein maintaining the identity of the duplicator node comprises maintaining a database of associations that includes an association between the first predefined group and the identity of the duplicator node for the first ad hoc network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

acquiring membership in a second predefined group comprising a second plurality of communication devices; and

joining a second ad hoc network associated with the second predefined group and comprising as nodes a subset of the second plurality of wireless communication devices, wherein one of the nodes of the second ad hoc network is selected as a duplicator node for the second ad hoc network.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising serving as the duplicator node for at least one of the first ad hoc network or the second ad hoc network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the duplicator node of the first ad hoc network is selected by the nodes of the first ad hoc network based on a plurality of parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a first node of the first ad hoc network is selected as the duplicator node during a first time frame based on the plurality of parameters, and a second node of the first ad hoc network is selected as the duplicator node during a second subsequent time frame based on a change in the plurality of parameters.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising notifying the first infrastructure device of a change of the duplicator node for the first ad hoc network.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when serving as the duplicator node, notifying the first infrastructure device of at least one of:

a number of nodes in the first ad hoc network;

or

a change in resource priority level based on a change in the number of nodes in the first ad hoc network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one node of the first ad hoc network changes over time.

12. A method for media distribution in an infrastructure-based communication system, the method comprising:

establishing a session for a predefined group having as members a plurality of wireless communication devices where distribution of media within the predefined group is managed by a first infrastructure device, wherein the first predefined group has associated therewith at least one ad hoc network, with each ad hoc network being formed by and between a different subset of the members of the predefined group, with one wireless communication device of each subset being selected as a duplicator node for the corresponding ad hoc network;

identifying the duplicator node for each ad hoc network and each member of the predefined group that is not a member of any of the ad hoc networks; and

distributing media for the session to only the members of the predefined group that are not a node of any of the ad hoc networks and to the duplicator nodes for distributing to the remaining members of the predefined group that have joined the session.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving a notification of a change over time in at least one of:

the number of ad hoc networks;

nodes of one or more of the ad hoc networks;

or

the duplicator node for one or more of the ad hoc networks.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving, from a first member of the predefined group that was not a node of any of the at least one ad hoc networks, the identity of the duplicator node for one of the ad hoc networks; and

discontinuing distributing the media to the first member.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving an indication from a first member of the predefined group that the first member is no longer a node of the at least one ad hoc network; and

distributing the media to the first member.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the members of the predefined group maintains an uplink channel with a second infrastructure device but receives the media from one of the duplicator nodes via the first infrastructure device.