USAGE OF POLICY INFORMATION FOR NETWORK SUPPORTED SELECTION OF UNICAST VERSUS MBMS

• US 20100165902A1
• Filed: 05/03/2006
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Zhang, Jialu, Wenhu, Tang, Kvernvik, Tor
• Application Number:
  US12/097,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20100165902A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• 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 8/10 between location register and external networks

Abstract

The present invention relates to an arrangement and method for a mobile telecommunication network comprising a policy node (PCRF) connected to a gateway (GGSN) and a streaming server, respectively, for selecting to distribute a content with unicast or broadcast/multicast from the streaming server to users via the core network and the radio network, wherein the arrangement comprises means for initiating a streaming content distribution by a unicast distribution. The arrangement comprises means for retrieving content information from the streaming server, means for retrieving geographical information to determine a geographical position for said users, means for processing the retrieved content information and the retrieved geographical information to determine the number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area, and means for selecting to distribute the content by unicast or broadcast/multicast based on the determined number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area.

Claims

1. A method in a mobile telecommunication network comprising a policy node connected to a gateway and a streaming server for selecting to distribute a content with unicast or broadcast/multicast from the streaming server to users via the core network and the radio network, wherein a streaming content distribution is initiated by a unicast distribution, the method comprises the steps of:

retrieving content information from the streaming server,

retrieving geographical information to determine a geographical position for said users,

processing the retrieved content information and the retrieved geographical information to determine the number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area, and

selecting to distribute the content by unicast or broadcast/multicast based on the determined number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein that broadcast/multicast distribution is selected if the determined number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area is above a predefined threshold.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step is performed by a policy node and the result of the processing step is transferred to a cast selector of a distribution controller.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step is performed by a cast selector of a distribution controller, and content information is retrieved from the streaming server via the policy node and the geographical information is retrieved from, the policy node.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the selecting step is performed by the cast selector.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the geographical information is retrieved from the gateway via the Gx interface to the policy node.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the geographical information is an identity of at least one cell.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the geographical information is the Cell Global Identity or the Service Area Identity.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the geographical information is retrieved from the Mobile Positioning Center, MPC to the policy node.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the geographical information is an identity of at least one cell or geographical coordinates.

11. An arrangement for a mobile telecommunication network comprising a policy node connected to a gateway and a streaming server, respectively, for selecting to distribute a content with unicast or broadcast/multicast from the streaming server to users via the core network and the radio network, wherein the arrangement comprises means for initiating a streaming content distribution by a unicast distribution, the arrangement further comprising retrieving means adapted to retrieve content information from the streaming server, retrieving means adapted to retrieve geographical information to determine a geographical position for said users, processing means adapted to process the retrieved content information and the retrieved geographical information to determine the number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area, and selecting means adapted to select to distribute the content by unicast or broadcast/multicast based on the determined number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area.

12. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the selecting means adapted to distribute the content by unicast or broadcast/multicast based on the determined number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area comprises means for distributing the content by broadcast/multicast if the determined number of users consuming the content within a predefined geographical area is above a predefined threshold.

13. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is in the policy node and the policy node comprises further means for transferring the result of the processing to the cast selector of a distribution controller.

14. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the processing means is located in a cast selector of a distribution controller, wherein content information is retrieved from the streaming server via the policy node and the geographical information is retrieved from the policy node.

15. The arrangement according to claim 14, wherein the cast selector comprises means for requesting content information and geographical information from the policy node.

16. The arrangement according claim 14, wherein the selecting means is the cast selector.

17. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the retrieving means for retrieving geographical information comprises means for retrieving geographical information from the gateway via the Gx interface to the policy node.

18. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the geographical information is an identity of at least one cell.

19. The arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the geographical information is the Cell Global Identity or the Service Area Identity.

20. The arrangement according to claim 11, wherein the retrieving means for retrieving geographical information comprises means for retrieving geographical information from the Mobile Positioning Center, MPC to the policy node.

21. The arrangement according to claim 20, wherein the geographical information is an identity of at least one cell or geographical coordinates.