Service Layer Assisted Change of Multimedia Stream Access Delivery
First Claim
1. A method in a mobile terminal of changing access delivery of a multimedia stream from unicast delivery to broadcast/multicast delivery in a hybrid unicast-broadcast delivery network, comprising:
- receiving the multimedia stream by unicast delivery over a unicast bearer;
receiving multimedia content timing information that indicates one or more interstices in the content of the multimedia stream;
determining that the same multimedia stream is also available by broadcast/multicast delivery over a broadcast/multicast bearer; and
selectively initiating a change from unicast delivery of the multimedia stream to broadcast/multicast delivery during a corresponding one of said interstices.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A streaming server sends a multimedia stream for delivery by a hybrid unicast-broadcast delivery network to a mobile terminal. To assist that mobile terminal change access delivery from unicast to broadcast, the streaming server sends multimedia content timing information that indicates one or more interstices in the content of the multimedia stream. The mobile terminal receives such multimedia content timing information upon receiving the multimedia stream by unicast. Although the mobile terminal determines the same multimedia stream is also available by broadcast, the mobile terminal initiates a change from unicast to broadcast during an interstice. Because the mobile terminal delays the access change until an interstice, any data loss resulting from the access change has a minimal effect on a subscriber'"'"'s experience of the multimedia content. Moreover, regular occurrence of interstices ensures that such change will not be significantly delayed, and thus, neither will use of broadcast.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method in a mobile terminal of changing access delivery of a multimedia stream from unicast delivery to broadcast/multicast delivery in a hybrid unicast-broadcast delivery network, comprising:
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receiving the multimedia stream by unicast delivery over a unicast bearer; receiving multimedia content timing information that indicates one or more interstices in the content of the multimedia stream; determining that the same multimedia stream is also available by broadcast/multicast delivery over a broadcast/multicast bearer; and selectively initiating a change from unicast delivery of the multimedia stream to broadcast/multicast delivery during a corresponding one of said interstices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A mobile terminal comprising:
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a receiver for communicatively coupling the mobile terminal with a streaming server and configured to receive a multimedia stream from the streaming server by unicast delivery over a unicast bearer or by broadcast/multicast delivery over a broadcast/multicast bearer; and one or more processing circuits communicatively coupled to the receiver and configured to change access delivery of the multimedia stream from unicast delivery to broadcast/multicast delivery in a hybrid unicast-broadcast delivery network by; receiving from the streaming server multimedia content timing information that indicates one or more interstices in the content of the multimedia stream; determining that the same multimedia stream is also available from the streaming server by broadcast/multicast delivery; and selectively initiating a change from unicast delivery of the multimedia stream to broadcast/multicast delivery during a corresponding one of said interstices. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method in a streaming server of assisting a mobile terminal change access delivery of a multimedia stream from unicast delivery to broadcast/multicast delivery in a hybrid unicast-broadcast delivery network, comprising:
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sending the multimedia stream for unicast and broadcast delivery by said network to one or more mobile terminals; determining multimedia content timing information that indicates one or more interstices in the content of the multimedia stream; and sending said multimedia content timing information to one or more mobile terminals receiving the multimedia stream from said network. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A streaming server configured to assist a mobile terminal change access delivery of a multimedia stream from unicast delivery to broadcast/multicast delivery in a hybrid unicast-broadcast delivery network, comprising:
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a stream processing circuit configured to establish and manage the multimedia stream; an interstice determining circuit configured to determine multimedia content timing information that indicates one or more interstices in the content of the multimedia stream; and a network interface circuit configured to send the multimedia stream for unicast and broadcast delivery by said network to one or more mobile terminals and to send the multimedia content timing information to one or more mobile terminals receiving the multimedia stream from said network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification