METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TIMELY DELIVERY OF MULTIMEDIA CONTENT VIA A FEMTOCELL

• US 20100238836A1
• Filed: 03/18/2009
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hou, Victor T., Abraham, Charles, Kent, Mark, Diab, Wael William, Erceg, Vinko, Karaoguz, Jeyhan, Chen, Xuemin (Sherman)
• Granted Patent: US 8,259,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/254
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/14 using intermediate storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/045 using private Base Stations, e.g. femto Base Stations, home Node B

Abstract

Aspects of a method and system for timely delivery of multimedia content via a femtocell are provided. In this regard, a femtocell may receive data via an upstream path and transmit data via a downstream path. One of the upstream path and downstream path may comprise a cellular path and the other may comprise a non-cellular path. One or both of the upstream path and the downstream path may be audio video bridging (AVB) paths. Data may be stored in the femtocell based on timing characteristics of one or both of the upstream path and the downstream path. Data may be delivered to the femtocell utilizing best effort delivery and the data may be forwarded by the femtocell with guaranteed quality of service. Resources in the femtocell may be reserved and/or synchronized, utilizing AVB protocols, for communication of one or more data streams.

Claims

1. A method for communications, the method comprising:

receiving data in a femtocell via an upstream path; and

transmitting data by said femtocell via a downstream path, wherein;

one of said upstream path and said downstream path comprises a cellular path to a cellular enabled communication device;

one of said upstream path and said downstream path comprises a non-cellular path to a non-cellular device; and

one or both of said upstream path and said downstream paths are an audio video bridging (AVB) path.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising storing data in said femtocell based on timing characteristics of one or both of said upstream path and said downstream path.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said timing characteristics comprise one or both of:

variation in delay between adjacent packets of said packet stream; and

a latency of said packet.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a data stream is communicated to said femtocell utilizing best effort delivery and said data stream is transmitted by said femtocell with a guaranteed quality of service.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising transcoding said received data in said femtocell to generate said transmitted data.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising reserving, utilizing AVB protocols, cellular resources in said femtocell and in said cellular enabled communication device for communication of one or more data streams over said cellular path.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising reserving, utilizing AVB protocols, non-cellular resources in said femtocell and in said non-cellular device for communication of one or more data streams over said non-cellular path.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising synchronizing said femtocell and said cellular enabled communication device utilizing AVB protocols.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising synchronizing said femtocell and said non-cellular device utilizing AVB protocols.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising generating timestamps in said femtocell in accordance with AVB protocols.

11. A system for communications, the method comprising:

one or more circuits for use in a femtocell, said one or more circuits being operable to;

receive data via an upstream path; and

transmit data via a downstream path, wherein;

one of said upstream path and said downstream path comprises a cellular path to a cellular enabled communication device;

one of said upstream path and said downstream path comprises a non-cellular path to a non-cellular device; and

one or both of said upstream path and said downstream paths are an audio video bridging (AVB) path.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said received data is stored in said femtocell based on timing characteristics of one or both of said upstream path and said downstream path.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said timing characteristics comprise one or both of:

variation in delay between adjacent packets of said packet stream; and

a latency of said packet.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein said received data is communicated to said femtocell utilizing best effort delivery and said received data is transmitted by said femtocell with a guaranteed quality of service.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to transcode said received data to generate said transmitted data.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits enable reservation, utilizing AVB protocols, of cellular resources in said femtocell and in said cellular enabled communication device for communication of one or more data streams over said cellular path.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits enable reservation, utilizing AVB protocols, of non-cellular resources in said femtocell and in said non-cellular device for communication of one or more data streams over said non-cellular path.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits enable synchronization, utilizing AVB protocols, of said femtocell and said cellular enabled communication device.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits enable synchronization, utilizing AVB protocols, of said femtocell and said non-cellular device.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said one or more circuits are operable to generate timestamps in accordance with AVB protocols.