METHOD FOR BROADCASTING/MULTICASTING TRANSMISSIONS IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20110149825A1
• Filed: 03/02/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sparkmotion Incorporated (Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Alvarion Limited
• Inventors: Shousterman, Leonid, Lavi, Nadav
• Granted Patent: US 8,873,448 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0007 for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0016 Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0072 of resource information of target access point
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

In a wireless communications network comprising a plurality of multicast and broadcast service (MBS) zones each of which comprises at least one base station, there is provided a method for providing a multicast and broadcast service to a mobile terminal capable of moving from one MBS zone to another. The method comprises the steps of: providing the mobile terminal with one or more multicasting/broadcasting transmissions comprising at least one multicast connection identification (MCID) associated with an MBS zone other than a current MBS zone at which the mobile terminal is currently receiving the one or more multicasting/broadcasting transmissions; retrieving information regarding the at least one MCID; and upon detecting that the mobile terminal is capable of receiving transmissions associated with the other MBS_ZONE, utilizing the MCID associated with that other MBS_ZONE to receive multicasting/broadcasting transmissions intended for that mobile terminal.

Claims

1. In a wireless communications network comprising a plurality of multicast and broadcast service (MBS) zones each of which comprises at least one base station, a method for providing a multicast and broadcast service to a mobile terminal capable of moving from one MBS zone to another, the method comprising the steps of:

(i) providing the mobile terminal with one or more multicasting/broadcasting transmissions comprising at least one multicast connection identification (MCID) associated with an MBS zone other than a current MBS zone at which the mobile terminal is currently receiving said one or more multicasting/broadcasting transmissions;

(ii) retrieving information regarding the at least one MCID; and

(iii) upon detecting that the mobile terminal is capable of receiving transmissions associated with the other MBS_ZONE, utilizing the MCID associated with that other MBS_ZONE to receive multicasting/broadcasting transmissions intended for that mobile terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said one or more multicasting/broadcasting transmissions comprise MCID associated with each of the MBS_ZONEs zones located adjacent to the current MBS_ZONE.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein only one or more of the base stations associated with the current MBS zone and located at the boundaries thereof, transmit information regarding said at least one MCID.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information regarding the at least one MCID and provided by the one or more base stations associated with the current MBS_ZONE, comprises information relating only to MBS_ZONEs adjacent to the respective transmitting base station.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one MCID is comprised in one multicasting/broadcasting transmission every pre-defined period of time.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one MCID is comprised within the MBS_MAP message.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one MCID is comprised within extended sub-headers of data transmissions.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving information regarding said at least one MCID further comprising retrieval of an MBS zone ID associated therewith.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising utilizing the MCID associated with said other MBS_ZONE upon identifying that said mobile terminal communicates with a new base station and the latter is associated with a different MBS_ZONE.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said mobile terminal is provided with MBS data at the other MBS_ZONE concurrently while carrying out a location update procedure.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information regarding the at least one MCID is divided and transmitted in a plurality of transmissions.