Multiple broadcast facility

• US 6,690,943 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2000
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Forde, Brian J., Weinmann, Paul C., Dunne, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAMPURIA, SHARAD K
• Application Number:
  US09/644,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 455/462, 455/463, 455/465, 455/458, 455/518, 455/466
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A broadcast system for communicating multiple simultaneous broadcast messages in a telecommunications system is provided, where the telecommunications system has at least one fixed terminal for communication with one or more portable terminals. The broadcast system includes means for transmitting first messages from the or each fixed terminal for reception by portable terminals in the reception area of that fixed terminal, each first message including information that specifies channels, selected for that fixed terminal, which will be used to convey an associated broadcast message. A control means is provided for causing the or each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channels. The transmitter means then transmits from the fixed terminal the broadcast messages on the said specified broadcast channels for substantially simultaneous reception and reproduction of a broadcast message, such as an audio broadcast message, by the or each portable terminal. Different portable terminals may receive different broadcast messages. The broadcast message channels are connectionless. The portable terminals may also roam into areas serviced by other fixed terminals and still be capable of receiving the broadcast messages. The system is particularly but not essentially based on a modified form of the Digital Enhanced Telecommunications (DECT) Standard.

Claims

1. A broadcast system for communicating multiple at least partially overlapping broadcast messages in a telecommunications system including a first fixed terminal for communication with a plurality of portable terminals, said broadcast system comprising:

first transmitter means for transmitting a first message from the first fixed terminal, the first message including information specifying a first channel, selected for said first fixed terminal, to convey a first broadcast message;

control means responsive to the first message for individually causing each portable terminal to receive on the first specified broadcast message channel; and

second transmitter means for transmitting from the first fixed terminal the first broadcast message on the specified broadcast message channel for reproduction of the first broadcast message by each portable terminal.

2. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first specified broadcast message channel is established on a DECT physical channel.

3. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first specified broadcast message channel supports a DECT simplex bearer.

4. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first specified broadcast message channel supports a connectionless downlink bearer.

5. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the first message is transmitted as a short page message.

6. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

means for assigning each portable terminal with a broadcast group identity; and

means for including broadcast group identity information in the first message,

wherein said control means causes a first portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channel only if said first portable terminal has an assigned broadcast group identity that corresponds to the broadcast group identity transmitted in the first message for the first specified broadcast message channel.

7. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 6, wherein the broadcast group identity information is expressed as a DECT group temporary portable user identity (TPUI).

8. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one broadcast message of the multiplicity is initiated at and originates at a first portable terminal in communication with one of said first fixed terminal and a second fixed terminal of the system.

9. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

means for assigning each portable terminal with a broadcast group identity; and

means for including broadcast group identity information in each first message,

wherein said control means causes a first portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channel only if said first portable terminal has an assigned broadcast group identity that corresponds to the broadcast group identity transmitted in the first message for the first specified broadcast message channel wherein at least one broadcast message of the multiplicity is initiated at and originates at a second portable terminal in communication with one of said first fixed terminal and a second fixed terminal of the system, and the broadcast group identity information in the first message associated with the at least one broadcast message is selected and originates at said second portable terminal.

10. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

means for a transmission of the first message for the duration of the first broadcast message to allow one or more portable terminals to roam into a geographical area covered by a second fixed terminal of the system and to receive broadcasts from said second fixed terminal even if this requires a roaming portable terminal to receive the first broadcast message on a second specified broadcast message channel.

11. The broadcast system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first specified broadcast message channel is connectionless.

12. A method for communicating multiple at least partially overlapping broadcast messages in a telecommunications including a first fixed terminal for communication with a plurality of portable terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first message from the first fixed terminal, the first message including information specifying a first channel, selected for the first fixed terminal, to convey a first broadcast message;

individually causing each portable terminal to receive on the first specified broadcast message channel; and

transmitting from the first fixed terminal the first broadcast message on the first specified broadcast message channel for reproduction of the first broadcast message by each portable terminal.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first specified broadcast message channel is established on a DECT physical channel.

14. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first specified broadcast message supports a DECT simplex bearer.

15. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first specified broadcast message channel supports a connectionless downlink bearer.

16. The method in accordance with claim 13, wherein of the first message is transmitted as a short page message.

17. The method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

assigning each portable terminal with a broadcast group identity;

including broadcast group identity information in the first message; and

causing a first portable terminal to receive on the first specified broadcast channel only if said first portable terminal has an assigned broadcast group identity that corresponds to the broadcast group identity transmitted in the first message for the first specified broadcast message channel.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the broadcast group identity information is expressed as a DECT group temporary portable user identity (TPUI).

19. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein at least one broadcast message of the multiplicity is initiated at and originates at a first portable terminal in communication with said first fixed terminal.

20. The method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

assigning each portable terminal with a broadcast group identity;

including broadcast group identity information in the first message; and

causing a first portable terminal to receive on first specified broadcast message channel only if said first portable terminal has an assigned broadcast group identity that corresponds to the broadcast group identity transmitted in the first message for the first specified broadcast message channel, wherein at least one broadcast message of the multiplicity is initiated at and originates at a second portable terminal in communication with one of said first fixed terminal and a second fixed terminal of said system, and the broadcast group identity information in the first message associated with the broadcast message is selected and originates at the said second portable terminal.

21. The method in accordance with claim 12, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the first message for the duration of the first broadcast message to allow one or more portable terminals to roam into a geographical area covered by a second fixed terminal of the system and to receive broadcasts from said second fixed terminal even if this requires a roaming portable terminal to receive the first broadcast message on a second specified broadcast message channel.

22. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the first specified broadcast message channel is connectionless.