Method and apparatus for providing information to a plurality of communication units in a wireless communication system

• US 6,710,702 B1
• Filed: 11/22/1999
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Motorola Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Averbuch, Rod, Cimet, Israel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lieu, Julie
• Application Number:
  US09/444,629
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.1, 340/7.2, 455/426, 370/337, 370/347
• US Class Current: 340/7.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A wireless communication system (100) employs a method and apparatus for providing information to multiple communication units (121-129). The communication system includes a communication infrastructure (101, 102, 103, 105, 111-113, 120), a data network (107) and an information source (109). The multiple communication units each subscribe to an information service provided by the information source. The communication infrastructure creates a subscription group that includes the multiple communication units. The infrastructure receives subscriber information including at least one information unit from the information source and sets up a point-to-multipoint group call with the subscription group. The infrastructure then transmits the subscriber information to the multiple communication units. Any information unit not confirmed by the multiple communication units is re-transmit by the infrastructure. If any information unit remains unconfirmed after the re-transmission, the infrastructure sets up a point-to-point communication session with individual communication units and re-transmits the remaining unconfirmed information unit.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication system comprising an information source, a communication infrastructure, and a communication unit, a method for the reliable transmission of information by the communication infrastructure to the communication unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information from the information source to produce subscriber information;

storing the subscriber information;

determining a subscription group based on the subscriber information, wherein the subscription group comprises a subscription group identifier and a communication unit identifier;

determining a communication unit identifier based on the subscription group,

determining a communication unit location based on the communication unit identifier;

transmitting a paging message comprising the at least one communication unit identifier;

transmitting the subscriber information, wherein the step of determining a communication unit location comprises the step of determining a base site servicing the communication unit, and wherein the step of transmitting a paging message comprises the steps of determining a communication channel at the serving base site to produce a paging channel and transmitting, via the paging channel, a paging message comprising the at least one communication unit identifier; and

determining a second communication channel at the serving base site for the transmission of the subscriber information, wherein the paging message further comprises information concerning the second communication channel and wherein the step of transmitting the subscriber information comprises the step of transmitting the subscriber information via the second communication channel, wherein the subscriber information comprises at least one Information unit and wherein the step of transmitting the subscriber information comprises the following steps;

transmitting the subscriber information via the second communication channel;

receiving a confirmation in response to the correct receipt of the at least one information unit by a communication unit of the plurality of communication units; and

retransmitting the at least one information unit via the second communication channel when no confirmation is received from at least two communication units of the plurality of communication units.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the step of transmitting the subscriber information further comprises the steps of:

when correct receipt of the information unit remains is unconfirmed by only one communication unit of the plurality of communication units, or, responsive to the retransmission of the at least one information unit, when correct receipt of the information unit remains unconfirmed by at least one communication unit, assigning a separate communication channel to each communication unit that has failed to confirm correct receipt of the at least one information unit;

transmitting a paging message, wherein the paging message comprises the communication unit identifier of the at least one communication unit and information concerning each separately assigned communication channel;

transmitting the unconfirmed at least one information unit via each separately assign communication channel.

2. In a wireless communication system comprising an information source, a communication infrastructure, and a communication unit, a method for the reliable transmission of information by the communication infrastructure to the communication unit, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information from the information source to produce subscriber information;

storing the subscriber information;

determining a subscription group based on the subscriber information, wherein the subscription group comprises a subscription group identifier and a communication unit identifier;

determining a communication unit identifier based on the subscription group;

determining a communication unit location based on the communication unit identifier;

transmitting a paging message comprising the at least one communication unit identifier;

transmitting the subscriber information, wherein the step of determining a communication unit location comprises the step of determining a base site servicing the communication unit, and wherein the step of transmitting a paging message comprises the steps of determining a communication channel at the serving base site to produce a paging channel and transmitting, via the paging channel, a paging message comprising the at least one communication unit identifier; and

determining a second communication channel at the serving base site for the transmission of the subscriber information, wherein the paging message further comprises information concerning the second communication channel and wherein the step of transmitting the subscriber information comprises the step of transmitting the subscriber information via the second communication channel, wherein the communication infrastructure comprises a system router coupled to a base site, wherein the subscriber information comprises at least one information unit, and wherein the step of transmitting the subscriber information comprises the following steps;

transmitting, by the system router, the subscriber information via the base site and the second communication channel;

storing, by the base site, the subscriber information;

receiving, by the base site, a confirmation in response to the correct receipt of the at least one information unit by a communication unit of the plurality of communication units; and

retransmitting, by the base site and via the second communication channel, the at least one information unit via the second communication channel when no confirmation is received from at least two communication units of the plurality of communication units.

4. A communication infrastructure for use in a wireless communication system that comprises the communication infrastructure, an information source, and a communication unit, the communication infrastructure comprising:

a base site that services the communication unit, wherein the communication unit subscribes to an information service provided by the Information source;

a data distribution server, coupled to the base site, that receives registration information from the communication unit, wherein the registration information comprises an information service identifier and a communication unit identifier, conveys at least a portion of the registration information to the information source, conveys at least a portion of the registration information to a system router, receives subscriber information from an information source, and conveys the subscriber information to a system router;

a system router, coupled to the base site and to the data distribution server, that determines an information service identifier based on the registration information received from the communication unit, conveys the information service identifier and the communication unit identifier to a system controller, receives the subscriber information from the data distribution server, and transmits the subscriber information with reference to a subscription group database and a location database;

a system controller, coupled to the system router, that determines a subscription group based on the information service identifier received from the system router and with reference to a subscription group database, and adds the communication unit identifier to the subscription group;

a subscription group database, coupled to the system controller, that comprises a subscription group, wherein the subscription group comprises an information service identifier and a communication unit identifier; and

a location database, coupled to the system controller, that comprises the location of the communication unit, wherein the communication system further comprises a plurality of communication channels, wherein the plurality of communication channels comprises a first communication channel for the transmission of paging messages and a second communication channel for the transmission of the subscriber information, wherein the data distribution server further receives subscriber information from the information source intended for the communication unit and conveys the subscriber information to the system router, which subscriber information comprises at least one information unit, wherein the system router further determines an information service identifier based on the subscriber information, and conveys the information service identifier, and wherein the system controller further determines the communication unit identifier based on the subscription group database and transmits a paging message, via the base site and the first communication channel, comprising the communication unit identifier and information concerning the second communication channel, wherein the system router transmits the subscriber information via the base site and the first communication channel, and wherein the base site further stores the subscriber information and retransmits the information unit when the base site fails to receive a confirmation of correct receipt of the information unit by the communication unit.

5. The communication infrastructure of claim 4, wherein the subscription group database is located in the system controller.

6. The communication infrastructure of claim 4, wherein the location database is located in the system controller.

7. The communication infrastructure of claim 4, wherein the system router further allocates a third communication channel of the plurality of communication channels for transmission of the information unit when the base site fails to receive a confirmation of correct receipt of the retransmitted information unit by the communication unit, and wherein the base site further transmits the unconfirmed retransmitted information unit via the third communication channel.