Method and system for a multicast service initiation in a communication system

• US 6,876,636 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Issued: 04/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Jun, Leung, Nikolai K. N., Chen, Tao, Sinnarajah, Ragulan
• Primary Examiner(s): QURESHI, AFSAR M
• Application Number:
  US10/192,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20040008679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/390, 370/432, 370/524, 370/259, 370/311, 370/328, 370/329, 370/338, 370/389, 370/420, 370/491, 370/522, 455/458, 455/426, 455/517, 455/519, 455/574, 375/130, 375/131, 375/134, 379/165, 709/225, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Method and a system for multicast service notification in cellular telephone system to enable the cellular telephone systems to provide both multicast and point-to-point services are disclosed. Several embodiments describe the signaling interaction between an access network and subscriber stations belonging to a multicast group to allow the access network to properly notify the subscriber stations of a the multicast service. Such a signaling further allows the subscriber stations to recognize the multicast service notification to participate in the multicast service.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a multicast service notification in a communication system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium coupled to the processor and containing a set of instructions executable by the processor to;

include an indicator into a first slot on a first channel; and

include a multicast service notification into a message conveyed in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot corresponding to the first slot, if a multicast service notification was indicated by the indicator.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor includes an indicator into a first slot by executing a set of instructions to:

determine a multicast paging cycle; and

determine the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said processor determines the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier by executing a set of instructions to:

input the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier into a hashing function; and

set the first slot to a value outputted by the hashing function.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said processor includes a multicast service notification into a message conveyed in a second slot on a second channel by executing a set of instructions to:

include a multicast service notification into a message conveyed in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot being offset from the first slot by a pre-determined interval.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second slot is offset from the first slot by 100 milliseconds.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processor and said storage medium are disposed in a base station.

7. An apparatus for a multicast service notification of a subscriber station in a communication system, comprising:

a subscriber station configured to;

decode an indicator from a first slot on a first channel; and

decode a multicast service notification in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot corresponding to the first slot, if a multicast service notification was indicated by the indicator.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said subscriber station decodes an indicator from a first slot on a first channel by being configured to:

determine a multicast paging cycle; and

determine the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said subscriber station determines the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier by being configured to:

input the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier into a hashing function; and

set the first slot to a value outputted by the hashing function.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said subscriber station decodes a multicast service notification in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot corresponding to the first slot by being configured to:

decode a multicast service notification in a second slot, the second slot being offset from the first slot by a pre-determined interval.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 wherein said second slot being offset from the first slot by a pre-determined interval comprises:

second slot being offset from the first slot by 100 milliseconds.

12. An apparatus for a multicast service notification in a communication system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium coupled to the processor and including a set of instructions executable by the processor to;

establish a link layer protocol between a subscriber station belonging to a multicast group and an entity of the access network;

convey the multicast service notification over the link layer protocol;

wherein said processor establishes a link layer protocol by executing a set of instructions to;

include an indicator into a pre-determined slot on a first channel; and

include a link layer protocol establishment request into a message conveyed in a slot on a second channel, the slot corresponding to the pre-determined slot on the first channel, if a multicast service notification was indicated by the indicator.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said processor includes an indicator into a pre-determined slot by executing a set of instructions to:

determine a broadcast paging cycle; and

include an indicator into an n-th slot of each broadcast paging cycle.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said processor includes an indicator into an n-th slot of each broadcast paging cycle by executing a set of instructions to:

include an indicator into the first slot of each broadcast paging cycle.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said processor includes a link layer protocol establishment request into a message conveyed in a slot on a second channel by executing a set of instructions to

include a multicast service notification in a slot on a second channel, the slot being offset from the pre-determined slot on the first channel by a pre-determined interval.

16. A apparatus for a multicast service notification in a communication system, comprising:

a subscriber station configured to;

establish a link layer protocol between a subscriber station belonging to a multicast group and an entity of an access network; and

receive the multicast service notification over the link layer protocol,

wherein said subscriber station establishes the link layer protocol by being configured to;

decode an indicator from a pre-determined slot on a first channel; and

decode a link layer protocol establishment request in a slot on a second channel, the slot corresponding to the pre-determined slot on the first channel, if a link layer protocol establishment request was indicated by the indicator.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said subscriber station decodes an indicator from a pre-determined slot on a first channel by being configured to:

determine a broadcast paging cycle; and

decode an indicator in an n-th slot of each broadcast paging cycle.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein said subscriber station decodes an indicator in an n-th slot of each broadcast paging cycle by being configured to:

decode an indicator in a first slot of each broadcast paging cycle.

19. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16 wherein said subscriber station decodes a link layer protocol establishment request in a slot on a second channel by being configured to:

decode a link layer protocol establishment request in a slot on a second channel, the slot being offset from the pre-determined slot on the first channel by a pre-determined interval.

20. The apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein said processor and said storage medium are disposed in a base station.

21. An apparatus for a multicast service notification in a communication system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage medium coupled to the processor and including a set of instructions executable by the processor to;

establish a link layer protocol between a subscriber station belonging to a multicast group and an entity of the access network;

convey the multicast service notification over the link layer protocol;

wherein said processor establishes a link layer protocol by executing a set of instruction to;

include an indicator into a first slot on a first channel; and

include a link layer protocol establishment request into a message conveyed in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot corresponding to the first slot, if a link layer protocol establishment request was indicated by the indicator.

22. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein said processor includes an indicator into a first slot by executing a set of instructions to:

determine a multicast paging cycle; and

determine the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier.

23. The apparatus as claimed in claim 22 wherein said processor determines the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier by executing a set of instructions to:

input the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier into a hashing function; and

set the first slot to a value outputted by the hashing function.

24. The apparatus as claimed in claim 21 wherein said processor includes a link layer protocol establishment request into a message conveyed in a second slot on a second channel by executing a set of instructions to:

include a link layer protocol establishment request into a message conveyed in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot being offset from the first slot by a pre-determined interval.

25. The apparatus as claimed in claim 24 wherein said second slot is offset from the first slot by 100 milliseconds.

26. An apparatus for a multicast service notification in a communication system, comprising:

a subscriber station configured to;

establish a link layer protocol between a subscriber station belonging to a multicast group and an entity of an access network; and

receive the multicast service notification over the link layer protocol

wherein said subscriber station establishes the link layer protocol by being configured to;

decode an indicator from a first slot on a first channel; and

decode a link layer protocol establishment request in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot corresponding to the first slot, if a link layer protocol establishment request was indicated by the indicator.

27. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said subscriber station decodes an indicator from a first slot on a first channel by being configured to:

determine a multicast paging cycle; and

determine the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier.

28. The apparatus as claimed in claim 27 wherein said subscriber station determines the first slot in accordance with the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier by being configured to:

input the multicast paging cycle and a multicast group identifier into a hashing function; and

set the first slot to a value outputted by the hashing function.

29. The apparatus as claimed in claim 26 wherein said subscriber station decodes a link layer protocol establishment request in a second slot on a second channel, the second slot corresponding to the first slot by being configured to:

decode a link layer protocol establishment request in a second slot, the second slot being offset from the first slot by a pre-determined interval.

30. The apparatus as claimed in claim 29 wherein said second slot being offset from the first slot by a pre-determined interval comprises:

second slot being offset from the first slot by 100 milliseconds.