Broadcast facility

• US 7,127,243 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2000
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Smaak, Marc, Forde, Brian J., Weinmann, Paul C., Dunne, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): APPIAH, CHARLES NANA
• Application Number:
  US09/644,151
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 455518-520, 455/426.1, 455/447, 455/450, 455/404, 455/557, 455/466, 455/465, 455/458, 455/462, 455/463, 455/515, 455/434, 455/455, 455/404.1, 370/347, 370/444, 370/463, 370/445
• US Class Current: 455/426.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72502 with one base station connected to a single line
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A broadcast system for communicating a broadcast message 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 a first message from the or each fixed terminal for reception by portable terminals in the reception area of that fixed terminal, the message including information that specifies a channel, selected for that fixed terminal, which will be used to convey the broadcast message. A control means is provided for causing the or each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channel. The transmitter means then transmits from the fixed terminal the broadcast message on the said specified broadcast channel for substantially simultaneous reception and reproduction of the broadcast message, such as an audio broadcast message, by the or each portable terminal. The broadcast message channel is connectionless. The portable terminals may also roam into areas serviced by other fixed terminals and still be capable of receiving the broadcast message. The system is particularly but not essentially based on the Digital Enhanced Telecommunications (DECT) Standard.

Claims

1. A broadcast system for communicating a broadcast message in a telecommunications system having at least one fixed terminal for communication with a plurality of portable terminals, said broadcast system comprising:

a first transmitter transmitting a first message from the fixed terminal directly to the plurality of portable terminals, the message including information specifying a channel, selected for that fixed terminal, to convey the broadcast message;

a control unit causing each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast message channel; and

a second transmitter transmitting from the fixed terminal directly to the plurality of portable terminals the broadcast message on the said specified broadcast message channel for reproduction of the broadcast message by each portable terminal, wherein the broadcast message channel is connectionless.

2. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the selected channel is established on a DECT physical channel.

3. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the selected channel supports a DECT simplex bearer.

4. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the selected channel supports a connectionless downlink bearer.

5. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first message is transmitted as a short page message.

6. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising:

an assigning unit assigning each portable terminal with a broadcast group identity;

an identity unit including broadcast group identity information in the first message; and

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

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

8. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the broadcast message is initiated at and originates at one of the plurality of portable terminals in communication with the at least one fixed terminal of the system.

9. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising:

an assigning unit assigning each portable terminal with a broadcast group identity;

an identity unit including broadcast group identity information in the first message, and

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

10. A broadcast system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising a periodic transmitter periodically transmitting the first message for the duration of the broadcast message to allow portable terminals to roam into geographical areas covered by a different fixed terminal and to receive the broadcast from the different fixed terminal even if this requires the roaming portable terminal to receive the broadcast message on a different specified channel and to change the specified channel that it receives on.

11. A method for communicating a broadcast message in a telecommunications system having at least one fixed terminal for communication with a plurality of portable terminals, said method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first message from the fixed terminal directly to the plurality of portable terminals, the message including information specifying a channel, selected for that fixed terminal, to convey the broadcast message;

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

transmitting from the fixed terminal the broadcast message, directly to the plurality of portable terminals, on the said specified broadcast message channel for reproduction of the broadcast message channel for reproduction of the broadcast message by each portable terminal, wherein the broadcast message channel is connectionless.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the selected channel is established on a DECT physical channel.

13. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the selected channel is established on a DECT simplex bearer.

14. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the selected channel supports a connectionless downlink bearer.

15. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the first message is transmitted as a short page message.

16. A method in accordance with claim 11 and 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 the or each portable terminal to receive on the specified broadcast channel only if the said portable terminal has an assigned broadcast group identity that corresponds to the broadcast group identity transmitted in the first message.

17. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the broadcast group identity information is expressed as a DECT group temporary portable user identity (TPIU).

18. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the broadcast message is initiated at and originates at one of the plurality of portable terminals in communication with the at least one fixed terminal of the system.

19. A method in accordance with claim 11 and further comprising:

assigning each portable terminal with a broadcast group identity;

including broadcast group identity information in the first message; and

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

20. A method in accordance with claim 11 and further comprising the step of periodically transmitting the first message for the duration of the broadcast message to allow portable terminals to roam into geographical areas covered by a different fixed terminal and to receive the broadcast from the different fixed terminal even if this requires the roaming portable terminal to receive the broadcast message on a different specified channel and to change the specified channel that it receives on.