Methods for signaling broadcast and multicast information in communication networks

• US 7,403,790 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Das, Arnab, Balachandran, Krishna, Kang, Joseph H., Budka, Kenneth C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming; William D
• Application Number:
  US10/654,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20050054331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 455/458, 455/404.2, 455/503, 455/518
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

Methods for signaling information to a group of users in a communication network supporting a broadcast-multicast service are described, in which one or more indicator bits of a sequence may be assigned to indicate transmission of signaling information that is related to the group. The sequence may be transmitted to the group on a first channel, with the signaling information related to the group being transmitted on a second channel.

Claims

1. A method of signaling information to a broadcast-multicast group of users, comprising:

assigning a plurality of indicator bits of a sequence of indicator bits which are distributed at bit positions in each quarter slot of an entire slot of a quick paging channel to indicate a transmission of signaling information related to broadcast-multicast service that is related to the group; and

transmitting the sequence to the group and the signaling information related to the group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sequence is transmitted on the quick paging channel and the broadcast-multicast service related signaling information is transmitted on a second channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein

the assigning step includes assigning one or more-indicator bits to specified quarter-slots of the quick paging channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the indicator bits are at least one Broadcast Service Parameters Message (BSPM) indicator informing at least one group of a BSPM transmission, and

the BSPM includes signaling information intended for one or more BCMC groups.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the assigning step includes assigning multiple indicator bits for broadcast-multicast service content flows on a slot of the quick paging channel, the slot being 100 ms offset from a specified slot on the second channel.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein

the specified slot is a broadcast slot of the second channel.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the specified slot is a given broadcast-multicast slot of the second channel.