System and method for dynamically selecting wireless information communication modes for a wireless communication device

• US 7,558,587 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jayapalan, Jay P., Albal, Nandakishore A., Armbruster, Peter J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Karikari; Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US11/301,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20070133484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 455/518, 455/452.1, 455/414.1, 455/522, 455/464, 455/515
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A system, method, and wireless device for dynamically selecting a wireless information communication mode for wireless communication of information to at least one wireless device (104). The method includes receiving at least one request for wireless communication of information to at least one wireless device (104). The method further comprises selecting, based at least in part on a total number of wireless devices to receive the wireless communication of information, a mode of wireless communication of information to the at least one wireless device (104). The mode of wireless communication being selected from at least one of a wireless information broadcast communication mode, a wireless information multicast communication mode, and a wireless information unicast communication mode. The at least one wireless device (104) is wireless notified to set its current wireless communication mode to the selected mode of wireless communication to receive the wireless communication of the information.

Claims

1. A method for selecting at least one of a wireless information broadcast communication mode, a wireless information multicast communication mode, and a wireless information unicast communication mode, for wireless communication of information to at least one wireless communication device, the method comprising:

receiving at least one request for wireless communication of information to at least one wireless communication device;

incrementing a count for a number of wireless communication devices requesting the wireless communication of information upon receipt of the at least one request by the at least one wireless communication device;

decrementing the count when at least one of a deregistration request is received from at least one of the wireless communication devices that has requested the wireless communication of information and at least one of the wireless communication devices that has requested the wireless communication of information has timed out;

selecting, based at least in part on the count of wireless communication devices to receive the wireless communication of information, a mode of wireless communication of information to the at least one wireless communication device, the mode of wireless communication being selected from at least one of;

a wireless information broadcast communication mode,

a wireless information multicast communication mode, and

a wireless information unicast communication mode,

wherein the unicast communication mode is selected when the count is below a first predefined threshold and the unicast communication mode is switched from the unicast communication mode to one of the broadcast communication mode and the multicast communication mode when the count exceeds the first predefined threshold;

determining whether the decremented count is less than a second predefined threshold where the second predefined threshold is less than the first predefined threshhold;

if the decremented count is less than the second predefined threshold, assigning the all of the wireless devices totaling the decremented count of wireless devices, including the at least one wireless device, to receive the wireless communication of the information using the wireless information unicast communication mode; and

wirelessly notifying the at least one wireless communication device to set its current wireless communication mode to the selected mode of wireless communication to receive the wireless communication of the information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising wirelessly notifying at least one wireless network controller to set its current wireless communication mode to the selected mode of wireless communication for wirelessly communicating the information.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the wireless communication devices to receive the wireless communication of the information using the wireless information unicast communication mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the wireless communication devices to receive the wireless communication of the information using at least one of the wireless information broadcast communication mode and the wireless information multicast communication mode.

5. A wireless communication system for selecting at least one of a wireless information broadcast communication mode, a wireless information multicast communication mode, and a wireless information unicast communication mode, for wireless communication of information to at least one wireless communication device, comprising:

a receiver for receiving at least one request for wireless communication of information to at least one wireless communication device;

a wireless communication mode selector, communicatively coupled with the receiver, for dynamically selecting a mode of wireless communication of information to the at least one wireless communication device, the mode of wireless communication being selected from at least one of;

a wireless information broadcast communication mode,

a wireless information multicast communication mode, and

a wireless information unicast communication mode,

wherein the wireless communication mode selector increments a count of wireless communication devices upon receipt of a request by at least one wireless communication device for wireless communication of information and the wireless communication mode selector selects the unicast communication mode when the count is less than a first predefined threshold and switches the mode of communication from the unicast mode to one of the broadcast communication mode and the multicast communication mode when count exceeds the first predefined threshold and wherein the wireless communication mode selector decrements the count of wireless communication devices request to deregister from receiving wireless communication of information or times out, determines whether the decremented count is less than a second predefined threshold that is less than the first predefined threshold and if the decremented count is determined to less then the second predefined threshold, the wireless communication mode selected selects a wireless information unicast communication mode for wireless communication of the information to all of the second total number of wireless communication devices; and

a notifier, communicatively coupled with the wireless communication mode selector, for wirelessly notifying the at least one wireless communication device to set its current wireless communication mode to the selected mode of wireless communication to receive the wireless communication of the information.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 5, wherein the notifier notifies at least one wireless network controller to set its current wireless communication mode to the selected mode of wireless communication for wirelessly communicating the information.