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

• US 7,796,631 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2002
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Jun, Leung, Nikolai K. N., Chen, Tao, Sinnarajah, Ragulan
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, BRENDA H
• Application Number:
  US10/192,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20040131075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,989 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/312, 370/329, 370/389, 370/349, 370/431, 370/458, 370/464, 370/468, 370/310.2, 370/314, 370/322, 370/326, 370/328, 370/338, 370/345, 370/390, 370/471, 370/491, 370/341, 370/348, 370/437, 370/443
• US Class Current: 370/431
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/22 Manipulation of transport tunnels
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

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 assign a channel conveying the multicast service between the access network and the subscriber stations.

Claims

1. A method for a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, comprising:

receiving, from a content server, a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the group of subscriber stations is identified by a group identifier;

including a multicast service notification for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier into an overhead message; and

transmitting the overhead message at least once in a determined slot on a first channel before the multicast call is transmitted, wherein the overhead message includes channel assignment information, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier and a slot number of the slot is based on the group identifier.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein said receiving a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the group of subscriber stations is identified by a group identifier, comprises:

including the channel assignment information into at least one periodically repeated message; and

transmitting the periodically repeated message on a first channel.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said including a channel assignment information into at least one periodically repeated message comprises:

including the channel assignment information into at least one periodically repeated message;

said message further comprising the multicast service notification.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said including a channel assignment information into at least one periodically repeated message comprises:

including a shared channel assignment information into at least one periodically repeated message.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said including a channel assignment information into a message comprises:

including a shared channel assignment information into the message.

6. A method for a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, comprising:

monitoring, by a subscriber station, a determined slot of a channel for a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the notification originates from a content server, and wherein the notification identifies the group of subscriber stations; and

decoding a message conveyed in the determined slot to determine if a multicast service notification for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier was included in the message, wherein the message is an overhead message and furthermore includes channel assignment information for the multicast call, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier and a slot number of the slot is based on the group identifier.

7. The method as in claim 6 comprising:

monitoring a periodically repeated message on the channel; and

decoding the periodically repeated message to determine if the multicast service notification and the channel assignment information were included in the periodically repeated message.

8. An apparatus for a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, comprising:

a transmitter;

a processor coupled to the transmitter; and

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

include a multicast service notification, received from a content server, for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier into an overhead message;

cause the transmitter to transmit the message at least once in a determined slot on a first channel before the multicast call is transmitted, wherein the overhead message furthermore includes channel assignment information, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier and a slot number of the slot is based on the group identifier.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 wherein said processor includes the channel assignment information into the message by executing a set of instructions to:

include a shared channel assignment information into the message.

10. An apparatus for a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, comprising:

a subscriber station configured to;

monitor a determined slot of a channel for a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the notification originates from a content server, and wherein the notification identifies the group of subscriber stations; and

decode a message conveyed in the determined slot to determine if a multicast service notification for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier was included in the message, wherein the message is an overhead message and furthermore includes channel assignment information for the multicast call, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier and a slot number of the slot is based on the group identifier.

11. The apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the subscriber station is further configured to:

receive a notification that a multicast call intended for the group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the group of subscriber stations is identified by the group identifier;

monitor a periodically repeated message on the channel; and

decode the periodically repeated message to determine if the multicast service notification for the group of subscriber stations identified by the group identifier and the channel assignment information were included in the periodically repeated message.

12. An apparatus for a channel assignment 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 a multicast service notification, received from a content server, for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier in a message;

transmit the message at least once in a determined slot on a first channel before the multicast call is transmitted, wherein the message is an overhead message and furthermore includes channel assignment information, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier and a slot number of the slot is based on the group identifier; and

assign the multicast service channel in accordance with said received at least one response.

13. An apparatus for a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, comprising:

means for receiving, from a content server, a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the group of subscriber stations is identified by a group identifier;

means for including a multicast service notification for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier into an overhead message; and

means for transmitting the overhead message at least once in a determined slot on a first channel before the multicast call is transmitted, wherein the overhead message includes channel assignment information, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier.

14. An apparatus for a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, comprising:

means for monitoring a determined slot of a channel for a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the notification originates from a content server, and wherein the notification identifies the group of subscriber stations; and

means for decoding a message conveyed in the determined slot to determine if a multicast service notification for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier was included in the message, wherein the message is an overhead message and furthermore includes channel assignment information for the multicast call, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier.

15. A processor storage readable medium including processor-executable instructions encoded thereon which when executed performs the method for a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a content server, a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the group of subscriber stations is identified by a group identifier;

including a multicast service notification for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier into an overhead message; and

transmitting the overhead message at least once in a determined slot on a first channel before the multicast call is transmitted, wherein the overhead message includes channel assignment information, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier.

16. A processor storage readable medium including processor-executable instructions encoded thereon which when executed performs a method of a channel assignment for a multicast service in a communication system, the method comprising:

monitoring a determined slot of a channel for a notification that a multicast call intended for a group of subscriber stations is to begin, wherein the notification originates from a content server, and wherein the notification identifies the group of subscriber stations; and

decoding a message conveyed in the determined slot to determine if a multicast service notification for a group of subscriber stations identified by a group identifier was included in the message, wherein the message is an overhead message and furthermore includes channel assignment information for the multicast call, the determined slot being selected from other slots based on a function of the group identifier.