Method and system for signaling in broadcast communication system

• US 7,912,485 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Athalye, Sanjeev Arvind, Wang, Jun, Sinnarajah, Ragulan
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ajit
• Application Number:
  US10/938,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20050201321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,384 Days
• Field of Search: 340/7.48, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A method and a system for providing signaling in cellular telephone system providing broadcast services to fully integrate broadcast services with the services provided by the cellular telephone systems. The signaling method coordinate interaction between an access network and the subscriber station to allowing the subscriber station to decode the broadcast service, to receive paging messages while receiving the broadcast service, to properly transition between operation states, and other functions known to one of ordinary skill in the art.

Claims

1. A method for a communication system, comprising:

transmitting, on each paging channel on each frequency, first information about broadcast/multicast service availability in a sector selected from alternatives including at least;

an available identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow in the sector and pointing to another frequency and paging channel where second information about the identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow is obtained; and

an available identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow in the sector and providing the second information that enables a mobile station to monitor the identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first information about broadcast/multicast service availability in a sector includes an indicator for indicating whether the broadcast/multicast service is available in the communication system, the indicator is not included in a broadcast service parameters message.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the indicator consists of two bits.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the list of available identifiers of broadcast/multicast flows is included in a broadcast service parameter message.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein the broadcast service parameters message includes an indicator for indicating whether the broadcast service parameter message lists all the identifiers of broadcast/multicast flows available in the sector.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the indicator consists of one bit.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the alternatives include:

broadcast/multicast service is available in the sector and point to a frequency and paging channel where a mobile station determines the second information about available identifiers of broadcast/multicast flows in the sector.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the alternatives include:

broadcast/multicast service is not available in the sector.

18. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow is a BCMCS_FLOW_ID.

19. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the indicator is a BCMCS_TND.

20. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the indicator is a BSPM_BCMCS_IND.

7. A method for signaling in a broadcast communication system comprising transmitting, on each paging channel on each frequency, a first indicator for indicating availability of broadcast/multicast service in a sector, wherein the first indicator is not included in a broadcast service parameters message, wherein the broadcast service parameters message comprises a list of available identifiers of broadcast/multicast flows in the sector, and points to a frequency and paging channel having information for obtaining an identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow.

8. The method for signaling as defined in claim 7, wherein the first indicator indicates at least one of:

broadcast/multicast service is not available in the sector;

broadcast/multicast service is available in the sector and a mobile station must go to a broadcast/multicast frequency in a broadcast/multicast paging channel for information about available identifiers of broadcast/multicast flows in the sector;

broadcast/multicast service is available in the sector and a broadcast service parameters message is being transmitted on the respective paging channel of the respective frequency.

9. The method for signaling as defined in claim 8, wherein the broadcast service parameters message comprises a list of available identifiers of broadcast/multicast flows in the sector and information that enables the mobile station to monitor a specific identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow.

10. The method for signaling as defined in claim 8, wherein the broadcast service parameters message includes a second indicator for indicating whether the broadcast service parameters message lists all identifiers of broadcast/multicast flows available in the sector.

11. The method for signaling as defined in claim 10, wherein the second indicator consists of one bit.

12. The method for signaling as defined in claim 7, wherein the first indicator consists of two bits.

21. The method as defined in claim 7, wherein the first indicator is a BCMCS_IND.

22. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein the second indicator is a BSPM_BCMCS_IND.

15. A method for a communication system comprising transmitting, on each paging channel on each frequency, a first information about broadcast/multicast service availability in a sector, the information including an available broadcast/multicast service flow identifier in the sector and pointing to another frequency and paging channel where second information about the broadcast/multicast service flow identifier is obtained.

16. An apparatus for use in a communication system, comprising:

a receiver for receiving, on each paging channel on each frequency, first information about broadcast/multicast service availability in a sector, wherein availability in the sector is selected from alternatives including at least;

an available identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow in the sector and pointing to another frequency and paging channel where second information about the identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow is obtained;

an available identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow in the sector providing the second information that enables the apparatus to monitor the identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow; and

a processor for processing the broadcast/multicast session information.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with instructions executable by a processor for:

transmitting, on each paging channel on each frequency, first information about broadcast/multicast service availability in a sector selected from alternatives including at least;

an available broadcast identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow in the sector and pointing to another frequency and paging channel where second information about the identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow is obtained;

an available identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow in the sector and providing the second information that enables a mobile station to monitor the identifier of a broadcast/multicast flow.