Wireless communication network having a broadcast system for information distribution

• US 7,986,954 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Steer, David
• Primary Examiner(s): MEHRPOUR, NAGHMEH
• Application Number:
  US10/877,283
• Time in Patent Office: 2,587 Days
• Field of Search: 379/57, 379/59, 379/61, 379/209, 379/100, 379/63, 709/203, 709/207, 709/220, 709/232, 709/103, 704/270.1, 455/457, 4554561-4565, 455/99, 455/3.06, 455/566, 455/1, 455/66, 455/404.2, 455/515, 455/458, 455/426.1, 455/62, 455/89, 455/73, 455/552.1, 455/553.1, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/466, 455/33.1, 455/38.1
• US Class Current: 455/458
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/091 Traffic information broadcasting broadcasting communication H04H
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/096741 where the source of the transmitted information selects which information to transmit to each vehicle
• 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 4/40 for vehicles, e.g. vehicle-to-pedestrians [V2P]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/10 using broadcasted information

Abstract

A communication network (100) includes a two-way communication system (101) having a number of base stations (102-108) providing corresponding coverage areas (110-116) for one or more mobile terminals (148 and 150). In order to minimize congestion of the two-way communication system (101) a broadcast system (118) is included which allows for messages to be transmitted to the mobile terminals (148 and 150). Provision of such a broadcast system frees-up network resources that would otherwise be required to support the transmission of such messages. In one embodiment, the communication network (100) includes a number of information gathering devices such as traffic cameras (126-136) that collect information on traffic conditions within the communication network (100). By determining the location of the mobile terminals (148 and 150) and their intended journey routes, or based upon travel information previously provided to the network, the communication network (100) can transmit via the broadcast system (118) images of traffic conditions along one or more particular travel routes to the mobile terminals (148 and 150). The mobile terminals (148 and 150) include receiver sections for receiving both the messages transmitted by the two-way communication system (101) and the one-way broadcast system (118).

Claims

1. A wireless communication network, comprising:

a two-way communication system having a plurality of base stations each providing communications over a coverage area;

a one-way broadcast system having a coverage area that overlaps at least a portion of the two-way communication system'"'"'s coverage area;

a plurality of wireless communication devices operable within the two-way communication system and also able to receive messages transmitted by the one-way broadcast system; and

a plurality of information gathering devices coupled to the two-way communication system, the plurality of information gathering devices gather information and forward the information to the one-way broadcast system for transmission to one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices.

2. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 1, wherein the plurality of information gathering devices comprise cameras that take visual images.

3. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 2, wherein the one-way broadcast system transmits visual images from at least one or more of the plurality of cameras that are located along a predetermined path that at least one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices is traveling.

4. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 1, wherein the one-way broadcast system transmits the broadcast message using a radio or television signal.

5. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 1, wherein the one-way broadcast system uses a Digital Video Broadcast-Terrestrial (DVB-T) signal for transmission of the broadcast message.

6. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

an information distribution server coupled to the two-way communication system, the information distribution server receives one or more requests for information from one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices and uses information on the current location of the one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices in order to schedule the broadcast message transmitted by the one-way broadcast system.

7. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a game server coupled to the two-way communication system that allows one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices to play a game located in the game server, when playing a game, the one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices communicate with the game server using the two-way communication system and the game server uses the one-way broadcast system to forward information on the current state of the game to the one or more of the plurality of wireless communication devices playing the game.

8. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a broadcast speech server coupled to the two-way communication system, the broadcast speech server receives speech messages from one or more of the wireless communication devices and forwards them to the one-way broadcast system for transmission.

9. A wireless communication network as defined in claim 1, wherein the one-way broadcast system is used to transmit emergency messages to one or more wireless communication devices from among the plurality of wireless communication devices located in one or more of the coverage areas provided by one or more of the plurality of base stations.

10. A wireless communication device, comprising:

a transmitter for transmitting messages to a two-way communication system;

a first receiver section coupled to the transmitter for receiving messages from the two-way communication system; and

a second receiver section coupled to the first receiver section for receiving broadcast messages from a one-way broadcast system;

wherein a plurality of information gathering devices coupled to the two-way communication system gathers information and forwards the information to the one-way broadcast system for transmission to the wireless communication device.

11. A wireless communication device as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a location function block coupled to the first receiver section, the location function block determines the location of the wireless communication device.

12. A wireless communication device as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

an information services block coupled to the first receiver section, the information services block takes the location information from the location function block along with information on the route that the wireless communication device is taking and formats a message that is transmitted by the transmitter.

13. A wireless communication device as defined in claim 10, further comprising:

a display coupled to the second receiver section; and

the second receiver section upon receiving a message including information from the one-way broadcast system, forwards the information to the display in order to display the information to a user.

14. A wireless communication device as defined in claim 13, wherein the wireless communication device comprises a cellular telephone that can also receive broadcast messages from the one-way broadcast system.

15. A wireless communication device as defined in claim 13, further comprising a means coupled to the second receiver section for presenting audible and/or visually perceptible information representative of a traffic condition along a portion of the route the wireless communication device is taking.

16. A method for directing the transmission of information to a wireless communication device operating within a two-way communication system and which can also receive information transmitted from a one-way broadcast system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining the location of the wireless communication device; and

transmitting a message to the wireless communication device using the one-way broadcast system if it is determined from the location that the wireless communication device is within communication range of the one-way broadcast system;

wherein the message transmitted to the one-way broadcast system comprises information gathered by a plurality of information gathering device coupled to the two-way communication system.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein if the one-way broadcast system is not within communication range of the wireless communication device, the message is transmitted to the wireless communication device using the two-way communication system.

18. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the message transmitted to the wireless communication device includes images of traffic conditions along a route that the wireless communication device is traveling.

19. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the message transmitted to the wireless communication device includes audio tones that are representative of traffic conditions along a route the wireless communication device is traveling.

20. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the one-way broadcast system transmits the message using a television or radio signal.

21. A communication network for use by communication devices, comprising:

a two-way wireless communication system providing communications over a coverage area;

a one-way wireless terrestrial broadcast system coupled to the two-way wireless communication system, the one-way wireless terrestrial broadcast system having a coverage area that at least partially overlaps the two-way wireless communication system'"'"'s coverage area;

an information distribution server coupled to the one-way wireless terrestrial broadcast system, the information distribution server receives information to be transmitted by the one-way wireless terrestrial broadcast system along with information regarding the location of one or more of the communication devices, wherein the communication devices are mobile communication devices, and schedules transmission of the information by the one-way wireless broadcast system; and

a broadcast speech server coupled to the one-way wireless terrestrial broadcast system, the broadcast speech server helps coordinate the use of the one-way wireless terrestrial broadcast system as a common speech channel for a plurality of the communication devices.

22. A communication network as defined in claim 21, wherein the two-way communication system includes a plurality of base sites and further comprising:

a plurality of traffic cameras coupled to one or more of the base sites, and

traffic images collected by the traffic cameras are transmitted by the one-way broadcast system.

23. A network controller for managing communications with a mobile terminal that can operate with both a two-way cellular communication system and a one-way broadcast system, the network controller comprising:

an input/output (I/O) for coupling to the two-way cellular communication system;

an output for coupling to the one-way broadcast system;

means for selecting between the one-way broadcast system and the two-way cellular communication system for transmitting messages to the mobile terminal; and

a broadcast speech server coupled to the one-way broadcast system, the broadcast speech server helps coordinate the use of the one-way broadcast system as a common speech channel for a plurality of the communication devices.

24. A network controller as defined in claim 23, wherein messages transmitted to the mobile terminal using the one-way broadcast system include messages that include visual image information.

25. A network controller as defined in claim 23, wherein the means for selecting which messages are to be transmitted using either the two-way cellular communication system or the one-way broadcast system uses information regarding the geographical location of the mobile terminal to make the selection.