Technique for controlling point-to-multipoint data transmissions

• US 8,200,245 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lohmar, Thorsten, Horn, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Lester
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lai, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US12/302,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20090247208A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,202 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.3, 4554561-458
• US Class Current: 455/456.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A technique for controlling a point-to-multipoint (PTM) transmission of data over a PTM-enabled network (150) to a user group is proposed. In a first PTM transmission, a location information query message is distributed into a group service area (154). Upon receiving the query message, items of user equipment respond with location information response messages comprising location information indicative of a location of the respective user equipment. On the basis of the received location information response messages, a content transmission area (156, 157, 158) is determined. A second PTM transmission is then initiated into the content transmission area for content distribution. Furthermore, the content may be distributed via unicast retrieval.

Claims

1. A method for controlling content distribution in a broadcast-enabled network environment, the method comprising the steps of:

initiating a first broadcast transmission of a location information query message into a group service area predefined for a content distribution service;

receiving location information response messages, each location information response message comprising location information indicative of a location of a user equipment having received the location information query message;

determining a content transmission area on the basis of the received location information response messages;

predicting the locations of items of user equipment during a second broadcast transmission, the content transmission area determined to comprise a geographical area of the network in which at least a predetermined quantity of the items of user equipment will be located during the second broadcast transmission according to the prediction; and

preparing for content distribution via at least one of the second broadcast transmission into the content transmission area and unicast retrieval.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the group service area is a geographical area and the content transmission area comprises a sub-area within the group service area.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the group service area is a set of cells of the network and the content transmission area comprises a subset from the set of cells of the group service area.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information query message comprises a location information indicator indicating the type of location information to be comprised in the location information response message.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information query message comprises a start time information

the start time information indicating at least one of a time for the second broadcast transmission to start and a point in time or waiting period for the user equipment to initiate unicast retrieval.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information query message comprises an address information indicating an address for a unicast retrieval of the data transmitted into the content transmission area.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location information query message comprises a response delay information indicating a time delay for sending the location information response message.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of providing the content for unicast retrieval using a file repair service.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the content transmission area is determined to comprise a geographical area of the network in which at least a predetermined quantity of items of user equipment is located.

10. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of determining from at least one of the location information response messages identity information related to at least one of the corresponding user equipment and a user of the corresponding user equipment.

11. A method for controlling a user equipment for content reception in a broadcast-enabled network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a location information query message via a first broadcast transmission from the network;

sending, in response to the location information query message, a location information response message comprising location information indicative of a location of the user equipment for a second broadcast transmission;

predicting locations of items of user equipment during a second broadcast transmission, wherein a content transmission area is determined to comprise a geographical area of the network in which at least a predetermined quantity of items of user equipment will be located during the second broadcast transmission according to the prediction; and

preparing for content reception via at least one of the second broadcast transmission and unicast retrieval.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of receiving the content via the second broadcast transmission.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of receiving the content via a unicast retrieval.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a cell identification of a cell of the network the user equipment is located in and a geographical position of the user equipment.

15. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of setting a unicast retrieval timer.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein a timer value for the unicast retrieval timer is determined based on a start time information comprised in the location information query message.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising retrieving the content via unicast after expiration of the unicast retrieval timer in case the content has not been or can not be received via broadcast transmission.

18. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of sending the location information response message is randomly delayed.

19. A network node implementing a group service control component in a broadcast-enabled network environment for controlling content distribution, the network node comprising:

a first interface for initiating a first broadcast transmission of a location information query message into a group service area predefined for a content distribution service;

a second interface for receiving location information response messages, each location information response message comprising location information indicative of a location of a user equipment having received the location information query message;

a processing unit for

determining a content transmission area on the basis of the received location information response messages and

predicting the locations of items of user equipment during a second broadcast transmission, wherein the content transmission area is determined to comprise a geographical area of the network in which at least a predetermined quantity of items of user equipment will be located during the second broadcast transmission according to the prediction; and

a third interface for initiating the second broadcast transmission into the content transmission area.

20. A network node implementing a group service control component in a broadcast-enabled network environment for controlling content distribution, the network node comprising:

a first interface for initiating a first broadcast transmission of a location information query message into a group service area predefined for a content distribution service;

a second interface for receiving location information response messages, each location information response message comprising location information indicative of a location of a user equipment having received the location information query message;

a processing unit for determining a content transmission area on the basis of the received location information response messages and predicting the locations of items of user equipment during a second broadcast transmission, wherein the content transmission area is determined to comprise a geographical area of the network in which at least a predetermined quantity of items of user equipment will be located during the second broadcast transmission according to the prediction;

a third interface for initiating the second broadcast transmission into the content transmission area; and

a fourth interface for controlling the provision of the content for unicast retrieval.

21. A user equipment for content reception in a broadcast-enabled network, wherein the user equipment comprises:

a first interface for receiving a location information query message via a first broadcast transmission from the network;

a second interface for sending, in response to the location information query message, a location information response message comprising location information indicative of a location of the user equipment for content distribution control; and

a third interface for receiving a second broadcast transmission from the network, wherein the user equipment is in a content transmission area, the user equipment location being predicted by the network and the content transmission area comprising a geographical area of the network in which at least a predetermined quantity of user equipment will be located during the second broadcast transmission according to the prediction.

22. The user equipment of claim 21, further comprising a processor implementing a unicast retrieval timer and for setting the unicast retrieval timer.