Feedback control for multicast or broadcast services

• US 8,478,327 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2011
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 12, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hakenberg, Rolf, Becker, Ralf, Rey, Jose, Rimac, Ivica
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hai V
• Application Number:
  US13/197,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20110286333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 455/522
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1868 Measures taken after transmission, e.g. acknowledgments
• 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 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for controlling feedback of mobile terminals receiving via an air interface of a mobile communication system a multicast or broadcast service transmitted or forwarded by a feedback control entity and to a mobile terminal, the feedback control entity using this method. Further, a system comprising a feedback control entity and a mobile terminal receiving a multicast or broadcast service is provided. To enable configurable and adaptive feedback for multicast or broadcast services provided via an air interface maintaining the end-to-end session concept the invention suggests selecting a subset of the mobile terminals of the mobile communication system and which receive the multicast or broadcast service for providing feedback to a feedback control entity. In one embodiment of the invention the terminals may decide whether to provide feedback based on a probabilistic experiment performed based on parameters determined and provided by the feedback control entity.

Claims

1. A method for controlling transmission of feedback of mobile terminals receiving a multicast or broadcast service, the method being performed by at least one of the mobile terminals to reduce uplink traffic in a mobile communication system and comprising:

receiving the multicast or broadcast service,

receiving a parameter comprising a percentage subset of receivers based on which the mobile terminal decides whether to provide feedback,

deciding whether or not to provide the feedback for the multicast or broadcast service based on the received parameter, and

transmitting the feedback, wherein the feedback is used for statistical analysis, wherein;

the deciding of whether or not to provide the feedback includes performing a probabilistic experiment, wherein the parameter indicates a success probability of the experiment.

2. A method for controlling by a feedback control entity the transmission of feedback of a plurality of mobile terminals receiving a multicast or broadcast service, the method being performed by the feedback control entity to reduce uplink traffic in a mobile communication system and comprising:

transmitting or forwarding data of the multicast or broadcast service,

determining parameters comprising a percentage subset of receivers allowing a mobile terminal to decide whether or not to provide feedback to the feedback control entity,

transmitting said parameters to at least a subset of said plurality of mobile terminals, and

receiving the feedback from another subset of said plurality of mobile terminals having received said parameters, wherein;

the parameters indicate a success probability of a probabilistic experiment to be performed by the at least the subset of the plurality of mobile terminals in deciding whether or not to provide the feedback.

3. A mobile terminal receiving a multicast or broadcast service transmitted or forwarded by a feedback control entity, the mobile terminal operating to reduce uplink traffic in a mobile communication system and comprising:

a receiver configured to receive the multicast or broadcast service, wherein the receiver is configured to further receive a parameter comprising a percentage subset of receivers based on which the mobile terminal decides whether to provide feedback,

a processor configured to decide whether to provide the feedback for the multicast or broadcast service to the feedback control entity based on the received parameter, and

a transmitter configured to transmit the feedback which is used for statistical analysis, wherein;

the processor decides whether or not to provide the feedback by performing a probabilistic experiment, wherein the parameter indicates a success probability of the experiment.

4. A feedback control entity for controlling transmission of feedback of a plurality of mobile terminals receiving a multicast or broadcast service transmitted or forwarded by the feedback control entity, the feedback control entity operating to reduce uplink traffic in a mobile communication system and comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit or forward data of the multicast or broadcast service to at least one of the mobile terminals,

a processor configured to determine parameters comprising a percentage subset of receivers allowing a mobile terminal to decide whether to provide feedback to the feedback control entity, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit said parameters to at least a subset of said plurality of mobile terminals, and

a receiver for receiving the feedback from another subset of said plurality of mobile terminals having received said parameters, wherein;

the parameters indicate a success probability of a probabilistic experiment to be performed by the at least the subset of the plurality of mobile terminals in deciding whether or not to provide the feedback.