Enhanced notification mechanism for broadcast networks using bit-map vectors

• US 8,554,131 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Jangwon, Chen, An Mei
• Primary Examiner(s): GESESSE, TILAHUN
• Application Number:
  US12/168,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20100003914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,919 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/414.3, 455/3.06, 455/180.1, 455/567
• US Class Current: 455/3.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/25 Arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1877 Measures taken prior to transmission
• 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 8/245 from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and computer program products are defined for enhancing the delivery of overhead notifications in a broadcast network, in particular a broadcast network suitable for wireless device implementation. The broadcast-receiving devices only receive new notification messages, as opposed to receiving all of the currently active notification messages. This is achieved by broadcasting a listing of the currently active notifications versions and having the devices compare the currently active notification versions to the locally stored version(s) to determine which version or versions require capturing. In those aspects in which the broadcast-receiving device is a battery powered wireless device, battery power consumption is minimized because the device only captures active notification messages not currently in device memory, as opposed to all of the currently active notifications.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring notifications in a broadcast network, the method comprising:

receiving, in a wireless broadcast, a broadcast message having a bit map vector and an indication of currently active notification versions to determine with of the currently active notification version requires to be received, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

determining whether one or more of the currently active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message requires receiving; and

receiving, in a wireless broadcast, one or more notification messages associated with each of the one or more currently active notification versions based on the determination that the one or more currently active notification versions are required to be received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the broadcast message further comprises listening to a primary channel of a common overhead service within the broadcast network to receive a primary message that indicates the active notification versions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the broadcast message that includes the bit map vector further comprises receiving the broadcast message that includes the bit map vector, wherein each set bit in the bit map vector maps to an active notification version.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining if one or more of the active notification versions requires receiving further comprises comparing a local version identifier to identifiers associated with the active notification versions.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein comparing a local version identifier to identifiers associated with the active notification versions further comprises comparing a local version number to numbers associated with the active notification versions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining if one or more of the active notification versions require receiving further comprises determining if any of the numbers associated with the active notification versions are higher than the local version number.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating the local version identifier to reflect an identifier associated with a highest sequenced active notification version determined to require capture.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein updating the local version identifier further comprises updating the local version identifier after all of the active notification versions determined to require reception have been received.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving one or more notification messages associated with each of the one or more active notification versions further comprises tuning to a notification channel to receive the one or more notification messages associated with each of the one or more active notification versions determined to require receiving.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving one or more notification messages associated with each of the one or more currently active notification versions further comprises determining the number of notification messages in an active notification version based on an indicator in the notification message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving one or more notification messages further comprises re-initiating reception of the one or more notification messages following an interruption of the reception, wherein only the currently active notification versions not received in total prior to the interruption require to be received after re-initiating the reception.

12. At least one processor configured to acquire notifications in a broadcast network, the processor comprising:

a first module for receiving, in a wireless broadcast, a broadcast message having a bit map vector and an indication of currently active notification versions to determine which of the currently active notification version requires to be received wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

a second module for determining whether one or more of the currently active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message requires receiving; and

a third module for receiving, in a wireless broadcast, one or more notification messages associated with each of the one or more currently active notification versions based on the determination that the one or more currently active notification versions are required to be received.

13. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, in a wireless broadcast, a broadcast message having a bit map vector and an indication of currently active notification versions to determine which of the currently active notification versions requires to be received, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

determining whether one or more of the currently active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message requires receiving; and

receiving, in a wireless broadcast, one or more notification messages associated with each of the one or more currently active notification versions based on the determination that the one or more currently active notification versions are required to be received.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, in a wireless broadcast, a broadcast message having a bit map vector and an indication of currently active notification versions to determine which of the currently active notification versions requires to be received, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

means for determining whether one or more of the currently active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message requires receiving; and

means for receiving, in a wireless broadcast, one or more notification messages associated with each of the one or more currently active notification versions based on the determination that the one or more currently active notification versions are required to be received.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer platform including a processor and memory in communication with the processor;

one or more local notification versions stored in the memory, wherein each local notification version comprises one or more notification messages;

a broadcast network module stored in the memory and in communication with the processor, wherein the module is operable to receive, in a wireless broadcast, a broadcast message having a bit map vector and an indication of currently active notification versions to determine which of the currently active notification versions requires to be received, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version; and

notification version comparison logic stored in the memory and in communication with the processor,

wherein the notification version comparison logic is operable to determine whether one or more of the currently active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message requires receiving,

wherein the broadcast network module is further operable to receive, in a wireless broadcast, and store in the memory one or more notifications messages associated with each of the one or more currently active notification versions based on the determination that the one or more currently active notification versions are required to be received.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the broadcast network module is further operable to periodically tune to a primary channel of a common overhead service to listen for a primary broadcast message that indicates the active notification versions.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the broadcast network module is further operable to receive the broadcast message that includes the bit map vector, wherein each set bit in the bit map vector maps to an active notification version.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the broadcast network module comprises the notification version comparison logic.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the notification version comparison logic is further operable to compare identifiers associated with the one or more local notification versions to identifiers associated with the active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the notification version comparison logic is further operable to compare a highest numbered local notification version with numbers associated with the active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the notification version comparison logic is further operable to determine if any of the numbers associated with the active notification versions indicated in the broadcast message are higher than the highest numbered local notification version.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a local version management module operable to update the local version identifier to reflect an identifier associated with a highest sequenced active notification version determined to require capture.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the local version management module is further operable to update the local version identifier after all of the active notification versions determined to require reception have been received.

24. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the broadcast network module is further operable to tune to a notification channel to receive the one or more notifications associated with each of the one or more active notification versions determined to require receiving.

25. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the broadcast network module is further operable to determine the number of notifications in an active notification version determined to require receiving based on an indicator in the notification message.

26. A method for generation and communication of notification messages in a broadcast network, the method comprising:

generating a primary message having a bit map vector and an indication of a first set of active notification version, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

broadcasting the primary message across a primary channel; and

broadcasting the first set of active notification versions across a notification channel, wherein each notification version includes one or more notification messages.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein generating the primary message that includes the bit map vector further comprising setting a bit in the bit map vector to indicate each of the active notification versions.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising merging notification messages associated with a first active notification version into a most current notification version if a version identifier associated with the first active notification version is not capable of being indicated in the bit map vector due to bit map size limitations.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising generating a most current notification version.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein generating the primary message further comprises generating the primary message that indicates a second set of active notification versions including the most current notification version.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein generating the primary message further comprises generating the primary message that includes a bit map vector, wherein each bit in the bit map vector maps to a notification version, each set bit in the bit map vector maps to an active notification version and a most significant bit in the bit map vector is set to indicate that the most current notification version is an active notification version.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising broadcasting the second set of active notification versions across the notification channel in place of the first set of active notifications.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein broadcasting the first set of active notification versions across a notification channel further comprises broadcasting the first set of active notification versions, each version including one or more notification messages, wherein each notification message indicates the number of notifications in the corresponding notification version.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein broadcasting the first set of active notification versions further comprises varying a rate at which each active notification version is broadcasted relative to an age of each active notification version.

35. The method of claim 26, wherein broadcasting the active notification versions further comprises broadcasting later-in-time active notification versions more frequently than previous-in-time active notification versions.

36. At least one processor configured to generate and communicate notification messages in a broadcast network, the processor comprising:

a first module for generating a primary message having a bit map vector and an indication of a set of active notification version, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

a second module for broadcasting the primary message across a primary channel; and

a third module for broadcasting the set of active notification versions across a notification channel, wherein each notification version includes one or more notification messages.

37. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising;

generating a primary message having a bit map vector and an indication of a set of active notification version, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

broadcasting the primary message across a primary channel; and

at least one instruction for causing the computer to broadcast the set of active notification versions across a notification channel, wherein each notification version includes one or more notification messages.

38. An apparatus, comprising:

means for generating a primary message having a bit map vector and an indication of a set of active notification version, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version;

means for broadcasting the primary message across a primary channel; and

means for broadcasting the set of active notification versions across a notification channel, wherein each notification version includes one or more notification messages.

39. An apparatus, comprising:

a computer platform including a processor and memory in communication with the processor;

a broadcast notification module stored in the memory and in communication with the processor, including a primary message generator operable to generate a primary message having a bit map vector and an indication of a first set of active notification version, wherein each bit that is set in the bit map vector maps to a currently active notification version; and

a broadcast module operable for broadcasting the primary message across a primary channel and for broadcasting the first set of active notification versions across a notification channel, wherein each notification version includes one or more notification messages.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the primary message generator is further operable to set a bit in the bit map vector to indicate each of the active notification versions.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the primary message generator is further operable to merge notification messages associated with a first active notification version into a most current notification version if a version identifier associated with the first active notification version is not capable of being indicated in the bit map vector due to bit map size limitations.

42. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the broadcast notification module further comprises a notification message generator operable to generate notifications, wherein one or more generated notifications provide for a most current notification version.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the primary message generator is further operable to generate the primary message that indicates a second set of active notification versions including the most current notification version.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the primary message generator is further operable to generate the primary message that includes a bit map vector, wherein each bit in the bit map vector maps to a notification version, each set bit in the bit map vector maps to an active notification version and a most significant bit is set in the bit map vector to indicate that the most current notification version is an active notification version.

45. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the broadcast module is further operable to broadcast the active notification versions, each version including one or more notification messages, wherein each notification message indicates the number of notifications in the corresponding notification version.

46. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the broadcast module is further operable to vary a rate at which each active notification version is broadcasted relative to an age of each active notification version.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the broadcast module is further operable to broadcast later-in-time active notification versions more frequently than previous-in-time active notification versions.