On demand mobile wireless broadcast video delivery mechanism

• US 9,591,375 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shen, Jun, Choi-Grogan, Yung Shirley, Zhang, Ming
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Ricky
• Application Number:
  US14/987,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20160119686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• 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

A mobile broadcast service center and a mobile wireless network to deliver broadcast video to mobile wireless devices is described. When the mobile broadcast service center receives a request to deliver a broadcast video channel to a target mobile wireless device, it designates as target an intermediate node in the network that serves the target mobile wireless device. The mobile broadcast service center first determines if an existing channel bundle is routed to the target intermediate node. If this first determination is negative, the mobile broadcast service center routes a new channel bundle to the target intermediate node, including the requested broadcast video channel. If the first determination is positive, the mobile broadcast service center then determines if the requested broadcast video channel is in the existing channel bundle. If this second determination is negative, then it adds the requested broadcast video channel to the existing channel bundle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

routing, by a processing system including a network device comprising a processor, streamed content over a first routing path towards a first radio network controller for delivery to a first base station that delivers the streamed content to a first mobile communication device;

detecting, by the processing system, a request to deliver the streamed content to a second mobile communication device;

adjusting, by the processing system, the first routing path to generate a second routing path to a second radio network controller that delivers the streamed content to the second mobile communication device via a second base station while continuing to route the streamed content to the first radio network controller via a support node according to routing information included in a channel bundle, wherein the second routing path includes the support node, wherein routing of the streamed content to the second radio network controller is performed without providing a routing adjustment notification to equipment of a gateway node or to a mobile broadcast service center that is associated with streaming of the streamed content; and

receiving, by the processing system from the equipment of the gateway node, the streamed content,

wherein the routing information indicates that the streamed content is being delivered to the first radio network controller via the support node positioned in a network between the first radio network controller and the equipment of the gateway node.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a group of channel bundles is adjusted according to channel bundle changes initiated by the mobile broadcast service center to satisfy user content requests.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising storing, by the processing system, the routing information indicating that the streamed content is being delivered to the first radio network controller via the support node.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the streamed content routed to the first and second radio network controllers comprises a simulcast transmission for simulcast delivery to the first and second mobile communication devices, and wherein the streamed content includes video content.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

determining, by the processing system, that the request is not to be routed to the equipment of the gateway node or the mobile broadcast service center.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining, by the processing system, an identity of the streamed content.

7. A machine-readable storage device, comprising executable instructions, which when executed by a processing system including a processor of a network device, facilitate performance of operations comprising:

routing streamed content over a first routing path towards a first radio network controller for delivery to a first base station that delivers the streamed content to a first mobile communication device;

determining that the streamed content is being delivered to the first radio network controller via a support node according to routing information added to a channel bundle; and

adjusting the first routing path to generate a second routing path for routing the streamed content to a second radio network controller for delivery to a second mobile communication device via a second base station while continuing to route the streamed content to the first radio network controller via a support node, wherein the second routing path includes the support node, wherein the routing of the streamed content to the second radio network controller is performed without providing a routing adjustment notification to equipment of a gateway node or to a mobile broadcast service center associated with streaming of the streamed content, wherein the support node is positioned in a network between the first radio network controller and the mobile broadcast service center.

8. The machine-readable storage device of claim 7, wherein the streamed content is received via the equipment of the gateway node, and wherein the second routing path originates at the support node.

9. The machine-readable storage device of claim 7, wherein the adjusting of the first routing path to generate the second routing path is responsive to a delivery request originated at the second mobile communication device.

10. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the delivery request is received from the second radio network controller.

11. The machine-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise determining that the delivery request is not to be routed to the mobile broadcast service center.

12. The machine-readable storage device of claim 7, wherein the streamed content routed to the first and second radio network controllers comprises a simulcast transmission for simulcast delivery to the first and second mobile communication devices.

13. The machine-readable storage device of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise obtaining an identity of the streamed content.

14. The machine-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise storing, by the network device, the routing information indicating that the streamed content is being delivered to the first radio network controller via the support node, wherein the storing of the routing information includes storing the identity of the streamed content.

15. A device, comprising:

a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations comprising;

routing streamed content over a first routing path towards a first radio network controller for delivery to a first base station that delivers the streamed content to a first mobile communication device;

determining that the streamed content is being delivered to the first radio network controller via a support node according to routing information included in a channel bundle; and

adjusting the first routing path to generate a second routing path for routing the streamed content to a second radio network controller for delivery to a second mobile communication device via a second base station while continuing to route the streamed content to the first radio network controller via the support node, wherein the second routing path includes the support node, wherein the routing of the streamed content to the second radio network controller is performed without providing a routing adjustment notification to equipment of a gateway node that provided the streamed content or to a mobile broadcast service center associated with streaming of the streamed content, wherein the support node is positioned in a network between the first radio network controller and the equipment of the gateway node.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the streamed content is initiated by the mobile broadcast service center.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise storing the routing information indicating that the streamed content is being delivered to the first radio network controller via the support node, wherein the storing of the routing information includes storing an identity of the streamed content.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein a delivery request is received from the second radio network controller, wherein the adjusting of the first routing path to generate the second routing path is responsive to the delivery request, and wherein the operations further comprise determining that the delivery request is not to be routed to the equipment of the gateway node.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the streamed content routed to the first and second radio network controllers comprises a simulcast transmission for simulcast delivery to the first and second mobile communication devices.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise obtaining an identity of the streamed content and storing the identity of the streamed content with the routing information.