Off-load apparatus, network system, and handover method of multicast traffic

• US 9,615,298 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Maehara, Satoshi, Kako, Masaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ANDREW CHUNG CHEUNG
• Application Number:
  US13/859,197
• Publication Number:
  US 20140029501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 370252, 370312, 370331, 370338, 455434, 455442, 455557
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0007 for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/12 Reselecting a serving backbone network switching or routing node
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/16 Performing reselection for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

An off-load apparatus is disposed between a core network accommodating base stations and the base stations capable of connection with a mobile station. The off-load apparatus includes a storage unit that stores line information and multicast viewing information of the mobile station when the mobile station performs multicast communication of an off-load object via the off-load apparatus; a transferring unit that transfers the line information and the multicast viewing information of the mobile station to another off-load apparatus that is an handover destination when the mobile station moves during the multicast communication; and a control unit that executes a process of participating in multicast viewing on behalf of the mobile station when the off-load apparatus acts as a handover-destination apparatus, based on the multicast viewing information transferred from a handover-source off-load apparatus.

Claims

1. An off-load apparatus disposed between a core network accommodating a plurality of base stations and the base stations capable of connection with a mobile station, the off-load apparatus comprising:

a storage unit that stores line information and multicast viewing information of the mobile station when the mobile station performs multicast communication of an off-load object via the off-load apparatus;

a transferring unit that transfers the line information and the multicast viewing information of the mobile station to another off-load apparatus that is an handover destination when the mobile station moves during the multicast communication; and

a control unit that edits and transmits to an IPTV broadcast station, participation in multicast viewing when the off-load apparatus acts as a handover-destination apparatus, based on the multicast viewing information transferred from a handover-source off-load apparatus.

2. The off-load apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit additionally requests participation in multicast viewing based on the multicast viewing information transferred from a handover-source off-load apparatus, when the off-load apparatus acts as a handover-destination apparatus and already performs multicast communication of an off-load object of another mobile station.

3. The off-load apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit executes a process of exiting from multicast viewing, when the off-load apparatus acts as a handover-source apparatus.

4. The off-load apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit handles handover performed within a management range of a single mobility management entity and executes a process in response to a handover request from a mobile terminal.

5. The off-load apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit handles handover performed over different mobility management entities and executes a process in response to a handover request from a mobile terminal.

6. A network system comprising:

a plurality of base stations capable of connection with a mobile station;

a core network accommodating the base stations; and

an off-load apparatus disposed between the core network and the base stations, wherein

the off-load apparatus includes;

a storage unit that stores line information and multicast viewing information of the mobile station when the mobile station performs multicast communication of an off-load object via the off-load apparatus,

a transferring unit that transfers the line information and the multicast viewing information of the mobile station to another off-load apparatus that is an handover destination when the mobile station moves during the multicast communication, and

a control unit that edits and transmits to an IPTV broadcast station, participation in multicast viewing when the off-load apparatus acts as a handover-destination apparatus, based on the multicast viewing information transferred from a handover-source off-load apparatus.

7. A handover method of multicast traffic in a network system that includes a plurality of base stations capable of connection with a mobile station, a core network accommodating the base stations, and an off-load apparatus disposed between the core network accommodating and the base stations, the handover method comprising:

transferring based on line information and multicast viewing information of the mobile station when the mobile station performs multicast communication of an off-load object via the off-load apparatus, the line information and the multicast viewing information of the mobile station to another off-load apparatus that is an handover destination when the mobile station moves during the multicast communication; and

editing and transmitting to an IPTV broadcast station, participation in multicast viewing when the off-load apparatus acts as a handover-destination apparatus, based on the multicast viewing information transferred from a handover-source off-load apparatus.