Wireless network architecture for providing media content

• US 9,622,145 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lou, Yuang, Duet, Douglas A., Hirvela, George O'Quinn
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jay P
• Application Number:
  US14/561,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0007 the frequencies being orthogonal, e.g. OFDM(A), DMT
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/20 based on geographic position or location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/243 taking into account interferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/52 based on load
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A method includes receiving information associated with a first data request from a base station at a server of a wireless communication network. The first data request is received at the first base station from a first mobile device. The method includes selecting a second base station to transmit data responsive to the first data request to the first mobile device based on a data type of the data and based on a location of the first mobile device. The method further includes transmitting the data from the server to the second base station.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server of a wireless communication network, information associated with a first data request from a first base station, wherein the first data request is received at the first base station from a first mobile device;

selecting a second base station to transmit data responsive to the first data request to the first mobile device based on a data type of the data and based on a location of the first mobile device;

transmitting the data from the server to the second base station;

receiving, at the server, second information associated with a second data request from the first base station, wherein the second data request is received at the first base station from the first mobile device;

selecting the first base station to transmit second data responsive to the second data request to the first mobile device based on a determination that the data type of the data is different from a second data type of the second data; and

transmitting the second data from the server to the first base station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from the second base station to the first mobile device at a higher transmission power than other data that is transmitted from the first base station to the first mobile device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the data comprises multi-user data, and wherein the data is transmitted from the second base station to the first mobile device and to a second mobile device via a multi-cast transmission.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data that is transmitted from the server to the second base station comprises multimedia data corresponding to broadcast media content or on-demand media content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the server from the first base station, location data associated with the first mobile device; and

determining the location of the first mobile device based on the location data.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising comparing the location of the first mobile device to base station information associated with a plurality of base stations, wherein the base station information is stored in a memory of the server, and wherein the second base station is selected based on the location of the first mobile device being within a transmission range of the second base station.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the server, third information associated with a third data request from a third base station, wherein the third data request is received at the third base station from a second mobile device; and

selecting a fourth base station to transmit third data responsive to the third data request to the second mobile device based on a third data type associated with the third data and based on a second location of the second mobile device, wherein the second location of the second mobile device is outside of a transmission range of the third base station.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the third data from the server to the fourth base station.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the server from a third base station, updated location data associated with the first mobile device;

selecting a fourth base station to transmit the data to the first mobile device based on the updated location data;

transmitting the data from the server to the fourth base station; and

terminating transmission of the data to the second base station.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted from the second base station to mobile devices within a plurality of cells of the wireless communication network.

11. A server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

receiving information associated with a data request from a first base station, wherein the data request is received at the first base station from a first mobile device;

selecting a second base station to transmit data responsive to the data request to the first mobile device based on a data type of the data and based on a location of the first mobile device;

transmitting the data to the second base station;

receiving second information associated with multiple data requests for the data from multiple base stations, wherein the multiple data requests originate at multiple mobile devices;

determining a count of a group of mobile devices to receive the data from the second base station based on the multiple data requests and locations of the multiple mobile devices; and

transmitting, to the second base station, an instruction to initiate transmission of the data to the group of mobile devices while the count exceeds a threshold, wherein the group of mobile devices includes the first mobile device.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the operations further include:

receiving a termination message from the first base station; and

decrementing the count in response to receiving the termination message.

13. The server of claim 12, wherein the operations further include terminating transmission of the data to the second base station.

14. A base station comprising:

a first antenna;

a second antenna;

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

receiving a first data request from a first mobile device via the first antenna, wherein the first data request is associated with first data of a first data type;

transmitting the first data to the first mobile device via the first antenna based on the first data request;

receiving second data from a server, wherein the second data has a second data type and is associated with a second data request that is originated by a second mobile device, and wherein information associated with the second data request is received by the server from a different base station;

transmitting the second data to the second mobile device via the second antenna;

allocating a first portion of network resources to transmission of data responsive to data requests for data of the first data type, wherein the network resources are associated with voice communications and data communications in a wireless network; and

allocating a second portion of the network resources to transmission of data responsive to data requests for data of the second data type.

15. The base station of claim 14, wherein the base station uses orthogonal frequency division multiplexing to transmit the first data and the second data.

16. The base station of claim 14, wherein a first transmission power associated with the first antenna is less than a second transmission power associated with the second antenna.

17. The base station of claim 16, wherein a position of the second antenna is located at a higher elevation than the first antenna.

18. The base station of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the second data is transmitted via a particular frequency band that is outside of a frequency spectrum that is specified for downlink communications.

19. The base station of claim 14, wherein the operations further include selecting the first portion, the second portion, a first transmission power associated with transmitting the first data, a second transmission power associated with transmitting the second data, or a combination thereof, in accordance with an intercell interference control scheme associated with a wireless communication protocol.

20. The base station of claim 19, wherein the wireless communication protocol is a long-term evolution protocol.