Methods and apparatus for managing group membership for group communications

• US 20060050659A1
• Filed: 08/16/2005
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Park, Vincent, Corson, M. Scott, O'Neill, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• 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 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Improved group communications methods which are well suited for a wireless environment are described. End nodes request that access nodes make changes in group membership information maintained at the access node. The access node responds to the requests by a response signal indicating a grant or denial of the request. Requests may be to add or remove the end node, e.g., a mobile wireless terminal, from a particular group membership list identified in the request signal. The access node maintains a detailed list of group members and uses the information to control how signals, e.g., packets, are transmitted to the group members. Group membership information may be updated at the node at the time of handoff and/or an end node enters the cell or otherwise changes its point of network attachment.

Claims

1. A communications method for use in a group communications environment including an end node and an access node, the method comprising:

transmitting from a wireless interface module having a connection to an element in said end node a group membership information change request signal; and

operating a group communication module to monitor for receipt by said wireless interface module of a response to said group membership information change request signal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said connection is a wired connection to an element in said end node.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said group communication module directs said wireless interface module to retransmit said group membership information change request signal when a response to said transmitted group membership information change request signal is not received by said wireless interface module in a preselected period of time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said group membership information change request signal requests that said access node add said end node as a member to a group identified in said group membership information change request signal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said group communications module initiates transmission of said group membership information change request signal as a function of information obtained from a multicast group communication application operating in said end node.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said group communication module receives said group membership information from a standard group membership client module which receives information from a multicast group communication application.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said standard group membership client module is a multicast listener discovery protocol module.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

periodically querying said standard group membership module for group membership information.

9. The method of claim 6, sending a query from said group communications module to said standard group membership module for group membership client information relating to a group identified in said query.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein signaling between said standard group membership module and said group communications module is performed using IGMP compliant signaling.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein signaling between said group communication module and said multicast group communication application is performed using non-IGMP compliant signals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless interface module is at least partially inside an end node housing used to house elements of said end node.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said wireless interface module is external to said end node and is coupled to at most one end node by a wired connection at any one point in time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said group communications module is located inside said wireless interface module.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said group communications module is located in said end node in a location outside said wireless interface module.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating said access node to receive said group membership information change request signal; and

operating said access node to update group membership information corresponding to said end node to add or remove said end node from a multicast group as requested.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

operating a wireless interface in said access node to transmit said response, said response indicating acceptance of said requested change.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

operating said access node to receive said group membership information change request signal requesting that said end node be added to a multicast group;

operating said access node to determine if said end node is entitled to be added to said multicast group; and

operating said access node to generate a response indicating rejection of said request in response to determining that said end node is not entitled to be added to said multicast group.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

operating a wireless interface in said access node to transmit said generated response, said transmitted response being said response to said transmitted group membership information change request signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said group communications module, said transmitter module and said receiver module are included in a wireless communications interface module.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said group communications module is implemented as a plug in card.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said apparatus is a wireless terminal, the apparatus further comprising:

a housing including an opening through which said plug in card can be inserted and removed, at least a portion of said plug in card extending beyond the exterior of said housing when said plug card is fully inserted.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

a wireless terminal housing; and

wherein said group communications module and said transmitter module are positioned externally to said wireless terminal housing and are coupled to an interface included in said housing by a cable.

25. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said group communication module includes a control module for controlling said transmitter to retransmit said group membership information change request signal when a response to said transmitted group membership information change request signal is not detected in a preselected period of time.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said group membership information change request signal requests that an end node serviced by said group communications module be added as a member of a group identified in said group membership information change request signal.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

a multicast group communication application module; and

wherein said group communications module is responsive to information, supplied by said multicast group communication application module, indicating a change in group membership is to be made to initiate the transmission of at least one group membership information change request signal by said transmitter.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

an IGMP standard compliant group communications module;

wherein said multicast group communication module uses IGMP compliant signals for communicating with said IGMP standard compliant group communications module; and

wherein said group membership information change request signal is a non-IGMP compliant signal.

20. An apparatus for use in a group communications environment, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter module enabled to transmit a group membership information change request signal;

a receiver module enabled to receive a response to a group membership information change request signal previously transmitted by said transmitter module; and

a group communication module coupled to said receiver, said group communication module being enabled to detect a response to a group membership information change request signal which was previously transmitted by said transmission module.