Method and System to Enable Handover in a Hybrid Terrestrial Satellite Network

• US 20130121229A1
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Vre, Jani Petteri, Tupala, Miika Sakari
• Granted Patent: US 8,787,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/22 Arrangements for broadcast of identical information via plural broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/67 Common-wave systems, i.e. using separate transmitters operating on substantially the same frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/11 digital multimedia broadcasting [DMB]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/14 direct broadcast satellite [DBS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/16 digital video broadcasting - handhelds [DVB-H]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/20 digital audio broadcasting [DAB]

Abstract

A hybrid satellite/terrestrial wireless network having a plurality of terrestrial cells and satellite coverage areas is disclosed. A multiplex transmitted in a terrestrial cell may include signaling information for neighboring terrestrial cells and neighboring satellite coverage areas. The signaling information may include indicators identifying different profiles for the hybrid satellite/terrestrial network, and include other information enabling handover from the terrestrial cell multiplex to one of the neighboring terrestrial or satellite multiplexes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device from a terrestrial based transmitter, a digital broadcast multiplex;

locating a physical layer pipe in the received digital broadcast multiplex that includes broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes;

extracting the signaling information for at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes from the physical layer pipe; and

storing data related to the extracted signaling information for the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received digital broadcast multiplex includes broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes, the method further comprising:

extracting the signaling information for at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes from a physical layer pipe that includes the signaling information for the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes; and

selecting a neighboring multiplex for handover from the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoding network profile information in the signaling information of the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a single-frequency network, and

if a second value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a multi-frequency network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoding network profile information in the signaling information of the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding, and

if a second value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using single carrier orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decoding preamble information in the signaling information of a first neighboring satellite multiplex of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the preamble information indicating;

if a first value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include a single preamble symbol, and

if a second value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include two preamble symbols.

6. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

receive, from a terrestrial based transmitter, a digital broadcast multiplex;

locate a physical layer pipe in the received digital broadcast multiplex that includes broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes;

extract the signaling information for at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes from the physical layer pipe; and

store data related to the extracted signaling information for the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the received digital broadcast multiplex includes broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes, and wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

extract the signaling information for at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes from a physical layer pipe that includes the signaling information for the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes; and

select a neighboring multiplex for handover from the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

decode network profile information in the signaling information of the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a single-frequency network, and

if a second value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a multi-frequency network.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

decode network profile information in the signaling information of the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding, and

if a second value, that the at least one of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the at least one of the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using single carrier orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

decode preamble information in the signaling information of a first neighboring satellite multiplex of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the preamble information indicating;

if a first value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include a single preamble symbol, and

if a second value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include two preamble symbols.

11. A method comprising:

encoding a digital broadcast multiplex configured for transmission from a terrestrial based transmitter, the digital broadcast multiplex encoded to include one or more physical layer pipes having broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes; and

causing the encoded digital broadcast multiplex to be transmitted from the terrestrial based transmitter.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

encoding the digital broadcast multiplex to include, in the one or more physical layer pipes, broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

encoding the digital broadcast multiplex to include network profile information in the signaling information for the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a single-frequency network, and

if a second value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a multi-frequency network.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

encoding the digital broadcast multiplex to include network profile information in the signaling information of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding, and

if a second value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using single carrier orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

encoding the digital broadcast multiplex to include preamble information in the signaling information of a first neighboring satellite multiplex of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the preamble information indicating;

if a first value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include a single preamble symbol, and

if a second value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include two preamble symbols.

16. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

encode a digital broadcast multiplex configured for transmission from a terrestrial based transmitter, the digital broadcast multiplex encoded to include one or more physical layer pipes having broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes; and

cause the encoded digital broadcast multiplex to be transmitted from the terrestrial based transmitter.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

encode the digital broadcast multiplex to include, in the one or more physical layer pipes, broadcast protocol signaling information for one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

encode the digital broadcast multiplex to include network profile information in the signaling information for the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a single-frequency network, and

if a second value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes form a multi-frequency network.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

encode the digital broadcast multiplex to include network profile information in the signaling information of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the network profile information indicating;

if a first value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding, and

if a second value, that the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes and the one or more neighboring terrestrial multiplexes are transmitted using single carrier orthogonal frequency division multiplex encoding.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to:

encode the digital broadcast multiplex to include preamble information in the signaling information of a first neighboring satellite multiplex of the one or more neighboring satellite multiplexes, the preamble information indicating;

if a first value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include a single preamble symbol, and

if a second value, that transmission frames in the first neighboring satellite multiplex include two preamble symbols.