Point-to-multipoint data transmission

• US 7,715,311 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2004
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Herrmann, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar; Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Berhane; Yosief
• Application Number:
  US10/569,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20070002786A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370331-332, 370/226, 370/227, 370/329, 370/388, 370/386, 370/387, 370/225, 714/748
• US Class Current: 370/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1819 with retransmission of additional or different redundancy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1867 Arrangements specially adapted for the transmitter end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• 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 36/06 Reselecting a communication resource in the serving access point
• 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

The initial transmission of data packets in a point-to-multipoint communication network may often be delayed when retransmissions of erroneously decoded data packets are required. According to an aspect of the present invention, point-to-multipoint data transmission and retransmission of erroneously decoded data from a transmitting station to a plurality of receiving stations is performed, where retransmitted data is sent via at least one communication channel, which is different from the one used for the initially transmitted data. Advantageously, due to this there may be no need for further communication between the transmitting station and the receiving stations. Furthermore, according to an aspect of the present invention, the initial transmission of data packets is not delayed by retransmissions.

Claims

1. A method for performing point-to-multipoint data transmission from a transmitting station to a plurality of receiving stations, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting data from the transmitting station to the plurality of receiving stations via a first communication channel;

performing a first channel switching in the transmitting station when decoding of the transmitted data fails at a receiving station of the plurality of receiving stations, from the first communication channel to a second communication channel; and

retransmitting the data via the second communication channel while the first communication channel remains in use for transmitting new data;

wherein multiple retransmissions automatically occur on a plurality of different predetermined channels until the data is successfully transmitted via one of the plurality of different predetermined channels, and wherein additional data is simultaneously transmitted on the first communication channel during the multiple retransmissions; and

wherein after the decoding of the transmitted data fails at the receiving station, the receiving station automatically establishes a connection for retransmission on a channel of the plurality of predetermined channels without causing notification messaging to occur between the receiving station and the transmitting station.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted as a data packet, the method further comprising the steps of:

performing a second channel switching in at least one second receiving station of the plurality of receiving stations from the first communication channel to the second communication channel;

wherein the first channel switching is performed in accordance with a first switching scheme;

wherein the second channel switching is performed in accordance with a second switching scheme; and

wherein the first switching scheme corresponds to the second switching scheme.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a predefined delay time interval exists between the transmission of the data packet and the retransmission of the data packet;

and wherein the delay time interval is set forth in the first and second switching schemes.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein transmission of original data packets is carried out on the first communication channel.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein, when a receiving station of the plurality of receiving stations erroneously decodes the data packet, the receiving station of the plurality of receiving stations sends a negative acknowledgement message to the transmitting station via a third communication channel;

and wherein, when the transmitting station receives no negative acknowledgement message, no retransmission of the data packet is performed by the transmitting station.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of second communication channels are provided, wherein a plurality of retransmissions of the data packet are performed via the plurality of second communication channels;

and wherein each of the retransmissions of the plurality of retransmissions are carried out via a different communication channel of the plurality of second communication channels, in accordance with the first and second switching schemes.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein a plurality of second communication channels are provided, wherein a plurality of retransmissions of the data packet are performed via the plurality of second communication channels;

wherein each of the retransmissions of the plurality of retransmissions is are carried out via a different communication channel of the plurality of second communication channels, in accordance with the first and second switching schemes; and

wherein retransmissions of different data packets are performed simultaneously via different communication channels of the plurality of second communication channels, and simultaneously with the transmission of additional data packets via the first communication channel.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of receiving stations in close proximity to the transmitting station are partitioned into groups of receiving stations with comparable channel conditions of the first and second communication channels;

wherein the point-to-multipoint data packet transmission is performed for each of the groups individually.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein transmission and retransmission of the data is performed via a wireless communication link.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is an extension of a Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (HARQ) protocol in a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the method is applied in a 3^rd Generation Partnership Project Frequency Division Duplex (3GPP FDD) mode;

and wherein code channels provided in the 3 GPP FDD mode are used as at least one of the first and second communication channels.

12. A communication system for performing a point-to-multipoint data transmission from a transmitting station to a plurality of receiving stations, wherein the transmitting station is adapted to transmit data from the transmitting station to the plurality of receiving stations via a first communication channel;

wherein the transmitting station is adapted to automatically perform a first channel switching from the first communication channel to a second communication channel when decoding of the transmitted data fails at a receiving station of the plurality of receiving stations;

wherein at least one of the plurality of receiving stations is adapted to perform a second channel switching from the first communication channel to the second communication channel;

wherein the transmitting station is adapted to retransmit the data via the second communication channel while the first communication channel remains in use for transmitting new data; and

wherein multiple retransmissions automatically occur on a plurality of different predetermined channels until the data is successfully transmitted via one of the plurality of different predetermined channels, and wherein additional data is simultaneously transmitted on the first communication channel during the multiple retransmissions; and

wherein after the decoding of the transmitted data fails at the receiving station, the receiving station automatically establishes a connection for retransmission on a channel of the plurality of predetermined channels without causing notification messaging to occur between the receiving station and the transmitting station.

13. A transmitting station for a communication system for a performing point-to multipoint data transmission to a plurality of receiving stations, wherein the transmitting station is adapted to transmit data from the transmitting station to the plurality of receiving stations via a first communication channel;

wherein the transmitting station is adapted to perform a channel switching from the first communication channel to a second communication channel when decoding of the transmitted data fails at a receiving station of the plurality of receiving stations;

wherein the transmitting station is adapted to retransmit the data via the second communication channel while the first communication channel remains in use for transmitting new data; and

wherein multiple retransmissions automatically occur on a plurality of different predetermined channels until the data is successfully transmitted via one of the plurality of different predetermined channels, and wherein additional data is simultaneously transmitted on the first communication channel during the multiple retransmissions; and

wherein after the decoding of the transmitted data fails at the receiving station, the receiving station automatically establishes a connection for retransmission on a channel of the plurality of predetermined channels without causing notification messaging to occur between the receiving station and the transmitting station.

14. A receiving station suitable to use with a communication system for receiving a data packet transmitted from a transmitter to a plurality of receiving stations by means of a point-to multipoint data transmission, wherein the receiving station is adapted to receive the data transmitted via the first communication channel;

wherein the receiving station is adapted to perform a channel switching from a first communication channel to a second communication channel when decoding of the transmitted data fails at a receiving station of the plurality of receiving stations;

wherein the receiving station is adapted to receive the retransmitted data via the second communication channel while the first communication channel remains in use for transmitting new data;

wherein multiple retransmissions automatically occur on a plurality of different predetermined channels until the data is successfully transmitted via one of the plurality of different predetermined channels, and wherein additional data is simultaneously transmitted on the first communication channel during the multiple retransmissions; and

wherein after the decoding of the transmitted data fails at the receiving station, the receiving station automatically establishes a connection for retransmission on a channel of the plurality of predetermined channels without causing notification messaging to occur between the receiving station and the transmitting station.