Method and apparatus for negotiation of transmission parameters for broadcast/multicast services

• US 8,959,230 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsu, Raymond T., Chen, An Mei, Wang, Jun, Sinnarajah, Ragulan, Leung, Nikolai K. N., Parekh, Nileshkumar J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOUDHURY, AZIZUL Q
• Application Number:
  US10/059,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20030145064A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,768 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/14 using user query or user detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/12 Access point controller devices

Abstract

A method and apparatus for negotiating capability information for a broadcast service in a communication system. In one embodiment, the generic capabilities are pre-configured in BSC, which provides the generic capability information to MS and to PDSN based on a listing of available BC services and the corresponding capabilities. Another embodiment pre-configures PDSN with the generic capability information. According to still another embodiment, PDSN is pre-configured with the generic capability information, wherein the MS queries the PDSN directly for generic capability information via a PPP connection. In yet another embodiment, the MS queries the PCF, which in turn queries all of the PDSN in the system. The PDSN responsible for the BC responds to the query. Where multiple PDSNs may support the BC, the first to respond using multicast addressing obviates the need for the others to respond.

Claims

1. In a communication system supporting broadcast services, a method comprising:

pre-configuring a first infrastructure element with capability information for a first broadcast service, wherein pre-configuring the first infrastructure element comprises accessing a configuration database comprising the capability information for the first broadcast service, and wherein the capability information comprises a mapping between a BCMCS_ID and an IP multicast address;

in response to a request from a mobile station for the first broadcast service, the first infrastructure element broadcasting the capability information to the mobile station in an overhead message in a control channel via an air interface;

further in response to the request from the mobile station for the first broadcast service, setting up the first broadcast service between the first infrastructure element and a second infrastructure element by transmitting a setup message including the capability information from the first infrastructure element to the second infrastructure element, wherein the second infrastructure element comprises an upstream infrastructure element;

further in response to the request from the mobile station for the first broadcast service and based on the setup message, receiving data packets corresponding to the first broadcast service from the second infrastructure element, wherein the data packets comprise a flow treatment corresponding to the capability information accessed from the configuration database; and

broadcasting the data packets corresponding to the first broadcast service from the first infrastructure element to the mobile station, wherein the mobile station is operable to receive the broadcast of the data packets based on previously receiving the broadcast of the capability information accessed from the configuration database.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the capability information further comprises header compression information.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

re-configuring the first infrastructure element to update the capability information.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first infrastructure element is a base station controller.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the second infrastructure element is a packet data service node.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein pre-configuring the first infrastructure element comprises establishing access to a plurality of capability information for a plurality of broadcast services from the configuration database.

7. A physical infrastructure element in a wireless communication system, comprising:

circuitry configured to access a configuration database, the configuration database comprising capability information for a first broadcast service, wherein the capability information comprises a mapping between a BCMCS_ID and an IP multicast address;

in response to a request from a mobile station for the first broadcast service, circuitry configured to broadcast the corresponding capability information to the mobile station in an overhead message in a control channel via an air interface;

further in response to the request from the mobile station for the first broadcast service, circuitry configured to set up the first broadcast service between the infrastructure element and a second infrastructure element by transmitting a setup message including the capability information from the infrastructure element to the second infrastructure element, wherein the second infrastructure element comprises an upstream infrastructure element;

further in response to the request from the mobile station for the first broadcast service and based on the setup message, circuitry configured to receive data packets corresponding to the first broadcast service from the second infrastructure element, wherein the data packets comprise a flow treatment corresponding to the capability information accessed from the configuration database; and

circuitry configured to broadcast the data packets corresponding to the first broadcast service from the first infrastructure element to the mobile station, wherein the mobile station is operable to receive the broadcast of the data packets based on previously receiving the broadcast of the capability information accessed from the configuration database.

8. The infrastructure element as in claim 7, wherein the capability information comprises header compression information.

9. The infrastructure element as in claim 7, wherein the infrastructure element is a base station controller.

10. The infrastructure element as in claim 9, wherein the second infrastructure element is a packet data service node.

11. A method for providing capability information for a broadcast service or multicast service to a mobile station, the method comprising:

establishing, by a first Packet Data Server Node (PDSN) of a plurality of PDSNs in a carrier access network, a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session with a mobile station requesting a broadcast/multicast service, wherein the first PDSN is not configured to support a broadcast/multicast service requested by the mobile station;

receiving, by the first PDSN in a Multi-Channel Flow Treatment Protocol (MCFTP) via the PPP session, a query from the mobile station for capability information for the requested broadcast/multicast service;

transmitting, by the first PDSN in response to the query and via an Inter-PDSN protocol, a request for the capability information related to the requested broadcast/multicast service to one or more of the plurality of PDSNs;

receiving, at the first PDSN, the capability information related to the requested broadcast/multicast service from a second PDSN of the plurality of PDSNs, wherein the second PDSN supports the requested broadcast/multicast service; and

communicating, by the first PDSN in MCFTP via the PPP session, the capability information to the mobile station.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting, by the first PDSN in response to the query and via an Inter-PDSN protocol, a request for the capability information further comprises querying a multicast group comprising the plurality of PDSNs.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein querying the multicast group further comprises transmitting an Internet Protocol (IP) Multicast (MC) packet addressed to a reserved IP multicast address that maintains the packet within the carrier access network.

14. A packet data serving node (PDSN), comprising:

circuitry configured to establish, a Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) session with a mobile station requesting a broadcast/multicast service, wherein the PDSN comprises a first PDSN of a plurality of PDSNs in a carrier access network, wherein the first PDSN is not configured to support a broadcast/multicast service requested by the mobile station;

circuitry configured to receive, in a Multi-Channel Flow Treatment Protocol (MCFTP) via the PPP session, a query from the mobile station for capability information for the requested broadcast/multicast service;

circuitry configured to transmit, in response to the query and via an Inter-PDSN protocol, a request for the capability information related to the requested broadcast/multicast service to one or more of the plurality of PDSNs;

circuitry configured to receive the capability information related to the requested broadcast/multicast service from a second PDSN of the plurality of PDSNs, wherein the second PDSN supports the requested broadcast/multicast service; and

circuitry configured to communicate, in MCFTP via the PPP session, the capability information to the mobile station.

15. The PDSN of claim 14, wherein the request for the capability information is addressed to a multicast group comprising the plurality of PDSNs.

16. The PDSN of claim 15, wherein the request addressed to the multicast group further comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) Multicast (MC) packet addressed to a reserved IP multicast address that maintains the packet within the carrier access network.