Patent Application
20080176559
The invention relates to roaming in a digital broadband broadcast network. More particularly, the invention supports roaming between platforms which allow for continuous delivery of the same content.
Digital broadband broadcast networks (e.g., Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) enable end users to receive digital content as they move from location to location. Digital content may include video, audio, data, and so forth. Using a mobile terminal, a user may receive digital content over a wireless digital broadcast network. The digital broadcast signal may include service information which may provide the mobile terminal with information about available digital content, as well as information about the network and other nearby networks. The mobile terminal may then display a list or menu of available digital content. A user may then select a program or programs to watch, listen to, or otherwise consume.
As a user travels between networks, a mobile terminal may need to find another service platform when the mobile terminal moves into another cell (in which the current broadcast signal drops below a desired threshold) and the current service platform cannot support a candidate cell. The user of the mobile terminal may wish to continue viewing or listening to the same content without having to find a new platform that offers the same service. With current technology, the mobile terminal typically needs to cancel the service (e.g., stop the video stream), set a new platform that services the candidate cell, update the electronic service guide (ESG) in the new platform, and manually find the same service in the new platform. With such a scenario, the service is disrupted from the user's perspective.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide continuous service for a mobile terminal as the terminal moves through a digital broadband broadcast network.
The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. The summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is neither intended to identify key or critical elements of the invention nor to delineate the scope of the invention. The following summary merely presents some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description below.
An aspect of the present invention provides methods, apparatuses, and computer media for supporting roaming between platforms which allow for continuous delivery of the same content.
With another aspect of the invention, a mobile terminal receives digital content from a current signal for a selected service from a current platform. The mobile terminal obtains platform information about another platform that provides the selected service in a candidate cell. When the mobile terminal determines that the signal quality is below a predetermined threshold, the mobile terminal selects another signal in a candidate cell. When the current platform is not available in the candidate cell, the mobile terminal performs a roaming procedure by changing platforms. When the current platform is supported in the candidate cell, the mobile terminal performs a handover to the candidate cell.
With another aspect of the invention, a mobile terminal supports digital video broadcasting for handhelds (DVB-H). Platform information is received in at least one IP/MAC Notification Table (INT). The mobile terminal acquires roaming information from a Network Information Table (NIT) that includes at least one roaming descriptor.
With another aspect of the invention, a mobile terminal evaluates the availability of roaming services within the current cell and the candidate cell. The mobile terminal discovers the roaming services available within the current cell and the candidate cell and selects another signal based on the availability of roaming services.
The present invention is illustrated, by way of example and not limitation, in the accompanying figures in which like reference numerals indicate the same or similar elements and in which:
In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
In the following discussion, the following term is used:
The system illustrated in
Digital content 112 may be created and/or provided by content provider 102 and may include video signals, audio signals, data, and so forth. For example, content provider 102 may be providing a video signal of an international sporting event. Content 112 may also include an accompanying audio signal. Content 112 may further include data such as updated scores of the event. Content provider 102 may then deliver content 112 to content aggregator 103, who may provide content 112 in the form of a service 113 to service delivery platform 104 for eventual delivery to end user 101. Service delivery platform 104 may comprise software installed on a server, wherein the server comprises a processor and associated memory. Other implementations of service delivery platform 104 may be available.
Service delivery platform 104 may utilize IP datacasting for delivering services 113 to end user 101. Service delivery platform 104 may form service 113 into network packets such as IPv6 packets. Using DVB-H as an example, service 113 may be formed into IP network packets such as IPv6 packets. The network packets are then bundled into transport streams (e.g., MPEG-TS streams), along with metadata about offered services and their delivery. Metadata incorporated with content in a DVB system may comprise a series of standardized data tables including, for example, a Network Information Table (NIT) and one or more IP/MAC Notification Tables (INT). Exemplary standards for metadata (also known as service information) used in digital video broadcasting and data broadcasting are found, among other places, in two European Telecommunications Standards Institute documents: “Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB): Specification for Service Information (SI) in DVB Systems,” ETSI EN 300 468 (latest version 1.6.1), and “Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB): DVB Specification for Data Broadcasting,” ETSI EN 301 192 (latest version 1.4.1).
Broadcast network 105 distributes the transport streams provided by system delivery platform 104 to end user 101, where the network packets can be unbundled and utilized. End user 101 may utilize some form of interaction channel 106 in order to communicate with service operator 107. This interaction channel may include a cellular network, or some other system for relaying messages from end user 101 to service operator 107. Messages may be sent via a two-way audio connection (e.g., phone call), via short message service (SMS), via multimedia message service (MMS), via a web browser, or via some other communication scheme. By communicating with service operator 107, end user 101 may be enabled to view restricted or for-pay content. Service operator 107 may enable this authorization by communicating with content aggregator 103.
IP addresses utilized by a particular service delivery platform 104 need only be unique for that service delivery platform. This means that the same IP address may be used by separate service delivery platforms without causing a conflict. As such, service delivery platform 104 may be viewed as a private IP network, where any possible IP address may be assigned to network packets.
Services provided by service delivery platform 104 may be provided by content aggregator 103 or directly by content provider 102. Services may additionally be provided to service delivery platform 104 by other content aggregators and other content providers. All of the services available to end user 101 from service delivery platform 104 may be announced by their IP addresses delivered via IP/MAC Notification Tables (INT's), or via other forms of metadata.
Among the candidate networks for handover (networks which may be overlapping) are Networks 1, 2, and 3. Each network broadcasts one or more IP/MAC Notification Tables (INT's), which are received and interpreted by mobile terminal 700 as shown in
With the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, cell 251 is served by platform A, cell 253 is served by platform B, and cell 255 is served by platform C. Each cell broadcasts a transport stream. However, embodiments of the invention support configurations in which a plurality of platforms serve a given cell, e.g., both platforms A and B may serve cell 203. With the exemplary embodiment shown in
Each transport stream is conveyed by a broadcast signal. A mobile terminal can determine a signal quality (e.g., signal strength, frame error rate, or bit error rate) of the signal. As mobile terminal 700 moves within a service region, the signal quality of the received signal varies. When the signal quality falls below a predetermined threshold, the quality of service may be degraded as perceived by the user. For example, as mobile terminal moves from cell 251 to cell 253, the received signal strength associated with TS A 201 may drop below a predetermined signal level. Consequently, mobile terminal 700 may switch to another signal that has a signal level above the predetermined signal level and that carries TS B 203.
With an embodiment of the invention, mobile terminal 700 switches to another signal by performing a handover from one cell to another cell if the current platform also serves the neighboring cell that mobile terminal 700 is entering. If that is not the case, mobile terminal 700 roams into the neighboring cell by changing platforms.
Platforms A, B, and C have defined roaming addresses (IP1, IP2 and IP3) in which different services are mapped to different IP addresses. If one of the IP addresses exist in any of given platforms (A, B or C), the service is same. IP addresses may be uniquely defined for all platforms (A, B, C), where addresses IP4, . . . , IPn are unique only within the platforms they are declared.
With the exemplary service configuration shown in
Referring to transport stream (TS A) 201 that is broadcast in cell 251, INT 207 announces all services of platform A (platform_id=0x000001) that are available in TS A 201, which is broadcast in cell 251 (cell A). INT 209 announces roaming services of platform B (platform_id=0x000002) that are available in TS B 203, which is broadcast in cell 253 (cell B). In this example, platform B supports roaming for IP1 in cell 253. INT 211 announces roaming services of platform C (platform_id=000003) that are available in TS C 205, which is broadcast in cell 255 (cell C). Platform C supports roaming for IP3 in cell 255.
Transport stream (TS B) 203 (broadcast in cell 253) carries INT 213, 215, and 217, which have similar functionality as INT 207, 209, and 211. Similarly, transport stream (TS C) 205 carries INT 219, 221, and 223.
While the service configuration shown in Figure does not support multiple platforms in a cell, embodiments of the invention support multiple platforms in a cell. For example, platform A may be supported in both TS A 201 and TS B 203. (With an embodiment of the invention, INT 207 provides information (IP address list+parameters) for platform A. The NIT contains a list of transport streams where platform A exists.) This being the case, if mobile terminal 700 is currently served by platform A and moves into cell 253, mobile terminal 700 will continue to be served by platform A by performing a handover.
The following scenarios provide examples of a digital video broadcasting system with a configuration shown in
In step 305, mobile terminal 700 obtains the INT for the current platform and the selected service. For example, if mobile terminal 700 is in cell 251, mobile terminal 700 would obtain INT 207. A handover/roaming candidate cell list is created when the service is selected. In step 307, the INT's for other platforms that have roaming agreements with the current platform are obtained. Mobile terminal 700 checks all IP addresses in the current platform and compares the IP addresses against a roaming IP address range. If an IP address of an active service is found in the current platform and inside the roaming IP address range, the corresponding cell is added to the handover/roaming cell list.
In step 309, mobile terminal 700 performs a handover/roaming algorithm to determine if the mobile terminal 700 should switch to another signal. For example, the signal strength of the received signal is measured to determine if the signal strength is below a predetermined threshold. In step 311, a candidate cell list is ordered by signal quality, where the selected candidate cell has the best signal quality. A candidate cell is typically a neighboring cell of the current cell. Embodiments of the invention support other parameters when ordering the candidate list. For example, a number of available roaming services may be considered. This will be further discussed with
In step 317, if the current platform is available in the selected candidate cell (as determined by step 313), a handover is performed. Otherwise, mobile terminal 700 performs a roaming procedure corresponding to step 315. When performing a handover, mobile terminal 700 verifies the signal quality after the handover and updates Program Specific Information (PSI), Service Information (SI), and Packet Identifiers (PID's) for active services. When performing roaming, mobile terminal 700 verifies the signal quality after roaming, changes platforms, and updates Program Specific Information (PSI), Service Information (SI), and Packet Identifiers (PID's) for active services.
Step 409 determines if the IP address of the selected service is within the range of supported roaming services. If not, step 411 determines whether other services with roaming support are available with the current platform. If so, then steps 413 and 415 are executed. With step 413, mobile terminal 700 discovers all services within the current platform that have roaming support. In step 415, mobile terminal 700 discovers services with roaming support that are available on neighboring cells. Mobile terminal 700 obtains this information by accessing the INT's of the different platforms. The INT's are available within the current cell (e.g., INT's 209 and 211 as shown in
In step 417, the list of candidate cells is determined from the neighboring cells based on the signal quality and the number of available services with roaming support. Mobile terminal 700 selects a candidate cell based on a metric that combines the signal quality and the availability of available services.
If step 421 determines that the current platform is not available on the selected candidate cell, step 423 selects a service within the current cell that is available in the candidate cell. Typically, mobile terminal 700 attempts to maintain the service that was previously selected.
Memory 706 may also store program specific information and/or service information (PSI/SI), including information about digital content available in the future or stored from the past. A user of mobile terminal 700 may view this stored service information on display 708 and select an item of digital content for viewing, listening, or other uses via input 712, which may take the form of a keyboard, keypad, scroll wheel, or other input device(s) or combinations thereof. When digital content is selected, processor 704 may pass information to receiver 702, so that the receiver may act appropriately (e.g., tune a radio or filter signals based on PSI/SI in order to yield specific digital content for the user). Digital content and PSI/SI may be passed among functions within mobile terminal 700 using bus 714.
Various methods, operations, and the like described herein may, in various embodiments, be implemented in hardware and/or in software. Hardware may include one or more integrated circuits. For example, in various embodiments, the methods described may be performed by specialized hardware, and/or otherwise may not be implemented in general purpose processors. One or more chips and/or chipsets may be employed, including one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC's).
Mobile terminal 700 may include other functional components (not shown) such as a cellular radio or other RF transceiver. Such functionality may be used for audio transmissions when coupled with a microphone (not shown) and speaker 710, as in a wireless phone, for example. Additional communication components (not shown) may be used to request and/or retrieve authorization to view or listen to protected digital content, enabling the enforcement of digital copyrights and pay-for-use regimes. Mobile terminal 700 may also include functionality to detect a location of the terminal, for example a Global Positioning System (GPS) or an Assisted GPS (AGPS). Although one particular functional diagram for mobile terminal 700 is provided, those skilled in the art understand that functionality may be added or removed, but the invention may still be implemented within the mobile terminal.
Mobile terminal 700 may encompass a variety of electronic devices including cellular phones, mobile video broadcast (DVB) receivers, pagers, personal digital assistants, laptop computers, automobile computers, portable video players, and other devices that may move among a plurality of cells and that include equipment for receiving signals from a wireless network. In addition to DVB receivers, mobile terminal 700 may encompass mobile receivers of other digital broadband broadcast systems, such as those previously mentioned.
While aspects of the invention have been described with respect to specific examples, including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
