Method for providing software in radio-based cellular communication networks, and a communication network for implementing the method
View Patent ↗Software is provided in a radio-based cellular communication networks by a subscriber station, which is checked into a cell and which contains software that can be provided. The subscriber station notifies a storage device of the cell that the software is available in the cell. The storage device then sends a message concerning the availability of the software to all of the subscriber stations checked into the cell. Another subscriber station, which is checked into the cell, can request the software by sending a message with a limited transmitting power so that the message can only be received by subscriber stations located at a distance from the requesting subscriber station that is small compared to the diameter of the cell. When the subscriber station storing the software has received the message sent by the requesting subscriber station, the software is immediately transmitted from that subscriber station to the requesting subscriber station.
1. A method for providing software in radio-based cellular communication networks, comprising:
sending a notification regarding availability of software in a cellular base station of a communication network to a storage device of the cellular base station from a first subscriber station registered with the cellular base station and storing software to be provided;
creating a record of availability of the software by the storage device after the notification is sent;
sending a software available message indicating the availability of the software from a network device to subscriber stations registered with the cellular base station after creating the record of availability of the software;
sending a software request message from a second subscriber station registered with the cellular base station to request the software after sending the software available message; and
transmitting the software directly from the first subscriber station to the second subscriber station when the first subscriber station receives the software request.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a receipt confirmation from the first subscriber station to the network device; and
setting up a connection by the network device to transmit the software between the first subscriber station and the second subscriber station.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising resending the software request message at least once by the second subscriber station if the connection between the first and second subscriber stations fails.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising deleting the record indicating software availability stored by the storage device after a predefined time.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4 , further comprising storing in the storage device an expiration date relating to the software available for transmission to the subscriber stations of the communication network.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising:
sending an exit notification from the first subscriber station to the storage device upon leaving the cellular base station with which it is registered; and
updating the record by the storage device to indicate that the software is no longer available for transmission from the first subscriber station.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
using a transmit power limited so that the message can only be received by the subscriber stations located at a distance from the second subscriber station which is short compared with a diameter of the cell.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said resending includes increasing the transmit power in steps each time, until a maximum transmit power is attained.
9. A communication network providing software to subscriber stations registered in a cellular base station, comprising:
a first subscriber station registered with the cellular base station of said communication network, to send a notification regarding availability of the software stored in the first subscriber station;
a storage device of the cellular base station to receive the notification and to create a record of availability of the software in the cell after the notification is sent;
a network device to send a software available message indicating the availability of the software to the subscriber stations registered with the cellular base station after creating the record of availability of the software; and
a second subscriber station registered with the cellular base station, to send a software request message requesting the software after sending the software available message, said first subscriber station transmitting the software directly to said second subscriber station when said first subscriber station receives the software request message.
10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the second subscriber station registered with the cell sends the software request message requesting the software by using a limited transmit power so that the message can only be received by the subscriber stations located at a distance from the second subscriber station which is short compared with a diameter of the cell.