Granted Patent B2

US 8,005,471 · App. 11/496,942 · Granted Aug 23, 2011

Abstract

Claims (58)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an access network configured to provide a wireless communication service over a service coverage area and is configured to support a broadcast multicast system (BCMCS);

wherein the service coverage area is divided into a plurality of coverage broadcast signaling zones;

wherein each coverage broadcast signaling zone comprises at least one assigned broadcast signaling zone, wherein each assigned broadcast signaling zone is identified by a unique zone identifier and a flow identifier, wherein the assigned broadcast signaling zones cover the service coverage area and do not overlap;

wherein the access network is configured to broadcast a plurality of broadcast control-signaling channels (BCC) over the service coverage area via a plurality of BCMCS flows, wherein each of the plurality of BCMCS flows is identified by a flow identifier;

wherein the access network is configured to broadcast one BCC, of the plurality of BCCs, over each coverage broadcast signaling zone via a BCMCS flow, of the plurality of BCMCS flows, identified by the flow identifier of the assigned broadcast signaling zone that corresponds to the coverage broadcast signaling zone;

wherein the access network is configured to select, based at least in part on a flow identifier registration by an access terminal in the service coverage area, a selected BCC of the plurality of BCCs or another control channel for sending a signaling message to the access terminal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the access network comprises an evolution data optimized (EVDO) wireless communication network.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of coverage broadcast signaling zones comprise:

a first coverage broadcast signaling zone that comprises a first assigned coverage broadcast signaling zone identified by a first unique zone identifier and a first flow identifier, wherein the access network broadcasts a first BCC via a first BCMCS flow over the first coverage broadcast signaling zone; and

a second coverage broadcast signaling zone that comprises a second assigned coverage broadcast signaling zone identified by a second unique zone identifier and a second flow identifier, wherein the access network broadcasts a second BCC via a second BCMCS flow over the second coverage broadcast signaling zone;

wherein the first coverage broadcast signaling zone partially overlaps the second coverage broadcast signaling zone;

wherein the first assigned broadcast signaling zone does not overlap the second assigned broadcast signaling zone;

wherein the first flow identifier and the second flow identifier are distinct.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of coverage broadcast signaling zones comprise:

a third coverage broadcast signaling zone that comprises a third assigned broadcast signaling zone identified by a third unique zone identifier and a third flow identifier;

wherein the first coverage broadcast signaling zone does not overlap with the third coverage broadcast signaling zone;

wherein the first flow identifier and the third flow identifier comprise a same flow identifier.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the access terminal is registered with the first flow identifier;

wherein the access network is configured to notify the access terminal to register the second flow identifier of the second assigned broadcast signaling zone if the access terminal is located near an edge of the first coverage broadcast signaling zone and near the second assigned broadcast signaling zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the access terminal is located within a first coverage broadcast signaling zone of the plurality of coverage broadcast signaling zones;

wherein the first coverage broadcast signaling zone comprises a first assigned broadcast signaling zone identified by a first unique zone identifier and a first flow identifier, wherein the first flow identifier corresponds to a flow identifier registered by the access terminal;

wherein the access network is configured to send the signaling message to the access terminal over the selected BCC if the first flow identifier comprises a valid flow identifier;

wherein the access network is configured to send the signaling message to the access terminal over the other control channel if the first flow identifier comprises a blank flow identifier.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first coverage broadcast signaling zone is located near an outer edge of the service coverage area;

wherein the first flow identifier comprises a blank flow identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the access network is configured to determine the unique zone identifier of the first assigned broadcast signaling zone of the first coverage broadcast signaling zone that the access terminal is located within through employment of a BCMCS registration message from the access terminal;

wherein the access network is configured to select the selected BCC that corresponds to the unique zone identifier of the first assigned broadcast signaling zone.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the assigned broadcast signaling zone comprises at least one sector;

wherein the coverage broadcast signaling zone comprises the at least one sector and a plurality of sectors that surround the at least one sector.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the assigned broadcast signaling zone comprises at least one cell;

wherein the coverage broadcast signaling zone comprises the at least one cell and a plurality of cells that surround the at least one cell.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signaling message comprises one of a data over signaling (DOS) message or a page message.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the access network is configured to resize and/or reconfigure the at least one coverage broadcast signaling zone.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein access network comprises a multi-carrier configuration with at least a first carrier and a second carrier;

wherein the access network employs the BCC for best effort signaling for the first carrier and the second carrier.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one coverage broadcast signaling zone is configured to provide a single frequency network effect to allow softcombining of the BCC.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an access terminal configured to receive a wireless communication service within a service coverage area provided by an access network, wherein the access network is configured to support a broadcast multicast system (BCMCS);

wherein the access network is configured to divide the service coverage area into a plurality of coverage broadcast signaling zones;

wherein each coverage broadcast signaling zone comprises at least one assigned broadcast signaling zone, wherein each assigned broadcast signaling zone is identified by a unique zone identifier and a flow identifier, wherein the assigned broadcast signaling zones cover the service coverage area and do not overlap;

wherein the access terminal is located within a first coverage broadcast signaling zone of the plurality of coverage broadcast signaling zones;

wherein the access network is configured to broadcast a plurality of broadcast control-signaling channels (BCC) over the service coverage area via a plurality of BCMCS flows, wherein each of the plurality of BCMCS flows is identified by a flow identifier;

wherein the access network is configured to broadcast one BCC, of the plurality of BCCs, over each coverage broadcast signaling zone via a BCMCS flow, of the plurality of BCMCS flows, identified by the flow identifier of the assigned broadcast signaling zone that corresponds to the coverage broadcast signaling zone;

wherein the access terminal is configured to receive a broadcast overhead message that comprises the plurality of flow identifiers for the plurality of BCMCS flows, wherein the plurality of flow identifiers comprises a first BCMCS flow identifier that corresponds to the assigned broadcast signaling zone of the first coverage broadcast signaling zone;

wherein the access terminal is configured to register the first BCMCS flow identifier to allow selection by the access network of a BCMCS flow for the first coverage broadcast signaling zone that the access terminal is located in;

wherein the access terminal is configured to receive a signaling message over a BCC via the BCMCS flow, of the plurality of BCMCS flows, identified by the first BCMCS flow identifier.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the broadcast overhead message comprises a first broadcast overhead message;

wherein the access terminal is configured to register a second BCMCS flow identifier upon one of:

a receipt of a second broadcast overhead message that does not comprise the first BCMCS flow identifier;

a receipt of an indication from the access network to register the second BCMCS flow identifier; or

a determination by the access terminal that the BCC comprises an error rate above a predetermined threshold.

17. A method, comprising the steps of:

dividing a service coverage area of an access network that supports a broadcast multicast system (BCMCS) into a plurality of overlapping coverage broadcast signaling zones, wherein each overlapping coverage broadcast signaling zone comprises an assigned broadcast signaling zone, wherein the assigned broadcast signaling zones cover the service coverage area and do not overlap;

assigning a unique zone identifier and a flow identifier to each assigned broadcast signaling zone;

broadcasting a unique broadcast control-signaling channel (BCC) over each of the plurality of overlapping coverage broadcast signaling zones via a plurality of BCMCS flows identified by the flow identifiers of the assigned broadcast signaling zone that corresponds to the coverage broadcast signaling zone;

determining a coverage broadcast signaling zone that an access terminal is located within based on a flow identifier registration by the access terminal;

sending a signaling message to the access terminal over a broadcast control-signaling channel to the coverage broadcast signaling zone via a BCMCS flow, wherein the BCMCS flow is identified by the flow identifier registration.

Assignments (13)