Feedback control for multicast or broadcast services
View Patent ↗The invention relates to a method for controlling feedback of mobile terminals receiving via an air interface of a mobile communication system a multicast or broadcast service transmitted or forwarded by a feedback control entity and to a mobile terminal, the feedback control entity using this method. Further, a system comprising a feedback control entity and a mobile terminal receiving a multicast or broadcast service is provided. To enable configurable and adaptive feedback for multicast or broadcast services provided via an air interface maintaining the end-to-end session concept the invention suggests selecting a subset of the mobile terminals of the mobile communication system and which receive the multicast or broadcast service for providing feedback to a feedback control entity. In one embodiment of the invention the terminals may decide whether to provide feedback based on a probabilistic experiment performed based on parameters determined and provided by the feedback control entity.
1. A method for controlling transmission of feedback of mobile terminals receiving, via an air interface of a mobile communication system, a multicast or broadcast service transmitted or forwarded by a feedback control entity of the mobile communication system, the method being performed by at least one of the mobile terminals to reduce uplink traffic in the mobile communication system and comprising:
receiving the multicast or broadcast service via a unidirectional downlink channel using an unreliable transport protocol and using Real Time Protocol (RTP),
receiving a parameter comprising a probability value based on which the mobile terminal decides whether to provide feedback to the feedback control entity,
deciding whether or not to provide the feedback for the multicast or broadcast service to the feedback control entity based on the received parameter,
establishing a bearer for providing feedback to the feedback control entity only in case the deciding step comprises a decision to provide the feedback, and
transmitting the feedback, wherein the feedback indicates reception statistics of said multicast or broadcast service, to the feedback control entity via said established bearer.
2. A method for controlling by a feedback control entity the transmission of feedback of a plurality of mobile terminals receiving a multicast or broadcast service via an air interface of a mobile communication system, the method being performed by the feedback control entity to reduce uplink traffic in the mobile communication system and comprising:
transmitting or forwarding data of the multicast or broadcast service via a unidirectional downlink channel, wherein the data is transmitted or forwarded to at least one of the mobile terminals using an unreliable transport protocol and a Real Time Protocol (RTP),
determining parameters comprising a probability value allowing a mobile terminal to decide whether or not to provide feedback to the feedback control entity,
transmitting said parameters to at least a subset of said plurality of mobile terminals receiving the multicast or broadcast service,
establishing, for each mobile terminal that decides to provide the feedback, a respective bearer for providing feedback from a respective mobile terminal to the feedback control entity, and
receiving the feedback from another subset of said plurality of mobile terminals having received said parameters via the respective established bearers.
3. A mobile terminal receiving via an air interface of a mobile communication system a multicast or broadcast service transmitted or forwarded by a feedback control entity, the mobile terminal cooperating with the feedback control entity to reduce uplink traffic in the mobile communication system and comprising:
a receiver configured to receive the multicast or broadcast service via a unidirectional downlink channel using an unreliable transport protocol and a Real Time Protocol (RTP), wherein the receiver is configured to further receive a parameter comprising a probability value based on which the mobile terminal decides whether to provide RTCP feedback to the feedback control entity,
a processor configured to decide whether to provide the feedback for the multicast or broadcast service to the feedback control entity based on the received parameter and to establish a bearer for providing the feedback to the feedback control entity, only in case it is decided to provide the feedback, and
a transmitter configured to transmit the feedback which indicates reception statistics of said multicast or broadcast service to the feedback control entity via said established bearer.
4. A feedback control entity for controlling transmission of feedback of a plurality of mobile terminals receiving a multicast or broadcast service transmitted or forwarded by the feedback control entity via an air interface of a mobile communication system, the feedback control entity operating to reduce uplink traffic in the mobile communication system and comprising:
a transmitter configured to transmit or forward data of the multicast or broadcast service to at least one of the mobile terminals via a unidirectional downlink channel using an unreliable transport protocol and a Real Time Protocol (RTP),
a processor configured to determine parameters comprising a probability value allowing a mobile terminal to decide whether to provide feedback to the feedback control entity, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit said parameters to at least a subset of said plurality of mobile terminals receiving the multicast or broadcast service, and is further configured to establish, for each mobile terminal that decides to provide the feedback, a respective bearer for providing the feedback from a respective mobile terminal to the feedback control entity, and
a receiver for receiving the feedback from another subset of said plurality of mobile terminals having received said parameters via the respective established bearers.