Multicast session setup in networks by determining a multicast session parameter based on a pre-existing unicast session parameter
View Patent ↗Methods, systems, and apparatuses dynamically setting up bearers to support Internet protocol (IP) multicast traffic in various networks are provided. The method may be performed by joining an IP multicast group in response to receiving a request to initiate an IP multicast transmission session within a network, the request including at least one transmission session parameter; determining at least one synchronization area within the network for the IP multicast transmission session of the request based at least in part on the at least one transmission session parameter; and initiating an IP multicast transmission session between an application server and at least one user equipment end-point within the at least one synchronization area.
1. A method comprising:
joining an IP multicast group in response to receiving a request to initiate an IP multicast transmission session within a network, the request including at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter;
determining at least one synchronization area within the network for the IP multicast transmission session of the request based at least in part on the at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter;
determining at least one multicast session parameter based at least in part on the at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter; and
initiating an IP multicast transmission session between an application server and at least one user equipment end-point within the at least one synchronization area and based on the at least one multicast session parameter.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating an IP multicast group in response to the request.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network supports IP multicast between the application server and the at least one synchronization area for the IP multicast transmission session.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising instructing the establishment of a tunnel between the application server and the at least one synchronization area for the IP multicast transmission session.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting configuration information regarding the IP multicast transmission session to at least one user equipment end-point within the network.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving location information for a first user equipment end-point within the network, wherein the location information may be used to modify a coverage area of the at least one synchronization area.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one synchronization area comprises a multimedia broadcast single frequency network.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating an IP multicast transmission session comprises:
initiating a parallel transmission session to a pre-existing transmission session within a network, wherein at least one communication packet is transmitted in both the pre-existing transmission session and the parallel transmission session; and the method further comprises:
determining to hand-off transmitting packet streams from the pre-existing transmission session to the parallel transmission session when a hand-off condition is achieved.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
storing a sequence number for a first packet of the parallel transmission session; and
storing a sequence number for a received packet of the pre-existing transmission session;
wherein determining to hand-off comprises comparing values of the stored sequence numbers.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the hand-off condition is achieved when the stored sequence number of the pre-existing transmission session is greater than or equal to the stored sequence number of the parallel transmission session.
11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising storing a sequence number of a next received packet of the pre-existing transmission session when the stored sequence number from the pre-existing transmission session is less than the stored sequence number from the parallel transmission session.
12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising terminating the pre-existing transmission session when the hand-off condition is achieved.
13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising establishing an initial unicast or a default multicast transmission session as the pre-existing transmission session.
14. A server comprising a processor and a memory device, the processor configured to:
join an IP multicast group in response to receiving a request to initiate an IP multicast transmission session within a network, the request including at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter;
determine at least one synchronization area within the network for the IP multicast transmission session of the request based at least in part on the at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter;
determine at least one multicast session parameter based at least in part on the at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter; and
initiate an IP multicast transmission session between an application server and at least one user equipment end-point within the at least one synchronization area and based on the at least one multicast session parameter.
15. The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to initiate an IP multicast group in response to the request.
16. The server of claim 14 wherein the network supports IP multicast between the application server and the at least one synchronization area for the IP multicast transmission session.
17. The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the establishment of a tunnel between the application server and the at least one synchronization area for the IP multicast transmission session.
18. The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to transmit configuration information regarding the IP multicast transmission session to at least one user equipment end-point within the network.
19. The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive location information for a user equipment end-point within the network, wherein the location information may be used to modify a coverage area of the at least one synchronization area.
20. The server of claim 14 , wherein the at least one synchronization area comprises a multimedia broadcast single frequency network.
21. The server of claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
initiate a parallel transmission session to a pre-existing transmission session within a network, wherein at least one communication packet is transmitted in both the pre-existing transmission session and the parallel transmission session; and
hand-off transmitting packet streams from the pre-existing transmission session to the parallel transmission session when a hand-off condition is achieved.
22. The server of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
store a sequence number for a first packet of the parallel transmission session;
store a sequence number for a received packet of the pre-existing transmission session; and
compare the stored sequence numbers to determine whether the hand-off condition is achieved.
23. The server of claim 22 , wherein the hand-off condition is achieved if the stored sequence number of the pre-existing transmission session is greater than or equal to the stored sequence number of the parallel transmission session.
24. The server of claim 22 , wherein the processor is further configured to store a sequence number of a next received packet of the pre-existing transmission session if the stored sequence number from the pre-existing transmission session is less than the stored sequence number from the parallel transmission session.
25. The server of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to terminate the pre-existing transmission session when the hand-off condition is achieved.
26. The server of claim 21 , wherein the processor is further configured to establish an initial unicast transmission session or a default multicast transmission session as the pre-existing transmission session.
27. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, that in response to execution by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:
joining an IP multicast group in response to receiving a request to initiate an IP multicast transmission session within a network, the request including at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter;
determining at least one synchronization area within the network for the IP multicast transmission session of the request based at least in part on the at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter;
determining at least one multicast session parameter based at least in part on the at least one pre-existing unicast transmission session parameter; and
initiating an IP multicast transmission session between an application server and at least one user equipment end-point within the at least one synchronization area and based on the at least one multicast session parameter.