Methods and apparatus for distributed multimedia content supporting user mobility

1. A method performed by a base station in a wireless network for delivering content to a mobile terminal, comprising:

determining if a packet from said mobile terminal contains a request for content;

delivering said content to said mobile terminal from said base station if said content is stored locally at said base station;

providing content status information to a new base station, wherein said content status information identifies an offset location of a data element within said content, wherein said content status information further comprises a region code and a content identifier so that the new base station can determine whether content stored by the new base station is identical to the identified content; and

providing numbering information to said new base station indicating a packet assignment for said content delivered to said mobile terminal from said base station.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining if a packet is received from a content server on said wireless network containing content to be stored locally.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining if a packet received from said mobile terminal contains a base station change message indicating that said mobile terminal is switching to said new base station.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of notifying an administrative node in said wireless network of the content delivery.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of evaluating an authorization of said mobile terminal to receive said content.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of renumbering one or more packets associated with said content.

7. A method performed by a base station delivering content to a mobile terminal from a local content server over a wireless network, comprising:

determining if a packet received from said mobile terminal contains a base station change message indicating that said mobile terminal is switching to a new base station;

providing content status information to said new base station, wherein said content status information identifies an offset location of a data element within said content, wherein said content status information further comprises a region code and a content identifier so that the new base station can determine whether content stored by the new base station is identical to the identified content; and

providing numbering information to said new base station indicating a packet assignment for said content delivered to said mobile terminal from said base station.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said content status information comprises an identifier of said content.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said content status information comprises an identifier of said base station.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said content status information comprises an identifier of said mobile terminal.

11. A base station in a wireless network for delivering content to a mobile terminal, the base station comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to:

determine if a packet from said mobile terminal contains a request for content;

determine if said content is stored locally at said base station;

deliver said content to said mobile terminal if said content is stored locally at said base station;

provide content status information to a new base station, wherein said content status information identifies an offset location of a data element within said content, wherein said content status information further comprises a region code and a content identifier so that the new base station can determine whether content stored by the new base station is identical to the identified content; and

provide numbering information to said new base station indicating a packet assignment for said content delivered to said mobile terminal from said base station.

12. The base station of claim 11 , processor is further configured to determine if a packet is received from a content server on said wireless network containing content to be stored locally.

13. The base station of claim 11 , processor is further configured to determine if a packet received from said mobile terminal contains a base station change message indicating that said mobile terminal is switching to said new base station.

14. The base station of claim 11 , processor is further configured to evaluate an authorization of said mobile terminal to receive said content.

15. The base station of claim 11 , processor is further configured to renumber one or more packets associated with said content.

16. A base station that delivers content to a mobile terminal from a local content server over a wireless network, the base station comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor, coupled to the memory, operative to:

determine if a packet received from said mobile terminal contains a base station change message indicating that said mobile terminal is switching to a new base station;

provide content status information to said new base station, wherein said content status information identifies an offset location of a data element within said content, wherein said content status information further comprises a region code and a content identifier so that the new base station can determine whether content stored by the new base station is identical to the identified content; and

provide numbering information to said new base station indicating a packet assignment for said content delivered to said mobile terminal from said base station.

17. The base station of claim 16 , wherein said content status information comprises one or more of an identifier of said content, an identifier of said base station and an identifier of said mobile terminal.