MXPA00001125A - A system and method for wireless broadcast on shared channels - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for providing wireless broadcast on shared channels in a cellular communications system. The system and method in response to a request from a remote user for broadcast service designates a voice channel as a broadcast channel, disables the quality monitoring for the designated broadcast channel, activates the designated broadcast channel, and instructs the requesting remote user to tune to the designated broadcast channel. Each subsequent requesting remote user is also instructed to tune to the same broadcast channel. Similarly, in response to a request from broadcaster, the system and method identifies the remote user to receive the broadcast, designates a voice channel as a broadcast channel, disables the quality monitoring for the designated broadcast channel, activates the designated broadcast channel, and instructs the identified remote users to tune to the designated broadcast channel.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR WIRELESS DIFFUSION IN SHARED CHANNELS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates in general to a cellular communication system and, more particularly, to a method for disseminating information (data) from a diffuser to multiple users in a shared channel. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Cellular communication systems provide remote users with a variety of services in addition to voice communications from a remote user to another party. For example, cellular communications systems provide informational audio services, such as traffic reports, weather reports, information about the lottery, etc., from broadcasters to remote users of the cellular communication system. Cellular communication systems can also broadcast other information (data) to several remote users. For example, a diffuser can use a communications system cell phones to send data from a message to several bulletin boards located remotely. In the current cellular communication systems, the informative audio services and the P1095 / 00MX broadcast audio services are treated just like any other phone call.

Within each cell, a dedicated dedicated radio channel is allocated between the broadcaster and each remote user for the duration of the informative audio call or data transmission. The use of a dedicated or exclusive voice channel to disseminate information means that the request or demand for broadcast information services must have a price for each remote user, the same as any other voice call. This price limits the demand for information services by diffusion. In addition, the need for a separate, exclusive voice channel for each remote user of each broadcast information call restricts the use of these information services by broadcast, due to the limited number of channels in each cell. With regard to informative audio calls, such as weather and traffic reports, the problem of the limited capacity of the cell becomes more acute when we consider that the peak usage of the cell phone for voice calls frequently coincides with the workers' commutation time, precisely the time when demand for informational audio service, such as weather and traffic reports, will also likely peak. The transfer of data to the bulletin boards may be affected in P1095 / 00MX is adversely affected by the capacity of the cell, when the broadcaster wants to update a large number of bulletin boards in a short period of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the problems described above by providing a system and method for providing broadcast information services from broadcasters to remote users on shared channels of an existing cellular communications system. In the case of informative audio calls, initiated by one or more remote users in a particular cell to a broadcaster of an informative audio service, the mobile switch associated with the cellular communications system establishes the calls in a shared broadcast channel of the cell. Similarly, for the service initiated by the broadcaster, the mobile switch establishes or installs the calls for each remote receiver of the broadcast data in a shared broadcast channel. For a call request initiated by a remote user (for example, a call for the traffic report) on a control channel within the cell, the mobile switch verifies the validity of the authorization of the remote user requesting it. After determining that the requesting remote user is an authorized user, the P1095 / OOMX mobile switch determines whether a requested broadcast channel is prepared or established for the informative audio service (traffic report). If the broadcast channel for the requested informative audio service has not been previously established, the mobile switch designates a broadcast channel, disables quality monitoring of the return signal of that broadcast channel, activates the broadcast channel and instructs the requesting remote user, through the control channel, to tune that channel of diffusion for the reception of the informative audio service. If a second remote user requests the same informative audio service in the control channel while the first remote user is connected to the broadcast channel, the mobile switch, after validating access for the second remote user, instructs the second remote user to that tune the broadcast channel and both remote users receive the audio informative service (traffic report) simultaneously in the shared broadcast channel. In the event that a broadcaster initiates the request or call for the transmission of data to one or more identified remote users (for example, data to update several electronic bulletin boards), the mobile switch may first use the control channel to verify Y P1095 / 00MX condition the status of each of the remote users (bulletin boards). This verification and conditioning may include awakening or alerting the remote user from the low-energy latency or durmancy condition, running a diagnostic test on each remote user and receiving limited return data, etc. Once the remote users have been verified and conditioned to receive the broadcast data, the mobile switch designates a broadcast channel, disables quality monitoring of the return signal for that broadcast channel, activates the broadcast channel and instructs to the identified remote users (bulletin boards), by means of the control channel, so that they tune that diffusion channel for the reception of the diffusion data (new message on the bulletin board). By using a single broadcast channel for several remote users who are looking for the same information from a broadcaster (the same traffic report the same message on the bulletin board), the system and method of the present invention minimize the use of the capacity of channels of a cell. By sharing a single broadcast channel with several remote users, the operator of the cellular communication system can, in a rational way, put a price on information services by diffusion, lower than the P1095 / 00MX standard voice calls and thus increase the use of the cellular communications system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a block diagram of a cellular communication system, which is the environment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating the method for handling broadcast information service requests initiated by a remote user in accordance with the present invention. Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating the method for handling broadcast information service requests, initiated by a broadcaster, in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION An environment for the present invention is an existing cellular communications system. Cellular communication systems include those built and operated in accordance with several well-known standards, such as TDMA (IS-54 and IS-136), AMPS (IS-41), NAMPS, GSM, DCS1800, DCS1900, CDMA (IS) -95), PACS, TACS, JTACS and PDC. Turning to the drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts or steps in the various figures, Figure 1 of this specification is a diagram P1095 / 00MX schematic of a cellular communications system 10, which constitutes an environment for the present invention. The cellular communication system 10 comprises a mobile switch 14 and several cells, such as the cell 22 illustrated. The cellular communication system 10 is connected to the public switched telecommunications system 12, by means of the mobile switch 14. A diffuser 11 is connected to the mobile switch by means of the public switched telecommunications system 12. The broadcaster 11 provides information to remote users, including for example, traffic reports, weather reports, information about the lottery or other data for use by several remote users. Each cell 22 has a transmitter / receiver tower 24, which transmits data to remote users 26, 28, 30 and 32 and receives data from these same users. Each cell has a limited number of channels in which data can be transmitted and received. For illustrative purposes, the remote users 26 and 28 are telephone users based on the automobile and the remote users 30 and 32 are electronic bulletin boards. However, remote users can include a variety of devices, such as portable telephones, facsimile machines, computers, telemetry devices and P1095 / 00MX control devices, among others. The mobile switch 14 comprises a cell controller 18 and a home location register (HLR) i 20. The cell controller 18 is a high-speed digital computer that is programmed to control the required functions of the cell. mobile switch 14 in the cellular communication system 10. The HLR 20 is a memory device capable of storing a database under the control of the controller 18 of the cell. The database in the HLR 20 contains profile and authorization information about each of the remote users of the cellular communication system 10. The profile and authorization information of each remote user is entered into the HLR 20 at the time that each remote user subscribes to the service of the cellular communication system 10. The cellular communications system 10 provides information audio services and data transmission services (collectively, information services by broadcast) to the remote users of each cell. These broadcast information services are conventionally supplied to the remote users 26, 28, 30 and 32 by the broadcaster 11 via the public switched telephone network 12 and the mobile switch P1095 / 00MX 14. Conventionally, calls or requests for informational audio services (for example, the traffic report) begin with a request from one of the remote users, such as remote users 26 and 28. The The request call of the informative audio service is then established just as a standard voice call in which the requesting remote user connects to the diffuser 11 of the informative audio service, exclusively for the duration of the call. Similarly, the data transmission services from the broadcaster 11 to the remote users 30 and 32 in a conventional manner are initiated by a series of calls from the broadcaster 11 to the remote users 30 and 32, through the switched telephone network public 12 and mobile switch 14. Each call to each remote user is in a dedicated channel of cell 22. In accordance with the present invention, the method for providing information services by broadcast in a shared channel is illustrated in the Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 illustrates the method where the remote user initiates the broadcast information service request call and Figure 3 illustrates the method where the broadcaster 11 initiates the call request to provide the information service by diffusion. Particularly, Figure 2 illustrates the P1095 / 00MX method of the present invention, wherein the request call of the broadcast information service is initiated by one of the remote users 26 and 28 and the broadcast information is provided to the requesting remote user through a shared broadcast channel . Before providing the broadcast service, the cell controller 18 designates a control channel in the cell 22 to handle the call requests with the activation of the cell 22. The control channel is a standard voice channel that has been designated by the controller 18 of the cell as a control channel and is in a range of designated channels. The designation of the control channel is part of the standard establishment procedure, when a cell is activated. Once the cell has been activated, the method of the present invention begins at step 204, when the controller 18 of the cell receives a request call from the informative audio service from a remote user, such as, for example, the user remote 26, in the control channel. In response to the request for informative audio service call from the remote user 26 in the control channel, the controller 18 of the cell verifies the authorization of the remote user 26 when retrieving the profile information and the authorization of the remote user 26 from HLR 20, in step 208. Based on the information P1095 / 00MX retrieved from HLR 20, controller 18 of the cell determines whether remote user 26 is a valid user, in step 210. If remote user 26 is not a valid user, the method follows the "no" branch of the user. step 210 to step 216, wherein the remote user 26 is disconnected and the remote user 26 is not provided with any informative audio service. On the other hand, if, in step 210, the controller 18 of the cell determines that the remote user 26 is a valid user, the method follows the "yes" branch to the step 212. In step 212, the controller 18 of the cell determines whether a broadcast channel for the particular broadcast information service requested is already active and connected to some remote user in cell 22. If the broadcast channel is already active for the requested broadcast information service, the method follow the "yes" branch from step 212 to step 218 and the remote user 26 connects to the broadcast channel for the reception of the requested informative audio service from the broadcaster 11. The connection of the remote user 26 to the active broadcast channel is achieved by the controller 18 of the cell that instructs the remote user 26, by means of the control channel, to re-tune the active broadcast channel. If, in step 212, the controller 18 of the P1095 / 00MX cell determines that a broadcast channel for the requested broadcast information service is not active or connected to a remote user, the method follows the "no" branch from step 212 to step 214, where the controller 18 of the cell designates a voice channel as a broadcast channel. The method then proceeds to step 220 and the cell controller 18 disables monitoring of the return signal in terms of quality control of the broadcast channel. In order to use a voice channel as a broadcast channel, the cell controller 18 must ignore the return signals for quality control purposes, because multiple return signals from multiple remote users will normally be interpreted as a defect in the quality of the voice channel. Quality control, based on the return signals, is deactivated in the broadcast channel by assigning control channel characteristics to the broadcast channel or assigning diagnostic calibrations or adjustments to the broadcast channel.

Once the broadcast channel has been designated (step 214) and conditioned to ignore the quality of the return signal (step 220), the controller 18 of the active cell to the broadcast channel, in step 222. Once the broadcast channel was activated in step 222 , the method then proceeds to step 218, wherein the remote user 26 is connected to the channel P1095 / 00MX broadcast upon returning to the broadcast channel in response to the instructions, via the control channel, of the controller 18 of the cell. When a second remote user 28 subsequently requests the same broadcast information, the second remote user 28, after validation in step 210, connects to the broadcast channel and shares it with the remote user 26. Turning to Figure 3 , a method according to the present invention is shown, to provide the broadcast information when a broadcaster 11, by means of the public switched telephone network 12, initiates a call request to broadcast data to several remote identified users, such as bulletin boards 30 and 32. The method begins at step 300 with a call request to the mobile switch 14 for the broadcast service of the broadcaster 11. In response to the call request in step 300, the controller 18 of the The cell checks the HLR 20 in step 302, to determine whether the diffuser 11 is authorized to broadcast to the identified remote users of the communication system 10. elular If the diffuser is not authorized, the method follows the "no" branch from step 302 to step 314, where the diffuser connection is disconnected with the mobile switch 14. If the diffuser 11 is authorized to broadcast to the users Remote P1095 / 00MX identified from the cellular communications system 10, in step 302, the method follows the "yes" branch to step 304. In step 304, the cell controller 18 identifies remote users, such as bulletin boards 30 and 32, which will receive the broadcast information from the broadcaster 11. Remote users were identified based on information from the HLR 20. The information in the HLR 20 was provided at the time that the broadcaster 11 was subscribed to provide the broadcast service. In step 306, the controller 18 of the cell designates a broadcast channel in the cell 22 to broadcast data from the diffuser 11 to the remote users, such as the bulletin boards 30 and 32. In order to use a broadcast channel. As a broadcast channel, the controller 18 of the cell must again ignore the return signal for quality control purposes, due to the multiple return signals of the remote users 26 and 28. In step 308, the control is deactivated. quality in the broadcast channel by assigning the control channel characteristics to the broadcast channel or by assigning diagnostic settings or calibrations to the broadcast channel. Once the broadcast channel has been established in steps 306 and 308, the method proceeds to step 310. In step 310, the controller 18 of the P1095 / 00MX cell active to the broadcast channel. Once the broadcast channel is activated, in step 310, the method then proceeds to step 312, wherein the remote users 30 and 32 simultaneously connect to the broadcast channel by tuning the broadcast channel in response to the instructions, through the control channel, from the controller 18 of the cell. Based on the foregoing, the present invention provides a system and method for providing broadcast information services to several remote users in a shared broadcast channel. By sharing a broadcast channel, the limited number of channels in a cell can be retained and the use of the cellular communication system can be expanded.

P1095 / 00MX

Claims (14)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and, therefore, the content of the following CLAIMS is claimed as property; 1. A method for transmitting data to remote users in shared channels of a cellular communication system, the cellular communication system has a mobile switch, remote users, cells and a limited number of channels per cell, the method comprises the steps of: receive a request for the broadcast service from a first remote user; designate a broadcast channel in a cell for the broadcast service; activate the designated broadcast channel; and connecting the first remote user to the designated broadcast channel; and characterized by: disabling quality monitoring of the return signal from the first remote user for the designated broadcast channel, whereby a second remote user can connect to the designated broadcast channel while the first remote user is connected to the channel of designated dissemination. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disabling of the quality monitoring of the return signal is achieved by assigning diagnostic settings to the broadcast channel. P1095 / 00MX 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the disabling of quality monitoring of the return signal is achieved by assigning control channel characteristics to the broadcast channel. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further includes receiving a service request from the second remote user and connecting the second remote user with the designated broadcast channel at the same time as the first remote user. 5. A method for transmitting data to remote users in shared channels of a cellular communication system, the cellular communication system has a mobile switch, remote users, cells and a limited number of channels per cell, the method comprises the steps of: receive a service request from a broadcast; designate a broadcast channel in a cell for the broadcast service; activate the designated broadcast channel; and connect several remote users to the designated broadcast channel; and is characterized by: disabling quality monitoring of the return signal of each remote user connected to the designated broadcast channel. The method according to claim 5, wherein the disabling of the quality monitoring of the return signal is achieved by assigning settings of P1095 / 00MX diagnostics to the broadcast channel. The method according to claim 5, wherein the disabling of the quality monitoring of the return signal is achieved by assigning control channel characteristics to the broadcast channel. 8. A cellular communications system having a mobile switch, remote users, cells and a limited number of channels per cell, wherein the mobile switch comprises: a cell controller operatively connected to the cell to control access to the cells. channels in the cell, wherein the cell controller is configured to receive the broadcast service request, from a first remote user; designate a broadcast channel in a cell for the broadcast service; activate the designated broadcast channel; and connecting the first remote user to the designated broadcast channel; and is characterized by: the cell controller also disables quality monitoring of the return signal of the first remote user for the designated broadcast channel, whereby a second remote user can connect to the designated broadcast channel while the first user remote is connected to the designated broadcast channel. 9. The cellular communication system according to claim 8, wherein the controller of P1095 / 00MX the cell disables quality monitoring of the return signal by assigning diagnostic settings to the broadcast channel. 10. The cellular communication system according to claim 8, where the cell controller disables quality monitoring of the return signal by assigning control channel characteristics to the broadcast channel. The cellular communication system according to claim 8, wherein the cell controller, in response to receiving a service request, from the second remote user, connects the second remote user with the designated broadcast channel, same time as the first remote user. 12. A cellular communication system having a mobile switch, remote users, cells and a limited number of channels per cell, wherein the mobile switch comprises: a cell controller operatively connected to the cell to control access to the cells. channels in the cell, where the cell controller is configured to receive the service request from a diffuser; designate a broadcast channel in a cell for the broadcast service; activate the designated broadcast channel; and connect several remote users to the designated broadcast channel; and is characterized by: P1095 / 00MX the cell controller also disables quality monitoring of the return signal from remote users connected to the designated broadcast channel. The cellular communication system according to claim 12, wherein the cell controller disables quality monitoring of the return signal by assigning diagnostic settings to the broadcast channel. The cellular communication system according to claim 12, wherein the cell controller disables quality monitoring of the return signal by assigning control channel characteristics to the broadcast channel. P1095 / 00MX