Methods and apparatus for propagating data in a wireless cellular network
AssigneeTelefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
InventorsKeven Wang, Elena Fersman, Rafia Inam
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for the propagation of data over a network. Data packets are transmitted with identifiers (e.g. multicast addresses) for devices or groups of devices which are to receive the data. The data packets are further transmitted with propagation indicators, indicating the cells over which the data is to be propagated (or how widely the data is to be propagated from its source). Thus only those devices 10 which are both addressed by the data packets and within the cells identified by the propagation indicator receive the data.
Claims22
A method in a first wireless device of a wireless cellular network, the wireless cellular network comprising a plurality of cells, each cell served by a radio network node, the method comprising:
- obtaining data to be propagated over the wireless cellular network;
- and
- transmitting, to a radio network node serving a first cell in which the first wireless device is located, a wireless communication signal, the wireless communication signal comprising:
- the data to be propagated;
- a destination address for identifying a set of one or more wireless devices, the set of one or more wireless devices comprising a second wireless device, wherein the destination address is i) a unicast address for identifying the second wireless device or ii) a multicast address for identifying a group of wireless devices to which the second wireless device belongs;
- and
- a propagation indicator, separate from the destination address, specifying a set of one or more cells of the wireless cellular network in which the data may be propagated.
A first wireless device for a wireless cellular network, the first wireless device comprising:
- processor circuitry;
- and
- a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor circuitry and storing code which, when executed by the processor circuitry, causes the first wireless device to:
- obtain data to be propagated over the wireless cellular network;
- and
- transmit, to a radio network node serving a first cell in which the first wireless device is located, a wireless communication signal, the wireless communication signal comprising:
- the data to be propagated;
- a destination address for identifying a set of one or more wireless devices, the set of one or more wireless devices comprising a second wireless device, wherein the destination address is i) a unicast address for identifying the second wireless device or ii) a multicast address for identifying a group of wireless devices to which the second wireless device belongs;
- and
- a propagation indicator, separate from the destination address, specifying a set of one or more cells of the wireless cellular network in which the data may be propagated.
A method in a network node of a cellular wireless network, the method comprising:
- receiving a wireless communications signal transmitted by a first wireless device, the wireless communications signal comprising:
- data to be propagated,
- a destination address for identifying a set of one or more wireless devices, the set of one or more wireless devices comprising a second wireless device, wherein the destination address is i) a unicast address for identifying the second wireless device or ii) a multicast address for identifying a group of wireless devices to which the second wireless device belongs, and
- a propagation indicator, separate from the destination address, for specifying one or more cells of the wireless cellular network in which the data may be propagated;
- after receiving the wireless communication signal, determining that the second wireless device is served by a cell indicated by the propagation indicator;
- and
- as a result of determining that the second wireless device is served by a cell indicated by the propagation indicator, initiating propagation of the data to the second wireless device.
A network node for a wireless cellular network, the network node comprising:
- processor circuitry;
- and
- a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor circuitry and storing code which, when executed by the processor circuitry, causes the network node to:
- process a received wireless communications signal transmitted by a first wireless device, the wireless communications signal comprising:
- data to be propagated,
- a destination address for identifying a set of one or more wireless devices, the set of one or more wireless devices comprising a second wireless device, wherein the destination address is i) a unicast address for identifying the second wireless device or ii) a multicast address for identifying a group of wireless devices to which the second wireless device belongs, and
- a propagation indicator, separate from the destination address, for specifying one or more cells of the wireless cellular network in which the data may be propagated;
- determining that the second wireless device is served by a cell indicated by the propagation indicator;
- and
- as a result of determining that the second wireless device is served by a cell indicated by the propagation indicator, initiating propagation of the data to the second wireless device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.