System for rate control of multicast data delivery in a wireless network

A wireless terminal that supports a multicast service over a wireless channel in a wireless communications system, the wireless terminal comprising:

• a wireless interface;
• a memory;
• a processor that connects to the wireless interface in order to communicate over the wireless channel and that connects to the memory, the processor configured to perform the steps of:
• (a) sending a request that the wireless terminal wishes to join to at least one requested layer corresponding to a multicast group of the multicast service;
• and
• (b) sending bandwidth requirements for the at least one requested layer in response to step (a).

A method that provides transmission of a multicast session over a wireless channel in a wireless communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) receiving a request that a wireless terminal wishes to join to at least one requested layer of a multicast service;
• (b) receiving bandwidth requirements for the at least one requested layer;
• (c) sending the bandwidth requirements to a node in order to configure the multicast session;
• (d) receiving information about a number of layers that the wireless terminal can receive over the wireless channel;
• and
• (e) configuring a multicast stream in response to step (d), wherein transported data is transmitted over the wireless channel in order to support the multicast session.

A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to provide transmission of a multicast session over a wireless channel for a wireless communications system, the instructions performing the steps of:

• (a) receiving a request that a wireless terminal wishes to join to at least one requested layer of a multicast service;
• (b) receiving bandwidth requirements for the at least one requested layer;
• (c) sending the bandwidth requirements to a node in order to configure the multicast session;
• (d) receiving information about a number of layers that the wireless terminal can receive over the wireless channel;
• and
• (e) configuring a multicast stream for the multicast session in response to step (d), wherein multicast content transported by the multicast stream is transmitted over the wireless channel.

A method in a wireless terminal for displaying information about a multicast service supported by a wireless communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) displaying a list of multicast services and receiving a first selection from a user and;
• (b) receiving a second selection from the user and displaying a desired level of multicast service in response to step (a), wherein the desired level of service corresponds to a first multicast group address;
• and
• (c) displaying an actual level of multicast service, wherein the actual level corresponds to a number of layers that is currently supported over a wireless channel.

A computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling a computer system to provide transmission of a multicast session over a wireless channel in a wireless communications system for a wireless terminal, comprising instructions that perform the steps of:

• (a) sending a request that the wireless terminal wishes to join to at least one requested layer corresponding to a multicast group of a multicast service;
• (b) sending bandwidth requirements for the at least one requested layer;
• and
• (c) sending at least one signal to noise measurement corresponding to a received signal over the wireless channel.

An apparatus for supporting a multicast session, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of data ports;
• a routing module that directs packets through the plurality of data ports;
• and
• a processor configured to perform the steps of:
• (a) receiving a request that a wireless terminal wishes to join to at least one requested layer of a multicast service;
• (b) receiving bandwidth requirements for the at least one requested layer;
• (c) sending the bandwidth requirements in order to configure the multicast session;
• (d) receiving information about a number of layers that the wireless terminal can receive over the wireless channel;
• (e) configuring a multicast stream between a base station and a multicast content source through the routing module in accordance with the information about the number of layers that the wireless terminal can receive in response to step (d);
• (f) sending a pause request to an upstream router in order to disable forwarding packets, the packets being associated with a multicast group in response to step (e);
• and
• (g) sending a resume request to the upstream router in order to enable forwarding the packets in response to step (e).