Discovering multicast routing capability of an access network
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorsEric J. Overtoom, Priya Rajagopal
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Whether an access network supports multicast-based IPTV services from an IPTV service provider is determined. A tone signal encoded with information for the IPTV service provider is used by a terminal to determine whether an access network supports multicast-based IPTV services. The tone signal is also used to determine whether collisions with other IPTV service providers on the access network is probable. Alternatively, a registration request including information for the access network is sent from the terminal to the IPTV service provider. The IPTV service provider uses information in the registration request to determine whether the access network supports multicast-based IPTV services.
Claims20
A method of determining whether an access network supports multicast-based IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) services from an IPTV service provider, the method comprising:
- a terminal sending a request to join a known multicast IP address for the IPTV service provider via the access network to a router, wherein the known multicast IP address is specific to the IPTV service provider;
- receiving a tone signal via the access network, wherein the tone signal is multicasted using the multicast IP address from the IPTV service provider;
- determining whether the tone signal is encoded with a unique identifier of the IPTV service provider;
- and
- determining the access network supports the multicast-based IPTV services from the IPTV service provider in response to determining the tone signal is encoded with a unique identifier of the IPTV service provider.
A method of determining whether an access network supports multicast-based IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) services from an IPTV service provider, the method comprising:
- receiving a registration request from a terminal at an IPTV service provider via the access network, wherein the registration request includes information of the access network;
- determining whether the access network is a known access network to the IPTV service provider based on the information of the access network;
- and
- determining whether the access network supports multicast delivery mode for delivering multicast-based IPTV services from the IPTV service provider based on the information.
A terminal device configured to communicate with an IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) service provider via an access network, the terminal device comprising:
- an interface configured to wirelessly send a request to join a known multicast IP address for the IPTV service provider to a router via the access network and is configured to wirelessly receive a tone signal from the IPTV service provider via the access network after joining the known multicast IP address,
- wherein the tone signal is multicasted using the multicast IP address from the IPTV service provider, and the tone signal is encoded with a unique identifier of the IPTV service provider;
- and
- a processor configured to decode the tone signal for determining whether the tone signal is encoded with the unique identifier of the IPTV service provider,
- wherein the processor is further configured to determine the access network supports IPTV-based multicasting from the IPTV service provider in response to the tone signal being encoded with the unique identifier of the IPTV service provider.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.