# US 8,149,793 B2 · Allocation of access slots to mobile stations in order to count the number of stations interested in a MBMS (multimedia broadcast/multicast service) > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,149,793 B2 - Document ID: US8149793B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/599,858 - Filed: 2005-04-13 - Published: 2008-10-30 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2004-04-15 - Assignees: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.; Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Matthew P. J. Baker; Olivier J. M. Hus; Timothy J. Moulsley - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8149793B2 ## CPC - H04H 20/72: of terrestrial networks - H04H 60/31: Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services - H04H 60/61: Arrangements for services using the result of monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54 - H04L 12/189: {in combination with wireless systems (selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06)} - H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services - H04W 36/0007: {for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS (multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40)} - H04W 72/30: Resource management for broadcast services - H04H 2201/70: characterised in that receivers can be addressed - H04L 12/185: {with management of multicast group membership} - H04W 36/16: Performing reselection for specific purposes - H04W 72/0446: Resources in time domain, e.g. slots or frames - H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A method of operating a radio network, such as UMTS or cdma2000, which comprises at least one primary station (PS), i.e. and access point or bare station, and a plurality of secondary stations (SSI, SS2, SS3), i.e. mobile stations. The primary station determines the level of interest of the users of the secondary stations in a particular service, such as Multimedia Broadcasting and Multicast Services (MBMS), by allocating a respective plurality of access slots in which the secondary stations can transmit an indication of its interest. The primary station receives the indications of interest to and estimates the level of interest from the number of transmitted indications, for example whether or not they exceed a threshold value. Depending on the result of the estimation process the primary station selects a particular one of at least two transmission modes for transmitting the service. According to said “approximation counting” of users interested in an MBMS service, the primary station selects a certain transmission mode for the implementation of the service (i.e. a point-to-point or a point-to-multipoint basis). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a radio network, the method comprising: providing a primary station (PS) and a plurality of secondary stations (SS1, SS2, SS3), determining, via the primary station, an estimated level of interest by users of secondary stations in a service by providing a plurality of random access slots that are selectively configured for permitting a temporary or permanent allocation of a portion of the plurality of random access slots based on the estimated level of interest of the users of the secondary stations, and indicating, via a secondary station of the plurality of secondary stations, the estimated level of interest by transmitting a predetermined signal in a preselected one of the plurality of random access slots, the estimated level of interest based on at least a threshold value; wherein each access slot of the plurality of random access slots includes a combination of one time slot and one signature, and wherein the primary station maps each of the plurality of random access slots to a different service such that all the secondary stations interested in one service transmit using one of the plurality of random access slots, and in that each combination of one time slot and one signature is contained in not more than one of the plurality of random access slots. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary station computes the estimated level of interest from at least a number of transmitted indications and selects a transmission mode of the service in dependence on whether the estimated level of interest is relatively high or relatively low. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission mode for the relatively high level of interest is point-to-multipoint. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transmission mode for the relatively low level of interest is point-to-point. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the primary station sets the threshold value for determining the transmission mode of the service and, when the number of transmitted indications exceeds the threshold value, the transmission mode for the relatively high level of interest is operated. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of random access slots uses the same signature and in that each random access slot in the plurality of random access slots uses a different time slot. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of random access slots uses the same time slot and in that each random access slot in the plurality of random access slots uses a different signature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the level of interest is transmitted as spread spectrum signals and a number of indications is estimated by estimating a number of correlation peaks in a given random access time slot. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the level of interest is transmitted as spread spectrum signals and a number of indications is estimated by estimating a received energy in a given random access slot. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary stations are allocated to a respective one of two or more pluralities of access slots and in that a secondary station of the plurality of secondary stations desiring to transmit an indication of interest, transmits in its allocated plurality of random access slots. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein when an estimated level of interest exceeds a predetermined level of interest, the primary station instructs the plurality of secondary stations waiting to transmit in their allocated access slot not to transmit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a secondary station of the plurality of secondary stations indicating an interest in the service also indicates a quality level for receiving the service. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the primary station transmits a higher quality level of service in a mode different from the transmission of a lower quality level of service. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, the primary station transmits a basic data stream as a point-to-multipoint transmission and a supplementary data stream for enhancing a quality of the basic data stream as a point-to-point transmission. ### Claim 15 A radio network comprising: a primary station (PS) and a plurality of secondary stations (SS1, SS2, SS3), wherein the primary station (PS) includes means for determining an estimated level of interest by users of secondary stations in a service, the means providing a plurality of random access slots that are selectively configured for permitting a temporary or permanent allocation of a portion of the plurality of random access slots based on the estimated level of interest of the users of the secondary stations, wherein a secondary station of the plurality of secondary stations indicates the estimated level of interest by transmitting a predetermined signal in a preselected one of the plurality of random access slots, the estimated level of interest based on at least a threshold value; and wherein each access slot includes a combination of one time slot and one signature, wherein the primary station (PS) comprises means for mapping each of the plurality of random access slots to a different service such that all the secondary stations interested in one service transmit using one of the plurality of random access slots, and wherein each combination of one time slot and one signature is contained in not more than one of the plurality of random access slots. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The radio network as claimed in claim 15, further comprising estimating means for computing the estimated level of interest from at least a number of transmitted indications and mode selection means for selecting a transmission mode of the service in dependence on whether the estimated level of interest is relatively high or relatively low. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The radio network as claimed in claim 15, further comprising spread spectrum transceiving means and wherein an estimating means is adapted to estimate the level of interest by estimating a number of correlation peaks in a respective random access slot. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The radio network as claimed in claim 15, further comprising spread spectrum transceiving means and wherein an estimating means is adapted to estimate the level of interest by estimating a received energy in a respective random access slot. ### Claim 19 A primary station for use in a radio network comprising: at least one primary station (PS) and a plurality of secondary stations (SS1, SS2, SS3), wherein the primary station (PS) includes means for determining an estimated level of interest by users of secondary stations in a service, the means providing a plurality of random access slots that are selectively configured for permitting a temporary or permanent allocation of a portion of the plurality of random access slots based on the estimated level of interest of the users of the secondary stations, wherein a secondary station of the plurality of secondary stations indicates the estimated level of interest by transmitting a predetermined signal in a preselected one of the plurality of random access slots, the estimated level of interest based on at least a threshold value; and wherein each access slot of the plurality of random access slots includes a combination of one time slot and one signature, and wherein the at least one primary station maps each of the plurality of random access slots to a different service such that the plurality of secondary stations interested in one service transmit using one of the plurality of random access slots, and in that each combination of one time slot and one signature is contained in not more than one of the plurality of random access slots. ### Claim 20 A secondary station for use in a radio network comprising: a primary station (PS) and a plurality of the secondary stations (SS1, SS2, SS3), wherein the primary station (PS) includes means for determining an estimated level of interest by users of secondary stations in a service, the means providing a plurality of random access slots that are selectively configured for permitting a temporary or permanent allocation of a portion of the plurality of random access slots based on the estimated level of interest of the users of the secondary stations, wherein a secondary station of the plurality of secondary stations indicates the estimated level of interest by transmitting a predetermined signal in a preselected one of the plurality of random access slots, the estimated level of interest based on at least a threshold value; and wherein each access slot of the plurality of random access slots includes a combination of one time slot and one signature, and wherein the primary station maps each of the plurality of random access slots to a different service such that all the secondary stations interested in one service transmit using one of the plurality of random access slots, and in that each combination of one time slot and one signature is contained in not more than one of the plurality of random access slots.