US 8,477,595 B2Granted

Method and device for synchronization in wireless networks

AssigneeSparkmotion Inc.

InventorsLeonid Shousterman, Oleg Matinchenko, Mark Altshuler, Nadav Lavi

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Abstract

A method and device are provided for synchronizing data transmission of multicasting/broadcasting services (MBS) by a plurality of Base Stations. The method disclosed includes providing synchronization information to enable the plurality of Base Stations to start transmitting MBS data at a synchronized starting time point. Meanwhile, each of the Base Stations receives the MBS data to be transmitted and determines whether any of the MBS data has not been properly received. If so, the respective Base Station may initiate a process to recover the missing MBS data and/or to obtain information regarding the missing data to determine the duration of the time period that would have been required for transmitting the missing MBS. If the missing data has not been timely recovered, the respective Base Station determines a starting point and the duration of a silence period based on the information obtained, and refrains from transmitting signals along a communication channel allocated for transmission of MBS data, during that silence period.

Claims14

Dependent claims

In a wireless communications network comprising a plurality of Base Stations each operative to provide multicasting/broadcasting services (MBS) to mobile subscribers, a method for synchronizing the transmission of MBS data by said plurality of Base Stations comprising the steps of:

(i) providing synchronization information to enable said plurality of Base Stations to start transmitting MBS data at a synchronized starting time point;
at each of said plurality of Base Stations:
(ii) receiving MBS data to be transmitted by said plurality of Base Stations;
(iii) determining whether any of the MBS data has not been properly received, and upon determining the existence of such faulty MBS data, initiating by the respective one or more Base Stations a process to recover said faulty MBS data and/or to obtain information regarding time and/or frequency resources that would have been required for transmitting the faulty MBS data;
(iv) for any of the respective one or more Base Stations that has not recovered such faulty MBS data, determining a starting point of a silence period which would precede the last data that has been properly received at the respective Base Station and the duration of said silence period based on the information obtained by said respective Base Station;
(v) transmitting available MBS data, starting at the synchronized starting time point, and wherein each of said respective one or more Base Stations that has not recovered the faulty MBS data shall refrain during said silence period from transmitting signals along a communication channel allocated for transmission of MBS data.

3 more elements

A base station adapted to provide multicasting/broadcasting services (MBS) to mobile subscribers in a wireless communications network, said wireless communications network comprising a plurality of base stations each operative to provide MBS to mobile subscribers, wherein said base station comprising:

a transceiver adapted to:
(i) receive synchronization information to enable said base station to start transmitting MBS data at a synchronized starting time point;
(ii) receive MBS data to be transmitted by said plurality of base stations;
a processor operative to:
(i) determine whether any of the MBS data has not been properly received, and upon determining the existence of such faulty MBS data, initiating a process to recover said faulty MBS data and/or to obtain information regarding time and/or frequency resources that would have been required for transmitting the faulty MBS data;
(ii) in case that said faulty MBS data has not been recovered, to determine a starting point of a silence period which would precede the last data that has been properly received and the duration of said silence period based on the information received by said transceiver;
and wherein said transceiver is further operative to transmit available MBS data, starting at the synchronized starting time point and for the duration of a pre-determined time interval, and wherein in case the faulty MBS data has not recovered, to refrain from transmitting signals along a communication channel allocated for transmission of MBS data during said silence period.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/013,681Filed 25 Jan 2011 · continuation
Priority: 2 Aug 2007
Published: US 2011/0116379 A119 May 2011
Granted: 2 Jul 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H04L 49/55
Packet switching elements: prevention, detection or correction of errors
H04L 12/189
For broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast: in combination with wireless systems
H04L 47/2483
Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS: involving identification of individual flows
H04W 4/50
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: service provisioning or reconfiguring

Family

Application11/833,065Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Aug 2007
US 2011/0116379 A1Pre-grant publication · published 19 May 2011
US 7,903,540 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2009/0034459 A1Published application
US 8,477,595 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.