Multicast data communication method and communication system

A multicast data wireless communication system for transmitting multicast data by using a plurality of frequency bands, comprising:

• a gateway device configured to deliver the multicast data from a contents management server that manages the multicast data to a plurality of base stations, to include a multiple description coder that performs coding of the multicast data by partitioning the multicast data into a plurality of pieces of multiple description code data, and to deliver the plurality of multiple description code data to the plurality of base stations;
• a plurality of base stations each including a processor configured to arbitrarily set a plurality of transmission carrier frequencies for transmitting the plurality of pieces of multiple description code data, and each configured to concurrently transmit the plurality of pieces of multiple description code data delivered from the gateway device by using the plurality of transmission carrier frequencies set by the processor;
• and
• a terminal configured to receive, from one of the plurality of base stations, any one or more of the plurality of pieces of multiple description code data transmitted by using the plurality of transmission carrier frequencies, and to reproduce the multicast data by decoding the received multiple description code data.

A terminal for receiving multicast data transmitted by using a plurality of frequency bands, comprising:

• a receiver configured to simultaneously receive a plurality of transmission signals transmitted from a base station by using a plurality of transmission carrier frequencies, and to extract a plurality of pieces of multiple description code data from the plurality of transmission signals;
• a controller configured to decide a number of pieces of the multiple description code data used for decoding based on an error rate of the plurality of pieces of multiple description code data extracted by the receiver;
• and
• a multiple description decoder configured to select the multiple description code data by the number of pieces, which is decided by the controller, among the plurality of pieces of multiple description code data extracted by the receiver, and to decode the multicast data based on the selected multiple description code data.