US 9,807,573 B2Granted

Multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) utilizing spatial multiplexing

AssigneeApple Inc.

InventorsJianglei Ma, Aaron Callard, Ming Jia, Wen Tong, Peiying Zhu, Hang Zhang

Life of this patent

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Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed herein for an enhanced Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) in a wireless communications network. In one embodiment, a number of base stations in a MBMS zone, or broadcast region, accommodate both Spatial Multiplexing (SM) enabled user elements and non-SM enabled user elements. In another embodiment, a number of base stations form a MBMS zone, or broadcast region, where the MBMS zone is sub-divided into an SM zone and a non-SM zone. In another embodiment, the wireless communications network includes multiple MBMS zones. For each MBMS zone, base stations serving the MBMS zone transmit an MBMS zone identifier (ID) for the MBMS zone. The MBMS zone ID may be used by a user element for decoding and/or to determine when to perform a handoff from one MBMS zone to another.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A base station comprised in a wireless communications system providing Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) comprising:

wireless communication circuitry;
and
processing hardware coupled to the wireless communication circuitry, wherein the processing hardware and wireless communication circuitry are configured to:
transmit first signals identifying the base station as belonging to a first MBMS zone, wherein the first signals comprise:
first control signaling, wherein the first control signaling comprises a first MBMS zone ID, and wherein the first MBMS zone ID is used to determine at least services of the first MBMS zone;
first pilot symbols, wherein the first pilot symbols are modulated with a sequence based on the first MBMS zone ID;
transmit second signals identifying the base station as belonging to a second MBMS zone, wherein the second signals comprise:
second control signaling, wherein the second control signaling comprises a second MBMS zone ID, and wherein the second MBMS zone ID is used to determine at least services of the second MBMS zone;
second pilot symbols, wherein the second pilot symbols are modulated with a sequence based on the second MBMS zone ID.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/944,343Filed 17 Jul 2013 · continuation
Priority: 21 Mar 2008
Published: US 2013/0301513 A114 Nov 2013
Granted: 31 Oct 2017
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

H04W 4/06
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia…
H04B 7/0697
At the transmitting station: using spatial multiplexing
H04L 5/0048
Arrangements for allocating sub-channels of the transmission path: allocation of pilot signals, i.e. of signals known to the receiver
H04L 5/0082
Timing of allocation: at predetermined intervals

Family

Application61/038,506Us provisional application · filed 21 Mar 2008
PCT/IB2009/000567Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Mar 2009
US 2013/0301513 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Nov 2013
Application12/933,740Parent of this continuation
US 2011/0019605 A1Published application
US 9,801,028 B2Related patent
US 9,807,573 B2This patent

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