WO2009012611A1

WO2009012611A1 - Method and apparatus for internet protocol television transmission

Info

Publication number: WO2009012611A1
Application number: PCT/CN2007/002216
Authority: WO
Inventors: Haibo Wen; Jun Zheng
Original assignee: Alcatel Shanghai Bell Co., Ltd.; Alcatel Lucent
Priority date: 2007-07-20
Filing date: 2007-07-20
Publication date: 2009-01-29

Abstract

A Internet Protocol TV transmitting method in MiMAX network is provided, which includes: determining most popular channel and non-popular channel dynamically according to current system statistical information; transmitting the determined most popular channel using multi-base-station multicast broadcasting service technique in the multicast broadcasting service zone, i.e. transmitting the determined most popular channel from access-service-network gateway through corresponding base station in the multicast broadcasting service zone of the base station; and transmitting the determined non-popular channel using single-base-station multicast broadcasting service technique, i.e. transmitting the determined non-popular channel from the access-service-network gateway through the corresponding base station to the mobile station requesting the non-popular TV channel. Furthermore, an Internet Protocol TV broadcasting apparatus using the method aforesaid is provided.

Description

Internet Protocol Television Propagation Method and Apparatus

The present invention relates to the field of wireless communications, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for transmitting Internet Protocol television in a WiMAX (World Interoperabi ty for Microwave Acces s) network for use in WiMAX. IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) is implemented in the network. Background technique

802.16e has defined two types of multicast broadcast services (Mul t icas t Broadcas t Service, MBS) access methods: single base station access and multiple base station access (the corresponding technology is called s ingle-BS-MBS and mul t i- BS- MBS ). Single base station access is achieved by a multicast broadcast transmission connection within a base station, and multiple base station access is achieved by synchronously transmitting the same multicast broadcast data over multiple base stations. For multi-base station MBS, all base stations in the multicast broadcast area are synchronized with each other to transmit common multicast/broadcast data, using the same MCID (Multicast Connection Identifier), and when the MS/SS (mobile station/service station) is at When moving in the MBS area, the multicast broadcast service can be received using the same connection parameters and the like without any handover for the service. The NWG MBS team in the WiMAX Forum is currently discussing the MBS architecture based on multi-base station MBS.

The mobile streaming media service currently mainly uses 2. 5G or 3G mobile networks to provide audio and video streaming services for mobile terminals. Standardization organizations such as 3GPP have long been engaged in the application research of mobile streaming media, and have developed corresponding standards. Currently, the PSS (Packet Switched Streaming Service) streaming media service model suitable for unicast mode and the MBMS (Multicast Broadcast Multimedia Service) model of multicast/broadcast mode are mainly defined in the 3GPP architecture. 3GPP first proposed the PSS standard unicast mode streaming media service model in Release 4. In this model, the terminal establishes a streaming media session through RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) signaling, and carries media data through the RTP protocol. 3GPP Release 6 began to develop a streaming media service model in multicast/broadcast (MBMS) mode, and the standards for multicast/broadcasting are still being improved.

The streaming media service over the WiMAX network can be combined with the existing mobile streaming media network model. The following two ffiMAX-based streaming media service models for unicast and multicast/broadcast modes are discussed separately.

Unicast streaming service

Network model The unicast streaming service can use a model similar to the 3GPP PSS architecture to combine the WiMAX network with the functional entities of the PSS model. The WiMAX end-to-end mobile streaming media system mainly includes: a streaming media terminal, a mobile access network, an IP core network, a content buffer server, a streaming media content server, and a user information server providing auxiliary functions (managing user-specific service information, Terminal device capabilities, etc.), portal server, DRM (Digital Rights Management) server, etc. The WiMAX access network includes network entities such as a BS (Base Station) and an ASN-GW (Access Service Network Gateway). The IP core network also includes a home agent HA (Home Agent) network element in the mobile IP to support mobility management between ASN-GWs, and the ASN-GW completes the function of the foreign agent FA (Foreign Agent) in the mobile IP.

Service establishment and release

Real-time streaming media services require a certain quality of service guarantee. It is necessary to establish corresponding bearer resources in the WiMAX network during the session establishment process. The IEEE 802.16d and 802.16e standards define the QoS mechanism of the WiMAX air interface. Different service bearers can be identified by a set of service flow parameters, and the service flow refers to the data flow carried by the MAC layer identified by a set of QoS parameters. For real-time streaming media services, it is suitable for carrying on r tPS (real-time polling service) type service flows. r tPS is suitable for real-time variable rate services and can provide rate and delay guarantee.

The establishment of a radio bearer in a WiMAX network can be divided into two modes: a terminal initiating and a network initiating. In a terminal-initiated manner, a service flow is initiated through a DSA (Dynamic Service Addition) process, and the access network is triggered to establish a corresponding QoS bearer. In the manner initiated by the network side, the core network application layer initiates QoS negotiation, sends a message to the access network, and requests to establish a bearer resource. As the method initiated by the terminal requires an interface between the terminal application layer and the MAC layer, and the network side initiates the mode, the media server needs to trigger the access network to initiate resource establishment according to the received RTSP message, but the current network side standard Not yet formulated. However, since the method initiated by the network side does not require special support from the terminal, it is currently adopted by most manufacturers as a way to dynamically establish QoS bearers. Usually QoS authorization protocols such as C0PS or DIAMETER defined in the IETF can be used for QoS negotiation between the access network and the application network, but the manufacturer will have some differences in the implementation of the C0PS or DIAMETER protocol.

Mobility Management +

WiMAX technology supports mobility, allowing users to stream media during the mobile process. When the user moves, it will cause the access point BS to switch. User mobility can be divided into two categories: ASN-GW (Int ra-ASN-GW) and ASN-GW (Inter-ASN-GW). For the handover of Inter-ASN-G, the user plane tunnel of the HA to the original ASN-GW needs to be switched to the new ASN-GW through the mobile IP protocol. In order to reduce the impact of handover on service delay and packet loss, and reduce complex signaling exchange, in the process of real-time streaming media service, only The switching of the Intra-ASN-GW avoids the impact of the Inter-ASN-GW handover on the service. The mobile terminal switches to the new ASN-GW only after the real-time service ends. The user moves to the new BS, and the radio resources of the air interface need to be re-established.

During the handover process, the end user's wireless connection has a brief interruption. In a simple moving scenario (moving rate greater than 60 km / h, less than 120 km / h), for switching between BSs, the wireless connection is interrupted for approximately 110 to 160 milliseconds. To reduce packet loss during the handover process, the end user can notify the media server to reduce the transmission rate before the handover is started. After the handover is completed, the media server is notified to increase the transmission rate.

Multicast/broadcast streaming service

Network model

In WiMAX, the multicast/broadcast service is often referred to as MBS. The streaming media service in the MBS mode is different from the unicast mode. It does not need to establish a dedicated bearer resource for each user. Each user accesses the service through a public bearer. The way the service is established is different, and end-to-end application layer signaling (RTSP) in unicast mode is not required.

In a WiMAX access network, MBS services are carried over a public wireless connection. 802.16e defines two MBS access modes: single BS access and multiple BS access. In the single BS mode, multicast/broadcast is performed independently in each BS, the wireless connection CID (connection identifier) carrying the MBS data, and the security association parameter SA (security association) corresponding to the connection are in the BS for all users. the same. In the multiple BS mode, a group of BSs form an MBS zone. In the same MBS zone, each BS synchronously transmits multicast/broadcast data, and carries MBS data with the same CID and SA. The user terminal acquires information of the MBS area from the broadcast information of the BS. A BS can belong to multiple MBS zones at the same time.

In the multi-BS mode, in order to improve the reception performance, macro diversity can be adopted. This method requires that the same frequency, symbol, subchannel, and modulation mode transmit the same data synchronously by the BSs in the same MBS zone at the same time, which enables the user terminal to simultaneously receive MBS data from multiple BSs, thereby improving reception reliability. Sex and reception quality. The implementation of macro diversity transmission between BSs requires a centralized scheduling of the MBS server. The specification does not give the location of the server, which is left to the manufacturer to decide based on the specific implementation.

To support MBS services, the WiMAX access network needs to provide multicast/broadcast proxy functions. The proxy function can be located in the ASN-, maintains a list of users in each multicast/broadcast group, and is responsible for forwarding multicast/broadcast to users. data.

Service establishment and release

For multicast/broadcast services, users can obtain media types and methods through HTTP, cell broadcast, and the like. Service-related information such as bandwidth, service start time, and multicast address. In addition, a certain signaling exchange process between the WiMAX access network and the multicast/broadcast server is required to control the playback process of the media. However, the current standard does not define this interface between the access network and the server.

For multicast/broadcast services, users are allowed to join at any time after the service starts. For the multicast service, the following procedure can be used to establish the service bearer: When the user is ready to start receiving the multicast service, the user is first notified to join the specific multicast service identified by the multicast address. The user can notify the ASN-GW through IGMP signaling, and the ASN-GW notifies the BS to establish a multicast service flow corresponding to the requested service according to the multicast address requested by the user. The BS notifies the user of the wireless connection identifier carrying the multicast service, the security parameter, the identifier of the MBS zone (for the multi-BS mode), and the QoS parameters through the DSA process. After the DSA process ends, the user terminal can obtain information such as the time when the multicast data starts from the MBS-MAP broadcast message by listening to the broadcast channel, and receive the data on the multicast bearer at the corresponding time. After the session ends, the user still informs the ASN-GW through IGMP signaling and requests to exit the multicast service. The ASN-GW is responsible for updating the relevant MBS context. For broadcast services, the WiMAX access network can establish a corresponding radio bearer at the beginning of the multicast/broadcast service. The user obtains the service flow information related to the broadcast service through the DSA process when needed. Similarly, the user terminal receives data on the corresponding broadcast bearer according to the time specified by the MBS-MAP message.

Mobility management

The MBS service also supports user mobility. For the multi-BS mode, when the MS moves in the same MBS area, it switches to the new BS, and does not need to re-establish the MBS service flow, that is, the process of moving in the same MBS area is transparent to the user and the network. Only when the user moves to the new MBS zone, the MBS service flow needs to be re-established to obtain the CID and SA used by the new MBS zone. At the same time, it is necessary to notify the network side user of the change of the MBS area to update the MBS context of the user on the network side. The mobile subscriber can obtain the identity of the MBS zone from the broadcast information of the BS.

WiMAX can provide enough bandwidth for streaming media services, and streaming media services will become an effective means of promoting WiMAX technology. In the early stage of WiMAX network operation, under the condition of small amount of users, the unicast method can basically meet the operational needs of streaming media services. However, from a long-term perspective, after the increase in the number of users, the MBS method can save network resources and increase the capacity of the system. However, it is necessary to further improve the existing network architecture and standards to meet the needs of the MBS service.

WiMAX technology provides a flexible QoS mechanism that enables easy deployment of multiple IP multimedia services through effective integration with existing network technologies. At present, the network standard of WiMAX is still not perfect, which poses certain difficulties for interconnection. The WiMAX standards organization is working on this aspect. With the continuous improvement of standards, WiMAX application technology will be favored by users and widely used. I PTV services have attracted more and more attention from operators, and have been deployed in large numbers in fixed access networks. However, how to effectively deploy IPTV services in WiMAX networks using MBS technology is still a concern of the industry.

In WiMAX networks, operators are not likely to broadcast all TV channels in the air, given the network capacity (especially air interface resources) and efficiency. The current solution is to implement multiple "mos t popular" TV channels using multi-base station MBS technology and to implement other non-popular TV channels using unicast technology (ie, "long ta il" TV Channel) and video on demand (VoD).

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an IPTV architecture in an existing WiMAX network.

The TV channel and the video server 1 are located in the CSN (Connected Service Network) network 2 in the WiMAX system, and the ASN (Access Service Network) network 3 is connected to the CSN network 2 through the ASN-GW (Access Service Network Gateway) 4, in the figure Three ASN-GWs 4-1 to 4-3 are shown, hereinafter collectively referred to as ASN-GW 4. In the CSN network 3, the popular television channel is pushed to all ASN-GWs 4 using multicast technology; in the MBS area 5, these channels are synchronized by the base stations BS1, BS2 and BS3 through the same multicast connection identifier (MCID). Broadcast on the air link. The non-hot channel is sent to the ASN-GW 4-1 with the demand by unicast, and then sent to the base station BS 3 with the demand, and the base station BS3 sends the unicast to the specific mobile station (the mobile station pair) The network raised the need to watch this channel).

The specific architecture of the WiMAX network can be found in the documentation of the standardization organization WiMAX Forum (ie ^' ΧΓ Forum Network Architectural (Stage 2: Archi tecture Tenets, Reference Model and Reference Poin ts) Release 1. 0. 0, March 2007 28th;).

However, current solutions have the following disadvantages:

(1) "Popular" TV channels are pre-defined, and these TV channels are broadcast in this MBS area, regardless of whether there is a recipient. However, in the actual IPTV system, the "hot" TV channels are dynamically changing. For example, the first week's popular channel was watched by only a few people during the second week; or for the "hot" TV channels that were the hottest in the evening, only a handful of MS/SS were received during business hours. In fact, in this case, these resources can be used to pass other services. The method of pre-defining "hot" TV channels does not accommodate dynamically changing user needs and can waste a lot of resources.

(2) How do you determine which TV channels are "hot" TV channels? The current solution does not suggest any effective means of solving this problem. "Popular" TV channels change over time. A solution is needed to dynamically set up "hot" TV channels and dynamically determine which channels to broadcast with multi-base station MBS technology.

(3) Pass the "long tail" TV channel to the ASN-GW and MS/SS through unicast technology. What should be done when there are more MS/SSs in the same base station to join the same "long tail" TV channel? Multicast technology is more suitable Handle such a situation. Summary of the invention

In response to the above problems, the present invention proposes an effective IPTV solution that can dynamically control and manage "hot" television channels throughout the system (eg, determine "hot" television channels and pass them through multiple base stations MBS , and when any TV channel is changed from a "hot" TV channel to a "long tail" TV channel, the transmission technology is changed to broadcast the channel using a single-base station multicast broadcast service technology, and other on-demand "long tails are transmitted through a single base station MBS". " TV channel. According to a first aspect of the present invention, an Internet protocol television propagation method is provided, including: dynamically determining a popular television channel and a non-hot television channel according to current system statistical information; and using a plurality of base stations in the multicast broadcast service region a multicast broadcast service technology that propagates the determined popular television channel, that is, the determined popular television channel is broadcasted from the access service network gateway through the corresponding base station in its multicast broadcast service area; and utilizes single base station multicast broadcast service technology And transmitting the determined non-hot TV channel, that is, the determined non-hot TV channel is transmitted from the access service network gateway to the mobile station that needs the non-popular TV channel via the corresponding base station.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, an Internet Protocol television propagation apparatus is provided, including: a popular television channel dynamic determining unit, configured to dynamically determine a popular television channel according to current system statistical information received from a base station communication unit And a non-hot TV channel; and a base station communication unit, configured to perform two-way communication with each base station in the multicast broadcast service area, receive current system statistics, and notify the base station: in the multicast broadcast service area, utilize multiple a base station multicast broadcast service technology for propagating the determined popular television channel, that is, the determined popular television channel is broadcasted from the access service network gateway in the multicast broadcast service area via the corresponding base station; and utilizing the single base station multicast broadcast service The technology transmits the determined non-hot TV channel, ie, the determined non-hot TV channel is transmitted from the access service network gateway via the corresponding base station to the mobile station that needs the non-popular TV channel. In the present invention, in addition to the VoD program, all television channels (including "hot" television channels and "long tail" television channels) are delivered via layer 3 IP multicast technology. MS/SS joins any TV channel through a multicast member management protocol (ie IGMP (for IPv4 network environment) / MLD (for IPv6 network environment)).

In the present invention, the MBS controller is located at the ASN-GW, and the ASN network is defined as an MBS area (through Excessive base station MBS technology, broadcasting these "hot" TV channels in this MBS area); if at least one MS/SS is interested in one of the "long tail" TV channels, the base station passes the single base station MBS technology, The "long tail" TV channel is multicast.

In the present invention, the MBS control has at least the following functions: (1) controlling and managing the multi-base station MBS; (2) recording the statistical information of each channel or the corresponding multicast address (ie, the MS/SS interested in the channel) The number, and the number of base stations interested in this channel); (3) calculating which channels are "hot" TV channels; and (4) notifying the base station to adjust the most appropriate transmission technology to multicast the corresponding channel (ie , multi-base station MBS technology or single base station MBS technology).

In the present invention, an effective mechanism for determining a "hot" television channel is defined, which considers three factors: (1) the number of MS/SSs that are receiving certain channels; (2) the distribution of these MS/SSs. ; and (3) The number of popular channels that the system can accommodate. Then, based on the newly determined "hot" TV channel, the MBS controller dynamically adjusts which channels are to be passed to the MS/SS via the multi-base station MBS technology and which channels are passed to the MS/SS via the single base station MBS technology. The IPTV solution proposed by the present invention has the following features:

(1) Using IP multicast (IP mul t icas t) technology to deliver all TV channels (including "hot" video channels and "long tail" TV channels), and only VoD programs are delivered via unicast technology;

(2) Dynamically determining "hot" considering current receiving information (for example, the number of recipients per channel per base station, the number of base stations receiving this channel, the number of multi-base station MBS connections that can be deployed in the MBS area) "Electric channel, and these "hot" TV channels are broadcast by the base station with the corresponding MCID;

(3) Using the single base station MBS technology to transmit the "long tail" TV channel on demand;

(4) A channel can be a "hot" TV channel at some point, and a "long tail" TV channel at other times; the MBS controller will control and indicate the corresponding according to the current "hot" TV channel. Variety. In the present invention, all television channels are transmitted through IP multicast technology. The present invention is capable of dynamically determining "hot" television channels and controlling/adjusting the channels delivered to the MS/SS in a more efficient manner (multi-base station MBS connection or single base station MBS connection).

The invention realizes the following advantages: Dynamically adjusting the transmission technology of the channel, and transmitting the TV channel in a more efficient manner on the WiMAX network; when the actual number of "hot" TV channels can be smaller than that in the system When the number of channels connected to the multi-base station MBS is connected, the system can dynamically adjust and better utilize the resources reserved for these "hot" TV channels; because of saving a lot of resources, it can provide better quality of service for other services (QoS) At the same time, more value-added services can also be provided. The system provided by the present invention is better able to utilize network resources to provide more services due to the elimination of unnecessary resource waste. DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the I PTV architecture in an existing WiMAX network.

Figure 2 is a flow chart showing the processing when a request for an SS/MS to join a channel is received.

Figure 3 is a flow chart showing the initialization operation of the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention.

4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention when an MS/SS requests to join a certain television channel.

Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention when the MS/SS requests to leave a certain television channel.

Figure 6 is a flow chart showing a "hot" television channel determining operation performed by the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the "hot" television channel dynamic adjustment operation performed by the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the structure of an MBS controller in accordance with the present invention. detailed description

The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and the details and functions that are not necessary for the present invention are omitted in the description to avoid confusion of the understanding of the present invention. Hereinafter, the technical solution proposed by the present invention will be described in detail for a television channel other than VoD. - MBS controller

The MBS controller is responsible for controlling and managing the MBS service for the IPTV channel in the MBS area, which is located at the ASN-. It has at least the following features:

(1) For each channel, record (i) the number of MS/SSs that are receiving this channel; (ii) have The number of base stations of at least one MS/SS that is receiving the channel. These counts are based on multicast member messages from the MS/SS (ie I GMP/MLD messages);

(2) determining a "hot" television channel in accordance with the determination mechanism proposed by the present invention;

(3) Dynamically instructing the base station to deliver the television channel through an appropriate technique (i.e., multi-base station MBS technology or single base station MBS technology).

Specifically, Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing the structure of an MBS controller according to the present invention.

The MBS controller 100 according to the present invention includes: a base station communication unit 101, a determination unit 102, a dynamic adjustment unit 103, a processing and determination unit 104, and a video server communication unit 105.

The base station communication unit 101 is configured to communicate with the BS, receive the join/leave request from the MS/SS forwarded by the BS, and obtain various statistical information required to determine the "hot" television channel.

The determining unit 102 is configured to perform a "hot" TV channel determining operation by using various statistical information of the base station communication unit 101 according to an instruction from the processing and determining unit 104, and notify the processing and determining unit 104 of the determination result.

The dynamic adjustment unit 1 03 is configured to dynamically adjust the "hot" electric video channel according to the instruction from the processing and determining unit 104, and notify the base station of the dynamic adjustment result by the base station communication unit 101.

The processing and determining unit 104 is configured to control operations of various components of the MBS controller 100, according to the join/leave request from the MS/SS forwarded by the BS received from the base station communication unit 101, or at fixed time intervals The trigger determination unit 101 determines the "hot" television channel in the current system; when it is determined that the "hot" television channel needs to be adjusted, the dynamic adjustment unit 103 is instructed to perform a "hot" television channel dynamic adjustment operation; When the video server requests the television channel, the video server communication unit 101 is instructed to communicate with the video server to obtain data of the required television channel, and the obtained video data is transmitted to the corresponding multicast data through the base station communication unit 101. BS.

The video server communication unit 101 is configured to communicate with the video server to obtain video content required by the MBS controller 100. Figure 2 is a timing diagram showing the processing performed on a WiMAX network for joining/leaving a television channel in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, at any time, the television channel is transmitted to the ASN-GW through the IP multicast technology (S101), and the "hot" television channel (S102) is broadcasted through the multi-base station MBS technology. One or more base stations having at least one MS/SS interested in this channel group some "long tail" television channels Broadcast (SI 03). The MS/SS opens/exits some specific TV channels by sending IGMP/MLD Report/Leave messages to the corresponding multicast addresses respectively. It should be noted that the corresponding multicast address can be obtained through an electronic program guide or pre-configured mapping information (CID or MCID).

When the MBS controller receives the IGMP/MLD report message, the MBS controller changes the corresponding statistical variable and performs calculation (detailed later). Since there are some differences between the different situations, the MBS controller will take different actions.

- Scenario 1: When the ASN-GW receives the IGMP/MLD Report message (S111), the ASN-GW discovers that the requested channel is a "hot" TV channel, ie, the channel has already been broadcast in this MBS area (S110) The MBS controller only needs to instruct the base station to notify the requesting MS/SS to receive its required channel through the existing multicast connection identifier (S112 ~ S114). Specifically, in step S112, the MBS controller instructs the BS to inform the MS/SS of the MCID that is broadcasting the TV channel on the airlink; in step S113, the BS notifies the MS/SS to receive the required television channel through the MCID; Step S114, the MS/SS receives the popular TV channel transmitted on the allocated MCID.

- Scenario 2: The MBS controller finds that the requested channel is not a "hot" TV channel, ie, the requested channel is a "long tail" TV channel. The MBS will issue different commands to the base station to which the requesting MS/SS is attached:

* Scenario 2 (1): Under the same base station, there is at least one other MS/SS receiving the "long tail" TV channel, ie, the base station has used the single base station MBS technology to group the requested channel by CID broadcast (S120), the base station notifies the request simply MS / SS CID allocated to the channel to receive the channel (S121 ~ S124) the requested ₀ specifically, at step S122, MBS controller instructs the BS inform the MS / SS by The BS has assigned an existing CID to receive the channel; in step S123, the BS notifies the MS/SS to receive the desired television channel through the appropriate CID; and in step S124, the MS/SS reception propagates on the assigned CID Long tail TV channel.

*Scenario 2 (2): The requested channel has been delivered to the ASN-GW, but has not yet been delivered to the base station to which the request MS/SS is attached. The MBS controller issues a command to the base station, and the base station allocates an appropriate CID to establish a corresponding single base station MBS connection (S132). The base station will perform a connection establishment process (DSA-REQ/DSA-RSP/DSA-ACK) to assign a CID to the channel and establish a classification rule (eg, establish mapping <IP Multicast Address, CID>), and notify the requesting MS/SS The desired channel is received through the newly assigned CID (S133 and S134). When the BS receives the corresponding channel from the ASN-GW, the channel data is transmitted on the corresponding CID connection; and the MS/SS receives the long tail television channel propagating on the newly assigned corresponding CID.

*Scenario 2 (3): If the requested channel has not been delivered to the ASN-GW, request from the video server This channel (S1400 and S1401) is then processed according to scenario 2 (2) (S132' ~ S134').

When the MBS controller receives a message (IGMP Leave message, or IGMP Done message) from a certain MS/SS leaving a certain channel, it calculates again which channels in the current network are popular channels, and then performs corresponding according to the newly determined hot channel. Transmission technology adjustment. If the hot channel has not changed, no adjustment is required; if the hot channel changes, follow the "hot" TV channel dynamic adjustment process described later. For example, if the MS/SS no longer receives a "long tail," TV channel, the MBS controller will instruct the corresponding base station to delete the single base station MBS connection for the "long tail" television channel. Figure 3 is a diagram showing Flowchart of the initialization operation of the inventive MBS controller.

In step SO, the MBS controller initiates an initialization operation. In step S1, the MBS controller determines the "hot" television channel in the controlled MBS area based on the current various statistical information (the "hot" television channel determining step will be described later). Then, in step S2, the MBS controller instructs each of the controlled MBS areas to propagate the respective television channels through the appropriate MBS technology; that is, for the "hot" television channels in the MBS area, the individual BSs are indicated as multi-base stations MBS Technology to propagate the television channel; for "long tail" television channels, instruct the corresponding BS to propagate the television channel in a single base station MBS technology. Thus, in step S3, the MBS controller completes the above initialization operation. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention when an MS/SS requests to join a certain television channel.

At step S201, the MBS controller receives a join request from the MS/SS forwarded via the BS. Then, in step bare S202, the MBS controller determines the "in the MBS area to be controlled" based on various current statistical information (where the MS/SS requesting to join is counted as the MS/SS receiving the television channel). Popular "TV Channels (this will be described later in the "Top" TV Channel Determination Step). In step S203, the MBS controller performs dynamic adjustment of the "hot" TV channel according to the determination result of step S202 (this "hot" TV channel dynamic adjustment step will be described later); this is because the newly added MS/SS may This will result in a change in the "hot" TV channel, so that the TV channel to be joined is a "long tail" TV channel before the MS/SS join, and becomes a "hot" TV channel after the MS/SS joins. As mentioned above, there are differences in the transmission technologies used for "hot" TV channels and "long tail" TV channels. Therefore, the determination and dynamic adjustment of "hot" TV channels is indispensable for subsequent operations of the system. of.

In step S204, the MBS controller determines whether the TV channel that the MS/SS requests to join is a "hot" TV. Channel. If the TV channel requested by the MS/SS is a "hot" TV channel (step S204: YES), then in step S205, the MBS controller notifies the BS to which the MS/SS belongs to initiate a corresponding connection establishment operation, whereby the MS /SS can receive the requested channel data on a corresponding existing MCID.

On the other hand, if the MBS controller determines that the TV channel to which the MS/SS requests to join is not a "hot" television channel (step S204: NO), then in step S206, the MBS controller determines whether the BS to which the MS/SS belongs is multicasting ( Single base station MBS technology) MS/SS requests to join the TV channel. If the BS to which the MS/SS belongs is multicasting (single base station MBS technology) the MS/SS requests the joined TV channel (step S206: YES), then in step S207, the MBS controller notifies the corresponding BS to initiate the corresponding connection establishment operation, Thus, the MS/SS can receive the requested channel data on a corresponding existing CID.

If the BS to which the MS/SS belongs does not multicast the TV channel that the MS/SS requests to join (step rubber S206: NO), then in step S208, the MBS controller determines whether the TV channel requested by the MS/SS has been transmitted to the MBS. The ASN-GW to which the controller belongs. If the TV channel to which the MS/SS requests to join has been propagated to the ASN-GW to which the MBS controller belongs (step S208: YES), then in step S209, the MBS controller notifies the corresponding BS to allocate an appropriate CID, and establishes a corresponding single base station MBS connection. To transmit the channel data requested by the MS/SS. The MBS controller transmits corresponding channel data to the BS to multicast the channel through the assigned connection.

If the TV channel to which the MS/SS requests to join has not been propagated to the ASN-GW to which the MBS controller belongs (step S208: NO), then in step S210, the MBS controller instructs the ASN-GW to request the video server to request the MS/SS to join the television. Channel. Thereafter, the process returns to step S208 to determine again whether the TV channel requested by the MS/SS has been transmitted to the ASN-GW to which the MBS controller belongs.

According to the above processing, the MBS can transmit the channel data requested by the MS/SS to the corresponding BS through an appropriate multicast broadcast technology. Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention when the MS/SS requests to leave a certain television channel.

At step S301, the MBS controller receives the leave request from the MS/SS forwarded via the BS. Then, in step S302, the MBS controller determines, according to various current statistical information (where the MS/SS requesting to leave is excluded from the MS/SS that is receiving the TV channel), determining that the MBS area is controlled. "Hot" TV channel (this "hot" TV channel determination step will be described later). In step S303, the MBS controller determines whether the MS/SS is still receiving the television channel. If no other MS/SS is still receiving the television channel (step S303: NO), then in step S304, the MBS controller instructs the corresponding BS to delete the single base station MBS connection. In addition, If the MS/SS is still receiving the TV channel, in step S305, the MBS controller performs dynamic adjustment of the "hot" TV channel according to the determination result of step S302 (this "popular" TV channel dynamic adjustment will be described later. Step); This is because the outgoing MS/SS may also cause a change in the "hot" TV channel, so that the TV channel to leave is a "hot" TV channel before the MS/SS is left, and in the MS/SS After leaving, it turned into a "long tail" TV channel. As mentioned above, there is a difference in the transmission technology used for the "hot" TV channel and the "long tail" TV channel. Therefore, the determination and dynamic adjustment of the "hot" TV channel is indispensable for the subsequent operation of the system. .

- Determination of "hot" TV channels

The determination of the "hot" TV channel may be triggered by the MBS controller receiving an IGMP/MLD message (including an IGMP/MLD report/away message) from the MS/SS, or may be periodically performed for a fixed period of time (eg, 1 hour). trigger. The IGMP/MLD message trigger can accurately and in real-time reflect the changes of the "hot" channel in the system. Considering that if the user sends IGMP/MLD report/leave message too frequently, the "hot" channel will be calculated too frequently. High performance requirements. Periodic triggering overcomes the shortcomings of too frequent calculations, but does not reflect the system's condition in real time and accurately (unless the interval is set short enough;). The system design can select the message trigger mode or the periodic adjustment mode (set the appropriate interval time) according to the needs.

In the following description, the following symbol definitions are used:

* N _MOSL _ _POPULAR : The maximum number of "hot" TV channels, determined by the capacity of the WiMAX system, sets the maximum number of "hot" TV channels that can be provided for TV channels. At any given moment, "hot", the actual number of TV channels is not greater than N

* Number of base stations in the N _BS - MBS area.

* N _BS -CH : The number of base stations having at least one MS/SS receiving channel j in the MBS area at a given time.

* ^BS -CH.J At the given time, in the MBS area, the number of MS/SSs of channel j is being received under base station i.

* N _MS = : at the given time ' in the MBS area, receiving channel j

The number of MS/SS.

* "Hot" candidate channels for TV channels: When channel j satisfies the following relationship, channel j is a candidate channel for "hot" TV channels: N BS-CH.j — ^a * N _BS condition ( 1 ) where α is a weighting factor with a value between 0 and 1, for example, α = 0.5.

(1) For each candidate channel of the "hot" TV channel, calculate the following "mos t-popular-index": each channel corresponds to a popular index value that reflects the channel in the current MBS region. The popularity. The calculation method of the popular index considers both the number of users received in the MBS area and whether the users watching the channel are relatively uniformly distributed under all base stations in the MBS area. The higher the popularity index value, the more popular the corresponding channel is in the MBS area, and the more uniform the viewing user distribution.

Most- popular- index:

Formula 1 )

(2) Select "Hot" TV channels: Sort all candidate channels of the "Hot" TV channel in descending order of "Hot Index", which will have the highest "hot index". , _„„^ channels (or less)

) selected as a "hot" TV channel.

In particular, Figure 6 is a flow chart showing the "hot" television channel determination operation performed by the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention.

In step S1, the MBS controller determines, for a certain channel, the number of base stations that have SS/MS receiving the channel and the number of SS/MSs that receive the channel under each base station. In step S12, the MBS controller determines the candidate channel of the "hot" television channel based on the above condition (1). In step S13, the MBS controller calculates its popularity index according to formula (1) for the candidate channel of each "hot" television channel. Finally, in step S14, the MBS controller selects the plurality of candidate channels having the highest popularity index and not greater than the maximum number of popular TV channels determined by the WiMAX system capacity as the "hot" television channel.

- Dynamic adjustment process of "hot" TV channels in WiMAX networks

Move on "hot" TV channels in WiMAX networks based on identified "hot" TV channels State adjustment:

(1) If a channel is no longer a "hot" television channel, the MBS controller instructs the base station to set up a single base station MBS connection to deliver the desired channel for the base station to which the at least one MS/SS to which the channel is received. The MBS controller then removes the multi-base station MBS connection for that channel. Since all channels are passed through Layer 3 over IP multicast technology, the upper application layer cannot detect this change.

(2) If a channel becomes a "hot" TV channel, the MBS controller establishes a multi-base station MBS connection (in this case, the MCID will be assigned) in the MBS area, and broadcasts the corresponding channel on the multi-base station MBS connection. After the connection is successfully established, the MBS controller notifies the corresponding base station to delete the single base station MBS connection for this channel.

In particular, Figure 7 is a flow chart showing the "hot" television channel dynamics adjustment operation performed by the MBS controller in accordance with the present invention.

In step S401, the MBS controller determines whether the "hot" television channel has changed. If the "hot" TV channel has not changed (step S401: No), the multicast broadcast technology corresponding to each TV channel will remain unchanged, so the MBS controller does not need to perform any operation and directly ends the "hot" TV. The channel dynamic adjustment operation (step S402).

Further, if the MBS controller determines in step S401 that a certain "hot" television channel becomes a non-"hot" television channel (step S401: left branch), then in step S403, the MBS controller is directed to receiving at least the television channel. A BS to which an MS/SS is attached (possibly including one or more such BSs), instructing the BS to set up a single base station MBS connection to propagate the television channel. Then, in step S404, the MBS controller removes the multi-base station MBS connection for the channel.

On the other hand, if the MBS controller determines in step S401 that a certain "hot" television channel becomes a "hot" television channel (step S401: right branch), then in step S405, the MBS controller establishes in the MBS area. The multi-base station MBS is connected, the MCID is allocated, and the television channel is broadcast on the multi-base station MBS connection. Then, in step S406, the MBS controller notifies the corresponding BS (possibly including one or more such BSs) to delete the single base station MBS connection for the channel. The invention has thus far been described in connection with the preferred embodiments. It will be appreciated that various other changes, substitutions and additions may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Rights request

1. An Internet protocol television transmission method, comprising:

Dynamically determining popular TV channels and non-popular TV channels according to current system statistics information; and using the multi-base station multicast broadcast service technology to propagate the determined popular TV channels in the multicast broadcast service area, the determined popular TVs will be determined The channel is broadcast from the access service network gateway via its corresponding base station within its multicast broadcast service area;

The determined non-hot TV channel is propagated by the single base station multicast broadcast service technology, that is, the determined non-hot TV channel is transmitted from the access service network gateway to the mobile station requiring the non-hot video channel via the corresponding base station.

2. The Internet Protocol television propagation method according to claim 1, wherein the system statistical information comprises: a number of mobile stations that are receiving respective television channels; a distribution of the mobile stations; and a popular system that can be accommodated by the system. The number of TV channels.

The internet protocol television broadcasting method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the mobile TV channel request from the mobile station is received, the hot television channel dynamic determining step is performed, wherein the request is added to the eDonkey channel. The mobile station acts as a mobile station that is receiving the television channel.

The internet protocol television broadcasting method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the leaving television channel request from the mobile station is received, the hot television channel dynamic determining step is performed, wherein the request is to leave the television channel. The mobile station is excluded from the mobile station that is receiving the television channel.

The internet protocol television broadcasting method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said hot television channel dynamic determining step is periodically performed at fixed time intervals.

The method for propagating an Internet protocol television according to claim 3, further comprising: determining whether the television channel requested by the mobile station to join is a popular television channel;

When it is determined that the television channel requested by the mobile station to join is a popular television channel, the base station to which the mobile station belongs is notified by the mobile station that the mobile station receives the requested popular television channel through the existing multicast connection identifier.

The method according to claim 6, further comprising: determining that the base station to which the mobile station belongs is using the single when determining that the television channel requested by the mobile station is a non-popular television channel The base station multicast broadcast service technology multicasts the television channel;

When it is determined that the base station to which the mobile station belongs is multicasting the television channel by using a single base station multicast broadcast service technology, notify the mobile station to receive the requested non-hot electric video through the existing connection identifier via the base station. Road.

8. The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Method according to claim 7, further comprising: determining whether the non-hot TV channel requested by the mobile station is not determined when the base station to which the mobile station belongs does not multicast the television channel Has been propagated to the access service network gateway;

When it is determined that the non-popular television channel requested by the mobile station has been propagated to the access service network gateway, notifying the base station to which the mobile station belongs to allocate a corresponding connection identifier to establish a single base station multicast broadcast service connection to transmit the requested A non-hot TV channel, and via the base station, notifying the mobile station to receive the requested non-hot TV channel via the assigned connection identifier.

9. The Internet Protocol television propagation method according to claim 8, further comprising: when determining that the non-hot TV channel requested by the mobile station has not been propagated to the access service network gateway, indicating that the access service network gateway is The video server requests the non-hot TV channel requested by the mobile station; and simultaneously notifies the base station to which the mobile station belongs to allocate a corresponding connection identifier to establish a single base station multicast broadcast service connection to transmit the requested non-hot TV channel.

10. The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Method according to claim 4, further comprising: determining whether there are still other mobile stations receiving the television channel that the mobile station is requesting to leave; when it is determined that no other mobile station is receiving the When the mobile station requests the left TV channel, it indicates that the base station to which the mobile station belongs deletes the single base station multicast broadcast service connection.

The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the hot TV channel dynamic determining step comprises the following sub-steps:

For each television channel, the number of base stations having the mobile station receiving the television channel and the number of mobile stations receiving the channel at each base station are respectively determined;

Determine candidate channels for popular TV channels based on the following conditions:

Where Λ^—υ· indicates: the number of base stations having mobile stations receiving television channel j in the multicast broadcast service area at a given time,

^Λ ^ indicates: the total number of base stations in the multicast broadcast service area, α is a weighting factor between 0 and 1;

For each candidate channel of the popular TV channel, calculate its popular index mos t-popular-index according to the following formula: Most- popular- index =

Where OTJ indicates: At a given moment, the number of mobile stations that are receiving TV channel j under base station i in the multicast broadcast service area

NBS

J^f MS― / BS i—CH i

M " indicates: the total number of mobile stations that are receiving television channel j in the multicast broadcast service area at a given time;

A plurality of candidate channels having the largest popularity index and not exceeding the maximum number of popular TV channels determined by the system capacity are selected as the popular television channels, and other television channels are determined as the non-popular television channels.

The method for propagating an Internet protocol television according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising:

Determine if the popular TV channel has changed;

When it is determined that a popular television channel is converted to a non-popular television channel, the base station to which the at least one mobile station that is receiving the television channel belongs is instructed to set a single base station multicast broadcast service connection to propagate the power channel, and then Removing a multi-base station multicast broadcast service connection for the television channel;

When it is determined that a non-popular television channel is converted into a popular television channel, a multi-base station multicast broadcast service connection is established in the multicast broadcast service area, a multicast connection identifier is allocated, and the television is broadcast on the multi-base station multicast broadcast service connection. The channel, after which the base station to which the at least one mobile station that is receiving the television channel belongs is notified to delete the single base station multicast broadcast service connection for the television channel.

The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the system is a global microwave access interoperability network.

14. An internet protocol television communication device, comprising:

a popular television channel dynamic determining unit, configured to dynamically determine a popular television channel and a non-hot television channel according to current system statistics received from the base station communication unit;

a base station communication unit, configured to perform bidirectional communication with each base station in the multicast broadcast service area, receive current system statistics information, and notify the base station to: use a multi-base station multicast broadcast service technology in the multicast broadcast service area, Spread the identified popular TV channels, the upcoming popular TV channels from the access service The network gateway broadcasts in its multicast broadcast service area via the corresponding base station; and utilizes the single base station multicast broadcast service technology to propagate the determined non-hot TV channel, that is, the determined non-hot TV channel from the access service network gateway Passed to the mobile station requiring the non-popular television channel via the corresponding base station.

15. The Internet Protocol television broadcast apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said system statistical information comprises: a number of mobile stations that are receiving respective television channels; a distribution of said mobile stations; and a popular system that can be accommodated by the system The number of TV channels.

The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, further comprising: processing and determining unit, configured to: when the base station communication unit receives the TV channel request from the mobile station via the base station, the indication station The popular television channel dynamic determination unit performs the popular television channel dynamic determination operation, wherein the mobile station requesting to join the television channel is used as the mobile station that is receiving the television channel.

The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, further comprising: processing and determining unit, configured to: when the base station communication unit receives the outgoing television channel request from the mobile station via the base station, The popular television channel dynamic determination unit performs the popular television channel dynamic determination operation, wherein the mobile station requesting to leave the television channel is excluded from the mobile station that is receiving the television channel.

The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to claim 14 or 15, wherein said hot-door television channel dynamic determining unit periodically performs said hot television channel dynamic determining operation at fixed time intervals.

19. The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to claim 16, wherein: said processing and determining unit further determines whether said television channel requested by said mobile station is a popular television channel;

When it is determined that the television channel that the mobile station requests to join is a popular television channel, the processing and determining unit instructs the base station to which the mobile station belongs to notify the mobile station to receive the existing multicast connection identifier through the base station communication unit. The requested popular TV channel.

20. The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to claim 19, wherein: when it is determined that the television channel requested by the mobile station to join is a non-popular television channel, the processing and determining unit further determines that the mobile station belongs Whether the base station is multicasting the television channel by using a single base station multicast broadcast service technology;

When it is determined that the base station to which the mobile station belongs is multicasting the television channel by using a single base station multicast broadcast service technology, the processing and determining unit instructs the base station to notify the mobile station to pass the existing i4 connection via the base station communication unit. The identity receives the requested non-hot TV channel.

21. The Internet Protocol television broadcast device according to claim 20, wherein: when it is determined that the base station to which the mobile station belongs does not multicast the television channel, the processing and determining unit further determines the request by the mobile station Whether the non-popular TV channel has been transmitted to the access service network gateway;

When it is determined that the non-popular TV channel requested by the mobile station has been propagated to the access service network gateway, the processing and determining unit indicates, by the base station communication unit, that the base station to which the mobile station belongs allocates a corresponding connection identifier to establish a single base station. The multicast broadcast service connects to transmit the requested non-hot TV channel and instructs the base station to notify the mobile station via the assigned connection identity to receive the requested non-hot television channel via the base station communication unit.

22. The Internet Protocol television broadcast device according to claim 21, further comprising: a video server communication unit configured to perform two-way communication with the video server, request video data of the desired television channel from the video server, and obtain the slave video Video data transmitted by the video server;

Wherein, when it is determined that the non-hot TV channel requested by the mobile station has not been propagated to the access service network gateway, the processing and determining unit instructs the access service network gateway to request the mobile server to send the mobile station via the video server communication unit And the processing and judging unit instructs the base station to which the mobile station belongs to allocate a corresponding connection identifier to establish a single base station multicast broadcast service connection to transmit the requested non-popular television. Channel.

23. The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: said processing and determining unit further determines whether another mobile station is still receiving a television channel from which said mobile station requests to leave;

When it is determined that no other mobile station is receiving the television channel from which the mobile station is requesting to leave, the processing and determining unit instructs the base station to which the mobile station belongs to delete the single base station multicast broadcast service connection via the base station communication unit.

24. The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 23, wherein: said popular television channel dynamic determining unit performs the following hot television channel dynamic determining operation: for each television channel, respectively determined to have reception The number of base stations of the mobile station of the television channel and the number of mobile stations receiving the channel under each base station;

Determine the candidate channels for popular TV channels based on the following:

N BS-CH .j - ^a * N _BS

Wherein: at a given moment, within the multicast broadcast service area, the number of base stations having mobile stations receiving television channel j, ^N BS indicates: the total number of base stations in the multicast broadcast service area, o; is a weighting factor between 0 and 1;

For each candidate channel of the popular TV channel, calculate its popularity index mos t-popular-index according to the following formula:

Most one popular one index:

among them

Represents: The number of mobile stations that are receiving TV channel j under base station i in the multicast broadcast service area at a given time.

^NklS represents: the total number of mobile stations that are receiving television channel j in the multicast broadcast service area at a given time;

The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, characterized in that: the processing and determining unit further determines whether the popular television channel has changed;

When it is determined that a popular television channel is converted to a non-popular television channel, the processing and determining unit commands the base station to set a single base station multicast broadcast service via the base station communication unit for the base station to which the at least one mobile station that is receiving the television channel belongs Connecting to propagate the television channel, and then the processing and determining unit removes a multi-base station multicast broadcast service connection for the television channel;

When it is determined that a non-popular television channel is converted into a popular television channel, the processing and determining unit establishes a multi-base station multicast broadcast service connection in the multicast broadcast service area, allocates a multicast connection identifier, and multicasts the multi-base station here. The television channel is broadcast on the service connection, and then the processing and determining unit indicates, via the base station communication unit, the base station to which the at least one mobile station that is receiving the television channel belongs to delete the single base station multicast broadcast service connection for the television channel.

The Internet Protocol Television Broadcasting Apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 25, wherein the system is a global microwave access interoperability network.