Managing wireless transmission capacity

MANAGING WIRELESS TRANSMISSION CAPACITY

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to broadcasting content using wireless transmit capacity.

A conventional architecture for broadcasting an event in real time or near real time (live) via television or rich media devices is shown in FIG. 1 . Such architectures are widely used by TV producers, mobile TV, Internet Protocol television (IPTV) & It has some fundamental inconveniences such as huge logistic cost and reduced flexibility for Internet TV providers.

In the architecture shown in FIG. 1 , the broadcasting (eg, TV broadcasting) of an event 100 of regional or regional (eg, national) significance is delivered to an event location, typically by a satellite truck. ) requires the deployment of a mobile control unit 103 known as The mobile control unit 103 processes the images taken by the cameras 102 (and transmitted to the mobile control unit 103 via the cable connection 104 ) to form a Master Control Room (MCR) 107a, 107b. to the TV station that hosts it.

Small and medium-sized media publishers, IPTV, Internet TV and mobile TV providers, which generally do not have the capital to invest in their own broadcasting equipment, will have to lease the required resources from established major TV broadcasting companies. . The costs of leasing, deploying, and maintaining such equipment press profitability and make it difficult for certain categories of media producers to enter or establish themselves in the live event broadcasting market.

When broadcasting an event in real time, other than the equipment required, one of the largest cost factors arises from the transmission of a video signal using:

Between the mobile control unit 103 and the local/regional TV station MCR 107b which sends the encoded TV/video signal via the TV-broadcasting tower 108b to the respective destination networks 109b (arrow 105b) using microwaves (digital/analog terrestrial); and/or

between the mobile control unit 103 and the remote TV station MCR 107a which sends the encoded TV/video signal via the TV-broadcasting tower 108a to the respective destination networks 109a (arrows 105a and 106 ) ) using a telecommunication satellite 101 ).

One possible way that lack of flexibility has a negative effect is that several sub-events that occur outside the main event (such as interviews in the locker room before or after the game or live reports around the location of the main event) ) are usually present. Such secondary events may have about the same importance to the end consumer as the main event. Due to the size of the equipment and the required proximity between the mobile control unit and the cameras (for live retransmission), it is not always possible to provide this information to the end consumer in real time.

In the context of this application, the term event should be interpreted broadly. The term event is not limited to cover only short-term one-time type events such as football games, but an event should be understood as anything that can be covered by a contract that defines geographic coverage and duration.

In the architecture shown in FIG. 2 , the broadcasting of an event 100 taking place in real time is arranged such that radio-capable TV cameras 202 transmit a radio signal 203 to a base station 201 of a radio network, the radio The network may be, for example, a cellular network. The base station 201 transmits 204 data to the TV-stations 107a , 107b via the communication network 210 , such as via the connections 205a , 205b using known methods. TV-stations 107a, 107b handle sending the encoded TV/video signal to respective destination networks 109a, 109b via TV-broadcasting towers 108a, 108b.

This architecture is made possible by the following technical factors:

· Worldwide deployment of wireless networks, such as LTE, that provide the required quality of service when transmitting live TV streams over the air.

· Availability of new TV-camera models, each with integrated wireless features, such as a cellular modem. Such cameras can transmit captured images directly, towards a wireless network to the destination platform.

The use of a conventional satellite or microwave electronic news coverage truck (reference numeral 103 in Fig. 1) is not required. The associated costs and effort can be reduced: lower investment costs due to cheaper equipment, and lower operating costs due to the simplicity of the new mobile camera set.

Combining these two factors provides a wide range of benefits including reduced logistic efforts and lower transmission cost. The costs associated with the transmission of content via satellite can be very high compared to the price for a bundled LTE uplink connection of similar bandwidth, using multiple SIM cards in the camera's embedded modem.

According to a first exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for managing radio transmission capacity, the method comprising:

receiving, by the server, an indication regarding available radio transmit capacity from a radio transmit capacity provider;

receiving, by the server, an indication from the client regarding a wireless transmit capacity need about the user;

reserving, by a server, a radio transmit capacity for a user based on available radio transmit capacity and radio transmit needs; and

requesting a radio transmit capacity provider to allocate a reserved radio transmit capacity for the user.

The server may be a web server. The server may be a broker server that provides a brokering service between a wireless transmission capacity provider and a client. The server may reside on an IP network. The wireless transmit capacity provider may be a cellular network operator, a telecom operator. The server may be outside the cellular operator's network. A client (or customer) may be an event promoter, event organizer, or media company. A user is usually associated with a client. A user may be an actual user (or subscriber) of a wireless transmission system, such as a cellular network. The cellular network may be an LTE network. A user may be identified by a user identity. The user may be a cellular modem camera that includes a user identification module for user identification. Such a cellular modem camera may be used to capture an event and to transmit video/TV signals to a wireless transmit capacity provider's network with an assigned capacity for further broadcast or live streaming to consumer devices. A bundled LTE uplink connection may be used between the cellular modem camera(s) and the cellular network. Preliminary and subsequent allocation may be performed to broadcast content. Reserves and assignments may be performed to live broadcast or live stream specific events, media events.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the available radio capacity and radio transmit capacity requirements are time-dependent, and the preparatory step is performed time-dependently. Allocation may be made during a reserved period of time (duration of the reserve).

In certain exemplary embodiments, the available radio capacity and radio transmit capacity requirements are location-dependent, and the preparatory step is performed location-dependently. Allocation may be made to a reserved geographic location.

In certain example embodiments, the method includes maintaining a capacity area grid comprising time-dependent and location-dependent information about available and reserved radio transmission capacity.

In certain example embodiments, the requesting includes sending an indication to change a service priority associated with the user. In certain example embodiments, the service priority is a quality of service (QoS) priority.

In certain example embodiments, the wireless transmit capacity provider operates a cellular network, and the requesting step is performed from outside the cellular network.

In certain example embodiments, the requesting step comprises: a user identity in a database such as a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) database of an LTE telecommunications network, a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) or a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW). and indicating to change the priority of The database may be a database of a network operator. Accordingly, the database may be a subscriber priority information database, and the term also includes network elements in which subscriber priority related information may be stored.

In certain example embodiments, the indicating to change indicates to turn on priority "interactive video" in PCRF for the user identity for a reserved duration of time.

Depending on the implementation, the indication of the wireless transmit capacity need for the user is received from the client in response to or prior to the offer. In certain example embodiments, the transmission of the offer to the client may be omitted.

In certain example embodiments, event planners, media production companies, and cellular network operators:

Meet and trade the radio capacity required to cover the event in real time; and/or

Automatically initiate the ordering process for sold/acquired wireless capacity in a virtual online marketplace

A virtual, online, globally accessible marketplace is provided.

According to a second exemplary aspect of the present invention,

means configured to receive an indication of an available wireless transmission capacity from a wireless transmission capacity provider and an indication from a client of a wireless transmission capacity need for the user;

means configured to reserve a radio transmit capacity for a user in a database based on available radio transmit capacity and radio transmit needs; and

An apparatus for managing radio transmit capacity is provided, comprising means configured to request a radio transmit capacity provider to allocate a reserved radio transmit capacity for a user.

The device may be a server. The server may be a broker server that provides a brokering service between a wireless transmission capacity provider and clients. The server may be a server configured to operate in an IP network. In certain exemplary embodiments, the means configured to receive the indications comprises a communication module and a processor. In certain exemplary embodiments, the means configured to reserve capacity comprises a database and the processor. In certain exemplary embodiments, the means configured to request a radio transmit capacity provider to allocate the reserved radio transmit capacity comprises the processor and the communication module.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the means configured to reserve comprises a database, and the apparatus comprises, in the database, a capacity area grid comprising time- and location-dependent information for available and reserved radio transmit capacity. (capacity area grid).

In certain example embodiments, the means configured to request comprises a communication module, and the apparatus is configured to send an indication via the communication module to change a service priority with respect to the user.

In certain exemplary embodiments, the means configured to receive an indication regarding an available wireless transmission capacity and an indication regarding a wireless transmission capacity is configured to receive time- and location-dependent information.

Different non-limiting exemplary aspects and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated in the foregoing. The above embodiments are used merely to describe selected aspects or steps that may be used in implementations of the present invention. Some embodiments may be provided with reference only to certain illustrative aspects of the invention. It should be appreciated that the corresponding embodiments may of course be applied to other exemplary aspects. Any suitable combinations of embodiments may be formed.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of example only. 1 shows a conventional architecture for implementing live transmission of events. Fig. 2 shows an architecture for implementing live transmission of events, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 3 illustrates a method for managing wireless transmit capacity, according to an exemplary embodiment. Fig. 4 shows an apparatus for managing wireless transmission capacity, according to an exemplary embodiment. 5 shows a visualization of a capacity area grid according to an exemplary embodiment. 6A-6C illustrate capacity zone usage scenarios according to an exemplary embodiment.

A method for managing wireless transmission capacity, according to an exemplary embodiment, is described with reference to FIG. 3 . Capacity may be used to provide media coverage for an event via streaming or some other broadcasting method.

In step 301, the mobile network operator or anyone (eg, Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)) has the power to allocate radio transmission resources agreed with the broker service provider, and the radio transmission resources are used for the broker service provider. Expressed by the server (described more strictly with respect to FIG. 4 ) in terms of the amount of possible radio transmit capacity. By way of example, the operator provides the broker service provider with information about bandwidth, time and location, ie, where and when and how much bandwidth the broker service provider has at will. In its simplest form, operators always (24/7) agree to provide a certain bandwidth over the entire area of their network. Alternatively, the operator only offers the broker service provider the capacity it considers unlikely to sell itself. For example, the operator may maintain a total capacity or a portion thereof during peak times, and may only provide the remaining capacity to the broker service provider, and/or the operator may maintain at least a portion of the capacity at predefined locations. You can stop offering some to broker service providers.

In steps 302a and 302b, information regarding the bandwidth required as well as the time and location of the event requiring radio transmission capacity is known to the broker service provider. The event organizer may inform the broker service provider 302a about a time and location, eg, a football match being held at a particular stadium at a particular date and time. If the event organizer is also responsible for the live broadcast of the event, or if the event organizer knows the bandwidth requirements, the event organizer may also identify the required bandwidth requirements ( 302b ). However, it is alternatively possible for the bandwidth requirements to be known by the media company (or provider) responsible for covering the event. It may even be possible for media companies to offer their services to event organizers in search of a need for covering such events from the broker service provider, or broker service providers may offer bandwidth and the event organizers or media companies may respond with bandwidth requirements as the customer's role.

In an exemplary embodiment, the information provided in steps 302a and 302b may include, for example, the following information:

The name of the event being promoted (eg London Olympic Games, soccer)

Description of the event (more information)

Category (Category to which the event belongs: Sports, Music, Politics, etc.)

Start: The start date and time of the event.

End: The end date and time of the event.

Address: the main address where the event will be held

Coordinates: GPS-coordinates to identify the geographic location where the event will take place.

Radius: A radius that starts from the main address and defines the geographic area covered by the event.

Bandwidth: bandwidth requirements.

Based on the information received in step 301, the broker service provider knows the available radio transmission capacity. This may use, for example, the capacity area grid described later in the description. In step 303, the broker service provider determines if there is capacity to meet the bandwidth requirement of the event at the indicated location and times.

If available radio capacity is identified, the broker service provider constructs an offer to the event organizer or media company in step 304 . Depending on how the broker service provided by the broker service provider is built, the offer can take different forms. If the broker service is a web-based interface where the customer enters their needs, the offer may simply be a new pop-up window detailing the offer and asking the customer whether to accept or reject the offer. On the other hand, broker services can be fully automated; The offer may then be made between two pieces of software, one running on the broker server and the other running on the customer device (in this embodiment, the customer is the event organizer and/or or Media Company). Communication between the operator and the broker service provider may be implemented in a similar manner.

In step 305, the customer accepts the offer (or part of the offer). If the broker service provider offers the bandwidth of the offer, the customer accepts, for example, the total bandwidth offered or only accepts a portion of it (if this meets the bandwidth requirements the customer has).

In step 306, the broker service provider reserves the capacity accepted in step 305. This may be, for example, by updating the capacity area grid as described later in this description.

The time between the reserve, the actual event and the allocation of capacity can vary a lot. Depending on the implementation, the allocation may be performed immediately after the reserve, or it may be performed several months after the reserve. For this reason, the broker service provider may make a final check on available resources at a particular time before capacity is allocated (step 307), just to ensure that the resources are indeed available. This check may be performed by utilizing the capacity area grid mentioned earlier in this description and described later.

In step 308, the broker service provider sends a request to the operator to allocate the reserved capacity. Reserved capacity is allocated to be used to cover the reserve. In certain example embodiments, this assignment is accomplished by changing the priority of at least one user identity in the database. The database may be a subscriber policy database or some other network element capable of storing subscriber priority related information. In the event of an LTE network, the function of maintaining a database may be, for example, a Policy and Charging Rule Function (PCRF), a Home Subscriber Server (HSS), or a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW). In a particular exemplary embodiment, the priority is changed by setting the service type attached to the at least one user identity to "interactive video" with the Policy and Charging Rule Function (RCRF) for a reserved duration (and thus its service type). priority is also selected). Guaranteed bit rate radio resource types may be used. Said at least one user identity herein refers to a user identity of a user identification module of a cellular modem camera used to capture an event.

Fig. 4 shows an apparatus for managing wireless transmission capacity according to an exemplary embodiment. The device includes a broker server 401 . The broker server 401 includes a processor (CPU or the like) 403 . The broker server 401 further includes a memory 404 coupled to the processor 403 . The processor 403 is configured to execute broker server software stored in the memory 404 to control operations of the broker server 401 .

The broker server 401 communicates with a network of the event organizer or media company 420 through a connection 407 and provides a wireless transmission capacity, such as an LTE network, a network (operator network) 410 and a connection 408 . ) further includes an input/output system 402 (or a communication module) for communicating via.

The broker server 401 further comprises a database 405 for storing a grid of capacity zones, or the like, with the help of the database, the broker server 401 maintains available radio transmission capacity and its reserve. .

The operator network (cellular network) 410 includes a database 411 such as a PCRF database for LTE networks. As mentioned, the database may be a subscriber policy database or some other network element (such as HSS or PGW) that may store subscriber priority related information. When a broker server 401, which may be a server external to the operator network 410, requests the operator network to allocate radio transmit capacity in certain example embodiments, the PCRF database, HSS or PGW, depending on the implementation, used as previously described.

The subscriber priority related information may be, for example, a quality class identifier, such as a QoS Class Identifier (QCI), which uses a single identifier to define several connection related parameters as shown in Table 1. QCI is a parameter that provides details of how the system handles packet forwarding. Following the example presented above, providing "interactive video" priority for subscribers may be implemented by changing the QCI parameter to a value of 2.

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Another example of subscriber priority-related information used alone or together with other parameters to set the priority of a subscriber according to an embodiment of the present invention is an Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP) parameter. ARP includes information about the priority level of the service/bearer, pre-emptive capabilities and pre-emptive vulnerabilities. A priority level defines the relative importance of a resource request. This allows to determine if a bearer establishment or modification request can be accepted or needs to be rejected in case of resource restrictions (usually used for admission control of guaranteed bit rate traffic). It can also be used to determine which of the existing bearers will preempt during resource constraints.

The difference between QCI and ARP parameters is that QCI refers to prioritizing in terms of resource allocation for a particular service by the same subscriber, i.e., the user equipment (UE) has a VoIP (higher QCI priority) session. When running and browsing the web at the same time (lower QCI priority), resources are allocated first to packets of VoIP and then to web browsing. On the other hand, ARP priority refers to prioritization in terms of allocation of services/bearers, that is, when the network is highly loaded, subscribers are able to perform VoIP (higher ARP priority) and web browsing (lower ARP priority). , the network will typically only set up VoIP sessions to avoid overloading. Or, if already overloaded, it will kick off bearers/services with lower ARP priorities.

In one example of the present invention, both QCI and ARP parameters are used together to set the priority of a subscriber according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 4 further shows two wireless capable cameras, cellular modem cameras 102a, 102b equipped with user identities of user identification modules 402a, 402b such as SIM cards. The user identities of the user identification modules represent users of the wireless transmission system, ie, users who require wireless transmission capacity (or radio resources) for communication of data such as video/TV signals.

5 illustrates the formation of a capacity zone grid according to an exemplary embodiment. The cells of the capacity area grid here are basically cells of the map grid that identify geographic locations, here locations or cells A1-C6.

On each grid cell, the broker service provider maintains information about how much capacity it has available for sale as a function of time and how much it has already been reserved. This is further illustrated in the capacity area grid usage scenarios of FIGS. 6A-6C .

Figure 6a shows an empty grid before the available radio transmit capacity is received from the operator, all cells at all times: availability = N/A and reserve = N/A.

6B shows the capacity area grid in the situation where the broker service provider has received available wireless transmission capacity from the operator, but the broker service provider does not have any reservations. Haven't done it yet: all cells at all times: availability = 10 MB and reserve = N/A. Figure 6b assumes the simplest case in which the operator has provided the same resources to the entire network at all times (24/7) (all times). It should be noted that in practice the operator may wish to vary the capacity the operator provides to the broker service provider based on location and/or time. This is fully supported by the grid, but is ignored here to make the example easier to understand.

Figure 6c shows the capacity area grid in the situation where the broker service provider receives the available radio transmit capacity from the operator and also makes reservations for the users.

The broker reserves 5 MB capacity for user A at time period (07:00-09:00) at location (A3) and 2 MB capacity for user B for the entire network forward from time (08:00). The city was prepared. The capacity area grid indicates how much capacity is still left in each of the cells.

Without limiting the interpretation and scope of the present patent claims, specific technical effects of one or more of the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein are listed below: One technical effect is an efficient Wireless transmit capacity management. Another technical effect is to provide an apparatus and method for allocating and reserving bandwidth for live broadcast transmission of an event.

It should be noted that some of the method steps or functions discussed above may be performed in a different order and/or concurrently with each other. In addition, one or more of the functions or method steps described above may be optional or may be combined.

The foregoing description has provided a sufficient and informative description of the best mode for carrying out the invention, now understood by the inventors, as non-limiting examples of specific implementations and embodiments of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the embodiments provided above, but may be implemented in other embodiments using equivalent means without departing from the characteristics of the invention.

In addition, some of the features of the disclosed embodiments of the invention may be used to advantage without corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, the above description is to be regarded as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention and not limitation of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention is limited only by the appended patent claims.