Broadcast Gateway for Wireless Data Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and variability in modern cellular core networks make it difficult to efficiently support IP multicast, leading to challenges in delivering broadcast data to multiple users, which results in underutilized wired bandwidth and overloaded core network resources.
Innovation Solution
The system shifts the burden of data replication and synchronization from the core network to commodity servers equipped with ASICs and FPGAs, using unicast transmission over the core network and broadcast transmission to wireless base stations, optimizing data delivery and reducing wireless bandwidth consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If IP multicast is used in the core network to deliver broadcast data, then data delivery efficiency is improved, but the complexity and variability of the modern cellular core network make it difficult to support IP multicast effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a broadcast gateway as an intermediary component that mediates between the core network and the broadcast delivery system. The broadcast gateway receives broadcast data from the core network, performs replication and synchronization, and distributes it to wireless base stations. This intermediary approach allows the system to leverage IP multicast for efficient data delivery while avoiding the complexity of implementing IP multicast throughout the entire core network infrastructure.
2Productivity
If data is replicated and synchronized at the core network level, then broadcast delivery is efficient, but the core network becomes overloaded and wired bandwidth is underutilized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the broadcast delivery function into distinct components: the core network handles initial data transmission, while a separate broadcast gateway handles replication and synchronization. This segmentation allows the core network to focus on its primary function of data transport without being overloaded by broadcast-specific processing, while the broadcast gateway utilizes excess wired bandwidth for efficient data distribution to multiple base stations.
3Reliability
If unicast transmission is used from provider to cell site, then data is delivered to each user individually, but wireless bandwidth is consumed inefficiently when multiple users request the same data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast streams into a single broadcast stream at the wireless base station level. The broadcast gateway replicates the broadcast data and sends it to multiple base stations simultaneously, which then transmit the same data to multiple users over the wireless interface. This merging approach maintains reliable individual data delivery while dramatically reducing wireless bandwidth consumption by transmitting the same content once to multiple users instead of sending separate unicast streams.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for improved content streaming and downloading. The system enables content to be transmitted to wireless base stations (WBSs) using unicast on the core network side of a cellular network to avoid incompatibilities associated with network broadcast technologies such as Evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (eMBMS) and Long-Term Evolution Broadcast (LTE-B). At the same time, the system enable content to be broadcast, or transmitted to multiple user equipment (UE) in a single transmission to reduce wireless bandwidth consumption. The system can include a commodity server to receive requests from WBSs, place them in a chronological list based on network latency, and then transmit content to each WBS in a synchronized unicast manner. Each WBS can then transmit the content to a plurality of UEs with minimal buffer required due to the “pre-synchronization.”