Multicast Broadcast Content Delivery via Unicast Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current wireless content delivery methods, particularly in MBMS networks, face inefficiencies due to increased radio resource consumption and time criticality, especially with advanced video and audio codecs, leading to higher resource allocation needs and potential bottlenecks in delivering content to multiple users effectively.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method that detects common content across multiple user equipment using deep packet inspection (DPI) or special packet marking, allowing for efficient multicast or broadcast transmission, which reduces radio resource usage by caching common content at edge caching servers and delivering it via dynamic network slices, thereby optimizing resource allocation and reducing signaling impacts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If unicast service flows are used to deliver content to multiple user equipment, then each user receives dedicated content delivery, but radio resource consumption increases and network efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent delivery efficiencyVSAvoidradio resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments content delivery into two types: common content delivered via multicast/broadcast service flows and user-specific content delivered via unicast service flows. This segmentation allows the system to optimize resource usage by applying different delivery mechanisms based on content type, thereby improving overall delivery efficiency while reducing radio resource consumption for common content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a dual-mode content delivery system that can operate in both unicast and multicast/broadcast modes. The network infrastructure is designed to handle multiple service flow types simultaneously, providing universal content delivery capability that adapts to different scenarios - using multicast for common content and unicast for personalized content, thus optimizing resource utilization across diverse use cases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Use of energy by moving object

If multicast and broadcast transmission are used for common content, then radio resource utilization improves, but network complexity and signaling requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveradio resource utilizationVSAvoidnetwork signaling complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a content delivery network element that acts as an intermediary between the content source and user equipment. This intermediary detects common content, determines appropriate delivery modes, and manages the switching between unicast and multicast/broadcast service flows. By centralizing this control function, the system reduces overall network signaling complexity while maintaining efficient radio resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements self-service mechanisms where the network automatically detects common content patterns and switches delivery modes without extensive manual configuration or complex signaling. The content delivery network element monitors traffic patterns and autonomously determines when to apply multicast/broadcast transmission, reducing the burden on network operators and simplifying overall system operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If deep packet inspection is used to detect common content, then content delivery optimization improves, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent delivery optimizationVSAvoiddetection processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial deep packet inspection by examining only specific packet characteristics and headers necessary to identify common content patterns, rather than performing complete inspection of all packet contents. This selective approach provides sufficient optimization information while significantly reducing processing time and computational overhead compared to full packet inspection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP3545648B1Delivery of sub-service flows using broadcast, multicast
Publication Date: 2024.08.14 NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
  • EP3545648B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3545648B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3545648B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, are provided for selecting transmitting common content to user equipment via a multicast, broadcast. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include detecting whether content is common content to be provided, via a multicast, broadcast transmission, to at least one user equipment; forwarding the common content to a multicast, broadcast gateway to enable delivery to the at least one user equipment via the multicast, broadcast transmission; and forwarding, as a unicast service flow, other content to the at least one user equipment to enable the at least one user equipment to selectively combine the unicast service flow with the common content carried by the multicast, broadcast transmission. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.