Multicast Broadcast Content Delivery via Complementary Unicast
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Solution Overview
Problem
5G communication systems face challenges in delivering high-quality multimedia broadcast/multicast services due to the scarcity of spectral resources, especially when broadcasting or multicasting over wide areas, as conventional systems are not efficient in allocating radio resources to support advanced video and audio codecs, leading to poor signal quality and increased radio resource consumption.
Innovation Solution
The method involves user equipment detecting low signal quality and initiating configuration of a secondary network, such as a mobile or fixed network, to provide complementary content concurrently with the primary network, combining multicast/broadcast content from the first network with unicast content from the second network, using techniques like scalable video coding and network function virtualization to enhance quality and resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multicast/broadcast content is delivered over wide areas using conventional systems, then coverage area is improved, but signal quality deteriorates and radio resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content delivery by dividing it into two parts: multicast/broadcast content from the first network and complementary unicast content from the second network. This segmentation allows each network to contribute differently, with the unicast content providing quality enhancement for specific user equipment, thereby resolving the contradiction between wide coverage and signal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges content from two different networks (first network providing multicast/broadcast and second network providing unicast) to deliver enhanced quality content. By combining these delivery mechanisms, the system achieves both wide coverage through broadcast and high quality through targeted unicast supplementation.
2Manufacturing precision
If advanced video and audio codecs are supported to improve content quality, then manufacturing precision is improved, but radio resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by providing complementary unicast content specifically to user equipment that needs it, rather than upgrading the entire multicast/broadcast system. This allows advanced codecs to be used selectively for individual users, improving their content quality without requiring all network resources to support high-quality delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of fully upgrading the multicast/broadcast infrastructure to support advanced codecs for all users, the patent uses partial action by providing complementary content only to specific user equipment. This partial application of high-quality delivery mechanisms reduces overall radio resource consumption while still improving content quality for users who need it.
3Reliability
If a second network is configured to provide complementary content, then signal quality is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling user equipment to autonomously detect low signal quality conditions and automatically initiate configuration of a second network for complementary content delivery. This eliminates the need for complex manual network configuration and reduces the operational complexity while maintaining signal quality improvement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback mechanisms where user equipment monitors signal quality and provides this information to trigger automatic network configuration. This feedback loop allows the system to adaptively manage the complexity of dual-network configuration based on actual signal conditions, reducing unnecessary complexity while maintaining quality.
Data Source
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AI summary
A user equipment transmits a request to configure a first network to transmit complementary content associated with multicast or broadcast content received at the user equipment from a second network. In some cases, the request is transmitted in response to the user equipment detecting that a quality of a signal received from the second network is below a threshold. In response to receiving the request, the first network is configured to transmit the complementary content. The complementary content is transmitted from the first network concurrently with transmitting the multicast or broadcast content from the second network. The user equipment combines the complementary content received from the first network with the multicast or broadcast content received from the second network.