Systems and methods for distributing content in wireless networks

Abstract

The present invention allows content to be delivered to a mobile terminal over different types of networks in order to efficiently use network resources. Content can be delivered using a select delivery method over a cellular network, a local wireless network, or a broadcast network. Within any of the networks, the content may be unicast to individual mobile terminals using individual content flows, multicast to a group of mobile terminals, or broadcast to any or all of the mobile terminals. Content can be multicast or broadcast to mobile terminals via different ones of the disparate networks. During a content flow, the network through which the content flow is delivered may be changed to allow the mobile terminal to receive the content through a different network. Further, the delivery method used to deliver the content may dynamically change as the number of mobile terminals receiving or requesting the content changes.

1 . A method for selectively delivering content over disparate networks comprising:
 determining at least one service area to deliver content for reception by at least one mobile terminal;   selecting a delivery method to use for delivering the content to the at least one mobile terminal;   sending network selection indicia and address indicia to the at least one mobile terminal, the network selection indicia corresponding to at least one of the disparate networks to use for receiving the content, and the address indicia bearing on an address to use for receiving the content;   effecting delivery of the content to the at least one service area in the at least one of the disparate networks using the address, such that the at least one mobile terminal can receive the content in the service area via the at least one disparate network in light of the address indicia.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the content can be selectively delivered to the service area over a broadcast network and at least one of the group consisting of a cellular network and a local wireless network to the mobile terminal. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  2  wherein the service area corresponds to a broadcast network zone provided by the broadcast network. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  2  wherein the service area corresponds to at least one of the group consisting of at least the cellular network, one cellular zone, the local wireless network, and at least one local wireless zone. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the content is delivered to a plurality of mobile terminals and the network selection indicia and address indicia are sent to each of the mobile terminals to receive the content. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the content is delivered to different ones of the plurality of mobile terminals via different delivery methods. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5  wherein different service areas are determined for different ones of the plurality of mobile terminals, and the content is delivered to the different service areas. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein at least two of the different service areas correspond to different ones of the disparate networks. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the content is delivered to the different service areas using different delivery methods. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the content is delivered to different ones of the mobile terminals using different content flows, each content flow having a different quality of service. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein depending on the location of the at least one mobile terminal, the service area may be selected from a plurality of service areas provided by a cellular network, local wireless network, and a broadcast network, the mobile terminal having a cellular interface, local wireless interface, and a broadcast interface through which to receive the content based on the service area selected. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the delivery method is selected from one of the group consisting of unicast, multicast, and broadcast, such that the content can be delivered using unicast, multicast, and broadcast methods over any of the disparate networks. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the address indicia for unicast corresponds to an Internet Protocol address of the mobile terminal. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising assigning an address for multicast or broadcast delivery of the content, and wherein the address indicia for multicast and broadcast delivery comprises the address and the content is sent with the address to allow the at least one mobile terminal to identify the content. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the delivery method selected is based on a number of mobile terminals to which the content is being or will be delivered. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the delivery method for different service areas is selected based on the number of mobile terminals to which the content is being or will be delivered in the different service areas. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving mobile terminal capabilities for the at least one mobile terminal and determining the service area based on the mobile terminal capabilities. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising determining a number of mobile terminals receiving or to receive the content and determining the service area based on the number of mobile terminals receiving or to receive the content. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the mobile terminal capabilities bear on an ability to communicate with the disparate networks. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the mobile terminal capabilities bear on a configuration of the at least one mobile terminal. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the mobile terminal capabilities bear on a relative location of the at least one mobile terminal. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving a service registration request from the at least one mobile terminal; and   registering the at least one mobile terminal to allow content delivery services to be provided via each of the disparate networks.   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein signaling for control and delivery of the content is provided at a network layer such that the disparate networks appear as a common network. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service area is changed to a new service area and further comprising determining to change delivery of the content to a new service area and effecting delivery of the content to the new service area. 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising effecting the delivery of the content to the new service area in light of the address indicia. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising effecting the delivery of the content to the new service area in light of new address indicia provided to at least one of the group consisting of the at least one mobile terminal or another mobile terminal. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining to change the delivery method from a first delivery method to another delivery method;   sending new address indicia to the at least one mobile terminal, the new address indicia bearing on a different address to use for receiving the content; and   effecting delivery of the content using the different address.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving a content selection request for the content from the at least one mobile terminal. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 28  comprising providing electronic service guide information to the at least one mobile terminal, which can provide a service guide identifying different content, including the content that is available for delivery, wherein the content selection is selected from the service guide. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising validating an ability to deliver the content to the at least one mobile terminal. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the content is at least one of the group consisting of audio, video, television content, and file or data transfer. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising maintaining a first content flow until a second content flow for the content is established with the at least one mobile terminal when the delivery method or service are is changed. 
   
   
       33 . A mobile terminal comprising:
 at least one communication interface adapted to facilitate wireless communications with a plurality of disparate networks; and   a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and adapted to:
 receive network selection and address indicia associated with content; 
 receive the content via one of the plurality of disparate networks identified in the network selection indicia; and 
 identify the content being received based on the address indicia. 
   
   
   
       34 . The mobile terminal of  claim 33  wherein the control system is further adapted to select the one of the plurality disparate networks to use for receiving the content based on the network selection indicia. 
   
   
       35 . The mobile terminal of  claim 33  wherein the control system is further adapted to send a request for the content to a service delivery controller. 
   
   
       36 . The mobile terminal of  claim 35  wherein the control system is further adapted to provide mobile terminal capabilities in association with the request for the content. 
   
   
       37 . The mobile terminal of  claim 33  wherein the control system is further adapted to:
 receive new address indicia associated with the content while the content is being received; and   identify and receive the content based on the new address indicia.   
   
   
       38 . The mobile terminal of  claim 33  wherein the control system is further adapted to:
 receive new network selection indicia associated with the content while the content is being received; and   receive the content via a different one of the plurality of disparate networks identified in the new network selection indicia.   
   
   
       39 . The mobile terminal of  claim 33  wherein a first content flow for the content is maintained until a second content flow for the content is established with the at least one mobile terminal when the delivery method or service area is changed.