Quality-Of-Service (QoS)-Based Delivery Of Multimedia Call Sessions Using Multi-Network Simulcasting

Abstract

A method and system for the consumption of simulcasted or multicasted multimedia information via a wireless personal or local area network by a broadband access gateway, is disclosed. A user of an access device such as, for example, a mobile multimedia handset may engage in a call served by a wireless wide area network, and may consume components of multimedia information via the wireless wide area network. Additional components of the multimedia information may be provided to the user via a second communication path, based upon user-defined parameters in a user profile. Selected components or all of the multimedia information may be communicated to a broadband access gateway, where it may be cached, or simulcast to a plurality of access devices in a wired fashion, or wirelessly via a personal area and/or wireless local area network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gateway device supporting consumption of multimedia information, the gateway device comprising:
 a first communication interface coupled to a broadband network and a second communication device coupled to at least one wireless interface, and   a processor capable of selectively exchanging multimedia information among the at least one wireless interface and the broadband network, and of communicating with a plurality of access devices via the at least one wireless interface, the processor being capable of a first exchange of a first component of the multimedia information with a first of the plurality of access devices via a first communication path, the first exchange being concurrent with a second exchange of a second component of the multimedia information with the first of the plurality of access devices via a second communication path.   
     
     
         2 . The gateway device according to  claim 1  wherein a communication path is selected in response to user input of the first of the plurality of access devices. 
     
     
         3 . The gateway device according to  claim 1  wherein the first communication path comprises the at least one wireless interface and the broadband network. 
     
     
         4 . The gateway device according to  claim 1  wherein the second communication path comprises a wireless wide area network. 
     
     
         5 . The gateway device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is capable of determining whether the first of the plurality of access devices is within a coverage area of the at least one wireless interface. 
     
     
         6 . The gateway device according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is capable of establishing with a second of the plurality of access devices a third communication path for exchange of a component of the multimedia information. 
     
     
         7 . The gateway device according to  claim 1  wherein the first component of multimedia information comprises at least one of: streaming video, broadcast video, voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music. 
     
     
         8 . The gateway device according to  claim 1  wherein the at least one wireless interface comprises two wireless interfaces. 
     
     
         9 . The gateway device according to  claim 1  wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of: a digital subscriber line (DSL) network, a cable network, a satellite network, and a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS). 
     
     
         10 . The gateway device according to  claim 1  wherein the plurality of access devices comprises at least one of: a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a personal computer (PC). 
     
     
         11 . A mobile multimedia handset; the mobile multimedia handset comprising:
 a communication interface capable of communicating separate components of multimedia information using at least two wireless communication paths; and   a processor configured to select the at least two wireless communication paths based upon the components of multimedia information and an user input, the processor being configured to establish a first communication path, determine if the multimedia information is available through additional communication paths, request the user input to determine whether the additional communication paths are to be utilized, and establish at least one additional communication path in response to the user input.   
     
     
         12 . The handset according to  claim 11  wherein the at least one additional communication path is a wide area network. 
     
     
         13 . The handset according to  claim 11  wherein the at least one additional communication path is a wireless network. 
     
     
         14 . The handset according to  claim 11  wherein the user input comprises at least one key press in response to a user prompt. 
     
     
         15 . The handset according to  claim 11  wherein the user input comprises at least one user defined parameter resident in at least one of the handset, a broadband access gateway, and a wide area network. 
     
     
         16 . A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having code sections for operating a system supporting consumption of multimedia information by a plurality of access devices using simulcasting via a broadband access gateway communicatively coupled to a broadband network, the code sections being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:
 establishing a first wireless communication path for exchange of a first component of the multimedia information with a first of the plurality of access devices;   establishing a second wireless communication path for exchange of a second component of the multimedia information with the first of the plurality of access devices based upon at least one user-defined criteria;   concurrently exchanging multimedia information with the first of the plurality of access devices via the first and second wireless communication paths;   determining if the multimedia information is available through additional communication paths;   requesting user input whether the additional communication paths are to be utilized; and   establishing at least one additional communication path in response to the user input.   
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 16  wherein the first wireless communication path comprises at least one of: a personal area network and a wireless local area network, communicatively coupled to the broadband access gateway. 
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 16  wherein the second communication path comprises a wireless wide area network. 
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 16  wherein the code sections are executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:
 determining whether the first of the plurality of access devices is within a coverage area of the at least one wireless interface. 
 
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable storage according to  claim 16  wherein the code sections are executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:
 establishing with a second of the plurality of access devices a third communication path for exchange of a component of the multimedia information.