Streaming unicast services to multiple user equipment

Abstract

A content adapter receives a request from a first user equipment to receive a unicast service via a base station and determines that the base station is providing the unicast service to a second user equipment using a service identifier. The content adapter transmits a signal instructing the base station to allocate the service identifier to the first user equipment for receiving the unicast service concurrently with the second user equipment. A base station allocates the service identifier to the first user equipment in response to the first user equipment requesting a unicast service that the base station is already providing to a second user equipment using the service identifier. The base station transmits content for the unicast service for reception by the first and second user equipment based on the service identifier.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A base station comprising:
 a processor configured to allocate a service identifier to a first user equipment in response to the first user equipment requesting a unicast service that the base station is already providing to a second user equipment using the service identifier, a first temporary identifier to the first user equipment, and a second temporary identifier to the second user equipment, wherein the first and second temporary identifiers are different; and   a transceiver configured to transmit content for the unicast service for reception by the first and second user equipment based on the service identifier, wherein the transceiver transmits scheduling information on a first physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) using the service identifier, and wherein the scheduling information comprises scheduling information for content transmitted over a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH).   
     
     
         22 . The base station of  claim 21 , wherein the transceiver is configured to:
 receive an indication that at least one of the first user equipment and the second user equipment did not successfully receive a packet of the content transmitted over the first PDSCH; and   retransmit the packet over at least one of the group consisting of a second PDSCH using the first temporary identifier and a third PDSCH using the second temporary identifier.   
     
     
         23 . The base station of  claim 21 , wherein the transceiver is configured to:
 transmit at least one first packet of the content over the first PDSCH using the service identifier; and   transmit at least one second packet of the content over a second PDSCH using the first temporary identifier, wherein the transceiver transmitted the at least one second packet over the first PDSCH using the service identifier prior to transmission of the at least one first packet of the content over the first PDSCH.   
     
     
         24 . The base station of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a cache to store a portion of the content of the unicast service for a predetermined time interval in response to receiving an instruction to store the portion of the content of the unicast service.   
     
     
         25 . A base station comprising:
 a processor to allocate a service identifier to a first user equipment in response to the first user equipment requesting a unicast service that the base station is already providing to a second user equipment using the service identifier; and   a transceiver to:
 transmit content for the unicast service for reception by the first and second user equipment based on the service identifier, wherein transmitting the content for the unicast service comprises transmitting scheduling information on a first physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) using the service identifier, and wherein the scheduling information comprises scheduling information for the content transmitted over a first physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), and 
 cyclically transmit a plurality of packets of the content over the first PDSCH using the service identifier so that the plurality of packets are retransmitted over the first PDCCH using the service identifier in response to completing transmission of the plurality of packets in a previous cycle. 
   
     
     
         26 . The base station of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 a cache to store a portion of the content of the unicast service for a predetermined time interval in response to receiving an instruction to store the portion of the content of the unicast service.   
     
     
         27 . A base station comprising:
 a processor to allocate a service identifier to a first user equipment in response to the first user equipment requesting a unicast service that the base station is already providing to a second user equipment using the service identifier; and   a transceiver to transmit content for the unicast service for reception by the first and second user equipment based on the service identifier,   wherein the processor schedules transmission of the content based on at least one of the group consisting of a first channel condition associated with the first user equipment and a second channel condition associated with the second user equipment,   wherein the processor increases a priority associated with the unicast service in response to receiving a signal instructing the base station to allocate the service identifier to the first user equipment, and   wherein the processor schedules the transmission of the content based on the priority associated with the unicast service.   
     
     
         28 . The base station of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 a cache to store a portion of the content of the unicast service for a predetermined time interval in response to receiving an instruction to store the portion of the content of the unicast service.