초록 ▼

An improved method and a communication means node implementing the method for load control in connection with a multimedia service transmission intended for multiple receivers over a wireless network are disclosed. The receivers in the wireless network are able to respond to requests communicated fr

An improved method and a communication means node implementing the method for load control in connection with a multimedia service transmission intended for multiple receivers over a wireless network are disclosed. The receivers in the wireless network are able to respond to requests communicated from an ordering entity by feeding back responses to a management entity in said wireless network. The feedback of these responses uses a different communication means, separate from said wireless network. This different communication means has limited communication resources. A transmission load caused in said different communication means by said feedback of said responses is according to the invention controlled by the different communication means itself.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for load control, comprising: receiving, by a receiver, a request communicated from an ordering entity via a management entity in a 3GPP Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) network; andfeeding back, by the receiver, a response to the management entity via a different communica

1. A method for load control, comprising: receiving, by a receiver, a request communicated from an ordering entity via a management entity in a 3GPP Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) network; andfeeding back, by the receiver, a response to the management entity via a different communication resource separate from the 3GPP MBMS network, wherein a transmission load caused by the response is controlled by the different communication resource. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein overload of the transmission load is prevented by using a Service Specific Access Class Barring (SSACB) mechanism, which bars a receiver in a certain SSACB group from feeding back a response. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the SSACB group is defined in correspondence with parameters for random access or contention access behavior; and/or the SSACB group is defined based on a receiver's participation in performing measurements for a particular management entity; and/ora hierarchical order of service classes is defined, thereby allowing a hierarchical barring procedure. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein overload of the transmission load is prevented by using a probability factor mechanism, which controls a value corresponding to a fraction of receivers that should feed back responses. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein a value corresponding to a minimum number of responses is set by the management entity, the number of responses relating to the fraction; and/or the fraction initially is set to a low value and is then stepwise increased until a sufficient number of responses are received. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein overload of the transmission load is prevented by using a random time mechanism, which spreads responses in time by using a random time parameter for controlling when the receiver should feed back the response. 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the random time mechanism is configured so that the receiver has responded within a time limit; and/or a time window is sent to the receiver and the receiver can then randomly select a response time within this time window; and/ora latest response time parameter is set by the management entity. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein a length of the time window is dynamically adjustable, the length initially being set to a high value and then, possibly stepwise, being decreased if a response frequency is low. 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the random time mechanism is combined with a probability factor mechanism so that a probability factor regulated number of responses are spread in time by the random time mechanism. 10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the different communication resource is a Radio Access Network (RAN), and the RAN controls which random access or contention access radio resources to be used for the feeding back of the response, thereby controlling the transmission load in the RAN. 11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the RAN controls contention behaviour by controlling any parameter from a group comprising: random-backoff time, number of re-attempts, and barring. 12. The method according to claim 10, wherein which resource to use is indicated to the receiver via an indication, the indication being comprised in any message from the group comprising: a measuring request message, a measurement control information message, a system information broadcast message, and another signalling information message. 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the response comprises information relevant to a multimedia service transmission in the 3GPP MBMS network; and the information comprises at least one quality measure for the multimedia service transmission, and/orthe information is transmitted to the management entity, the management entity utilising the information for tuning the 3GPP MBMS network, and/orthe information comprises counting of receivers. 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the response comprises non-network specific information; and the non-network specific information comprises voting information, and/or interactive TV application data. 15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 3GPP MBMS network provides multimedia service transmission, and the multimedia service transmission is of a broadcast type, or a multicast type. 16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the 3GPP MBMS network operates in a downlink only mode. 17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the ordering entity is a part of the different communication resource. 18. A communication means node comprising: means for controlling a transmission load in a different communication resource separate from a 3GPP MBMS network, wherein the transmission load is caused by responses fed back by a plurality of receivers in the 3GPP MBMS network via the different communication resource, the responses respond to requests communicated from an ordering entity via a management entity in the 3GPP MBMS network. 19. The communication means node according to claim 18, wherein overload of the transmission load is prevented by using a Service Specific Access Class Barring (SSACB) mechanism, which bars the receivers in a certain SSACB group from feeding back responses; and/or overload of the transmission load is prevented by using a probability factor mechanism, which controls a value corresponding to a fraction of receivers that should feed back responses; and/oroverload of the transmission load is prevented by using a random time mechanism, which spreads responses in time by using a random time parameter for controlling when the receivers should feed back their responses. 20. The communication means node according to claim 18, wherein the different communication resource is a Radio Access Network (RAN); and/or the 3GPP MBMS network is configured to operate in a downlink only mode. 21. The communication means node according to claim 18, wherein the ordering entity is a part of the different communication resource. 22. A receiver, comprising: means for receiving a request communicated from an ordering entity via a management entity in a 3GPP MBMS network;means for feeding back a response to the management entity via a different communication resource separate from the 3GPP MBMS network,wherein a transmission load caused by the response is controlled by the different communication resource. 23. The receiver according to claim 22, wherein the ordering entity is a part of the different communication resource. 24. The receiver according to claim 22, wherein the different communication resource is a Radio Access Network (RAN); and/or the 3GPP MBMS network is configured to operate in a downlink only mode. 25. A communication system, comprising: a 3GPP MBMS network to transmit multimedia service; anda communication resource, separate from the 3GPP MBMS network, to feed back data to the 3GPP MBMS network, the feed back of the data causing a transmission load on the communication resource, and the communication resource controlling the transmission load caused by the feed back of the data.