Techniques for improved multicast content delivery

Abstract

Techniques for improved multicast content delivery are described. In some embodiments, for example, an apparatus includes a processor circuit, a communication component operative by the processor circuit to receive a data transmission containing a description segment and a correspondence segment, a correspondence processing component operative by the processor circuit to determine a plurality of multicast content streams representing different versions of a media content based on the correspondence segment, and a selection component operative by the processor circuit to select and receive one or more of the plurality of multicast content streams based on characteristics identified in the description segment. In various such embodiments, the apparatus includes an adaptation component operative by the processor circuit to adaptively switch across the plurality of multicast content streams for reception and processing based on characteristics identified in the description segment. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

1 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . User Equipment (UE), comprising:
 a radio frequency (RF) receiver to receive a multicast transmission comprising a user service description (USD) of a multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS) protocol, the multicast transmission to comprise a description section and a correspondence section; and   a processor circuit to identify a multicast content stream bundle comprising multicast content streams based on the correspondence section, each of the plurality of multicast content streams corresponding to one of a plurality of content versions, and select one of the multicast content streams to process based on characteristics identified in the description section.   
     
     
         52 . The UE of  claim 51 , the processor circuit to render and playback media content from one of the multicast content streams. 
     
     
         53 . The UE of  claim 51 , the processor circuit to adaptively switch across a set of multicast content streams to receive and process one of the multicast content streams based on characteristics identified in the description section. 
     
     
         54 . The UE of  claim 51 , each of the multicast content streams to comprise a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS). 
     
     
         55 . The UE of  claim 54 , the multicast content stream bundle comprising an MBMS service bundle. 
     
     
         56 . The UE of  claim 51 , comprising a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (DASH) client. 
     
     
         57 . The UE of  claim 51 , the multicast transmission comprising a user services description (USD) transmission to represent the correspondence section. 
     
     
         58 . The UE of  claim 57 , the description section comprising a media presentation description (MPD) metadata file within the USD transmission. 
     
     
         59 . The UE of  claim 51 , the RF receiver arranged to receive one of the multicast content streams from a multicast content source device. 
     
     
         60 . User Equipment (UE), comprising:
 a radio arranged to receive a multicast transmission comprising a description section and a correspondence section; and   a processor circuit to identify a multicast content stream bundle comprising multicast content streams based on the correspondence section, each of the multicast content streams corresponding to one of a plurality of content versions communicated via a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), and select one of the multicast content streams to process based on characteristics identified in the description section.   
     
     
         61 . The UE of  claim 60 , the radio to establish one or more file delivery over unidirectional transport (FLUTE) sessions, each of the plurality of FLUTE sessions corresponding to one of the multicast content streams, and the correspondence section to comprise information identifying, for each multicast content stream and corresponding MBMS service, a corresponding FLUTE session. 
     
     
         62 . The UE of  claim 61 , the processor circuit to determine a FLUTE session corresponding to a MBMS service comprising the selected multicast content stream. 
     
     
         63 . The UE of  claim 62 , the communication component to receive the selected multicast content stream in the MBMS service corresponding to the determined FLUTE session. 
     
     
         64 . The UE of  claim 60 , the processor circuit to select the multicast content stream based on a format or underlying bitrate of a content version to which the multicast content stream corresponds, or based on a channel quality or effective bitrate associated with transmission of the multicast content stream. 
     
     
         65 . The UE of  claim 60 , each multicast content stream and MBMS service to correspond to a layer in a scalable video coding (SVC) bitstream. 
     
     
         66 . The UE of  claim 60 , each multicast content stream and MBMS service to correspond to a view in a multi-view video coding (MVC) bitstream. 
     
     
         67 . User Equipment (UE), comprising:
 a radio interface to receive a wireless data transmission comprising a description section and a correspondence section; and   circuitry to identify one or more multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) content streams based on the correspondence section, each of the MBMS content streams corresponding to one of multiple content versions, and select at least one of the MBMS content streams to process based on the description section.   
     
     
         68 . The UE of  claim 67 , the circuitry to select the at least one of the MBMS content streams based on a format or underlying bitrate of a content version to which the at least one of the MBMS content streams corresponds, or based on a channel quality or effective bitrate associated with transmission of the at least one of the MBMS content streams. 
     
     
         69 . The UE of  claim 67 , the circuitry to adaptively switch across the MBMS content streams to receive and process based on characteristics identified in the description section. 
     
     
         70 . The UE of  claim 67 , the radio interface to establish multiple file delivery over unidirectional transport (FLUTE) sessions, each of the FLUTE sessions corresponding to one of the MBMS content streams, the correspondence section comprising information identifying, for each of the MBMS content streams, a corresponding one of the FLUTE sessions. 
     
     
         71 . The UE of  claim 67 , the radio interface to receive the selected at least one MBMS content stream in one or more MBMS services corresponding to the determined FLUTE sessions. 
     
     
         72 . The UE of  claim 67 , the MBMS content streams comprised within an MBMS service bundle. 
     
     
         73 . The UE of  claim 67 , the description section comprising a media presentation description (MPD) file within a user services description (USD) transmission. 
     
     
         74 . The UE of  claim 67 , comprising a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (DASH) client. 
     
     
         75 . The UE of  claim 67 , each of the MBMS content streams corresponding to a layer in a scalable video coding (SVC) bitstream or a view in a multi-view video coding (MVC) bitstream.