A model for wireless multimedia databases

Wireless service carriers need a robust, distributed platform for delivering multimedia to mobile handsets. This need is exacerbated by wireless carriers looking to multimedia fees for a greater portion of their revenues. As a result, the pressure is on to create a platform for multimedia delivery that is resilient to outages and able to provide a quality presentation. Multipath streaming (MP) has arisen as a solution to indeterminate network architectures. Placing simple MP streaming in a cellular environment creates the unique problem of integration with air-interface handoff methodologies. The multimedia handoff method (MHM) addresses this problem. The MHM is compartmentalized, enabling it to be encapsulated in current frequency handoff methodologies.