MBMS bearer handling in a group communications system

• US 10,051,440 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Issued: 08/14/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Åkesson, Joakim, Trank, Magnus
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Rebecca E
• Application Number:
  US15/083,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20170086034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 868 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

In accordance with particular embodiments, a method, performed by a control node for multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) bearer handling comprises activating and announcing a first MBMS bearer for supporting floor control in a group call to client nodes of the group call. The method additionally includes activating and announcing at least one second MBMS bearer for supporting media transmission in the group call. The floor control and the media transmission are supported on separate MBMS bearers. In accordance with certain embodiments, a method, performed by a client node for MBMS bearer handling comprises obtaining a broadcast service announcement of a first MBMS bearer for supporting floor control in a group call. The method additionally includes obtaining a broadcast service announcement of at least one second MBMS bearer for supporting media transmission in the group call. The floor control and the media transmission are supported on separate MBMS bearers.

Claims

1. A method for multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) bearer handling in a group communications system, the method being performed by a control node, comprising:

obtaining location information;

evaluating a need for one or more MBMS bearers for a group call based on the location information;

activating and announcing a first MBMS bearer for supporting floor control in the group call to client nodes of the group call; and

activating and announcing at least one second MBMS bearer for supporting media transmission in the group call,

whereby the floor control and the media transmission are supported on separate MBMS bearers for the group call.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a group call setup request from a first client node of the client nodes in response to having activated the first MBMS bearer and one of the at least one second MBMS bearer; and

performing a group call setup procedure for the group call.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said group call setup procedure is performed in response to the group call setup request having been obtained.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein said group call setup procedure is performed prior to activating and announcing said first MBMS bearer.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a floor request message for the group call from a first client node of the client nodes; and

in response thereto;

broadcasting a floor taken message for the group call on the first MBMS bearer to at least one other client node of the client nodes.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining media messages for the group call from a first client node of the client nodes; and

in response thereto;

broadcasting the media messages for the group call on one of the at least one second MBMS bearer to at least one other client node of the client nodes.

7. A method for multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) bearer handling in a group communications system, the method being performed by a client node, comprising:

providing location information to a control node;

obtaining a broadcast service announcement of a first MBMS bearer for supporting floor control in a group call from the control node of the group call; and

obtaining a broadcast service announcement of at least one second MBMS bearer for supporting media transmission in the group call from the control node,

whereby the floor control and the media transmission are supported on separate MBMS bearers for the group call and whereby one or more of the separate MBMS bearers of the group call was activated by the control node upon evaluating a need for one or more MBMS bearers for the group call based on the location information.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether to start monitoring the first MBMS bearer for floor control messages or not in response to having obtained the broadcast service announcement of the first MBMS bearer.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring the first MBMS bearer for floor control messages.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether to start monitoring one of the at least one second MBMS bearer for media messages or not in response to having obtained the broadcast service announcement of the at least one second MBMS bearer.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

monitoring one of the at least one second MBMS bearer for media messages.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining a floor taken message for the group call on the first MBMS bearer from the control node.

13. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

obtaining media messages for the group call on one of the at least one second MBMS bearer from the control node.

14. The method according to claim 7, wherein modulation and coding scheme for the first MBMS bearer and the modulation and coding scheme for at least one second MBMS bearer differ.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the modulation and coding scheme for the first MBMS bearer is more robust than the modulation and coding scheme for the at least one second MBMS bearer.

16. The method according to claim 7, wherein the group communications system is a push to talk (PTT) system.

17. A control node for multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) bearer handling in a group communications system, the control node comprising processing circuitry and a communications interface, the control node configured to:

obtain location information;

evaluate a need for one or more MBMS bearers for a group call based on the location information;

activate and announce a first MBMS bearer for supporting floor control in the group call to client nodes of the group call; and

activate and announce at least one second MBMS bearer for supporting media transmission in the group call,

whereby the floor control and the media transmission are supported on separate MBMS bearers for the group call.

18. The control node according to claim 17, further comprising a storage medium storing a set of operations, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium to cause the control node to perform the set of operations.

19. A client node for multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS) bearer handling in a group communications system, the client node comprising processing circuitry and a communications interface, the client node configured to:

provide location information to a control node;

obtain a broadcast service announcement of a first MBMS bearer for supporting floor control in a group call from the control node of the group call; and

obtain a broadcast service announcement of at least one second MBMS bearer for supporting media transmission in the group call from the control node,

whereby the floor control and the media transmission are supported on separate MBMS bearers for the group call and whereby one or more of the separate MBMS bearers of the group call was activated by the control node upon evaluating a need for one or more MBMS bearers for the group call based on the location information.

20. The client node according to claim 19, further comprising a storage medium storing a set of operations, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to retrieve the set of operations from the storage medium to cause the client node to perform the set of operations.