Method and apparatus for providing multimedia broadcast/multicast service in mobile communication system

• US 20050083884A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Min Jung, Shin, Yong Woo, Lee, Young Dae, Jung, Myung Cheul
• Granted Patent: US 7,818,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/20 Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for providing one or more point-to-multipoint services, such as a multimedia broadcast/multicast service (MBMS), to one or more mobile terminals, or user equipment (UE). When one or more mobile terminals move to a new area of a mobile communication system managed by a different network element after joining a service, information is transmitted between network elements in a manner that facilitates the continued reception of the service by the mobile terminals that have moved while conserving network recources and increasing efficiency of the mobile communication system.

Claims

1. A method for providing at least one point-to-multipoint service to a specific mobile terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting, from a first network controller to a second network controller when the specific mobile terminal moves from a first cell managed by the first network controller to a second cell managed by the second network controller, a point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined; and

performing a point-to-multipoint service attach process for the specific mobile terminal, the service attach process performed according to the information in the attach request message and for each point-to-multipoint service identified in the attach request message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process is performed in the second network controller.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicates which point-to-multipoint services are in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information indicates which point-to-multipoint services are not in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message further comprises an identifier of the second cell and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process comprises adding the identifier of the specific mobile terminal to a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for each of the point-to-multipoint services identified in the attach request message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the list of connected mobile terminals indicates which mobile terminals have a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the second network controller.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the first network controller to the second network controller upon the specific mobile terminal leaving the second cell, a point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined; and

performing, in the second network controller, a point-to-multipoint service detach process for each of the point-to-multipoint services identified in the detach request message that are in progress for the specific mobile terminal, the service detach process performed according to the information in the in the detach request message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach request message further comprises an identifier of a third cell to which the specific mobile terminal has moved and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the point-to-multipoint detach process comprises removing the identifier of the specific mobile terminal from a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for each point-to-multipoint service identified in the detach request message.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach process is performed only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via a third network controller in the third cell is available.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process is performed only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the second network controller is available.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first network controller and second network controller are part of a universal mobile telecommunications system.

14. A method for providing a specific point-to-multipoint service to at least one mobile terminal, the method comprising:

transmitting, from a first network controller to a second network controller, a point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying each mobile terminal that has moved from a first cell managed by the first network controller to a second cell managed by the second network controller, each of the mobile terminals having joined the specific point-to-multipoint service; and

performing a point-to-multipoint service attach process for the specific point-to-multipoint service, the service attach process performed according to the information in the attach request message and for each mobile terminal identified in the attach request message.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process is performed in the second network controller.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the information identifies mobile terminals which moved from first cell to the second cell when the specific point-to-multipoint service was not in progress.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message is transmitted upon receiving a session start command for the specific point-to-multipoint service from a core network.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message is transmitted prior to receiving a session start command for the specific point-to-multipoint service from a core network.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the information in the attach request message identifies mobile terminals which moved from the first cell to the second cell when the specific point-to-multipoint service was in progress.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message further comprises an identifier of the second cell and an identifier of the specific point-to-multipoint service.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process comprises adding the mobile terminals identified by the information in the attach request message to a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for the specific point-to-multipoint service.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the list of connected mobile terminals indicates which mobile terminals have a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the second network controller.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting, from the first network controller to the second network controller upon at least one mobile terminal identified by the information in the attach request message leaving the second cell, a point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying the at least one mobile terminal; and

performing, in the second network controller, a point-to-multipoint service detach process for the specific point-to-multipoint service, the service detach process performed according to the information in the detach request message and for the at least one mobile terminal identified in the detach request message.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach request message further comprises an identifier of a third cell to which the at least one mobile terminal has moved and an identifier of the at least one mobile terminal.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach process comprises removing the identifier of at the least one mobile terminal from a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for the specific point-to-multipoint service.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach process is performed only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via a third network controller in the third cell is available.

27. The method of claim 14, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process is performed only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the second network controller is available.

28. The method of claim 14, wherein the first network controller and second network controller are part of a universal mobile telecommunications system.

29. A system for providing at least one point-to-multipoint service to a specific mobile terminal, the system comprising:

a core network providing the at least one point-to-multipoint service;

a first network controller interfacing with the core network and managing at least a first cell;

a second network controller interfacing with the core network and managing at least a second cell; and

a specific mobile terminal,

wherein, the first network controller is adapted to provide the at least one point-to-multipoint service to the specific mobile terminal when the specific mobile terminal is located in the first cell and to transmit to the second network controller, when the specific mobile terminal moves from the first cell to the second cell, a point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined and the second network controller is adapted to receive the attach request message and perform a point-to-multipoint service attach process for each point-to-multipoint service identified in the attach request message, the service attach process performed according to the information in the attach request message.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the information indicates which point-to-multipoint services are in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the information indicates which point-to-multipoint services are not in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message further comprises an identifier of the second cell and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process comprises adding the identifier of the specific mobile terminal to a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for each of the point-to-multipoint services identified in the attach request message.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein the first network controller is further adapted to transmit to the second network controller, upon the specific mobile terminal leaving the second cell, a point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined and the second network controller is further adapted to receive the detach request message and perform a point-to-multipoint service detach process for each of the point-to-multipoint services identified in the detach request message that are in progress for the specific mobile terminal, the service detach process performed according to the information in the detach request message

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach request message further comprises an identifier of a third cell to which the specific mobile terminal has moved and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the point-to-multipoint detach process comprises removing the identifier of the specific mobile terminal from a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for each point-to-multipoint service identified in the detach request message.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein the second network controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint service detach process only if a connection for exchanging control data with the core network via a third network controller in the third cell is available.

38. The system of claim 29, wherein the second network controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint service attach process only if a connection for exchanging control data with the core network via the second network controller is available.

50. The system of claim 29, wherein the second network controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint service attach process only if a connection for exchanging control data with the core network via the second network controller is available.

39. A system for providing a specific point-to-multipoint service to at least one mobile terminal, the system comprising:

a core network providing the specific point-to-multipoint service;

a first network controller interfacing with the core network and managing at least a first cell;

a second network controller interfacing with the core network and managing at least a second cell; and

at least one mobile terminal,

wherein, the first network controller is adapted to provide the specific point-to-multipoint service to the at least one mobile terminal when the at least one mobile terminal is located in the first cell and to transmit to the second network controller a point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying each of the at least one mobile terminal that has moved from the first cell to the second cell, each of the at least one mobile terminal having joined the specific point-to-multipoint service and the second network controller is adapted to receive the attach request message and perform a point-to-multipoint service attach process for the specific point-to-multipoint service, the service attach process performed according to the information in the attach request message and for each of the at least one mobile terminal identified in the attach request message.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the information identifies mobile terminals which moved from the first cell to the second cell when the specific point-to-multipoint service was not in progress.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message is transmitted upon receiving a session start command for the specific point-to-multipoint service from the core network.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message is transmitted prior to receiving a session start command for the specific point-to-multipoint service from the core network.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the information identifies mobile terminals which moved from the first cell to the second cell when the specific point-to-multipoint service was in progress.

44. The system of claim 39, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message further comprises an identifier of the second cell and an identifier of the specific point-to-multipoint service.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process comprises adding each of the at least one terminal identified by the information in the attach request message to a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for the specific point-to-multipoint service.

46. The system of claim 39, wherein the first network controller is further adapted to transmit to the second network controller, upon at least one mobile terminal identified by the information in the attach request message leaving the second cell, a point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying the at least one mobile terminal and the second network controller is further adapted to receive the detach request message and perform a point-to-multipoint service detach process for the specific point-to-multipoint service, the service detach process performed according to the information in the detach request message and for the at least one mobile terminal identified in the detach request message.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach request message further comprises an identifier of a third cell to which the at least one mobile terminal has moved and an identifier of the at least one mobile terminal.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach process comprises removing the identifier of the at least one mobile terminal from a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the second network controller for the specific point-to-multipoint service.

49. The system of claim 46, wherein the second network controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint service detach process only if a connection for exchanging control data with the core network via a third network controller in the third cell is available.

51. A radio network subsystem for providing at least one point-to-multipoint service to a specific mobile terminal, the radio network subsystem comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a point-to-multipoint service attach request message to a second radio network subsystem;

a receiver adapted to receive messages from the second radio network subsystem;

a storage unit adapted to store information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined; and

a controller adapted to manage the specific mobile terminal within a designated area, determine when the specific mobile terminal moves from the designated area to an area managed by the second radio network subsystem and generate the point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined.

52. The radio network subsystem of claim 51, wherein the information in the attach request message indicates which point-to-multipoint services are in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

53. The radio network subsystem of claim 51, wherein the information in the attach request message indicates which point-to-multipoint services are not in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

54. The radio network subsystem of claim 51, wherein the controller is further adapted to include an identifier of the area managed by the second radio network subsystem and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal in the point-to-multipoint service attach request message.

55. The radio network subsystem of claim 51, wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit a point-to-multipoint service detach request message to the second radio network subsystem upon the specific mobile terminal leaving the area managed by the second radio network subsystem, the point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined.

56. The radio network subsystem of claim 55, wherein the controller is further adapted to include an identifier of an area managed by a third radio network subsystem to which the specific mobile terminal has moved and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal in the point-to-multipoint service detach request message.

57. The radio network subsystem of claim 51, wherein the radio network subsystem and second radio network subsystem are part of a universal mobile telecommunications system.

58. The radio network subsystem of claim 51, wherein the radio network subsystem comprises a serving network controller and the second radio network subsystem comprises a drift network controller.

59. A radio network subsystem for providing a specific point-to-multipoint service to at least one mobile terminal, the radio network subsystem comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit a point-to-multipoint service attach request message to a second radio network subsystem;

a receiver adapted to receive messages from the second radio network subsystem;

a storage unit adapted to store information identifying mobile terminals that have moved from a designated area managed by the radio network subsystem to an area managed by the second radio network subsystem; and

a controller adapted to manage the at least one mobile terminal within the designated area, determine which mobile terminals have joined the specific point-to-multipoint service and moved from the designated area to the area managed by the second radio network subsystem and generate the point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying each mobile terminal that has joined the specific point-to-multipoint service and moved from the designated area to the area managed by the second radio network subsystem.

60. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the information in the attach request message identifies mobile terminals which moved from the designated area to the area managed by the second radio network subsystem when the specific point-to-multipoint service was not in progress.

61. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit the point-to-multipoint service attach request message upon receiving a session start command for the specific point-to-multipoint service from a core network.

62. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit the point-to-multipoint service attach request message prior to receiving a session start command for the specific point-to-multipoint service from a core network.

63. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the information in the attach request message identifies mobile terminals which moved from the designated area to the area managed by the second radio network subsystem when the specific point-to-multipoint service was in progress.

64. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the controller is further adapted to include a cell identifier and a service identifier in the point-to-multipoint service attach request message, the cell identifier indicating the area managed by the second radio network subsystem and the service identifier indicating the specific point-to-multipoint service.

65. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the controller is further adapted to transmit a point-to-multipoint service detach request message to the second radio network subsystem upon at least one mobile terminal identified by the information in the attach request message leaving the area managed by the second radio network subsystem, the point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying the at least one mobile terminal.

66. The radio network subsystem of claim 65, wherein the controller is further adapted to include a cell identifier and a terminal identifier in the point-to-multipoint service detach request message, the cell identifier indicating an area managed by a third radio network subsystem to which the at least one mobile terminal has moved and the terminal identifier indicating the at least one mobile terminal.

67. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the first radio network subsystem and second radio network subsystem are part of a universal mobile telecommunications system.

68. The radio network subsystem of claim 59, wherein the first radio network subsystem comprises a serving network controller and the second radio network subsystem comprises a drift network controller.

69. A radio network subsystem for providing at least one point-to-multipoint service to a specific mobile terminal, the radio network subsystem comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit messages to a second radio network subsystem;

a receiver adapted to receive a point-to-multipoint service attach request message from the second radio network subsystem;

a storage unit adapted to store information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined; and

a controller adapted to manage the specific mobile terminal within a designated area, process a point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined and perform a point-to-multipoint service attach process for the specific mobile terminal, the service attach process performed according to the information in the attach request message and for each point-to-multipoint service identified in the attach request message.

70. The radio network subsystem of claim 69, wherein the information in the attach request message indicates which point-to-multipoint services are in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

71. The radio network subsystem of claim 69, wherein the information in the attach request message indicates which point-to-multipoint services are not in progress for the specific mobile terminal.

72. The radio network subsystem of claim 69, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach request message further comprises an identifier of the designated area and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal.

73. The radio network subsystem of claim 72, wherein the controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint service attach process by adding the identifier of the specific mobile terminal to a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the radio network subsystem for each of the point-to-multipoint services identified in the attach request message.

74. The radio network subsystem of claim 73, wherein the list of connected mobile terminals indicates which mobile terminals have a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the radio network subsystem.

75. The radio network subsystem of claim 69, wherein the controller is further adapted to:

receive a point-to-multipoint service detach request message from the second network subsystem, the point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying each point-to-multipoint service the specific mobile terminal has joined; and

perform a point-to-multipoint service detach process for each of the point-to-multipoint services identified in the detach request message that are in progress for the specific mobile terminal, the service detach process performed according to the information in the detach request message.

76. The radio network subsystem of claim 75, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach request message further comprises an identifier of an area managed by a third radio network subsystem to which the specific mobile terminal has moved and an identifier of the specific mobile terminal.

77. The radio network subsystem of claim 76, wherein the controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint detach process by removing the identifier of the specific mobile terminal from a list of connected mobile terminals managed by the radio network subsystem for each point-to-multipoint service identified in the detach request message.

78. The radio network subsystem of claim 75, wherein the controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint service detach process only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via a third radio network subsystem is available in an area to which the specific mobile terminal has moved.

79. The radio network subsystem of claim 69, wherein the controller is further adapted to perform the point-to-multipoint service attach process only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the radio network subsystem is available.

80. The radio network subsystem of claim 69, wherein the first radio network subsystem and second radio network subsystem are part of a universal mobile telecommunications system.

81. The radio network subsystem of claim 69, wherein the radio network subsystem comprises a drift network controller and the second radio network subsystem comprises a serving network controller.

82. A radio network subsystem for providing a specific point-to-multipoint service to at least one mobile terminal, the radio network subsystem comprising:

a transmitter adapted to transmit messages to a second radio network subsystem;

a receiver adapted to receive a point-to-multipoint service attach request message from the second radio network subsystem;

a storage unit adapted to store information identifying mobile terminals that have moved from an area managed by the second radio network subsystem to a designated area managed by the radio network subsystem; and

a controller adapted to manage the at least one mobile terminal within the designated area, process the point-to-multipoint service attach request message comprising information identifying mobile terminals that have joined the specific point-to-multipoint service and moved from the area managed by the second radio network subsystem to the designated area and perform a point-to-multipoint service attach process for the specific point-to-multipoint service, the service attach process performed according to the information in the attach request message and for each mobile terminal identified in the attach request message.

83. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the information in the attach request message identifies mobile terminals which moved from the area managed by the second radio network subsystem to the designated area when the specific point-to-multipoint service was not in progress.

84. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the information in the attach request message identifies mobile terminals which moved from the area managed by the second radio network subsystem to the designated area when the specific point-to-multipoint service was in progress.

85. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the controller is further adapted to process a cell identifier indicating the area managed by the second radio network subsystem and a service identifier indicating the specific point-to-multipoint service, the cell identifier and service identifier included in the point-to-multipoint service attach request message.

86. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the controller is further adapted to manage a list of connected mobile terminals for the specific point-to-multipoint service and perform the point-to-multipoint service attach process by adding the mobile terminals identified by the information in the point-to-multipoint service attach request message to the list.

87. The radio network subsystem of claim 86, wherein the list of connected mobile terminals indicates which mobile terminals have a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the radio network subsystem.

88. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the controller is further adapted to:

receive a point-to-multipoint service detach request message from the second radio network subsystem, the point-to-multipoint service detach request message comprising information identifying at least one mobile terminal that has left the designated area; and

perform a point-to-multipoint service detach process for the specific point-to-multipoint service, the service detach process performed according to the information in the detach request message and for the at least one mobile terminal identified in the detach request message.

89. The radio network subsystem of claim 88, wherein the controller is further adapted to process a cell identifier indicating an area managed by a third radio network subsystem to which the at least one mobile terminal has moved and a terminal identifier indicating the at least one mobile terminal, the cell identifier and the terminal identifier included in the point-to-multipoint service detach request message.

90. The radio network subsystem of claim 88, wherein the controller is further adapted to manage a list of connected mobile terminals for the specific point-to-multipoint service and perform the point-to-multipoint service detach process by removing the mobile terminals identified by the information in the point-to-multipoint service detach request message from the list.

91. The radio network subsystem of claim 90, wherein the list of connected mobile terminals indicates which mobile terminals have a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the radio network subsystem.

92. The radio network subsystem of claim 88, wherein the point-to-multipoint service detach process is performed only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network is available via a third radio network subsystem in an area to which the at least one mobile terminal has moved.

93. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the point-to-multipoint service attach process is performed only if a connection for exchanging control data with a core network via the radio network subsystem is available.

94. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the radio network subsystem and second radio network subsystem are part of a universal mobile telecommunications system.

95. The radio network subsystem of claim 82, wherein the radio network subsystem comprises a drift network controller and the second radio network subsystem comprises a serving network controller.