Signalling method of radio bearer information and therefor network

• US 20060068793A1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Van Lieshout, Gert Jan, Kim, Soeng-Hun, Van Dervelde, Himke
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,213 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/444
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

In a cellular communication network comprising a plurality of cells, and further comprising one or more multicast/broadcast service providers arranged to provide a plurality of multicast/broadcast services over a radio interface to a mobile communication device located in a current cell, a method is provided for providing radio bearer configuration information to enable the mobile communication device to receive a multicast/broadcast service. The method comprises the steps of providing to a mobile communication device messages containing information associated with the radio bearer configuration, wherein each message is associated with a plurality of multicast/broadcast services that are available to be transmitted to the mobile communication device when in the current cell, and, periodically transmitting the messages to the mobile communication device within the current cell.

Claims

1. In a cellular communication network comprising a plurality of cells and one or more multicast/broadcast service providers arranged to provide a plurality of multicast[broadcast services over a radio interface to a mobile communication device located in a current cell, a method of providing radio bearer configuration information to enable the mobile communication device to receive a multicast/broadcast service, the method comprising the steps of:

providing to a mobile communication device messages containing information associated with the radio bearer configuration, wherein each message is associated with a plurality of multicast/broadcast services that are available to be transmitted to the mobile communication device when in the current cell, and,

periodically transmitting the messages to the mobile communication device within the current cell.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise a first message type, said first message type being associated with the plurality of multicast/broadcast services that are available to be transmitted to the mobile communication device from the current cell.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise a second message type, said second message type being associated with the plurality of multicast/broadcast services that are available to be transmitted to the mobile communication device from a neighbouring cell.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein there is a single second message type for each neighbouring cell.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the messages comprise a third message type, said third message type being associated with the plurality of multicast/broadcast services that are available to be transmitted to the mobile communication device from the current cell and from a neighbouring cell.

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

determining whether a parameter value associated with the current cell is below a predetermined limit, and upon a positive determination, ceasing to provide the messages associated with the plurality of multicast/broadcast services, and

providing a fourth message type associated with one particular service that is available to be transmitted to the mobile communication device when located in the current cell, and, within the fourth message type,

providing information associated with the radio bearer configuration required for the mobile communication device to receive that particular service and no other from the current cell or one or more neighbouring cells, and

periodically transmitting the fourth message type within the current cell.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether the parameter value is above a predetermined limit, and upon a positive determination,

ceasing to provide the fourth message type, and

providing messages associated with the plurality of multicast/broadcast services that are available to be transmitted to the mobile communication device when in the current cell, and,

periodically transmitting the messages within the current cell.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information associated with the radio bearer configuration comprises the radio bearer configuration information.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the information associated with the radio bearer configuration comprises a reference to the radio bearer configuration information.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the radio bearer configuration information is information associated with the real radio bearer configuration, the transport channel configuration and the physical channel configuration.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the radio bearer configuration information is information associated with the real radio bearer configuration, the transport channel configuration and the physical channel configuration.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the messages are sent at the beginning of a repetition period if the radio bearer configuration has changed since the last modification period.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the messages comprises a single reference to any common configuration of physical channels required for the mobile communication device to receive the service.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the messages comprises a single reference to any common configuration of transport channels required for the mobile communication device to receive the service.

17. A terrestrial mode cellular system arranged to carry out the method according to any preceding claim.

18. A radio network controller arranged to send messages by the method according to any of claims 1 through 16.

19. A mobile communication device specifically adapted to receive messages as sent by the method according to any of claims 1 through 16.

15. In a terrestrial mobile cellular network comprising a core network and a radio access network, the core network comprising a broadcast multicast service centre, the radio access network comprising a radio network controller connected to at least one base station, said base station arranged to be connected via a radio interface to one or more mobile communication devices located in one cell, said network further arranged to provide multimedia broadcast multicast services from the broadcast multicast service centre to one of said mobile communication devices, a method of sending a radio bearer configuration information message on a multicast control channel over the radio interface, said radio bearer configuration information message being used to specify the radio bearer configuration in order to allow at least one multimedia broadcast multicast service to be received by the mobile communication device, the method comprises the steps of:

periodically transmitting within each cell a respective radio bearer configuration information message, the radio bearer configuration message for each cell comprising radio bearer configuration information associated with a plurality of multimedia broadcast multicast services available for reception by the mobile communication device within that cell.

16. In a cellular communication network comprising a plurality of cells, and further comprising one or more service providers arranged to provide services over a radio interface to a current cell, a method of receiving information to enable a mobile communication device to receive at least one service, the method comprises the steps of:

receiving messages associated with the radio bearer configuration of radio bearers adapted to transmit at least one of the services to the mobile communication device in the current cell, wherein each message is associated with a plurality of services that are available to be received by the mobile communication device from the current cell or from neighbouring cells, and using said information to set up a communication link in order for the mobile communication device to receive at least one service.