Enhanced pre-notification procedure for GERAN MBMS

• US 20060072534A1
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conversant Wireless Licensing S.à.r.l. (f/k/a Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.) (MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management))
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Jokinen, Harri, Sebire, Guillaume, Vaittinen, Rami
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/346
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• 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 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0219 where the power saving management affects multiple terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/26 Network addressing or numbering for mobility support
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A system and method for reducing idle mode power consumption for mobile stations (MS) that have joined a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) session and are waiting for the session to start. The invention is also directed to reducing the power consumption of an MS for which an MBMS session is inactive. In alternative aspects of the invention, the power consumption of mobile stations is reduced in the absence of ongoing MBMS session activity. Reduced power consumption is achieved by eliminating the need to read notification messages from an MBMS specific notification paging group when the notification message is for a different MBMS session than the paging group that the MS has currently joined.

Claims

1. A method for informing mobile stations (MS) that have joined a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) session and are waiting for data associated with incoming data for the service, comprising the steps of:

monitoring a paging group with the MS to detect MBMS pre-notifications;

transmitting MBMS pre-notification information within an MBMS notification message on the paging group to MSs on the paging group;

checking the pre-notification information in the MBMS notification message to acquire a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI);

determining whether the TMGI corresponds to the MBMS bearer service for a joined MBMS session; and

reading additional messages if the TMGI corresponds to the MBMS bearer service for a public land mobile network (PLMN).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

terminating the reading of messages if the TMGI does not correspond to the MBMS bearer service for the PLMN to conserve power.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the paging group is monitored by the MS that has requested to join the MBMS session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-notification information is a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI) which is allocated by a broadcast/multicast service for each MBMS bearer service.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the TMGI comprises a PLMN ID and a local MBMS bearer service identity that is unique within the PLMN.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the TMGI is sent to the MSs without PLMN ID information.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein TMGI is sent to the MSs without the PLMN ID.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the paging group is an MBMS specific paging group.

9. A system for informing mobile stations (MS) that have joined a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) session and are waiting for data associated with incoming data for the session, comprising:

means for monitoring a paging group to detect MBMS pre-notifications;

means for transmitting MBMS pre-notification information within an MBMS notification message on the paging group to MSs on the paging group;

means for checking the pre-notification information in the MBMS notification message to acquire a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI);

means for determining whether the TMGI corresponds to an MBMS bearer service for a joined MBMS session; and

means for reading additional messages if the TMGI corresponds to the MBMS bearer service for a public land mobile network (PLMN).

10. The system of claim 9, wherein reading of messages is terminated if the TMGI does not correspond to the MBMS bearer service for the PLMN to conserve power.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the paging group is monitored by the MS that has requested to join the MBMS session.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the pre-notification information is a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI) which is allocated by a broadcast/multicast service for each MBMS bearer service.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the TMGI comprises a PLMN ID and a local MBMS bearer service identity that is unique within the PLMN.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the TMGI is sent to the MSs without PLMN ID information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein TMGI is sent to the MSs without the PLMN ID.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the paging group is an MBMS specific paging group.

17. A computer program product for use in a system for mobile stations comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code thereon, the computer readable program code including:

program code for monitoring a paging group to detect MBMS notifications;

program code for transmitting MBMS pre-notification information within an MBMS notification message on the paging group to MSs on the paging group;

program code for checking the pre-notification information in the MBMS notification message to acquire a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI);

program code for determining whether the TMGI corresponds to an MBMS bearer service for the joined MBMS session; and

program code for reading additional messages if the TMGI corresponds to the MBMS bearer service for a public land mobile network (PLMN).

18. A mobile station, comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory connected to the processing unit;

a display connected to the processing unit;

a plurality of internal features, each feature providing a unique functionality application, said plurality of internal features being located in hardware, firmware and/or an operating system of the mobile station; and

a cellular transceiver connected to the processing unit and adapted to communicate with a controller located at a remote location;

wherein said mobile station is configured to monitor a paging group to detect MBMS pre-notifications, receive MBMS pre-notification information within an MBMS notification messages, check the pre-notification information in the MBMS notification message to acquire a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI), and determine whether the TMGI corresponds to an MBMS bearer service for a public land mobile network (PLMN).

19. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein reading of messages is terminated if the TMGI does not correspond to the MBMS bearer service for the PLMN to conserve power.

20. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the pre-notification information is a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI) which is allocated by a broadcast/multicast service for each MBMS bearer service.

21. The mobile station of claim 18, wherein the TMGI comprises a PLMN ID and a local MBMS bearer service identity that is unique within the PLMN.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the paging group is an MBMS specific paging group.

23. A base transceiver station for informing mobile stations (MS) that have joined a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) session and are waiting for data associated with incoming data for the service, comprising:

means for determining whether an MS has requested to join the MBMS session;

means for transmitting MBMS pre-notification information within an MBMS notification message to the MS requesting to join the MBMS session;

means for checking the pre-notification information in the MBMS notification message to acquire a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI);

means for determining whether the TMGI corresponds to an MBMS bearer service for the requested MBMS session; and

means for receiving additional messages if the TMGI corresponds to the MBMS bearer service for a public land mobile network (PLMN).

24. The base transceiver station of claim 23, wherein reading of messages is terminated if the TMGI does not correspond to the MBMS bearer service for the PLMN to conserve power.

25. The base transceiver station of claim 23, wherein a paging group is monitored by the MS that has requested to join the MBMS session.

26. The base transceiver station of claim 23, wherein the pre-notification information is a Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI) which is allocated by a broadcast/multicast service for each MBMS bearer service.

27. The base transceiver station of claim 24, wherein the TMGI comprises a PLMN ID and a local MBMS bearer service identity that is unique within the PLMN.

28. The base transceiver station of claim 27, wherein the TMGI is sent to MSs without PLMN ID information.

29. The base transceiver station of claim 27, wherein the TMGI is sent to MSs without the PLMN ID.

30. The base transceiver station of claim 23, wherein the paging group is an MBMS specific paging group.