WIRELESS COMMUNICATION METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SUPPORTING MULTICAST BEARER SERVICES OVER AN IP MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM

• US 20070213078A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shaheen, Kamel
• Application Number:
  US11/618,024
• Publication Number:
  US 20070213078A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A wireless communication method and system for initiating the establishment, modification and termination of broadcast and multicast bearer services using an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS). The system includes an IMS domain, a multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) application server (AS) and a cellular network. The IMS domain includes an IMS AS, a media resource function control (MRFC) server and a media resource function processor (MRFP). A user equipment (UE) sends a session initiation protocol (SIP) INVITE message to the MRFC server via the cellular network, a proxy call state control function (P-CSCF) of the IMS AS and a serving call state control function (S-CSCF) of the IMS AS, for establishing an IMS-based MBMS session to the MBMS AS. If the UE is allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session, the UE receives multimedia support services to establish uplink and downlink connectivity to the MBMS AS.

Claims

1. In a wireless communication system including at least one user equipment (UE), an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) domain, a multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) application server (AS) and a cellular network, the IMS domain including an IMS AS, a media resource function control (MRFC) server and a media resource function processor (MRFP), a method for initiating IMS-based MBMS comprising:

(a) the UE sends a session initiation protocol (SIP) message to the MRFC server, via the cellular network, a proxy call state control function (P-CSCF) of the IMS AS and a serving call state control function (S-CSCF) of the IMS AS, for establishing an IMS-based MBMS session to the MBMS AS;

(b) determining whether to allow the UE to establish the IMS-based MBMS session; and

(c) if the UE is allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session, the UE receiving multimedia support services from the IMS-domain via the cellular network to establish uplink and downlink connectivity to the MBMS AS.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the UE registering with the IMS AS as an IMS-MBMS-capable UE that is capable of supporting MBMS using IMS signaling.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the IMS AS instructing the MRFC server to establish the requested IMS-based MBMS session by contacting both the MBMS AS and the MRFP for setting up IMS-based MBMS bearers for the UE;

the MRFC server negotiating with both the MBMS AS and the UE regarding a set of MBMS multimedia bearer attributes by including information in a session description protocol (SDP) body of an SIP message sent to the MBMS AS and the UE;

the MRFC server, upon agreement on the set of the MBMS multimedia bearer attributes, instructing the MRFP to establish the necessary resources for supporting IMS-based MBMS in accordance with the agreement;

the IMS AS authorizing and allocating quality of service (QoS) resources for the IMS-based MBMS; and

the MRFC server indicating to the UE and the MBMS AS to start the IMS-based MBMS session.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

the IMS AS checking for session description protocol (SDP) information in response messages received from the UE to determine whether the UE is MBMS-capable and whether the UE is ready for MBMS transmission.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

the IMS AS determining whether requested media attributes requested by the UE are supported by the cellular network and the agreement.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

the UE sending a message to the MRFC server which indicates that the UE failed to activate an MBMS bearer because the UE is not MBMS-capable.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

the MRFC server sending the UE uplink and downlink media bearers information included in a session description protocol (SDP) body of an IMS message if the UE is allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the MBMS AS is a broadcast multicast service center (BM-SC).

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the UE is not allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session if the UE is not MBMS-capable.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

if the UE is not MBMS-capable, and therefore fails to activate MBMS bearer services, the UE sending a provisional response acknowledgement (PRACK) message to the MRFC server which indicates desired unicast media address information.

11. A wireless communication system for initiating Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS)-based multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) comprising:

(a) a cellular network;

(b) an MBMS application server (AS);

(c) an (IMS) domain comprising;

(c1) an IMS AS including a proxy call state control function (P-CSCF) and a serving call state control function (S-CSCF);

(c2) a media resource function control (MRFC) server; and

(c3) a media resource function processor (MRFP); and

a user equipment (UE) which sends a session initiation protocol (SIP) message to the MRFC server, via cellular network, the P-CSCF and the S-CSCF, for establishing an IMS-based MBMS session to the MBMS AS, whereby if the UE is allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session, the UE receives multimedia support services from the IMS-domain via the cellular network to establish uplink and downlink connectivity to the MBMS AS.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the UE registers with the IMS AS as an IMS-MBMS-capable UE that is capable of supporting MBMS using IMS signaling.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the IMS AS instructs the MRFC server to establish the requested IMS-based MBMS session by contacting both the MBMS AS and the MRFP for setting up IMS-based MBMS bearers for the UE.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the MRFC server negotiates with both the MBMS AS and the UE regarding a set of MBMS multimedia bearer attributes by including information in a session description protocol (SDP) body of an SIP message sent to the MBMS AS and the UE.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the MRFC server, upon agreement on the set of the MBMS multimedia bearer attributes, instructs the MRFP to establish the necessary resources for supporting IMS-based MBMS in accordance with the agreement.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the IMS AS authorizes and allocates quality of service (QoS) resources for the IMS-based MBMS.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the MRFC server indicates to the UE and the MBMS AS to start the IMS-based MBMS session.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the IMS AS checks for session description protocol (SDP) information in response messages received from the UE to determine whether the UE is MBMS-capable and whether the UE is ready for MBMS transmission.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the IMS AS determines whether requested media attributes requested by the UE are supported by the cellular network and the agreement.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the UE sends a message to the MRFC server which indicates that the UE failed to activate an MBMS bearer because the UE is not MBMS-capable.

21. The system of claim 11 wherein the MRFC server sends the UE uplink and downlink media bearers information included in a session description protocol (SDP) body of an IMS message if the UE is allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session.

22. The system of claim 11 wherein the MBMS AS is a broadcast multicast service center (BM-SC).

23. The system of claim 11 wherein the cellular network comprises a core network including a gateway general packet radio service (GPRS) support node (GGSN) in which the IMS AS, with the support of the MRCF server, establishes the necessary media resources and sends bearer information about a unicast bearer and a multicast bearer to the UE.

24. The system of claim 11 wherein the UE is not allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session if the UE is not MBMS-capable.

25. The system of claim 11 wherein if the UE is not MBMS-capable, and therefore fails to activate MBMS bearer services, the UE sends a provisional response acknowledgement (PRACK) message to the MRFC server which indicates desired unicast media address information.

26. In a wireless communication system including at least one user equipment (UE), an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS) domain, a multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS) application server (AS) and a cellular network, the IMS domain including an IMS AS, a media resource function control (MRFC) server and a media resource function processor (MRFP), a method for inviting a user equipment (UE) to join a conference comprising:

(a) the MRFC server sending a session initiation protocol (SIP) message to the UE via a serving call state control function (S-CSCF) of the IMS AS, a proxy call state control function (P-CSCF) of the IMS AS and the cellular network for establishing an IMS-based MBMS session to the MBMS AS;

(b) the UE receiving the SIP message and analyzing media information to activate multicast bearers according to MBMS activation procedures;

(c) determining whether to allow the UE to establish the IMS-based MBMS session; and

(d) if the UE is allowed to establish the IMS-based MBMS session, the UE receiving multimedia support services from the IMS-domain via the cellular network to establish uplink and downlink connectivity to the MBMS AS so that the UE can join an existing conference.