EVOLVED MULTIMEDIA BROADCAST/MULTICAST SERVICE BASE STATION, USER EQUIPMENT AND METHODS THEREOF

• US 20100080159A1
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Yonggang, Chen, Yu, Hu, Zhongji, Xing, Pingping
• Granted Patent: US 8,472,364 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

The present invention provides a user equipment (UE), comprising: first receiving means for receiving on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification; second receiving means for receiving Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier determined from the information; and control means for generating an MBMS scheduling template based on the received RB configuration information and MBMS scheduling information, wherein, the second receiving means receives MBMS data based on the MBMS scheduling template.

Claims

1. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

first receiving means for receiving on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification;

second receiving means for receiving Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier determined from the information; and

control means for generating an MBMS scheduling template based on the received RB configuration information and MBMS scheduling information,

wherein, the second receiving means receives MBMS data based on the MBMS scheduling template.

2. The UE according to claim 1, wherein, if a paging with respect to a non-MBMS service toward the UE is received when the second receiving means is receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, the control means performs prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority, the control means initiates the non-MBMS service on the first carrier by means of the first receiving means; and

the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

3. The UE according to claim 2, wherein, if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority, the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data.

4. The UE according to claim 1, wherein, if an instruction of initiating a non-MBMS service is received when the second receiving means is receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, the control means performs prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority, the control means initiates the non-MBMS service on the first carrier by means of the first receiving means; and

the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

5. The UE according to claim 4, wherein, if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority, the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data.

6. The UE according to claim 1, wherein, the first carrier is a non-MBMS carrier, and the second carrier is an MBMS dedicated carrier.

7. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving means for receiving on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification and for receiving on the second carrier Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information; and

control means for generating an MBMS scheduling template based on the received RB configuration information and MBMS scheduling information,

wherein, the receiving means receives MBMS data only on the second carrier based on the MBMS scheduling template.

8. A method of receiving data for a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification;

receiving Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier determined from the information, to generate an MBMS scheduling template; and

receiving MBMS data only on the second carrier based on the MBMS scheduling template.

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

receiving an MBMS announcement on the first carrier; and

joining an interested MBMS group on the first carrier.

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

when receiving an MBMS count request on the first carrier, returning an MBMS count response.

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

in a case of receiving a paging with respect to a non-MBMS service toward the UE in receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, performing prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

initiating the non-MBMS service on the first carrier if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority; and

continuing to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

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

continuing to receive the MBMS data if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority.

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

in a case of receiving an instruction of initiating a non-MBMS service in receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, performing prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

initiating the non-MBMS service on the first carrier if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority; and

continuing to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

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

continuing to receive the MBMS data if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein, the first carrier is a non-MBMS carrier, and the second carrier is an MBMS dedicated carrier.

16. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

first receiving means for receiving on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier;

second receiving means for receiving a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification, Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier; and

control means for generating an MBMS scheduling template based on the received RB configuration information and MBMS scheduling information,

wherein, the second receiving means receives MBMS data based on the MBMS scheduling template.

17. The UE according to claim 16, wherein, if a paging with respect to a non-MBMS service toward the UE is received when the second receiving means is receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, the control means performs prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority, the control means initiates the non-MBMS service on the first carrier by means of the first receiving means; and

the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

18. The UE according to claim 17, wherein, if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority, the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data.

19. The UE according to claim 16, wherein, if an instruction of initiating a non-MBMS service is received when the second receiving means is receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, the control means performs prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority, the control means initiates the non-MBMS service on the first carrier by means of the first receiving means; and

the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

20. The UE according to claim 19, wherein, if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority, the second receiving means continues to receive the MBMS data.

21. The UE according to claim 16, wherein, the first carrier is a non-MBMS carrier, and the second carrier is an MBMS dedicated carrier.

22. A user equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving means for receiving on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and for receiving on the second carrier a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification, Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information; and

control means for generating an MBMS scheduling template based on the received RB configuration information and MBMS scheduling information,

wherein, the receiving means receives MBMS data only on the second carrier based on the MBMS scheduling template.

23. A method of receiving data for a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

receiving on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier;

receiving a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification, Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier determined from the information, to generate an MBMS scheduling template; and

receiving MBMS data only on the second carrier based on the MBMS scheduling template.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

receiving an MBMS announcement on the first carrier; and

joining an interested MBMS group on the first carrier.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

when receiving an MBMS count request on the first carrier, returning an MBMS count response.

26. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

in a case of receiving a paging with respect to a non-MBMS service toward the UE in receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, performing prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

initiating the non-MBMS service on the first carrier if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority; and

continuing to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

27. The method according to claim 26, further comprising:

continuing to receive the MBMS data if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority.

28. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

in a case of receiving an instruction of initiating a non-MBMS service in receiving the MBMS data on the second carrier, performing prioritization on the non-MBMS service and the MBMS service;

initiating the non-MBMS service on the first carrier if it is determined that the non-MBMS service is of a higher priority; and

continuing to receive the MBMS data on the second carrier when the non-MBMS service is completed.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising:

continuing to receive the MBMS data if it is determined that the MBMS service is of a higher priority.

30. The method according to claim 23, wherein, the first carrier is a non-MBMS carrier, and the second carrier is an MBMS dedicated carrier.

31. A base station, comprising:

first transmitting means for transmitting on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification; and

second transmitting means for transmitting an MBMS notification, Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier,

wherein, the second transmitting means transmits MBMS data based on the RB configuration information and the MBMS scheduling information.

32. The base station according to claim 31, wherein, if a call toward a user equipment (UE) which is receiving the MBMS data is made when the second transmitting means is transmitting the MBMS data on the second carrier, only the first transmitting means transmits a paging toward the UE on the first carrier.

33. The base station according to claim 31, wherein, if a call toward a user equipment (UE) which is receiving the MBMS data is made when the second transmitting means is transmitting the MBMS data on the second carrier, the first transmitting means and the second transmitting means transmit a paging toward the UE on the first carrier and the second carrier respectively.

34. The base station according to claim 31, wherein, the first carrier is a non-MBMS carrier, and the second carrier is an MBMS dedicated carrier.

35. A base station, comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification, and for transmitting an MBMS notification, Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier,

wherein, the transmitting means transmits MBMS data only on the second carrier based on the RB configuration information and the MBMS scheduling information.

36. A method of transmitting data for a base station, comprising:

transmitting on a first carrier information for determining a second carrier and a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) notification;

transmitting an MBMS notification, Radio Bearer (RB) configuration information and MBMS scheduling information on the second carrier; and

transmitting MBMS data based on the RB configuration information and the MBMS scheduling information only on the second carrier.

37. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

transmitting an MBMS announcement on the first carrier.

38. The method according to claim 36, further comprising:

transmitting an MBMS count request on the first carrier.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein, if a call toward a user equipment (UE) which is receiving the MBMS data is made when the MBMS data are being transmitted on the second carrier, a paging toward the UE is transmitted only on the first carrier.

40. The method according to claim 36, wherein, if a call toward a user equipment (UE) which is receiving the MBMS data is made when the MBMS data are being transmitted on the second carrier, a paging toward the UE is transmitted on the first carrier and the second carrier.

41. The method according to claim 36, wherein, the first carrier is a non-MBMS carrier, and the second carrier is an MBMS dedicated carrier.

42. A base station, comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) count request to a User Equipment (UE);

receiving means for receiving respective MBMS count responses to the MBMS count request from respective UEs;

count result generating means for generating an MBMS count result based on the received MBMS count responses; and

Radio Bearer (RB) establishing means for establishing a corresponding RB based on the MBMS count result.

43. The base station according to claim 42, wherein, if the count result indicates a number of UEs which are interested in the MBMS service to be transmitted is greater than 0, the corresponding RB is established.

44. The base station according to claim 43, wherein, if the count result indicates the number of UEs which are interested in the MBMS service to be transmitted is smaller than a predetermined threshold, a point-to-point RB is established;

and if the count result indicates the number of UEs which are interested in the MBMS service to be transmitted is greater than the predetermined threshold, a point-to-multipoint RB is established.

45. A method of establishing a Radio Bearer (RB) for a base station, comprising:

transmitting a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) count request to a User Equipment (UE);

receiving respective MBMS count responses to the MBMS count request from respective UEs, and generating an MBMS count result; and

establishing a corresponding RB based on the MBMS count result.

46. The method according to claim 45, wherein, if the count result indicates a number of UEs which are interested in the MBMS service to be transmitted is greater than 0, the corresponding RB is established.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein, if the count result indicates the number of UEs which are interested in the MBMS service to be transmitted is smaller than a predetermined threshold, a point-to-point RB is established;

and if the count result indicates the number of UEs which are interested in the MBMS service to be transmitted is greater than the predetermined threshold, a point-to-multipoint RB is established.