Method and System for Allocating Resources to Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Control Channel

• US 20120134311A1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Zhai, Hengxing, Ai, Jianxun
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• 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 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

The invention discloses a method and a system for allocating resource to a multimedia broadcast multicast control channel, wherein the method includes: an upper level network element allocating at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH; the upper level network element transmitting MCCH resource allocation information to a lower level network element, indicating the lower level network element to transmit channel information of the MCCH in the at least one multicast subframe. The invention solves a problem of lack of consistency of allocation of physical resource to the MCCH, supports the UE to perform a combination for the received multi-cell MCH signals, enhances signal gain, and improves user experience.

Claims

1. A method for allocating resources to a multimedia broadcast multicast control channel (MCCH), comprising:

an upper level network element allocating at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH;

the upper level network element transmitting MCCH resource allocation information to a lower level network element, indicating the lower level network element to transmit channel information of the MCCH in the at least one multicast subframe.

2. The method for allocating resource to a MCCH according to claim 1, wherein in the step of the upper level network element allocating at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH, the upper level network element allocates one multicast subframe or more than one continuous multicast subframe to the MCCH according to information amount of the channel information of the MCCH and a number of available multicast subframes.

3. The method for allocating resource to a MCCH according to claim 2, wherein in the step of the upper level network element allocating one multicast subframe or more than one continuous multicast subframe to the MCCH,

when the upper level network element allocates one multicast subframe to the MCCH, the multicast subframe is an exclusive subframe or a shared subframe;

when the upper level network element allocates more than one continuous multicast subframe to the MCCH, the more than one continuous multicast subframe is all exclusive subframes;

or a last multicast subframe in the more than one continuous multicast subframe is a shared subframe and other multicast subframes are exclusive subframes;

or a first multicast subframe in the more than one continuous multicast subframe is a shared subframe and other multicast subframes are exclusive subframes.

4. The method for allocating resource to a MCCH according to claim 1, wherein when the method is applied to a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) system, the upper level network element is an upper level radio network controller (RNC) and the lower level network element is a lower level RNC;

in the step of the upper level network element transmitting the MCCH resource allocation information to the lower level network element, the upper level RNC transmits the MCCH resource allocation information to the lower level RNC via an Iur interface.

5. The method for allocating resource to a MCCH according to claim 1, wherein when the method is applied to an enhanced high speed packet access system (HSPA+), the upper level network element is a general packet radio service (GPRS) service support node (SGSN) or a GPRS gateway support node (GGSN) or a broadcast multicast service center (BMSC), and the lower level network element is a RNC or an enhanced node B.

6. The method for allocating resource to a MCCH according to claim 1, wherein when the method is applied to a long term evolved system (LTE), the upper level network element is a BMSC or an MBMS service gateway (MGW) or a multi-cell/multicast coordination entity (MCE), and the lower level network element is an evolved node B.

7. The method for allocating resource to a MCCH according to claim 1, after the step of the upper level network element transmitting the MCCH resource allocation information to the lower level network element, further comprising:

the lower level network element transmitting the channel information of the MCCH to a user equipment (UE) via a radio interface in the at least one multicast subframe according to the MCCH resource allocation information.

8. A system for allocating resources to a multimedia broadcast multicast control channel (MCCH), comprising an upper level network element and a lower level network element;

wherein

the upper level network element is configured to allocate at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH and transmit MCCH resource allocation information to the lower level network element, indicating the lower level network element to transmit channel information of the MCCH in the at least one multicast subframe.

9. The system for allocating resource to a MCCH according to claim 8, wherein the lower level network element is configured to transmit the channel information of the MCCH to a UE via a radio interface in the at least one multicast subframe according to the MCCH resource allocation information transmitted by the upper level network element.

10. An upper level network element supporting allocation of resources to a multimedia broadcast multicast control channel (MCCH), comprising an allocation module and a transmission module, wherein

the allocation module is configured to allocate at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH;

the transmission module is configured to transmit MCCH resource allocation information to a lower level network element, indicating the lower level network element to transmit channel information of the MCCH in the at least one multicast subframe allocated by the allocation module.

11. The upper level network element according to claim 10, wherein the allocation module is further configured to allocate one multicast subframe or more than one continuous multicast subframe for the MCCH according to information amount of channel information of the MCCH and a number of available multicast subframes.

12. The upper level network element according to claim 11, wherein the allocation module is further configured to:

when one multicast subframe is allocated to the MCCH, configure the multicast subframe to be an exclusive subframe or a shared subframe; and

when more than one continuous multicast subframe is allocated to the MCCH, configure the more than one continuous multicast subframe to be all exclusive subframes;

or configure a last multicast subframe in the more than one continuous multicast subframe to be a shared subframe and other multicast subframes to be exclusive subframes;

or configure a first multicast subframe in the more than one continuous multicast subframe to be a shared subframe and other multicast subframes to be exclusive subframes.

13. The upper level network element according to claim 10, wherein

in a universal terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) system, the upper level network element is an upper level radio network controller (RNC);

in an enhanced high speed packet access system (HSPA+), the upper level network element is a general packet radio service (GPRS) service support node (SGSN) or a GPRS gateway support node (GGSN) or a broadcast multicast service center (BMSC);

in a long term evolved system (LTE), the upper level network element is a BMSC or a MBMS service gateway (MGW) or a multi-cell/multicast coordination entity (MCE).