METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MANAGING SIMULTANEOUS UNICAST AND MULTICAST/BROADCAST SERVICES IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120275369A1
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Xiaoxia, Gaal, Peter, Garavaglia, Andrea, Wang, Jun, Walker, Gordon Kent
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• 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 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Techniques are provided for managing simultaneous unicast and multicast/broadcast services. For example, there is provided a method operable by a user equipment (UE) or the like, that involves transmitting, upon initial connection with a wireless communication system, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE. The method may further involve transmitting a second message indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service. The method may also involve receiving, as a result of the second message, data scheduled in accordance with one or more predetermined rules.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting, upon initial connection with the wireless communication system, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE;

transmitting a second message indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

receiving, as a result of the second message, data scheduled in accordance with one or more predetermined rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE appends the second message to a measurement report.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE signals whether it is receiving or is about to receive the multicast/broadcast service in the second message as a binary status flag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a unicast capability, in response to the UE supporting a unicast service only.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a reduced unicast capability, in response to the UE supporting both the unicast service and the multicast/broadcast service.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the unicast capability ranges from a category 1 to a category 8.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the unicast capability is downgraded by at least one predetermined level, in response to the UE receiving the multicast/broadcast service.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a multicast/broadcast capability, in response to the UE supporting the multicast/broadcast service only.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a reduced multicast/broadcast capability, in response to the UE supporting both a unicast service and the multicast/broadcast service.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the multicast/broadcast capability ranges from a category 1 to a category 8.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the multicast/broadcast capability is downgraded by at least one predetermined level, in response to the UE receiving a unicast service.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the data comprises receiving unicast data at a unicast data rate that takes into account (a) a broadcast data rate allocated for the multicast/broadcast service and (b) the first message.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined rules relate to adjusting a downlink unicast transmission rate based on a downlink broadcast transmission rate.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined rules take into consideration the one or more capabilities of the UE.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

means for transmitting, upon initial connection with a wireless communication system, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of a user equipment (UE);

means for transmitting a second message indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

means for receiving, as a result of the second message, data scheduled in accordance with one or more predetermined rules.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

transmit, upon initial connection with a wireless communication system, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of a user equipment (UE);

transmit a second message indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

receive, as a result of the second message, data scheduled in accordance with one or more predetermined rules; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

17. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to;

transmit, upon initial connection with a wireless communication system, a first message indicating one or more capabilities of a user equipment (UE);

transmit a second message indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

receive, as a result of the second message, data scheduled in accordance with one or more predetermined rules.

18. A method for operating by a network entity in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE upon initial connection of the UE with the wireless communication system;

receiving a second message from the UE indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

scheduling downlink data for the UE in accordance with one or more predetermined rules in response to the second message.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more predetermined rules include:

consulting a first set of one or more lookup tables containing UE-category-based transmission parameters, when the second message indicates that the UE is beginning simultaneous support of unicast and multicast/broadcast services; and

consulting a second set of one or more lookup tables containing UE-category-based transmission parameters, when the second message indicates that the UE is ending simultaneous support of unicast and multicast/broadcast services.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first set of one or more lookup tables contains, for a particular UE category, a smaller transport block size for unicast reception than the second set of one or more lookup tables contains for the particular UE category.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more predetermined rules include:

downgrading, by a predetermined number of levels, a category associated with the UE, when the second message indicates that the UE is beginning simultaneous support of unicast and multicast/broadcast services; and

restoring, to a nominal value, the category associated with the UE, when the second message indicates that the UE is ending simultaneous support of unicast and multicast/broadcast services.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the category associated with the UE is downgraded with respect to unicast services only.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a unicast capability, in response to the UE supporting a unicast service only.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a reduced unicast capability, in response to the UE supporting both the unicast service and the multicast/broadcast service.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a multicast/broadcast capability, in response to the UE supporting the multicast/broadcast service only.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first message comprises an indication of a reduced multicast/broadcast capability, in response to the UE supporting both a unicast service and the multicast/broadcast service.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein scheduling the data comprises scheduling a transmission of unicast data at a unicast data rate that takes into account (a) a broadcast data rate allocated for the multicast/broadcast service and (b) the first message.

28. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined rules relate to adjusting a downlink unicast transmission rate based on a downlink broadcast transmission rate.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined rules take into consideration the one or more capabilities of the UE.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the network entity comprises an eNodeB.

31. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving, from a user equipment (UE), a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE upon initial connection of the UE with a wireless communication system;

means for receiving a second message from the UE indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

means for scheduling downlink data for the UE in accordance with one or more predetermined rules in response to the second message.

32. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor configured to;

receive, from a user equipment (UE), a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE upon initial connection of the UE with a wireless communication system;

receive a second message from the UE indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

schedule downlink data for the UE in accordance with one or more predetermined rules in response to the second message; and

a memory coupled to the at least one processor for storing data.

33. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium comprising code for causing a computer to;

receive, from a user equipment (UE), a first message indicating one or more capabilities of the UE upon initial connection of the UE with a wireless communication system;

receive a second message from the UE indicating that the UE is receiving or is about to receive a multicast/broadcast service; and

schedule downlink data for the UE in accordance with one or more predetermined rules in response to the second message.