Method and system for allocating resources to multimedia broadcast multicast control channel

• US 8,879,457 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Zhai, Hengxing, Ai, Jianxun
• Primary Examiner(s): Louis, Vinncelas
• Application Number:
  US13/258,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20120134311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/444, 370/468, 455/450, 455/507, 455/404.1
• 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 through the MCCH;

wherein in the step of the upper level network element allocating the at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH, the upper level network element is able to adjust a number of multicast subframes to be occupied by the MCCH and able to adjust occupied modes of the multicast subframes that are allocated to the MCCH according to an information amount of the channel information of the MCCH and the number of available multicast subframes, wherein, the occupied modes comprise an exclusive mode or a shared mode;

wherein

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

when the upper level network element allocates more than one continuous multicast subframe to the MCCH, the upper level network element configures 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 the upper level network element configures 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.

2. The method for allocating resources to said 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.

3. The method for allocating resources to said 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.

4. The method for allocating resources to said 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.

5. The method for allocating resources to said 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.

6. 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 through the MCCH;

wherein when the upper level network element allocates the at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH, the upper level network element is able to adjust a number of multicast subframes to be occupied by the MCCH and able to adjust occupied modes of the multicast subframes that are allocated to the MCCH according to an information amount of the channel information of the MCCH and the number of available multicast subframes, wherein, the occupied modes comprise an exclusive mode or a shared mode;

wherein

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

when the upper level network element allocates more than one continuous multicast subframes to the MCCH, the upper level network element configures a last multicast subframe in the more than one continuous multicast subframes to be a shared subframe and other multicast subframes to be exclusive subframes, or the upper level network element configures 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.

7. The system for allocating resources to said MCCH according to claim 6, wherein the lower level network element is configured to transmit 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 transmitted by the upper level network element.

8. An upper level network element supporting allocation of resources to a multimedia broadcast multicast control channel (MCCH), comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device for storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to performs the steps in the following modules;

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 through the MCCH allocated by the allocation module;

wherein when the allocation module allocates the at least one multicast subframe to the MCCH, the allocation module is able to adjust a number of multicast subframes to be occupied by the MCCH and able to adjust occupied modes of the multicast subframes allocated to the MCCH according to an information amount of the channel information of the MCCH and the number of available multicast subframes, wherein, the occupied modes comprise an exclusive mode or a shared mode;

wherein

when the allocation module allocates one multicast subframe to the MCCH, the allocation module configures the multicast subframe to be an exclusive subframe or a shared subframe; and

when the allocation module allocates more than one continuous multicast subframes to the MCCH, the allocation module configures 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 the allocation module configures 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.

9. The upper level network element according to claim 8, 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).