Cell reselection and handover with multimedia broadcast/multicast service

• US 9,161,276 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Jin, Somasundaram, Shankar, Sammour, Mohammed, Olvera-Hernandez, Ulises, Mukherjee, Rajat P., Miller, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEAN, JR, JOSEPH E
• Application Number:
  US14/220,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20140204829A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 455/436, 455/435.2, 455/433, 370/331
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0007 for multicast or broadcast services, e.g. MBMS multicast or broadcast application services H04W4/06; resource management for broadcast services H04W72/30; connection management for selective distribution or broadcast H04W76/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0055 Transmission or use of information for re-establishing the radio link
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0833 Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing wireless communication services, (e.g., multimedia broadcast multicast services (MBMS)), are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) detects a plurality of target cell evolved Node-Bs (eNodeBs) that neighbor a serving cell eNodeB. The WTRU evaluates cell reselection criteria and determines a neighboring target cell eNodeB to reselect. The WTRU receives and reads master information block (MIB) and system information messages of the neighboring target cell eNodeB, and confirms that the determined neighboring target cell eNodeB is not part of a multimedia broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN). The WTRU identifies the neighboring target cell eNodeB to the serving cell eNodeB. The WTRU then receives and reads MIB messages of the neighboring target cell eNodeB again to determine whether the system information has changed and, if so, the WTRU reads the system information and reselects to the neighboring target cell eNodeB, which provides the wireless communication services.

Claims

1. A method of providing service continuity for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), the method comprising:

receiving, at a serving cell of an evolved Node-B (eNodeB) from the WTRU, measurement reports associated with target cells that neighbor the serving cell;

receiving, at the serving cell from the WTRU, a radio resource control (RRC) message including an indication of frequencies on which the WTRU is currently and/or interested in receiving multimedia broadcast multicast services (MBMS) via an MBMS single frequency network (MBSFN);

transmitting, from the serving cell to the WTRU, a handover command to handover to one of the target cells, the one target cell being selected based, at least in part, on the indication;

receiving, at the one target cell, a random access channel (RACH) preamble or RACH message;

transmitting a RACH response from the one target cell; and

transmitting, from the one target cell, at least one of the MBMS.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the handover command is transmitted by way of an RRC connection reconfiguration message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication indicates a change in the MBMS the WTRU is currently and/or interested in receiving.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication indicates the WTRU is no longer interested in receiving the MBMS that it is currently receiving.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the RRC message is received in connection with an RRC connection establishment.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the RRC message includes an indication of preference given to MBMS over unicast.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the one target cell based, at least in part, on the indication.

8. A radio access network adapted for service continuity, the radio access network comprising:

an evolved Node-B (eNodeB) associated with a serving cell (“

serving-cell eNodeB”

), wherein;

the serving-cell eNodeB comprises a transmitter and receiver;

the receiver is configured to;

receive, from a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU), measurement reports associated with target cells that neighbor the serving cell; and

receive, from the WTRU, a radio resource control (RRC) message including an indication of frequencies on which the WTRU is currently and/or interested in receiving multimedia broadcast multicast services (MBMS) via an MBMS single frequency network (MBSFN); and

the transmitter is configured to transmit. to the WTRU, a handover command to handover to one of the target cells, the one target cell being selected based, at least in part, on the indication; and

an eNodeB associated with the one target cell (“

target-cell eNodeB”

), wherein;

the target-cell eNodeB comprises a receiver;

the receiver is configured to receive a random access channel (RACH) preamble or RACH message; and

the transmitter is configured to;

transmit a RACH response; and

transmit at least one of the MBMS.

9. The radio access network of claim 8, wherein the handover command is transmitted by way of an RRC connection reconfiguration message.

10. The radio access network of claim 8, wherein the indication indicates a change in the MBMS the WTRU is currently and/or interested in receiving.

11. The radio access network of claim 8, wherein the indication indicates the WTRU is no longer interested in the MBMS that it is currently receiving.

12. The radio access network of claim 8, wherein the RRC message is received in connection with an RRC connection establishment.

13. The radio access network of claim 8, wherein the RRC message includes an indication of preference given to MBMS over unicast.

14. The radio access network of claim 8, wherein the radio access network makes the selection of the one target cell based, at least in part, on the indication.