Method and apparatus of handling interest indication in a wireless communication system

• US 10,595,167 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2018
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ASUSTek Computer, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Wei-Yu, Guo, Yu-Hsuan, Pan, Li-te
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidner, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US15/869,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20180206080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• 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 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/04 using triggered events
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• 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

Abstract

Method and apparatus for a user equipment (UE) operating in a serving cell is disclosed. The UE, in a first RRC_CONNECTED state, transmits an interest indication for a broadcast or a multicast service to a first serving cell. The interest indication includes at least some information associated with a broadcast or a multicast service. Upon entering a second RRC_CONNECTED state from an RRC_INACTIVE state, the UE may or may not send an interest indication to a second serving cell, taking into account the differences between the first and second serving cell, whether the second serving cell requested transmission of an interest indication, or whether the content of the second interest indication would be the same as the content of the first interest indication. A network node may retain UE context and other UE-related information after the UE has left an RRC_CONNECTED state, forward the information to another network node, and/or process the information when the UE re-enters the RRC_CONNECTED state.

Claims

1. A method for a user equipment (UE), comprising:

transmitting a first interest indication in a first serving cell by the UE, wherein the UE is in a first RRC_CONNECTED state;

entering an RRC_INACTIVE state or an RRC_IDLE state from the first RRC_CONNECTED state;

determining whether to transmit a second interest indication in a second serving cell upon entering a second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state based on comparison between content of the second interest indication and content of the first interest indication; and

transmitting the second interest indication in the second serving cell upon entering the second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state if the content of the second interest indication is not the same as the content of the first interest indication and not transmitting the second interest indication in the second serving cell upon entering the second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state when the content of the second interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE retains information included in the first interest indication when the UE enters the RRC_INACTIVE state from the first RRC_CONNECTED state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first interest indication or the second interest indication indicates one or more identities of at least one of a broadcast service or a multicast service the UE is interested in.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the UE transmits the second interest indication regardless of whether a set of multicast frequencies of interest to be carried by the second interest indication is empty or not.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first serving cell and the second serving cell are the same cell.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first serving cell and the second serving cell belong to at least one of the same Radio Access Network (RAN) paging area or the same RAN notification area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering a fourth RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state and transmitting a fifth interest indication for at least one of broadcast or multicast in a third serving cell even if content of the fifth interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication, wherein the first serving cell and the third serving cell at least one of belong to different RAN paging areas, belong to different RAN notification areas, or use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering a third RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_IDLE state and transmitting a third interest indication in the second serving cell even if content of the third interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication.

9. A communication device comprising:

a control circuit;

a processor installed in the control circuit; and

a memory installed in the control circuit and operatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to perform acts comprising;

transmitting a first interest indication in a first serving cell by the communication device, wherein the communication device is in a first RRC_CONNECTED state;

entering an RRC_INACTIVE state or an RRC_IDLE state from the first RRC_CONNECTED state;

determining whether to transmit a second interest indication in a second serving cell upon entering a second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state based on comparison between content of the second interest indication and content of the first interest indication; and

transmitting the second interest indication in the second serving cell upon entering the second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state if the content of the second interest indication is not the same as the content of the first interest indication and not transmitting the second interest indication in the second serving cell upon entering the second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state if the content of the second interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication.

10. The communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

entering a third RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_IDLE state and transmitting a third interest indication in the second serving cell even if content of the third interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication.

11. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the first serving cell and the second serving cell belong to at least one of the same Radio Access Network (RAN) paging area or the same RAN notification area.

12. The communication device of claim 9, further comprising:

entering a fourth RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state and transmitting a fifth interest indication for at least one of broadcast or multicast in a third serving cell even if content of the fifth interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication, wherein the first serving cell and the third serving cell at least one of belong to different RAN paging areas, belong to different RAN notification areas, or use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs).

13. A communication device comprising:

a control circuit;

a processor installed in the control circuit;

a memory installed in the control circuit and operatively coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to execute a program code stored in the memory to perform acts comprising;

transmitting a first interest indication in a first serving cell by the communication device, wherein the communication device is in a first RRC_CONNECTED state;

entering an RRC_INACTIVE state or an RRC_IDLE state from the first RRC_CONNECTED state;

transmitting a second interest indication in a second serving cell upon entering a second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state if content of the second interest indication is not the same as content of the first interest indication and not transmitting the second interest indication in the second serving cell upon entering the second RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state if the content of the second interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication; and

transmitting a third interest indication in the second serving cell upon entering a third RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_IDLE state even if content of the third interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the communication device retains information included in the first interest indication when the communication device enters the RRC_INACTIVE state from the first RRC_CONNECTED state.

15. The communication device of claim 13, wherein at least one of the first interest indication or the second interest indication indicates one or more identities of at least one of a broadcast service or a multicast service the communication device is interested in.

16. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the communication device transmits the second interest indication regardless of whether a set of multicast frequencies of interest to be carried by the second interest indication is empty or not.

17. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the first serving cell and the second serving cell are the same cell.

18. The communication device of claim 13, wherein the first serving cell and the second serving cell belong to at least one of the same Radio Access Network (RAN) paging area or the same RAN notification area.

19. The communication device of claim 13, further comprising:

entering a fourth RRC_CONNECTED state from the RRC_INACTIVE state and transmitting a fifth interest indication for at least one of broadcast or multicast in a third serving cell even if content of the fifth interest indication is the same as the content of the first interest indication, wherein the first serving cell and the third serving cell at least one of belong to different RAN paging areas, belong to different RAN notification areas, or use different Radio Access Technologies (RATs).