Multicast service information change notification method and apparatus

• US 10,952,034 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2017
• Issued: 03/16/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Original Assignee: ZTE Corporation
• Inventors: Al, Jianxun, Dai, Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ly, Anh Vu H
• Application Number:
  US16/336,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20200137528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

A multicast service information change notification method comprises: an access network element sends to a UE a multicast service information update command; and the access network element indicates multicast service information to the UE service.

Claims

1. A method for notifying service information change of multicast service, comprising:

sending, by an access network element, in downlink control information (DCI) of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) scheduling a single cell-multicast traffic channel (SC-MTCH) or in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) carrying a SC-MTCH data, a change notification of single cell-multicast control channel (SC-MCCH) information, wherein the DCI comprises a one-bit indicator to indicate the SC-MCCH information has updated content related to the SC-MTCH;

wherein the updated content indicated by the access network element in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data comprises one or more combinations of the following;

a one-bit indicator to indicate whether update of the SC-MCCH information is related to the SC-MTCH, or to indicate whether the SC-MCCH information has the updated content related to the SC-MTCH; and

a one-bit indicator to indicate whether there is updated content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH;

wherein the access network element sends the change notification of the SC-MCCH information in one or more of following cases;

when the SC-MCCH information is changed, the access network element indicates, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, the SC-MCCH information is changed;

when configuration information related to the SC-MTCH in the SC-MCCH information is changed, the access network element indicates, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, whether content of the SC-MCCH information has changed content related to the SC-MTCH;

when the content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH is changed, the access network element indicates, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, that there is the updated content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH.

2. The method for notifying service information change of claim 1, wherein,

the configuration information related to the SC-MTCH comprises:

schedule information of the SC-MTCH, configuration information of a MBMS service corresponding to the SC-MTCH, and neighboring area configuration information of the MBMS service related to the SC-MTCH.

3. The method for notifying service information change of claim 1, wherein, timing at which the access network element sends the change notification of the SC-MCCH information comprises one or more of the following:

a SC-MCCH modification period in which the SC-MCCH information is changed; and

a SC-MCCH modification period prior to the SC-MCCH modification period in which the SC-MCCH information is changed.

4. The method for notifying service information change of claim 1, wherein, the sending, by the access network element, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH, the change notification of the SC-MCCH information comprises:

sending, by the access network element, the DCI of the PDCCH that does not indicate schedule information of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) carrying the SC-MTCH one or more times, but indicating the change notification of the SC-MCCH information in the DCI;

wherein the DCI of the PDCCH is scrambled by using a Radio Network Tempory Identity (RNTI) that schedules the SC-MTCH, and is scheduled for sending by using configuration of scheduling period of the SC-MTCH.

5. An access network element device, comprising:

a memory, configured to store instructions; and

a processor, configured to execute the instructions to perform;

sending, in downlink control information (DCI) of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) scheduling a single cell-multicast traffic channel (SC-MTCH) or in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) carrying a SC-MTCH data, a change notification of single cell-multicast control channel (SC-MCCH) information, wherein the DCI comprises a one-bit indicator to indicate the SC-MCCH information has updated content related to the SC-MTCH;

wherein the updated content indicated by the access network element in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data comprises one or more combinations of the following;

a one-bit indicator to indicate whether update of the SC-MCCH information is related to the SC-MTCH, or to indicate whether the SC-MCCH information has updated content related to the SC-MTCH; and

a one-bit indicator to indicate whether there is updated content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH;

wherein the processor is configured to send the change notification of the SC-MCCH information in one or more of following cases;

when the SC-MCCH information is changed, the access network element indicates, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, the SC-MCCH information is changed;

when configuration information related to the SC-MTCH in the SC-MCCH information is changed, the access network element indicates, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, whether content of the SC-MCCH information has changed content related to the SC-MTCH;

when the content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH is changed, the access network element indicates, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, that there is updated content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein,

the configuration information related to the SC-MTCH comprises:

schedule information of the SC-MTCH, configuration information of a MBMS service corresponding to the SC-MTCH, and neighboring area configuration information of the MBMS service related to the SC-MTCH.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein, timing at which the processor sends the change notification of the SC-MCCH information comprises one or more of the following:

a SC-MCCH modification period in which the SC-MCCH information is changed; and

a SC-MCCH modification period prior to the SC-MCCH modification period in which the SC-MCCH information is changed.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein, the processor configured to perform sending, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH, the change notification of the SC-MCCH information through the following manner:

sending, the DCI of the PDCCH that does not indicate schedule information of a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) carrying the SC-MTCH one or more times, but indicating the change notification of the SC-MCCH information in the DCI;

wherein the DCI of the PDCCH is scrambled by using a Radio Network Tempory Identity (RNTI) that schedules the SC-MTCH, and is scheduled for sending by using configuration of scheduling period of the SC-MTCH.

9. A user equipment, comprising:

a memory, configured to store instructions; and

a processor, configured to execute the instructions to perform;

receiving, in downlink control information (DCI) of a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) scheduling a single cell-multicast traffic channel (SC-MTCH) or in a medium access control (MAC) protocol data unit (PDU) carrying a SC-MTCH data, a change notification of single cell-multicast control channel (SC-MCCH) information; and

receiving the SC-MCCH information based on the change notification of the SC-MCCH information;

wherein the DCI comprises a one-bit indicator to indicate the SC-MCCH information has updated content related to the SC-MTCH;

wherein the updated content indicated in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data comprises one or more combinations of the following;

a one-bit indicator to indicate whether update of the SC-MCCH information is related to the SC-MTCH, or to indicate whether the SC-MCCH information has the updated content related to the SC-MTCH; and

a one-bit indicator to indicate whether there is updated content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH;

wherein the receiving the change notification of SC-MCCH information in one or more of following cases;

when the SC-MCCH information is changed, receiving, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, an indication about the SC-MCCH information is changed;

when configuration information related to the SC-MTCH in the SC-MCCH information is changed, receiving, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling the SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, an indication about whether content of the SC-MCCH information has changed content related to the SC-MTCH;

when the content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH is changed, receiving, in the DCI of the PDCCH scheduling SC-MTCH or in the MAC PDU carrying the SC-MTCH data, an indication about that there is the updated content of the SC-MCCH information irrelevant to the SC-MTCH.

10. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein, the processor configured to perform receiving the SC-MCCH information based on the received change notification of the SC-MCCH information comprising:

receiving, in a carrier carrying SC-MCCH, the SC-MCCH information in a SC-MCCH modification period corresponding to time of receiving the change notification of the SC-MCCH information, or in the SC-MCCH modification period after receiving the change notification of the SC-MCCH information.

11. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein, the processor configured to perform receiving the SC-MCCH information based on the received change notification of the SC-MCCH information through the following manner:

when the SC-MCCH and the SC-MTCH being on different carriers, receiving update information of the SC-MCCH in agreed SC-MCCH modification period after receiving the change notification of the SC-MCCH information.

12. The user equipment of claim 9, wherein, the processor configured to perform receiving the SC-MCCH information based on the received change notification of the SC-MCCH information through the following manner:

in response to the SC-MCCH information scheduling conflicting with SC-MTCH scheduling resource that the UE receives currently in time-domain, receiving the SC-MCCH information preferentially at least in the following cases;

in a case where the change notification of the SC-MCCH information indicates that changed content of the SC-MCCH information is related to the SC-MTCH;

in a case where a MBMS service corresponding to the SC-MTCH is stopped;

or

in a case where neighboring area information of the MBMS service corresponding to the SC-MTCH is changed.