Method and system for a multicast service announcement in a cell

• US 20030157949A1
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Isokangas, Jari, Sarkkinen, Sinikka, Koulakiotis, Dimitris
• Granted Patent: US 6,839,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/503
• 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 48/12 using downlink control channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/025 Indirect paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services

Abstract

The present invention is related to a method and system for multicast service announcement in a cell that includes a core network, a UTRAN, and one or more mobile network nodes. The UTRAN includes a RNC. The RNC continuously sends multicast service announcements in a frame over a channel such as a PICH. The frame may include a type field and an indication field where the type field contains information related to the type of information in the indication field, or the frame may include a current service announcement identification field, a next service announcement identification field, and a time offset field. The type field can be used also to separate long term scheduling announcement or service advertising frames from the multicast/broadcast data frames, or the type field can be used to separate the multicast/broadcast control frames from the multicast/broadcast data frames.

Claims

1. A method for multicast services announcements comprising:

sending a signaling message containing at least one service announcement identification from a first network node to at least one second network node;

sending multicast service announcements continuously on a channel each multicast service announcement having an associated service announcement identification;

comparing the at least one service announcement identification with multicast service identifications configured in the second node;

checking the multicast service announcements on the channel associated with the at least one service announcement identification that compares with the multicast service identifications; and

receiving, at the second network node, the multicast service announcements associated with the at least one service announcement identification that compares with the multicast service identifications.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one service announcement identification comprises one of at least one service identification and at least one multicast group identification.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first network node comprises a Radio Network Controller (RNC).

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the signaling message from the first network node to the at least one second network node in a System Information Block (SIB).

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the signaling message from the first network node to the at least one second network node on a second channel comprising a Paging Indicator Channel (PICH).

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the signaling message from the first network node to the at least one second network node on a second channel comprising a Broadcast Channel (BCH).

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising waiting for a new signaling message containing at least one second service announcement identification if the at least one service announcement identification does not compare with any of the multicast service identifications.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the multicast service announcements continuously on a channel comprising a Paging Indicator Channel (PICH).

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising sending the multicast service announcements in a PICH frame.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one second network node comprises User Equipment (UE).

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising sending a PICH frame comprising a type field and an indication field, the type field containing information related to the type of information in the indication field.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising sending an indication field comprising one of the service announcement identification associated with the multicast service announcements currently being sent on the channel, the service announcement identification associated with the multicast service announcements to be sent next on the channel, an offset value indicating a gap between the multicast service announcements currently being sent on the channel and the multicast service announcements to be sent next on the channel, data to be concatenated with data sent in a preceding indication field, timing information to a long term multicast announcement frame, timing information to a multicast service advertising frame, and indication about a multicast control frame.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising sending a PICH frame comprising 300 bits, wherein the type field comprises one of one, two, and three bits and the indication field comprises one of eleven, ten and nine bits, respectively.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the service announcement identification comprises one of a service identification, a group identification, a serial number of multicast service announcements in a list, and System Frame Number for the long term multicast announcement or advertising frame.

15. The method according to claim 9, further comprising sending a PICH frame comprising a current service announcement identification field, a next service announcement identification field, a time offset field, long term service announcement frame indication, and multicast service advertising frame indication.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the current service announcement identification field contains one of a service identification, a group identification, a serial number of multicast service announcements in a list, System Frame Number, and an offset value.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the next service announcement identification field contains one of a service identification, a group identification, and a serial number of multicast service announcements in a list.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising sending a PICH frame comprising 300 bits, wherein the current service announcement identification field comprises four bits, the next service announcement identification field comprises four bits, and the time offset field comprises four bits.

19. A method for multicast services announcements comprising:

sending time information on a first channel, the time information conveying when a list of multicast services will be sent on a second channel;

checking the time information at a first network node;

checking current multicast services sent on a third channel if the time information is not currently available on the first channel;

receiving the current multicast services at the second network node if the second network node is entitled to receive the current multicast services;

checking an offset value time of when a next multicast services will be sent on the third channel if the second network node is not entitled to receive the current multicast services;

receiving the next multicast services at the second network node after the offset value time if the second network node is entitled to receive the next multicast services; and

waiting for the list of multicast services to be sent on the second channel if the second network node is not entitled to receive the current multicast services or the next multicast services.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising sending the time information on the first channel that comprises a Broadcast Channel (BCH).

21. The method according to claim 19, further comprising sending time information in a System Information Block (SIB) on the first channel.

22. The method according to claim 19, further comprising sending the list of multicast services on the second channel comprising a Forward Access Channel (FACH).

23. The method according to claim 19, further comprising checking current multicast services sent on the third channel comprising a Paging Indicator Channel (PICH).

24. The method according to claim 19, wherein the first network node comprises a Radio Network Controller (RNC).

25. The method according to claim 19, wherein the second network node comprises User Equipment (UE).

26. A system for multicast services announcements comprising:

a core network;

a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) operably connected to the core network, the UTRAN including at least one Radio Network Controller (RNC), the RNC continuously sending multicast service announcements in a frame over a channel; and

at least one mobile network node operably connected to the UTRAN through the at least one RNC,

wherein the frame comprises a type field and an indication field, the type field containing information related to the type of information in the indication field.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the channel comprises a Paging Indicator Channel (PICH).

28. The system according to claim 26, wherein the at least one mobile network node comprises User Equipment (UE).

29. The system according to claim 26, wherein the information field contains a multicast service announcement identification comprises one of at least one service identification and at least one multicast group identification.

30. The system according to claim 29, wherein the multicast service announcement identification comprises one of at least one service identification and at least one multicast group identification.

31. A system for multicast services announcements comprising:

a core network;

a Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) operably connected to the core network, the UTRAN including at least one Radio Network Controller (RNC), the RNC continuously sending multicast service announcements in a frame over a channel; and

at least one mobile network node operably connected to the UTRAN through the at least one RNC,

wherein the frame comprises a current service announcement identification field, a next service announcement identification field, and a time offset field.

32. The system according to claim 31, wherein the channel comprises a Paging Indicator Channel (PICH).

33. The system according to claim 31, wherein the at least one mobile network node comprises User Equipment (UE).

34. The system according to claim 31, wherein the information field contains a multicast service announcement identification comprises one of at least one service identification and at least one multicast group identification.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein the multicast service announcement identification comprises one of at least one service identification and at least one multicast group identification.