Multicast transmission to a radio access network

• US 20040264490A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Isokangas, Jari, Sarkkinen, Sinikka, Koulakiotis, Dimitris
• Granted Patent: US 8,385,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and system for performing a multicast transmission in a cellular network, wherein an identification information, which indicates terminal devices and/or areas in which authorized terminal devices are assumed to be located, is transmitted from a core network (100) to a radio access network of the cellular network by using a control information transmission protocol. Then, a signalling connection of a control and user data transmission protocol is establishing based on said identification information and used for transmitting multicast related data and corresponding control information between the core network (100) and the radio access network. Thereby, already defined protocol layers can be used for implementing multicast transmission, while modifications are minimized.

Claims

1. A method of performing a multicast transmission in a cellular network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting an identification information, which indicates terminal devices and/or areas in which authorized terminal devices are assumed to be located, to which said multicast transmission is directed, from a core network (100) to a radio access network (90) of said cellular network by using a control information transmission protocol;

b) establishing based on said identification information a signalling connection of a control and user data transmission protocol; and

c) using said established signalling connection for transmitting multicast related data and corresponding control information between said core network (100) and said radio access network (90).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein a virtual context for a multicast session is created at said radio access network (90).

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said virtual context is coupled to several subscriber identities or/and multicast area identities.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein said virtual context has said signalling connection as a single signalling connection.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said control information transmission protocol is the RANAP protocol or enhanced SABP protocol.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said signalling connection is an Iu interface connection.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identification information is transmitted using a paging message.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the SCCP mode of RANAP is used for transmitting messages of said control information transmission protocol.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said identification information is transmitted by a multicast calling procedure provided between said radio access network (90) and said core network (100).

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein a multicast radio access bearer assignment procedure is used to establish said signalling connection.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said multicast radio access bearer assignment procedure comprises a radio access bearer assignment request message containing an information which indicates terminal devices or predetermined areas to which said multicast transmission is directed.

12. A method according to claim 1, wherein said signalling connection is established when a new multicast session is created, and released after said multicast session is terminated.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said signalling connection is established when the first multicast session is created, and then used for other multicast sessions.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein different interface resources are reserved based on quality requirements of data types transmitted through said signalling connection.

15. A method according to claim 12, wherein one pipe is reserved for all kinds of data types transmitted through said signalling connection.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein a multicast support mode is provided in the Iu User Part protocol layer to transmit said multicast related data and said corresponding control information.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said control information is divided into multicast data related control information and other connection related data.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said multicast related control information is transmitted using an inband signalling.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein a multicast service mode is provided in the SABP of a cell broadcast centre (150) to transmit said multicast related data and said corresponding control information.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein control and data frames are transmitted between said cell broadcast centre (150) and an enhanced BMC protocol layer at an RNC (30) of said radio access network (90).

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein control and data frames are transmitted between said cell broadcast centre (150) and a multicast related protocol layer at an RNC (30) of said radio access network (90).

22. A method according to claim 20, wherein said control and data frames are divided into data frames, data related control frames and management control frames.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein a multicast area broadcast protocol layer is provided on the IuBC-interface of a cell broadcast centre (150) to transmit said multicast related data and said corresponding control information.

24. A method according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined field is added to data packets of the SABP of a cell broadcast centre (150) to separate said multicast related data and said corresponding control information.

25. A system for performing a multicast transmission in a cellular network, said system comprising:

a) a core network node (60;

150) for transmitting an identification information, which indicates terminal devices and/or areas in which authorized terminal devices are assumed to be located, to a radio access network (90) of said cellular network by using a control information transmission protocol; and

b) a radio access network node (30) for receiving said identification information and for establishing based on said identification information a signalling connection of a control and user data transmission protocol;

d) wherein said established signalling connection is used for transmitting multicast related data and corresponding control information between said core network node (60;

150) and said radio access network node (30).

26. A system according to claim 25, wherein said core network node is an SGSN (60) and said radio access network node is an RNC (30).

27. A system according to claim 25, wherein said core network node is a cell broadcast centre (150) or a multicast centre (MMC) devoted to support said multicast transmission, and said radio access network node is an RNC (30).

28. A network node for providing a multicast transmission in a cellular network, said network node being adapted to transmit an identification information, which indicates terminal devices and/or areas in which authorized terminal devices are assumed to be located, to a radio access network (90) of said cellular network by using a control information transmission protocol.

29. A network node according to claim 28, wherein said network node is an SGSN (60), a cell broadcast centre (150) or a multicast/broadcast multimedia centre.

30. A network node according to claim 28, wherein said control information transmission protocol is RANAP.

31. A network node for providing a multicast transmission in a cellular network, said network node being adapted to receive an identification information, which indicates terminal devices and/or areas in which authorized terminal devices are assumed to be located, and to establish based on said identification information a signalling connection of a control and user data transmission protocol;

wherein said established signalling connection is used for transmitting multicast related data and corresponding control information.

32. A network node according to claim 31, wherein said network node is an RNC (30) of a radio access network (90).

33. A network node according to claim 31, wherein said control and user data transmission protocol is the IuUP protocol.