Method and Apparatus for Reliable Broadcast/Multicast Service

• US 20140071880A1
• Filed: 11/15/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lehtovirta, Vesa
• Granted Patent: US 9,370,027 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1863 comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16
• 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 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 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

A method is provided for use by a user terminal operating an IP-based multimedia broadcast/multicast service. The method comprises storing information relating to user service registrations performed using an IP connection such as a Packet Data Protocol, PDP, context established to enable connectivity between the user terminal and a service node for the broadcast/multicast service. The information is of a type to enable re-registration of at least some of any of the user services affected by a loss of the IP connection. In one embodiment, the multimedia broadcast/multicast service is a 3GPP Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service, MBMS, the user terminal is a User Equipment, UE, and the service node is a Broadcast/Multicast Service Center, BM-SC. In another embodiment, the multimedia broadcast/multicast service is an Open Mobile Alliance Broadcast, OMA BCAST, service, the user terminal is a Terminal, and the service node is an OMA BCAST Subscription Management, BSM, node.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use as or in a user terminal in an IP-based multimedia broadcast/multicast service, the apparatus comprising:

one or more processing circuits configured to store information relating to user service registrations performed using an IP-based connection established to enable connectivity between the user terminal and a service node for the broadcast/multicast service;

wherein the stored information enables re-registration of at least some of any of the user services affected by a loss of the IP-based connection.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing circuits configured to establish the IP-based connection for registering to the broadcast/multicast service and for service key management between the user terminal and the service node for the broadcast/multicast service.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processing circuit are further configured to monitor for loss of the IP-based connection.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to, in response to noticing the loss of the IP-based connection, as a result of the monitoring for the loss of the IP-based connection:

establish a new IP-based connection, or select another active IP-based connection, as a replacement IP-based connection to replace the lost IP connection; and

use the stored information to re-register at least some of any of the user services affected by the loss, the re-registration being performed using the replacement IP-based connection.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the IP-based connection comprises a Packet Data Protocol (PDP) context.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multimedia broadcast/multicast service comprises a 3GPP Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS), the user terminal comprises a User Equipment (UE), and the service node comprises a Broadcast/Multicast Service Center (BM-SC).

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the one or more processing circuits establish the IP-based connection between the user terminal and a Gateway General Packet Radio Service Support Node (GGSN) via a Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (SGSN).

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multimedia broadcast/multicast service comprises an Open Mobile Alliance Broadcast (OMA BCAST) service, the user terminal comprises a Terminal, and the service node comprises an OMA BCAST Subscription Management (BSM) node.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to send a new IP address for the user terminal to the service node, for use by the service node in sending key messages to the user terminal over the replacement IP-based connection.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the multimedia broadcast/multicast service comprises a 3GPP Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS), the user terminal comprises a User Equipment (UE), and the service node comprises a Broadcast/Multicast Service Center (BM-SC), and wherein the key messages comprise MBMS service key (MSK), messages.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the multimedia broadcast/multicast service comprises an Open Mobile Alliance Broadcast (OMA BCAST) service, the user terminal comprises a Terminal, and the service node comprises an OMA BCAST Subscription Management (BSM) node, and wherein the key messages comprise OMA BCAST Long-Term Key Messages (LTKMs).

12. The apparatus of claim 1, where the loss of the IP-based connection is caused by network malfunction.

13. A method for use by a user terminal in an IP-based multimedia broadcast/multicast service, the method comprising:

storing information relating to user service registrations performed using an IP-based connection established to enable connectivity between the user terminal and a service node for the broadcast/multicast service;

wherein the stored information enables re-registration of at least some of any of the user services affected by a loss of the IP connection.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising establishing the IP-based connection for registering to the broadcast/multicast service and for service key management between the user terminal and the service node for the broadcast/multicast service.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising monitoring for loss of the IP-based connection.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, in response to noticing the loss of the IP-based connection, as a result of the monitoring for the loss of the IP connection:

establishing a new IP-based connection, or selecting another active IP-based connection, as a replacement IP-based connection to replace the lost IP-based connection; and

using the stored information to re-register (S7) at least some of any of the user services affected by the loss, the re-registration being performed using the replacement IP connection.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing the method in relation to each of a plurality of such IP-based connections.

18. A computer program product stored in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium for controlling an apparatus for use as or in a user terminal in an IP-based multimedia broadcast/multicast service, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on the apparatus, causes the apparatus to:

store information relating to user service registrations performed using an IP-based connection established to enable connectivity between the user terminal and a service node for the broadcast/multicast service;

wherein the stored information enables re-registration of at least some of any of the user services affected by a loss of the IP connection.

multimedia broadcast/multicast service, the computer program product comprising software instructions which, when run on the apparatus, causes the apparatus to;

store information relating to user service registrations performed using an IP-based connection established to enable connectivity between the user terminal and a service node for the broadcast/multicast service;

wherein the stored information enables re-registration of at least some of any of the user services affected by a loss of the IP connection.