Title of Invention

A METHOD FOR RECEIVING/TRANSMITTING A SERVICE IN/TO A MOBILE TERMINAL FROM A NETWORK IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

Abstract A method for receiving a service in a mobile terminal from a network in a wireless communication system, the method comprising establishing a first radio bearer and receiving a first service associated with the first radio bearer and receiving second radio bearer setup information from the network to establish a second radio bearer for receiving a second service associated with the second radio bearer. The mobile terminal prioritizes between the first service associated with the first radio bearer and the second service associated with the second radio bearer and determines whether the mobile terminal is able to receive a higher prioritized service if the second radio bearer is established. Furthermore, the mobile terminal retains the higher prioritized service.
Full Text A METHOD FOR RECEIVING/TRANSMITTING A
SERVICE IN/TO A MOBILE TERMINAL FROM A
NETWORK IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION
SYSTEM
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method for receiving/transmitting a service in/to a
mobile terminal from a network in a wireless communication system and, generally relates to
a radio communication system, and more particularly, to a radio communication system and
method for transmitting and receiving a multimedia broadcast/multicast service.
Background Art
Radio communication systems have remarkably improved; however, when
providing communication services dealing with a large capacity of data, radio systems
have not provided the same functions provided by wired communication systems. Ac-
cordingly, countries around the world are developing technologies, such as IMT-2000,
a wireless communication system enabling a large capacity of data communication.
Cooperation between many countries is currently progressing to create a specification
for the technology.
A universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) is a third generation
mobile communication system evolving from the Global System for Mobile Commu-
nications (GSM) system, which is the European standard. The UMTS is aimed at
providing enhanced mobile communications services based a GSM core network and
Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) technologies.
In December 1998, ETSI of Europe, AREB/TTC of Japan, Tl of the United States
of America, and TTA of Korea formed a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP)
for the purpose of creating a specification for standardizing the UMTS. The work
towards standardizing the UMTS performed by the 3GPP has resulted in the formation
of five technical specification groups (TSGs), each of which is directed to forming
network elements having independent operations.
Each TSG develops, approves, and manages a specification in a related region.
Among them, a radio access network (RAN) group (TSG-RAN) develops a spec-
ification for the function, items desired, and interface of a UMTS terrestrial radio
access network (UTRAN), which is a new RAN for supporting a W-CDMA access
technology in the UMTS.
Referring to Figure 1, a related art UMTS network 1 structure is shown. The
UMTS broadly comprises a user equipment (UE or terminal) 10, a UMTS Terrestrial
Radio Access Network (UTRAN) 100, and a core network (CN) 200. The UE 10 is
connected to the core network 200 through the UTRAN 100. The UTRAN 100
configures, maintains, and manages a radio access bearer for communications between
the UE 10 and the core network 200 to meet end-to-end quality-of-service re-
quirements.
The UTRAN comprises a plurality of radio network subsystems (RNS) 110, 120,
each of which comprises one radio network controller (RNC) 111 for a plurality of
base stations, or Node Bs 112, 113. The RNC 111 connected to a given Node B 112,
113 is the controlling RNC for allocating and managing the common resources
provided for any number of UEs 10 operating in one cell. The controlling RNC 111
controls traffic load, cell congestion, and the acceptance of new radio links. Each Node
B 112, 113 may receive an uplink signal from a UE 10 and may transmit a downlink
signals to the UE. Each Node B 112, 113 serves as an access point enabling a UE 10 to
connect to the UTRAN 100, while an RNC 111 serves as access point for connecting
the corresponding Node Bs to the core network 200.
The interface between the UE 10 and the UTRAN 100 is realized through a radio
interface protocol established in accordance with 3GPP radio access network speci-
fications. Referring to Figure 2, a related art radio interface protocol structure used in
the UMTS is shown. The radio interface protocol is divided horizontally into a
physical layer, a data link layer, and a network layer, and is divided vertically into a
user plane for data transmissions and a control plane for transfer of control signaling.
The user plane is the region in which user traffic information, such as voice signals and
IP (Internet Protocol) packets is transferred. The control plane is the region for
carrying control information for the maintenance and management of the interface. In
Figure 2, protocol layers may be divided into a first layer (L1), a second layer (L2),
and a third layer (L3) based on the lower three layers of an open system inter-
connection (OSI) model that is a well-known in the art.
The first layer (L1) is a physical layer (PHY) providing information transfer
service to a higher layer using various radio transmission techniques. The physical
layer is linked to a medium access control (MAC) layer located above it. Data travels
between the MAC layer and the PHY layer via a transport channel.
The second layer (L2) comprises the MAC layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer,
a broadcast/multicast control (BMC) layer and a packet data convergence protocol
(PDCP) layer. The MAC layer of the second layer (L2) provides assignment service of
a MAC parameter for assigning and re-assigning a radio resource. It is connected to an
upper layer, i.e., the radio link control (RLC) layer by a logical channel. Various
logical channels may be provided according to the type information transmitted.
Generally, when control plane information is transmitted, a control channel is used.
When user plane information is transmitted, a traffic channel is used.
The RLC layer of the second layer (L2) supports the transmission of reliable data
and is responsible for the segmentation and concatenation of RLC service data units
(SDUs) delivered from a higher layer. The size of the RLC SDU is adjusted for the
processing capacity in the RLC layer and a header is appended to form an RLC
protocol data unit (PDU) for delivery to the MAC layer.
The formed units of service data and protocol data delivered from the higher layer
are stored in an RLC buffer of the RLC layer. The RLC services are used by service-
specific protocol layers on the user plane, namely a broadcast/multicast control (BMC)
protocol and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP), and are used by a radio
resource control (RRC) layer for signaling transport on the control plane.
The broadcast/multicast control (BMC) layer schedules a cell broadcast (CB)
message delivered from the core network 200 and enables the cell broadcast message
to be broadcast to the corresponding UEs 10 in the appropriate cell. Header information,
such as a message identification, a serial number, and a coding scheme, is
added to the cell broadcast message to generate a broadcast/multicast control message
for delivery to the RLC layer.
The RLC layer appends RLC header information and transmits the thus-formed
message to the MAC layer via a common traffic channel (CTCH) as a logical channel.
The MAC layer maps the CTCH to a forward access channel (FACH) as a transport
channel. The transport channel is mapped to a secondary common control physical
channel (SCCPCH) as a physical channel.
The packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) layer serves to transfer data efficiently
over a radio interface having a relatively small bandwidth. The PDCP layer
uses a network protocol such as IPv4 or IPv6 and a header compression technique for
eliminating unnecessary control information utilized in a wire network. The PDCP
layer enhances transmission efficiency since only the information essential to the
header is included in the transfer.
The radio resource control (RRC) layer handles the control plane signaling of the
network layer (L3) between the UEs 10 and the UTRAN 100 and controls the transport
and physical channels for the establishment, reconfiguration, and release of radio
bearers. A radio bearer (RB) is a service provided by a lower layer, such as the RLC
layer or the MAC layer, for data transfer between the UE 10 and the UTRAN 100.
Establishment of an RB determines the regulating characteristics of the protocol
layer and channel needed to provide a specific service, thereby establishing the
parameters and operational methods of the service. When a connection is established to
allow transmission between an RRC layer of a specific UE 10 and an RRC layer of the
UTRAN 100, the UE 10 is said to be in the RRC-connected state. Without such
connection, the UE 10 is in an idle state.
For reference, the RLC layer can be included in the user plane or the control plane
according to a layer connected above it. For example, when the RLC layer is part of
the control plane, data is received from the RRC layer. In other cases, the RLC layer is
part of the user plane.
A particular radio bearer used for exchanging an RRC message or an NAS message
between a terminal and the UTRAN 100 is referred to as a signaling radio bearer
(SRB). When the SRB is set up between a particular terminal and the UTRAN 100,
there can exist an RRC connection between the terminal and the UTRAN 100. The
terminal which forms the RRC connection is said to be in the RRC connected mode (or
state), and the terminal which does not form the RRC connection is said to be in the
idle mode (or state). If the terminal is in the RRC connected mode, the RNC checks
and manages a location of the corresponding terminal according to a cell unit. When
the terminal gets into the RRC connected mode, the RNC sends a signaling message to
the UTRAN 100. The terminal in the RRC connected mode may be further divided
into a CELL_DCH mode, a CELL_PCH mode, a URA_PCH mode and a
CELL_FACH mode.
For those UEs in the idle state, URA_PCH mode, or CELLJPCH mode, a dis-
continuous reception (DRX) method is employed to minimize power consumption. In
the DRX method, a Secondary Common Control Physical Channel (SCCPCH), onto
which a Paging Indicator Channel (PICH) and a Paging Channel (PCH) is mapped, is
discontinuously received by the UE 10. During the time periods when the PICH or the
SCCPCH is not received, the UE is in a sleep mode state. The UE wakes up at every
DRX cycle length (discontinuous receiving period length) to receive a paging indicator
(PI) of the PICH.
The terminal in the RRC connected mode may additionally form a signaling
connection with the core network 200. This signaling connection refers to a path for
exchanging a control message between the terminal and the core network 200. The
RRC connected mode refers to a connection between the terminal and the UTRAN
100. Accordingly, the terminal informs the core network 200 of its location or requests
a particular service using the signaling connection. To obtain the signaling connection,
he terminal should be in the RRC connected mode.
Hereafter, Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS or MBMS service)
will be described. MBMS refers to a method of providing streaming or background
services to a plurality of UEs 10 using a downlink-dedicated MBMS radio bearer. The
MBMS radio bearer may utilize both point-to-multipoint and point-to-point radio
bearer services.
As the name implies, an MBMS may be carried out in a broadcast mode or a
multicast mode. The broadcast mode is transmitting multimedia data to all UEs within
a broadcast area, for example the domain where the broadcast area is available. The
multicast mode is for transmitting multimedia data to a specific UE group within a
multicast area, for example the domain where the multicast service is available.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing procedures of the MBMS service in the multicast
mode. Here, the UMTS network is shown providing a specific MBMS service (a first
service) using the multicast mode. A terminal (UE1) is also shown receiving the
specific service (the first service).
When the UMTS network 1 provides a specific MBMS using the multicast mode,
UEs 10 to be provided with the service must first complete a subscription procedure
establishing a relationship between a service provider and each UE individually.
Thereafter, the subscriber UE 10 receives a service announcement from the core
network 200 confirming subscription and including, for example, a list of services to
be provided.
The subscriber UE 10 must join,' or participate in, a multicast group of UEs
receiving the specific MBMS, thereby notifying the core network 200 of its intention
to receive the service. Terminating participation in the service is called 'leaving.' The
subscription, joining, and leaving operations may be performed by each UE 10 at any
time prior to, during, or after the data transfer.
While a specific MBMS is in progress, on or more service sessions may se-
quentially take place, and the core network 200 informs the RNC 111 of a session start
when data is generated by an MBMS data source and informs the RNC of a session
stop when the data transfer is aborted. Therefore, a data transfer for the specific
MBMS may be performed for the time between the session start and the session stop,
during which time only participating UEs 10 can receive the data.
To achieve successful data transfer, the UTRAN 100 receives a notification of the
session start from the core network 200 and transmits an MBMS notification to the
participating UEs 10 in a prescribed cell to indicate that the data transfer is imminent.
The UTRAN 100 uses the MBMS notification to count the number of participating
UEs 10 within the prescribed cell. Specifically, the UTRAN 100 can perform a
function which counts the number of terminals which expect to receive the specific
MBMS service within a specific cell.
Through the counting process, it is determined whether the radio bearer providing
the specific MBMS service is one for a point-to-multipoint transmission or a point-
to-point transmission, or if the radio bearer is not to be set. To select the MBMS radio
bearer (RB) for a specific service, the UTRAN 100 sets a threshold value cor-
responding to the UE 10 count, whereby a low UE count establishes a point-to-point
MBMS radio bearer and a high UE count establishes a point-to-multipoint MBMS
radio bearer.
The radio bearer established is based on whether the participating UEs 10 need to
be in the RRC-connectcd state. When a point-to-point RB is established, all of the participating
UEs 10 which expect to receive the service are in the RRC connected state.
When a point-to-multipoint RB is established, it is unnecessary for all of the par-
ticipating UEs 10 which expect to receive the service to be in the RRC connected
mode since the point-to-multipoint RB enables reception by UEs in the idle state.
Furthermore, based on the counted result, if no terminal wishes to receive the specific
MBMS service, the UTRAN 100 does not establish any radio bearer and the MBMS
service data is not transmitted. Thus, radio resources may be wasted by establishing the
radio bearer even though no terminal desires the service. Also, the UTRAN 100
transmits the MBMS service data received from the core network 200 during one
session of the MBMS service using the established radio bearer.
In the counting process, the UTRAN 100 has no information on terminals in the
RRC idle state. Therefore, if the UTRAN 100 requests a counting of terminals in the
RRC idle state, subscribed to a specific MBMS service, the terminals should form the
RRC connection with the UTRAN 100 and inform the UTRAN 100 that they would
receive the specific MBMS service.
However, if a terminal has formed a signaling connection with a Serving GPRS
Support Node (SGSN), the SGSN informs the UTRAN 100 of MBMS related in-
formation of the terminal. The information includes a list of MBMS services the
terminal has subscribed to. Therefore, because the UTRAN 100 can recognize whether
terminals have subscribed to a specific MBMS service, the terminals do not respond to
the counting request of the UTRAN 100. Furthermore, terminals which have not
formed a signaling connection with the SGSN, but are in the RRC connected state, can
inform the UTRAN 100 of the MBMS services they have subscribed to when forming
the RRC connection with the UTRAN 100. Accordingly, the UTRAN 100 can count
the number of terminals desiring to receive the specific MBMS service without any
response sent by the terminals in the RRC connected state.
The UTRAN 100 can perform the counting process not only at the beginning of the
MBMS service but also in the middle of one session of the MBMS service. This is
necessary since the number of terminals expecting to receive the MBMS service in a
cell is variable because of events such as a terminal moving to another cell during the
MBMS session in process, turning off power, or stopping the subscription of the
MBMS service. Accordingly, in order to establish the radio bearer efficiently, the
UTRAN 100 can perform the counting process during the MBMS session in process.
However, in this counting process, the following problems may occur when
counting the number of terminals desiring to receive the MBMS service and es-
tablishing the radio bearer. A terminal is able to get information related to several
MBMS services through the MBMS service announcement so that it may subscribe to
a plurality of MBMS services. If the terminal stays in the RRC connected state, the
UTRAN 100 can recognize all the MBMS services the terminal has subscribed to.
Thus, when the UTRAN 100 performs the counting process for a certain MBMS
service, a terminal in the RRC connected state and subscribed to the corresponding
MBMS service, is added in the number of terminals desiring the MBMS service to be
provided.
When the terminal simultaneously receives services it has subscribed to, an event
may occur when several services among the subscribed services may not be received
due to the terminal's limited capability. For example, a terminal having subscribed to
two MBMS services has one SCCPCH through which the MBMS services can be
received. If each MBMS service is transmitted through different SCCPCHs, re-
spectively, using the point-to-multipoint RB in a cell, the terminal can receive only one
of the subscribed MBMS services due to its limited capability. However, the UTRAN
100 is unable to recognize that the terminal can not receive one of the MBMS services.
As a result, the UTRAN 100 performs the counting process and wrongfully considers
the terminal as receiving all two MBMS services it has subscribed to. The UTRAN
100 then establishes a radio bearer based on this information.
The error occurring during the counting process causes radio resources to be
wasted. As a further example, it is assumed that six terminals are in a cell, and all six
terminals have subscribed to an MBMS service A and an MBMS service B. Moreover,
all six terminals are in the RRC connected state and can receive services through one
SCCPCH. It is also assumed that a threshold value for establishing a point-
to-multipoint RB is set at 3. The MBMS service A is being transmitted through the
point-to-multipoint RB in a cell and the UTRAN 100 has received a session start no-
tification for the MBMS service B from the core network 200. In this case, the
UTRAN 100 may determine there are six terminals which expect to receive the MBMS
service B and thus establish the point-to-multipoint RB.
However, if an SCCPCH different from an SCCPCH used for transmitting the
MBMS service A is used for transmitting the MBMS service B, then the six terminals
may receive only one of the MBMS services A and B due to the their limited ca-
pabilities. Thus, either the MBMS service A or the MBMS service B is received
according to a user's selection. A situation may occur where five terminals determine
to receive the MBMS service A and one terminal determines to receive the MBMS
service B. Accordingly, since there is only one terminal desiring to receive the MBMS
service B, the UTRAN 100 should establish the point-to-point RB because the number
terminals desiring the MBMS service B is below the threshold value of 3. However,
the related art UTRAN 100 establishes the point-to-multipoint RB with respect to the
MBMS service B because it wrongfully counts all six terminals for receiving the
service B. The error occurs because the UTRAN 100 has no information regarding the
capabilities of the terminals, service selection of the user, or the like. Unfortunately,
the resources required for establishing the point-to-multipoint RB corresponds to
several times that of the point-to-point RB. As a result, due to the error occurring
during the counting process in the related art, radio resources are wasted and the
number of services to be simultaneously provided in one cell is limited.
Disclosure of Invention
Technical Problem
The present invention relates to a method and system for transmitting and receiving
a service in a wireless communication system.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the de-
scription which follows, and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be
learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the
invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the
written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
Technical Solution
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the
present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention is
embodied in a method and a system. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a
method for receiving a service in a mobile terminal from a network in a wireless com-
munication system comprises establishing a first radio bearer and receiving a service
associated with the first radio bearer, receiving second radio bearer setup information
from the network to establish a second radio bearer for receiving a service associated
with the second radio bearer, prioritizing between the service associated with the first
radio bearer and the service associated with the second radio bearer, determining
whether the mobile terminal is able to receive a higher prioritized service if the second
radio bearer is established, and retaining the higher prioritized service.
The mobile terminal is in an RRC connected mode. The first radio bearer is a
point-to-multipoint radio bearer and the second radio bearer is a point-to-point radio
bearer. Alternatively, the first radio bearer is a point-to-point radio bearer and the
second radio bearer is a point-to-multipoint radio bearer.
In a detailed aspect, retaining the higher prioritized service comprises rejecting the
establishment of the second radio bearer. In another aspect, retaining the higher
prioritized service comprises requesting release of a lower prioritized service to the
network. The method further comprises informing the network of the higher priority
service.
In another aspect, the method comprises informing the network of a service the
mobile terminal is able to receive. Alternatively, the method comprises informing the
network of a service the mobile terminal is unable to receive.
In a further aspect, the method comprises transmitting priority information to a
UTRAN. The method may also comprise transmitting priority information to a core
network.
In another embodiment of the invention, a method for transmitting a service from a
network to a mobile terminal in a wireless communication system comprises es
tablishing a first radio bearer and transmitting a service associated with the first radio
bearer, transmitting second radio bearer setup information to the mobile terminal to
establish a second radio bearer for transmitting a service associated with the second
radio bearer, receiving from the mobile terminal priority information regarding a
higher prioritized service between the service associated with the first radio bearer and
the service associated with the second radio bearer, and transmitting the higher
prioritized service according to the priority information received from the mobile
terminal.
The mobile terminal is in an RRC connected mode. The first radio bearer is a
point-to-multipoint radio bearer and the second radio bearer is a point-to-point radio
bearer. Alternatively, the first radio bearer is a point-to-point radio bearer and the
second radio bearer is a point-to-multipoint radio bearer.
In a detailed aspect, the priority information comprises information rejecting the
establishment of the second radio bearer. In another aspect, the priority information
comprises information requesting release of a lower prioritized service. The method
may further comprise performing a counting process for the service associated with the
second radio bearer.
In another aspect, the method comprises receiving information of a service the
mobile terminal is able to receive. Alternatively, the method comprises receiving in-
formation of a service the mobile terminal is unable to receive. In a further aspect, the
priority information is received by a UTRAN. Otherwise, the priority information may
be received by a core network-
In another embodiment of the invention, a method for receiving a service in a
wireless communication system comprises establishing a first radio bearer and
receiving a first service associated with the first radio bearer receiving second radio
bearer setup information from a network to establish a second radio bearer for
receiving a second service associated with the second radio bearer, determining
whether a mobile terminal can receive both the first service and the second service, determining
which service to receive if the mobile terminal cannot receive both the first
service and the second service, and informing the network of a service the mobile
terminal expects to receive based on the service determined to be received.
In one aspect, determining whether the mobile terminal can receive both the first
service and the second service comprises comparing the second radio bearer setup information
with first radio bearer setup information. Furthermore, determining whether
the mobile terminal can receive both the first service and the second service may also
comprise comparing the second radio bearer setup information with the mobile
terminal's receiving capability.
In another aspect, a UTRAN performs a counting process for the second service
associated with the second radio bearer based on information received from the mobile
terminal.
In another embodiment of the invention, a method for receiving a service in a
wireless communication system comprises establishing a first radio bearer and
receiving a first service associated with the first radio bearer, receiving second radio
bearer setup information from a network to establish a second radio bearer for
receiving a second service associated with the second radio bearer, determining
whether a mobile terminal can receive both the first service and the second service, d
etermining which service to receive if the mobile terminal cannot receive both the first
service and the second service, and informing the network of a service the mobile
terminal is not able to receive based on the service determined to be received.
In one aspect, determining whether the mobile terminal can receive both the first
service and the second service comprises comparing the second radio bearer setup in-
formation with first radio bearer setup information. Furthermore, determining whether
the mobile terminal can receive both the first service and the second service may also
comprise comparing the second radio bearer setup information with the mobile
terminal's receiving capability.
In another aspect, a UTRAN performs a counting process for the second service
associated with the second radio bearer based on information received from the mobile
terminal. The counting process is compensated when the mobile terminal informs the
UTRAN of the service the mobile terminal is not able to receive.
In another embodiment of the invention, a method for receiving a service in a
mobile terminal in a wireless communication system comprises subscribing to a
plurality of services, prioritizing between the plurality of services, transmitting priority
information to a core network, and transmitting the priority information from the core
network to a UTRAN, wherein the UTRAN performs a counting process using the
priority information when each of the plurality of services is started or in progress.
Transmitting priority information to the core network comprises transmitting an
identifier of each service in an arranged order according to the priority of the service.
Alternatively, transmitting priority information to the core network may comprise
appending a priority value of each service to an identifier of each service, and
transmitting the identifier of each service to the core network.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the UTRAN determines that the
mobile terminal will receive the services in the order from the highest priority service
to the lowest priority service as determined by the mobile terminal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method comprises
transmitting mobile terminal receiving capability information to the core network and
transmitting the mobile terminal receiving capability information from the core n
etwork to the UTRAN, wherein the UTRAN performs a counting process using the
mobile terminal receiving capability information when each of the plurality of services
is started or in progress. In one aspect, the UTRAN determines what services the
mobile terminal will receive according to a limitation in the mobile terminal's receiving
capability.
In another embodiment of the invention, a method for receiving a service in a
mobile terminal in a wireless communication system comprises subscribing to a
plurality of services, prioritizing between the plurality of services, and transmitting
priority information to a UTRAN, wherein the UTRAN performs a counting process
using the priority information when each of the plurality of services is started or in
progress.
Transmitting priority information to the UTRAN comprises transmitting an
identifier of each service in an arranged order according to the priority of the service.
Alternatively, transmitting priority information to the UTRAN comprises appending a
priority value of each service to an identifier of each service, and transmitting the
identifier of each service to the UTRAN.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the UTRAN determines that the
mobile terminal will receive the services in the order from the highest priority service
to the lowest priority service as determined by the mobile terminal.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the method comprises
transmitting mobile terminal receiving capability information to the UTRAN, wherein
the UTRAN performs a counting process using the mobile terminal receiving
capability information when each of the plurality of services is started or in progress.
In one aspect, the UTRAN determines what services the mobile terminal will receive
according to a limitation in the mobile terminal's receiving capability.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following
detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are
intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
Brief Description of the Accompanying Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding
of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification,
illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description
serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Figure 1 illustrates a block diagram of a related art UMTS network structure.
Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of the architecture of a related art radio
interface protocol based on 3GPP radio access network specifications.
Figure 3 is a related art diagram showing MBMS service procedures in the
multicast mode.
Figure 4 is a diagram showing operations between a terminal and a network in
accordance with an embodiment of invention.
Figure 5 is a diagram showing an operation between a terminal and a network
wherein a type of radio bearer having been established for a particular service is to be
changed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
Mode for Invention
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present
invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, a radio system comprises a
cell for providing a plurality of MBMS services, the cell including a mobile terminal or
UE 10 and a UTRAN 100. The terminal 10 is capable of subscribing to a plurality of
MBMS services and may transmit data to the UTRAN 100. Preferably, the data which
the terminal 10 transmits comprises information regarding the MBMS services the
terminal is receiving or expects to receive. The UTRAN 100 manages radio resources
based on the information received from the terminal 10.
Particularly, the terminal 10 transmits data to the UTRAN 100 according to the
following situation. The terminal 10, currently receiving specific MBMS services,
receives an MBMS notification message from the UTRAN 100 with respect to another
MBMS service theterminal 10 has subscribed to. After receiving radio bearer establishment
information for the other MBMS service, the terminal 10 compares the information
received with its own receiving capability. When the terminal 10 determines
that it cannot receive all the MBMS services it has subscribed to that a cell transmits,
the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 of the MBMS services it expects to receive
among all the services it has subscribed to.
Moreover, the terminal 10 may also transmit data to the UTRAN 100 according to
the following situation. While the terminal 10 is receiving specific MBMS services in
an RRC connected state, radio bearer establishment information for any of the MBMS
services the terminal 10 is receiving may change. The terminal 10 then compares the
changed radio bearer establishment information with its receiving capability. When the
terminal 10 determines that it cannot receive all the MBMS services it has subscribed
to that a cell transmits, the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 of the MBMS services
it expects to receive among all the services it has subscribed to.
The terminal 10 further transmits data to the UTRAN 100 according to the
following situation. While the terminal 10 is in the RRC connected state, the terminal
may selectively receive MBMS services it has subscribed to according to its receiving
capability. Changes in received MBMS services can result from a user selectively
receiving services according to his or her preference. When a change occurs according
to the user's selection, the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 of the MBMS services
it expects to receive among all the services it has subscribed to.
MBMS-related information the terminal 10 transmits to the UTRAN 100 may
include an MBMS service identifier. The service identifier informs the UTRAN 100 of
which service each terminal 10 expects to receive. The terminal 10 can further inform
the UTRAN 100 of its MBMS service receiving capability as well as information
regarding a combination of MBMS services the terminal 10 can receive in each RRC
state. For example, if the terminal is in a CELL_DCH state, the terminal 10 informs the
UTRAN 100 whether MBMS services transmitted through a point-to-multipoint radio
bearer (RB) can be received. If the terminal is in a CELL_FACH state, the terminal 10
informs the UTRAN 100 of the number of different SCCPCHs provided through which
simultaneously transmitted MBMS services may be received. The UTRAN 100 uses
the information to check which subscribed MBMS services are received or not
received by the terminal 10, if the services are transmitted in a cell.
The UTRAN 100 performs a counting process for each MBMS service transmitted
from a cell based on the MBMS-related information received from the terminal 10.
When data is transmitted from the terminal 10 to the UTRAN 100, the UTRAN 100
receives MBMS service reception information from the terminal 10 in the RRC
connected state. If the MBMS service which the terminal 10 has subscribed to, and
which the cell is transmitting or is going to transmit, is not included among the MBMS
service reception information transmitted by the terminal 10, the UTRAN 100 excludes
the terminal 10 from the number of terminals, or a list of terminals, which desire to
receive the MBMS service. The UTRAN 100 then updates the number of terminals
which desire to receive the MBMS service and compares the number with a threshold
value. If required, the UTRAN 100 re-establishes a radio bearer for the MBMS service.
The UTRAN 100 can further manage a terminal 10, wherein the terminal is in the
RRC connected state and subscribed to a specific MBMS service but cannot receive
the specific service. In this case, the UTRAN 100 manages the terminal using a list
comprising of terminals which cannot receive or do not want to receive the MBMS
service.
In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, a radio system
comprises a cell for providing a plurality of MBMS services, the cell including a
mobile terminal or UE 10 and a UTRAN 100. The terminal 10 is capable of
subscribing to a plurality of MBMS services and may transmit data to the UTRAN
100. Preferably, the data which the terminal 10 transmits comprises information
regarding the MBMS services the terminal cannot receive or does not want to receive.
The UTRAN 100 manages radio resources based on the information received from the
terminal 10.
In contrast to the first embodiment, the terminal 10 does not inform the UTRAN
100 of an MBMS service the terminal is able to receive or is going to receive among
the MBMS services subscribed to by the terminal and transmitted from the cell.
Rather, the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 of MBMS services the terminal 10
cannot receive or will not receive among the MBMS services subscribed to by the
terminal and transmitted by the cell. In this method, the UTRAN 100 is directly
informed of the list of MBMS services not received by the terminal 10 when
performing the counting process.
Referring to Figure 4, an operation between the terminal 10 and the UTRAN 100 in
accordance with the first and second embodiments is shown. A session for an MBMS
service A is in progress in a cell. During the session for the MBMS service A, the
UTRAN 100 transmits MBMS service data to the terminal 10. The terminal 10
according to the first and second embodiment receives the MBMS service A in an
RRC connected state. The terminal 10 is also subscribed to an MBMS service B.
When a session start message for the MBMS service B arrives from the core
network 200 (S10), the UTRAN 100 performs a counting process for the MBMS
service B (S20). Based on the result of the counting process, the UTRAN 100 informs
the terminal 10 of radio bearer establishment information with respect to the MBMS
service B (S30).
The terminal 10, which has subscribed to both the MBMS service A and the
MBMS service B, determines whether it can receive both the MBMS service A and the
MBMS service B based on the radio bearer establishment information of each MBMS
service and the terminal's receiving capability. If there is a service which the terminal
can not receive among the subscribed services, the terminal 10 determines which of the
MBMS services to receive (S40). The terminal then informs the UTRAN 100 of a list
of MBMS services the terminal expects to receive (S50) based on the determination
made in step S40. Alternatively, the terminal 10 may inform the UTRAN 100 of a list
of MBMS services the terminal 10 cannot receive. The terminal 10 can further inform
the UTRAN 100 of both lists.
In the case where an MBMS service is subscribed to by the terminal 10 but can not
receive it, the UTRAN 100 performs the counting process based on the information
received from the terminal 10 (S60). That is, the UTRAN 100 excludes the terminal
from the number of terminals, or a list thereof, which expect to receive the corresponding
MBMS service. The UTRAN 100 then compares the result of the counting
process (S60) for each MBMS service with a threshold value. If required, the UTRAN
100 re-establishes a radio bearer, and thereafter informs the terminal 10 of the changed
information (S70).
In accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, a radio system comprises
a cell for providing a plurality of MBMS services, the cell including a mobile terminal
or UE 10 and a UTRAN 100. The terminal 10 is capable of subscribing to a plurality of
MBMS services and prioritizing between the subscribed MBMS services. Once
priority amongst the services is determined, the terminal 10 transmits the priority information
to the core network (CN) 200. The UTRAN 100 performs a counting
process based on the priority information received from the terminal 10.
When the terminal 10 subscribes to certain MBMS services, the terminal prioritizes
between the subscribed MBMS services and informs the system of the priority information.
The priority information is stored in the CN 200. When the terminal forms a
signaling connection with an SGSN, the UTRAN 100 receives the priority information
from the CN 200. Thereafter, the UTRAN 100 uses the priority information during the
counting process when each MBMS service is started or in progress.
For the terminal 10 in the RRC connected state, the UTRAN 100 can therefore be
informed of the terminal's service receiving capability and the terminal's prioritized
preferences among the MBMS services subscribed to by the terminal. Thus, if a
plurality of services among the subscribed MBMS services are simultaneously in
progress, the UTRAN 100 determines that the terminal 10 will receive the receivable
MBMS services in the order from the highest priority service to the lowest priority
service as determined by the terminal 10. The UTRAN 100 further determines what
MBMS services the terminal will receive according to a limitation in the terminal's
receiving capability.
If the terminal is determined to receive the MBMS service, the UTRAN 100
includes the terminal in the number of terminals desiring to receive the service during
the counting process. After performing the counting process, if required, the UTRAN
100 re-establishes a radio bearer and informs the terminals 10 of the changed information.
In accordance with a fourth embodiment of the invention, a radio system comprises
a cell for providing a plurality of MBMS services, the cell including a mobile terminal
or UE 10 and a UTRAN 100. The terminal 10 is capable of subscribing to a plurality of
MBMS services and prioritizing between the subscribed MBMS services. Once
priority amongst the services is determined, the terminal 10 transmits the priority information
to the UTRAN 100. The UTRAN 100 performs a counting process based on
the priority information received from the terminal 10.
In contrast to the third embodiment, the terminal 10 does not inform the CN 200 of
the priority between the MBMS services the terminal 10 has subscribed to. Rather, the
terminal 10 directly informs the UTRAN 100 when the terminal is in the RRC
connected state. Using this method, unnecessary message exchanges between the
UTRAN 100 and the CN 200 is reduced. Furthermore, the terminal 10 can inform the
UTRAN 100 of its priority information more quickly.
Particularly, when the terminal 10 goes into the RRC connected state, the terminal
10 informs the UTRAN 100 of the priority amongst the MBMS services the terminal
has subscribed to. Also, when the terminal 10 receives an MBMS message for MBMS
services the terminal has subscribed to, the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 of the
priority amongst the MBMS services.
Furthermore, whenever the terminal re-establishes the priority of each MBMS
service in the RRC connected state, the terminal informs the UTRAN 100 of the reestablished
priority information. Thus, in the case where the terminal 10 expects to
receive other MBMS services transmitted from a cell while receiving a certain MBMS
service, the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 of the priority information for each
MBMS service subscribed to so that the UTRAN 100 knows that the terminal 10
expects to receive or is receiving other MBMS services.
When informing the UTRAN 100 of the priority of each MBMS service, the
terminal 10 transmits to the UTRAN 100 an identifier of each service in an arranged
order according to the priority of the service. Alternatively, the terminal 10 may inform
the UTRAN 100 of the priority of each MBMS service by appending a priority value
of each service when transmitting the identifier of each service.
Furthermore, when informing the UTRAN 100 of the priority of each MBMS
service, the terminal 10 may transmit priority information regarding all the services the
terminal has subscribed to or transmit priority information regarding only those
MBMS services which are in the process of being transmitted from a cell and
subscribed to by the terminal.
In accordance with a fifth embodiment of the invention, operations of the terminal
10 and the UTRAN 100 will be explained when a type of radio bearer (RB) having
been established for a particular MBMS service should be changed.
If the UTRAN 100 changes the establishment of an RB having been established for
a particular MBMS service or sends establishment information of a new RB to the
terminal, the terminal 10 checks the establishment information of the new RB received
from the UTRAN 100. Accordingly, a situation may occur where the terminal 10 may
not receive a service it expects to receive because of the changed RB. If so, the
terminal 10, according to the present invention, notifies the UTRAN 100 that it may
not receive the expected service.
Particularly, when the terminal 10 receives a plurality of MBMS services through a
point-to-multipoint RB in an RRC connected state, the terminal may receive a
command from the UTRAN 100 to establish a point-to-point RB with respect to one or
more services among the MBMS services subscribed to by the terminal 10. The
terminal 10 then checks the establishment information of the point-to-point RB. If the
terminal 10 is not able to receive MBMS services having higher priority than those
MBMS services to be received through the point-to-point RB, established by the
command of the UTRAN 100, the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 that it cannot
accept the establishment of the point-to-point RB. The terminal 10 may further inform
the UTRAN 100 which particular services make it impossible to establish the point-
to-point RB.
Furthermore, when the terminal 10 receives a plurality of MBMS services through
a point-to-point RB in an RRC connected state, the terminal may receive a command
from the UTRAN 100 to establish a point-to-multipoint RB with respect to one or
more services among the MBMS services subscribed to by the terminal 10. The
terminal 10 then checks the establishment information of the point-to-multipoint RB. If
the terminal 10 is not able to receive MBMS services having higher priority than those
MBMS services to be received through the point-to-multipoint RB, established by the
command of the UTRAN 100, the terminal 10 informs the UTRAN 100 that it cannot
accept the establishment of the point-to-multipoint RB. The terminal 10 may further
inform the UTRAN 100 which particular services make it impossible to establish the
point-to-multipoint RB.
Moreover, if the UTRAN 100 receives a message that the terminal 10 can not
follow its command to establish an RB for particular MBMS services, the UTRAN 100
re-adjusts whether the terminal 10 should be included in a list of terminals desiring to
receive a particular MBMS service. If required, the UTRAN 100 adjusts the RB to be
established in order for the terminal 10 to receive the MBMS services having higher
priority.
Referring to Figure 5, an operation of the terminal 10 and the UTRAN 100 is
shown when a type of RB having been established for a specific MBMS service is to
be changed during a session. In Figure 5, it is assumed that the terminal receives an
MBMS service A and an MBMS service B. Further, the MBMS service A has a higher
priority than the MBMS service B. It is also assumed that the terminal 10 is in the RRC
connected state.
The UTRAN 100 performs a counting process for the MBMS service B newly
received (SI 10). Then, according to the result of the counting process performed, if the
type of RB having been established for the MBMS service B is determined to be
changed, the UTRAN 100 informs the terminal 10 of the new establishment information
for the RB (S120).
Once receiving the establishment information from the UTRAN 100, the terminal
10 checks the RB establishment information of each MBMS service using the received
information. The terminal then checks whether the MBMS service A having the higher
priority can also be received (S130). If it is determined according to the checked result
that the MBMS service A can not be received, the terminal informs the UTRAN 100
that the MBMS service A can not be received (S140).
As aforementioned, the UTRAN is supported to more precisely count the number
of terminals expecting to receive MBMS services, thereby reducing radio resources
allocated to the terminal and the UTRAN. As a result, terminals receive higher-quality
MBMS services.
Although the present invention is described in the context of mobile communication,
the present invention may also be used in any wireless communication
systems using mobile devices, such as PDAs and laptop computers equipped with
wireless communication capabilities. Moreover, the use of certain terms to describe the
present invention should not limit the scope of the present invention to certain type of
wireless communication system, such as UMTS. The present invention is also
applicable to other wireless communication systems using different air interfaces and/
or physical layers, for example, TDMA, CDMA, FDMA, WCDMA, etc.
The preferred embodiments may be implemented as a method, apparatus or article
of manufacture using standard programming and/or engineering techniques to produce
software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The term 'article of
manufacture' as used herein refers to code or logic implemented in hardware logic
(e.g., an integrated circuit chip, Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), Application
Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), etc.) or a computer readable medium (e.g.,
magnetic storage medium (e.g., hard disk drives, floppy disks, tape, etc.), optical
storage (CD-ROMs, optical disks, etc.), volatile and non-volatile memory devices
(e.g., EEPROMs, ROMs, PROMs, RAMs, DRAMs, SRAMs, firmware, programmable
logic, etc.).
Code in the computer readable medium is accessed and executed by a processor.
The code in which preferred embodiments are implemented may further be accessible
through a transmission media or from a file server over a network. In such cases, the
article of manufacture in which the code is implemented may comprise a transmission
media, such as a network transmission line, wireless transmission media, signals
propagating through space, radio waves, infrared signals, etc. Of course, those skilled
in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made to this configuration
without departing from the scope of the present invention, and that the article of manuf
acture may comprise any information bearing medium known in the art.
As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from
the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the
above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description,
unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its
spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications
that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such
metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.
WE CLAIM :
1. A method for receiving a service in a mobile terminal from a network in a
wireless communication system, the method comprising:
establishing a first radio bearer and receiving a first service associated
with the first radio bearer;
receiving second radio bearer setup information from the network to
establish a second radio bearer for receiving a second service associated with
the second radio bearer;
prioritizing between the first service associated with the first radio bearer
and the second service associated with the second radio bearer;
determining whether the mobile terminal is able to receive a higher
prioritized service if the second radio bearer is established; and
retaining the higher prioritized service by transmitting information related
to retaining the higher prioritized service to the network.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile terminal is in an
RRC connected mode.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first radio bearer is a point-
to-multipoint radio bearer and the second radio bearer is a point-to-point radio
bearer.
4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first radio bearer is a point-
to-point radio bearer and the second radio bearer is a point-to-multipoint radio
bearer.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of retaining the higher
prioritized service comprises rejecting the establishment of the second radio
bearer.
6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of retaining the higher
prioritized service comprises requesting release of a lower prioritized service to
the network.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising informing the network of
the higher priority service.
8. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising informing the network of a
service the mobile terminal is able to receive.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising informing the network of a
service the mobile terminal is unable to receive.
10. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising transmitting priority
information to a UTRAN.
11. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising transmitting priority
information to a core network.
12. A method for transmitting a service from a network to a mobile terminal in
a wireless communication system, the method comprising:
establishing a first radio bearer and transmitting a first service associated
with the first radio bearer;
transmitting second radio bearer setup information to the mobile terminal
to establish a second radio bearer for transmitting a second service associated
with the second radio bearer;
receiving from the mobile terminal information related to retaining a higher
prioritized service between the first service associated with the first radio bearer
and the second service associated with the second radio bearer; and
transmitting the higher prioritized service according to the priority
information received from the mobile terminal.
13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the mobile terminal is in an
RRC connected mode.
14. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first radio bearer is a
point-to-multipoint radio bearer and the second radio bearer is a point-to-point
radio bearer.
15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first radio bearer is a
point-to-point radio bearer and the second radio bearer is a point-to-multipoint
radio bearer.
16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information comprises
information rejecting the establishment of the second radio bearer.
17. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information comprises
information requesting release of a lower prioritized service.
18. The method as claimed in claim 12, comprising performing a counting
process for the service associated with the second radio bearer.
19. The method as claimed in claim 12, comprising receiving information of a
service the mobile terminal is able to receive.
20. The method as claimed in claim 12, comprising receiving information of a
service the mobile terminal is unable to receive.
21. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information is received by
a UTRAN.
22. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the information is received by
a core network.
23. An apparatus for receiving a service in a mobile terminal from a network in
a wireless communication system, the apparatus comprising:
a receiver adapted to establish a first radio bearer and receive a first
service associated with the first radio bearer;
the receiver adapted to receive second radio bearer setup information
from the network to establish a second radio bearer for receiving a second
service associated with the second radio bearer;
a processor adapted to prioritize between the first service associated with
the first radio bearer and the second service associated with the second radio
bearer; and
the processor adapted to determine whether the mobile terminal is able to
receive a higher prioritized service if the second radio bearer is established;
wherein the apparatus retains the higher prioritized service by transmitting
information related to retaining the higher prioritized service to the network.
24. A network for transmitting a service to a mobile terminal in a wireless
communication system, the network comprising:
a transmitter adapted to establishing a first radio bearer and transmit a
first service associated with the first radio bearer;
the transmitter adapted to transmit second radio bearer setup information
to the mobile terminal to establish a second radio bearer for transmitting a
second service associated with the second radio bearer;
a receiver adapted to receive from the mobile terminal information related
to retaining a higher prioritized service between the first service associated with
the first radio bearer and the second service associated with the second radio
bearer; and
the transmitter adapted to transmit the higher prioritized service according
to the information received from the mobile terminal.

A method for receiving a service in a mobile terminal from a network in a wireless
communication system, the method comprising establishing a first radio bearer and
receiving a first service associated with the first radio bearer and receiving second
radio bearer setup information from the network to establish a second radio bearer
for receiving a second service associated with the second radio bearer. The mobile
terminal prioritizes between the first service associated with the first radio bearer and
the second service associated with the second radio bearer and determines whether
the mobile terminal is able to receive a higher prioritized service if the second radio
bearer is established. Furthermore, the mobile terminal retains the higher prioritized
service.

Documents:

28-KOLNP-2006-CORRESPONDENCE_.pdf

28-KOLNP-2006-FORM 27_.pdf

28-KOLNP-2006-FORM-27.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-abstract.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-assignment.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-claims.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-correspondence.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-description (complete).pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-drawings.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-examination report.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-form 1.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-form 18.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-form 3.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-form 5.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-gpa.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

28-kolnp-2006-granted-specification.pdf


Patent Number 234599
Indian Patent Application Number 28/KOLNP/2006
PG Journal Number 24/2009
Publication Date 12-Jun-2009
Grant Date 09-Jun-2009
Date of Filing 03-Jan-2006
Name of Patentee LG ELECTRONICS INC.
Applicant Address 20, YOIDO-DONG, YONGDUCGPO-GU, SEOUL
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 CHUN, SUNG-DUCK 202-1430-17, SILLIM 5-DONG, GWANAK-GU, SEOUL 151-891
2 YI, SEUNG-JUNE DAESEONG YOUNEED, 101-1203, 1641-3, SEOCHO 1-DONG, SEOCHO-GU SEOUL 137-880
3 LEE, YOUNG-DAE 370-43, DUCKPOONG 2-DONG, HANAM, GYEONGGI-DO 465-711
4 YI, SEUNG-JUNE DAESEONG YOUNEED, 101-1203, 1641-3, SEOCHO 1-DONG, SEOCHO-GU SEOUL 137-880
5 LEE, YOUNG-DAE 370-43, DUCKPOONG 2-DONG, HANAM, GYEONGGI-DO 465-711
6 CHUN, SUNG-DUCK 202-1430-17, SILLIM 5-DONG, GWANAK-GU, SEOUL 151-891
PCT International Classification Number H04B 7/24
PCT International Application Number PCT/US2005/000059
PCT International Filing date 2005-01-08
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 10-2004-001726 2004-01-09 Republic of Korea