Methods and apparatuses for multicast and broadcast services

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12470897-B2
Application number	US-202018257375-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2020
Priority date	Dec 15, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and apparatuses for multicast and broadcast services (MBS). According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method may include: determining whether a user equipment (UE) in an RRC_IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state should enter an RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of at least one MBS session; and transmitting indication information for indicating whether the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method performed by a network entity, the method comprising:
determining whether a user equipment (UE) in a radio resource control (RRC) state of an RRC_IDLE state or an RRC_INACTIVE state should enter an RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of at least one multicast and broadcast services (MBS) session; and transmitting, to the UE, indication information for indicating whether the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state, the indication information causing the UE to receive the at least one MBS session.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication information indicates that the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of the at least one MBS session, or that the UE should stay in the RRC_IDLE state or the RRC_INACTIVE state for the reception of the at least one MBS session.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication information comprises an MBS change indication in a short message for indicating whether MBS configuration information changes and includes an MBS state indication in the MBS configuration information.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the MBS state indication comprises a per session MBS state indication for indicating that the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of a corresponding MBS session or the UE should stay in the RRC_IDLE state or the RRC_INACTIVE state for the reception of the corresponding MBS session.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the indication information comprises an MBS state indication in MBS configuration information provided in a multicast control channel (MCCH).

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the indication information to a set of neighbor base stations if the UE is in the RRC_INACTIVE state.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving MBS related UE information from a last serving base station of the UE if the UE is in the RRC_INACTIVE state; and determining whether the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state based on the MBS related UE information.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state based on received MBS information; and at least one of:
transmitting the indication information to a distributed unit (DU) of a base station; or
transmitting the indication information to the UE.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving the MBS information from a central unit (CU) of the base station.

10 . A user equipment (UE) for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the UE to: receive indication information that indicates whether the UE in a radio resource control (RRC) state of an RRC IDLE state or RRC_INACTIVE state should enter an RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of at least one multicast and broadcast services (MBS) session; and determine whether to enter the RRC_CONNECTED state based at least in part on the indication information, the indication information causing the UE to receive the at least one MBS session.

11 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the indication information indicates that the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of the at least one MBS session, or that the UE should stay in the RRC_IDLE state or the RRC_INACTIVE state for the reception of the at least one MBS session.

12 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the indication information comprises an MBS change indication in a short message for indicating whether MBS configuration information changes and an MBS state indication in the MBS configuration information.

13 . The UE of claim 10 , wherein the indication information comprises an MBS state indication in MBS configuration information provided in a multicast control channel (MCCH).

14 . A network entity for wireless communication, comprising:
at least one memory; and at least one processor coupled with the at least one memory and configured to cause the network entity to:
determine whether a user equipment (UE) in a radio resource control (RRC) state of an RRC_IDLE state or an RRC_INACTIVE state should enter an RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of at least one multicast and broadcast services (MBS) session; and
transmit indication information that indicates whether the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state, the indication information causing the UE to receive the at least one MBS session.

15 . The network entity of claim 14 , wherein the indication information indicates that the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state for reception of the at least one MBS session, or that the UE should stay in the RRC_IDLE state or the RRC_INACTIVE state for the reception of the at least one MBS session.

16 . The network entity of claim 14 , wherein the indication information includes an MBS change indication in a short message for indicating whether MBS configuration information changes and includes an MBS state indication in the MBS configuration information.

17 . The network entity of claim 14 , wherein the indication information includes an MBS state indication in MBS configuration information provided in a multicast control channel (MCCH).

18 . The network entity of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the network entity to transmit the indication information to a set of neighbor base stations if the UE is in the RRC_INACTIVE state.

19 . The network entity of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the network entity to:
receive MBS related UE information from a last serving base station of the UE if the UE is in the RRC_INACTIVE state; and determine whether the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state based on the MBS related UE information.

20 . The network entity of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to cause the network entity to:
determine whether the UE should enter the RRC_CONNECTED state based on received MBS information; and at least one of:
transmit the indication information to a distributed unit (DU) of a base station; or
transmit the indication information to the UE.

Assignees

• Lenovo Beijing Ltd

Inventors

• Dai Mingzeng
• Zhang Congchi
• LÖHR Joachim
• Choi Hyung-Nam
• Basu Mallick Prateek
• Wu Lianhai
• Yan Le

Classifications

• H04L12/189

  in combination with wireless systems (selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06) · CPC title

• H04W76/40

  for selective distribution or broadcast · CPC title

• H04W76/27 Primary

  Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states · CPC title

• H04W4/06 Primary

  Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services · CPC title