Access network signaling and resource allocation for multicast/broadcast sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023262734-A1
Application number	US-202217970843-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2022
Priority date	Apr 24, 2020
Publication date	Aug 17, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

This disclosure describes an architecture for supporting MBS sessions in a wireless access network. Each of such MBS sessions is flexibly and dynamically delivered by the access network into one or more Point-To-Point (PTP, or unicast) and Point-To-Multipoint (PTM, or multicast) delivery instances. As such, a subset of the UEs participating in the MBS may be configured to receive the MBS session in a PTP-like manner and quality. The architecture further allows for access network level switching of one or more of the UEs participating in the MBS session between the PTP mode and PTM mode. Such switching are effectuated dynamically without involvement of application layer. The resource allocations and configuration for the PTP and PTM delivery instances may be performed in the access network collaboratively between a central unit (CU) and one or more distributed units (DUs). Such collaborative resource allocation and configuration may be effectuated using a novel architecture for the signaling messages between the CU and the DUs.

First claim

1 . A method for wireless resource allocation, performed by a first access network node (ANN) in communication with a second ANN in an access network of a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
performing a first resource allocation for an MBS session, the MBS session targeting a set of user equipments (UEs) served by the second ANN; dividing the set of UEs into a first subset and second subset of UEs for receiving the MBS session data from the second ANN over an air interface in a point-to-point (PTP) mode and a point-to-multipoint (PTM) mode, respectively, or receiving the division from the second ANN; transmitting, to the second ANN, according to a predetermined signaling message format, one or more signaling messages each comprising an identifier for the MBS session to cause the second ANN to perform an establishment, a modification, or a release of a second resource allocation and configuration for the MBS session; and receiving one or more response messages based on the predetermined signaling message format from the second ANN.

2 . (canceled)

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first ANN comprises a gNB-Central Unit (CU) and the second ANN comprises a gNB-Distributed Unit (DU).

4 . (canceled)

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the first resource allocation for the MBS session comprises allocating at least one radio bearers (RBs) for the MBS session.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein allocating the at least one RBs for the MBS session comprises mapping QoS flows of the MBS session having various quality of service (QoS) levels to the at least one RBs.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the one or more signaling message or the one or more response messages comprises one of:
a context setup request message; or a context modification request message.

8 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
interactively managing, with the second ANN, a plurality of MBS session delivery instances, wherein the plurality of the MBS session delivery instances comprise a set of PTP delivery instances each corresponding to one of the first subset of UEs and one or more PTM delivery instances each corresponds to at least one UE of the second subset of UEs.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more signaling messages belongs to a single procedure code space of control information exchange between the first ANN and the second ANN.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein each of the one or more signaling messages comprises a UE-associated signaling.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first ANN processes the one or more signaling messages accumulatively to enable the second ANN to establish or modify a particular PTM delivery instance and to identify UEs belonging to the particular PTM delivery instance.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein each of the one or more signaling messages further comprises a mode indicator indicating whether a target UE is to receive the MBS session in the PTP mode or in the PTM mode.

13 - 28 . (canceled)

29 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first subset of UEs and the second subset of UEs overlap.

30 . A method for wireless resource allocation, performed by a first access network node (ANN) and a second ANN in an access network of a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
receiving, by the first ANN, a context information of a multicast/broadcast service (MBS) session from a core network; allocating, by the first ANN, at least one radio bearers (RBs) for the MBS session; Identifying, by the first ANN, a set of user equipments (UEs) targeted by the MBS session and served by the second ANN; and dividing, by the first ANN or the second ANN, the set of UEs into a first subset and second subset of UEs for receiving the MBS session from the second ANN over an air interface in a point-to-point (PTP) mode and a point-to-multipoint (PTM) mode, respectively.

31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein except for the PHY resource, the resource allocations for one of the one or more PTP or PTM delivery instances each comprises protocol stack layer entities or tunnels, from higher layer to lower layer, in the order of the processing of downlink data packet, at least one:
PDCP entity; F1-U tunnel; and RLC entity.

32 . (canceled)

33 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the two delivery instances share the F1-U tunnel and other entities higher than the F1-U tunnel and comprise separate entities lower than the F-U tunnel.

34 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the two delivery instances share the PDCP entity and all entities higher than the PDCP entity, and comprise separate entities lower than the PDCP entity.

35 - 38 . (canceled)

39 . A first access network node (ANN) in communication with a second ANN, the first ANN comprising a memory for storing computer instructions and a processor in communication with the memory, wherein, when the processor executes the computer instructions, the processor is configured to cause the first ANN to:
perform a first resource allocation for an MBS session, the MBS session targeting a set of user equipments (UEs) served by the second ANN; divide the set of UEs into a first subset and second subset of UEs for receiving the MBS session data from the second ANN over an air interface in a point-to-point (PTP) mode and a point-to-multipoint (PTM) mode, respectively, or receiving the division from the second ANN; transmit, to the second ANN, according to a predetermined signaling message format, one or more signaling messages each comprising an identifier for the MBS session to cause the second ANN to perform an establishment, a modification, or a release of a second resource allocation and configuration for the MBS session; and receive one or more response messages based on the predetermined signaling message format from the second ANN.

40 . The first ANN of claim 39 , wherein the first ANN comprises a gNB-Central Unit (CU) and the second ANN comprises a gNB-Distributed Unit (DU).

41 . A device comprising a memory for storing computer instructions and a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor, when executing the computer instructions, is configured to implement a method of claim 30 .

42 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable program medium with computer code stored thereupon, the computer code, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to implement a method claim 1 .

43 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable program medium with computer code stored thereupon, the computer code, when executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to implement a method of claim 30 .

Assignees

• Zte Corp

Inventors

• Qi Tao
• Chen Lin
• Wang Liping
• Zhu Hao
• Cao Kun

Classifications

• H04W4/06

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

• H04W88/085

  Access point devices with remote components · CPC title

• H04W4/20

  Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel · CPC title

• H04W72/30 Primary

  Resource management for broadcast services · CPC title

• H04W8/26

  Network addressing or numbering for mobility support · CPC title