Support for Localized Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service in Edge Computing System

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024259768-A1
Application number	US-202118561224-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 3, 2021
Priority date	Jun 3, 2021
Publication date	Aug 1, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure is related to methods and network nodes for supporting localized multimediabroadcast/multicast service (MBMS) in an edge computing system. A method at an edge orchestrator in an edge computing system for supporting localized MBMS comprises: receiving, from an application server on which a central application is hosted, a first request for performing an MBMS service management procedure for the central application; processing the first request; and transmitting, to the application server, a first response indicating whether the MBMS service management procedure is successfully performed or not at least partially based on a result of the processing.

First claim

1 .- 63 . (canceled)

64 . A method performed by an edge orchestrator in an edge computing system, the method comprising:
receiving, from an application server that hosts a central application, a first request for performing an Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS)service management procedure for the central application; processing the first request; and transmitting, to the application server, a first response indicating whether the MBMS service management procedure was successfully performed, wherein the first response is at least partially based on a result of the processing.

65 . The method of claim 64 , further comprising, before receiving the first request:
transmitting, to each of one or more edge nodes that host an MBMS support service, a second request for provisioning a configuration at the corresponding edge node for localized MBMS; and receiving, from each of the one or more edge nodes, a second response indicating whether the configuration is successfully provisioned at the corresponding edge node.

66 . The method of claim 64 , wherein the MBMS service management procedure is an MBMS user service creation procedure and an xMB interface is used to process the first request.

67 . The method of claim 66 , wherein:
the first request is a request for creating an MBMS user service and comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of the central application, and a service name of the MBMS user service; and the first response comprises at least one the following: an identifier of a resource assigned to the MBMS user service, a service identifier assigned to the MBMS user service, and the service name of the MBMS user service.

68 . The method of claim 67 , wherein processing the first request comprises:
transmitting, to a Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) via the xMB interface, a third request for creating the MBMS user service for the central application, the third request being at least partially based on the first request; and receiving, from the BM-SC via the xMB interface, a third response indicating whether the MBMS user service is successfully created.

69 . The method of claim 68 , wherein:
the third request comprises the service name of the MBMS user service; and the third response comprises at least one of the following: the identifier of the resource assigned to the MBMS user service, the service identifier assigned to the MBMS user service, and the service name of the MBMS user service.

70 . The method of claim 67 , further comprising:
selecting at least one of the one or more edge nodes that host the MBMS support service, based at least partially on the respective serving areas of the one or more edge nodes; transmitting, to each of the selected edge nodes, a fourth request for notifying information for the MBMS user service; and receiving, from each of the selected edge nodes, a fourth response acknowledging the fourth request.

71 . The method of claim 70 , wherein the fourth request comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of the central application, the identifier of a resource assigned to the MBMS user service, the service identifier assigned to the MBMS user service, and the service name of the MBMS user service.

72 . An edge orchestrator configured to operate in an edge computing system, the edge orchestrator comprising:
a processor; a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the edge orchestrator to:
receive, from an application server that hosts a central application, a first request for performing an Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service management procedure for the central application;
process the first request; and
transmit, to the application server, a first response indicating whether the MBMS service management procedure was successfully performed, wherein the first response is at least partially based on a result of the processing.

73 . A method performed by an edge node configured to host a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) support service in an edge computing system, the method comprising:
receiving, from an edge node that hosts an edge application, a fifth request for performing an MBMS session management procedure; processing the fifth request; and transmitting, to the edge node that hosts the edge application, a fifth response indicating whether the MBMS session management procedure was successfully performed, wherein the fifth response is at least partially based on a result of the processing.

74 . The method of claim 73 , further comprising, before receiving the fifth request:
receiving, from an edge orchestrator in the edge computing system, a second request for provisioning a configuration for localized MBMS; provisioning the configuration in accordance with the request; and transmitting, to the edge orchestrator, a second response indicating whether the configuration is successfully provisioned, wherein the second response is at least partially based on a result of the provisioning.

75 . The method of claim 73 , wherein the MBMS session management procedure is an MBMS session creation procedure and an xMB interface is used to process the fifth request

76 . The method of claim 75 , wherein:
the fifth request is a request for creating an MBMS session; the fifth request comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of a resource assigned to an MBMS user service, a session start time, a session stop time, and an indication of a location area; and the fifth response comprises at least one of the following: the identifier of a resource assigned to the MBMS session, and information about one or more user plane entities.

77 . The method of claim 76 , wherein processing the fifth request comprises:
selecting one or more localized MBMS gateways (GWs) for creating the MBMS session, based on one or more of the following: the configuration for localized MBMS, respective serving areas of the one or more localized MBMS GWs, and the location area indicated by the fifth request; transmitting, to each Broadcast Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) associated with the selected localized MBMS GWs, a sixth request for creating the MBMS session; and receiving, from each BM-SC associated with the selected localized MBMS GWs, a sixth response indicating whether the MBMS session was successfully created.

78 . The method of claim 77 , wherein:
the sixth request comprises at least one of the following: the identifier of a resource assigned to the MBMS user service, the session start time, the session stop time, and information about the one or more localized MBMS GWs; and the sixth response comprises at least one of the following: the identifier of a resource assigned to the MBMS session, and the information about one or more user plane entities.

79 . The method of claim 78 , further comprising, before receiving the fifth request:
receiving, from the edge orchestrator, a fourth request for notifying information for the MBMS user service; processing the information for the MBMS user service; and transmitting, to the edge orchestrator, a fourth response that acknowledges the fourth request.

80 . The method of claim 79 , wherein the fourth request comprises at least one of the following: an identifier of a central application associated with the edge application, the identifier of a resource assigned to the MBMS user service, a service identifier assigned to the MBMS user service, and a service name of the MBMS user service.

81 . The method of claim

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Zhang Fengpei
• Su Jing

Classifications

• 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