Method and apparatus to improve MBMS counting in LTE

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9900751-B2
Application number	US-201114347956-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2011
Priority date	Sep 29, 2011
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A method comprising: receiving a first message at a user equipment from a first apparatus; receiving from a primary access node at least one network identifier value; comparing a user equipment registered network identifier value to the at least one network identifier value from the primary access node; and responding to the first message dependent on the user equipment registered network identifier value being equal to any primary access node network identifier value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising: at a user equipment,
receiving a Multimedia Broadcast-Multicast Service (MBMS) counting request message from a first apparatus;
receiving from a primary access node, wherein the primary access node is different from the first apparatus, at least one network identifier value;
comparing a user equipment registered network identifier value to the at least one network identifier value received from the primary access node; and

responding to the MBMS counting request message dependent on the user equipment registered network identifier value being equal to any one of the at least one network identifier value received from the primary access node, wherein the first apparatus comprises at least one of a base station within a network with the network identifier value, and
an enhanced NodeB (eNB) broadcasting a multimedia broadcast-multicast services control channel (MCCH), and wherein the primary access node comprises at least one of a primary cell serving the user equipment, and a primary cell enhanced NodeB.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving from the first apparatus at least one network identifier value;
comparing the at least one network identifier value from the first apparatus to the user equipment registered network identifier value;
wherein responding to the MBMS counting request message is further dependent on any network identifier value from the first apparatus being equal to the user equipment registered network identifier value.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising determining the user equipment registered network identifier value.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:
performing a tracking area update for the user equipment when the user equipment registered network identifier value is different from every network identifier value received from the primary access node;
updating the user equipment registered network identifier value;
comparing the updated user equipment registered network identifier value to the at least one network identifier value from the first apparatus; and
responding to the MBMS counting request message dependent on the updated user equipment registered network identifier value being equal to one of the network identifier values from the first apparatus.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein responding to the MBMS counting request message comprises:
generating a Multimedia Broadcast-Multicast Service ‘MBMSCountingResponse’ message; and
transmitting the Multimedia Broadcast-Multicast Service ‘MBMSCountingResponse’ message to an access node.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
monitoring at least one control channel from the first apparatus wherein the at least one control channel comprises the MBMS counting request message.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the network identifier value is a public land mobile network identifier value.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the user equipment registered network identifier value comprises a registered public land mobile network identifier value.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one network identifier value is received in a system information broadcast message.

10. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and computer program code configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to:
receive a MBMS counting request message from a second apparatus;
receive from a primary access node, wherein the primary access node is different from the second apparatus, at least one network identifier value;
compare an apparatus registered network identifier value to the at least one network identifier value received from the primary access node; and

respond to the MBMS counting request message dependent on the apparatus registered network identifier value being equal to any one of the at least one network identifier value received from the primary access node, wherein the second apparatus comprises at least one of a base station within a network with the network identifier value, and an enhanced NodeB (eNB) broadcasting a multimedia broadcast-multicast services control channel (MCCH), and wherein the primary access node comprises at least one of a primary cell serving the user equipment, and a primary cell enhanced NodeB.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:
receive from the second apparatus at least one network identifier value; and
compare the at least one network identifier value from the second apparatus to the apparatus registered network identifier value;
wherein the apparatus responds to the MBMS counting request message based on any network identifier value from the second apparatus being equal to the apparatus registered network identifier value.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 ,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:
determine the apparatus registered network identifier value.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 ,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:
perform a tracking area update for the apparatus when the apparatus registered network identifier value is different from every network identifier value received from the primary access node;
update the apparatus registered network identifier value;
compare the updated apparatus registered network identifier value to the at least one network identifier value from the second apparatus; and
respond to the MBMS counting request message dependent on the updated apparatus registered network identifier value being equal to one network identifier values from the second apparatus.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the apparatus responds to the MBMS counting request message by:
generating a Multimedia Broadcast-Multicast Service ‘MBMSCountingResponse’ message; and
transmitting the Multimedia Broadcast-Multicast Service ‘MBMSCountingResponse’ message to an access node.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 ,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus further to:
monitor at least one control channel from the second apparatus wherein the at least one control channel comprises the MBMS counting request message.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the network identifier value is a public land mobile network identifier value.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the apparatus registered network identifier value comprises a registered public land mobile network identifier value.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the at least one network identifier value is received in a system information broadcast message.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer, the computer program code includes code for, at a user equipment:
receiving a Multimedia-Multicast Broadcast Service (MBMS) counting request message from a first apparatus;
rece

Assignees

• Hwang Woonhee
• Koskinen Henri Markus
• Koskela Jarkko T
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Hwang Woonhee
• Koskinen Henri Markus
• Koskela Jarkko T

Classifications

• H04W8/06

  Registration at serving network Location Register, VLR or user mobility server · CPC title

• H04W88/06

  adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals · CPC title

• H04W72/30

  Resource management for broadcast services · 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

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title