Method and apparatus for sharing transport channel for node serving plural cells with multimedia broadcast/multicast

The present invention relates to telecommunications and, in particular, to transporting user data in a multimedia broadcast / multicast (MBM) session.

A multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) is a point-to-multipoint service in which data is transmitted from a single source entity to multiple recipients. Network resources can be shared by sending the same data to multiple recipients.

Multimedia Broadcast / Multicast Services (MBMS) are described in one or more of the following references:

<nplcit num="1"><text>3GPP TS 25.433 V7.1.0 (2006-06), 3rd Generation Partnership Project, Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network, UTRAN Iub interface Node B Application Part (NBAP) signaling, (Release 7) [Hereafter, "3GPP TS 25.433 V7.1.0" Call it]</text></nplcit><nplcit num="2"><text>3GPP TS 25.346 V7.2.0 (2006-09), 3rd Generation Partnership Project, Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network, Introduction of the Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) in the Radio Access Network (RAN), Stage 2, (Release 7)</text></nplcit><nplcit num="3"><text>3GPP TS 22.146: "Multimedia Broadcast / Multicast Service: Stage 1"</text></nplcit><nplcit num="4"><text>3GPP TS 22.246: "MBMS User Services: Stage 1"</text></nplcit><nplcit num="5"><text>3GPP TS 23.246: "Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service; Architecture and Functional Description"</text></nplcit><nplcit num="6"><text>3GPP TR 25.992: "Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS); UTRAN / GERAN Requirements"</text></nplcit><nplcit num="7"><text>3GPP TS 33.246: "3G Security; Security of Multimedia Broadcast / Multicast Service (MBMS)"</text></nplcit>

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary communication system 110 facilitating multimedia broadcast / multicast services (MBMS). The communication system 110 includes a radio access network (RAN) 111. The MBMS service context (BM-SC) 112 has the information necessary for the radio access network (RAN) 111 to control the MBMS services within the radio access network (RAN) 111. The MBMS Service Context (BM-SC) 112 connects to the Radio Access Network (RAN) 111 through the Core Network (CN) 114. The core network 114 may include a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) or, in some implementations, an SGSN node (with the SGSN node connected between the GGSN node and the radio access network (RAN) 111). May be good. Alternatively, for a single tunnel implementation, the user plane does not work through the SGSN, but the control plane always works that way.

The radio access network (RAN) 111 may be a universal mobile telecommunications (UMTS) terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN), but may be a radio network controller (RNC) node 126 and a node B or B node (see Figure 2). ) With at least one radio base station node 128. Node B can service one or more cells, ie cells C1 to C3 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The user equipment unit (UE) 30, also called a mobile station or mobile terminal, uses each cell to communicate with node B128 on a wireless interface.

The Multimedia Broadcast / Multicast Service (MBMS) utilizes multiple types of bearers. The MBMS Iu data bearer is a data bearer established between the core network 114 (eg SGSN node or GGSN node) and the wireless network controller (RNC) node 126 to transport MBMS data. The MBMS radio bearer is a data bearer established between the wireless network controller (RNC) node 126 and the user equipment unit 130 to transport MBMS data. MBMS RAB refers to both the MBMS Iu data bearer and the MBMS wireless bearer.

A multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session has multiple channels, including MCCH (MBMS Point-to-Multipoint Control Channel), MICH (MBMS Notification Indicator Channel), and MSCH. Includes (MBMS point-to-multipoint scheduling channel) and MTCH (MBMS point-to-multipoint traffic channel). FIG. 1 shows the MTCH 134 between the Radio Network Controller (RNC) node 126 and each cell shown. FIG. 2 shows that MTCH134 exists between node B128 and each cell in the service area of node B128.

FIG. 2 shows the Iub bearer 136 present on the Iub interface, that is, on the interface between the wireless network controller (RNC) node 126 and node B128. On the Iub interface, the FACH transport channel mechanism is used for the Iub bearer 136.

A multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session is initiated by an MBMS session start request message sent from the core network node to the wireless network controller (RNC) node 126. The MBMS session start request message contains information such as the MBMS service ID, MBMS bearer service type, and MBMS session attributes. The MBMS session start request message activates the wireless network controller (RNC) node 126 to notify the user equipment unit 130 (that is, the user equipment unit that started the MBMS service) of the start of the MBMS session. The MBMS session start request message contains the information needed to set up the MBMS RAB.

Upon receiving the MBMS session start request, the wireless network controller (RNC) node 126 performs a number of operations, including executing the NBAP (Node B Application Division) protocol. The NBAP (Node B Application Division) protocol provides a common transport channel management function, among other functions. This feature gives the CRNC (eg, Radio Network Controller (RNC) node 126 in the illustrated scenario) the possibility to manage the configuration of a common transport channel on node B. The basic steps controlled by common transport channel management include common transport channel configuration steps, common transport channel reconfiguration steps, and common transport channel deletion steps.

The procedure for setting the common transport channel is described, for example, in 3GPP TS 25.433 V7.1.0 Section 8.2.1. The common transport channel configuration procedure is used to establish the necessary resources on node B for Secondary CCPCH, PICH, PRACH, AICH [FDD], FACH, PCH, RACH and FPACH [1.28Mcps TDD]. The messages included in the common transport channel setting procedure include a common transport channel setting request message, a common transport channel setting response message, and a common transport channel setting failure message. The common transport channel configuration procedure is initiated with a common transport channel configuration request message sent from CRNC to node B using the node B control port.

Common transport channel configuration request messages are described in Section 9.1.3 of 3GPP TS 25.433 V7.1.0 (2006-06). If the common transport channel configuration request message has the FACH parameter IE (information element), node B must configure and boot the indicated FACH (s) according to the common transport channel configuration request message. If the common transport channel configuration request message has a transport layer address IE and a combined IDIE, node B receives the transport from the CRNC when establishing the transport bearer for the indicated common transport channel. Layer addresses and join identifiers may be used. After successful configuration of the requested common transport channel and common physical channel, node B remembers the value of the configuration-generated IDIE and then the common transport channel IDIE, combined IDIE, and for the configured common transport channel. Must respond with a common transport channel configuration request message with transport layer address IE.

Establishing MTCH in different cells requires a separate common transport channel configuration procedure. In other words, three cells C within the service area of the same node B₁To C₃If MTCH should be established in, three separate common transport channel configuration request messages are initiated by the wireless network controller node, one for each cell. Therefore, FIG. 2 shows three common transport channels 136 between wireless network controller (RNC) node 126 and node B128.₁、136₂、136₃Indicates that These common transport channels 136, also known as MBMS Iub bearers, support essentially three MTCHs in the traditional way.

Thus, there is currently one common transport channel for each cell C in the service area of node B128. In other words, common transport channel 136₁Is cell C₁Related to the common transport channel 136₂Is cell C₂Related to the common transport channel 136₃Is cell C₃is connected with. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the wireless network controller (RNC) node 126 is currently dedicated (used to carry the same MBMS user data session) for each of the different cells controlled by the same node B. It is necessary to establish a dedicated Iub transport resource that includes the Iub bearer 136.

Therefore, what is needed now, and an object of the present invention, is one or more of methods, techniques, and devices for efficiently providing a transport of MBMS user data to node B, which services a plurality of cells.

<p> One aspect of the present technology relates to a method of operating a radio access network so as to facilitate transmission of a multimedia broadcast / multicast service to a plurality of user equipment units within the service area of one radio base station. This method involves sharing a common transport bearer involved in a multimedia broadcast / multicast service session in the first message of the procedure for setting up a common transport channel from a wireless network controller node to a wireless base station. It includes a step of including an indication that it is permitted. The method further comprises a step (in the radio base station) of determining whether a common transport bearer is shared between user equipment units in a plurality of cells within the service area of the radio base station. If the determination is affirmative, the radio base station shall be used as a shared common transport bearer in the second message of the common transport channel setup procedure transmitted from the radio base station to the radio network controller. Includes the ID of the established channel that becomes. The wireless network controller then sends the multimedia broadcast / multicast service user data to the user unit in multiple cells within the service area of the radio base station, so that the established channel is shared by a common transformer. Used as a port bearer.</p><p> In one exemplary embodiment, the radio base station (a) determines if an established FACH channel already exists for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service session, and (b) has been established. The determination is made by determining whether or not to share the channel of the radio base station based on the internal hardware and / or software of the radio base station.</p><p> In one exemplary implementation, the ID of the established channel returned by the radio base station to the radio network controller is (a) the cell ID (eg, the information element described in 3GPP TS 25.433 and the common of the established channel. It contains either the transport channel ID or (b) the transport layer address and join information for the established channel.</p><p> In one example implementation, the wireless network controller (RNC) includes an information element in the first message of the common transport channel configuration procedure to indicate that sharing of the common transport bearer is allowed. .. In addition, the radio base station includes in the information element of the second message of the common transport channel setup procedure the ID of the established channel that will be used as the shared common transport bearer.</p><p> Another aspect of the technology is the common transport involved in a multimedia broadcast / multicast service session in the first message of the common transport channel setup procedure from the wireless network controller node to the wireless base station. Indicates that sharing of the bearer is allowed, and upon receiving the given response to the first message, the user data of the multimedia broadcast / multicast service is sent to multiple cells within the service area of the radio base station. With respect to a wireless network controller node configured to use an established channel as a shared common transport bearer for transmission to a user appliance unit within.</p><p> Another aspect of the technology is whether the common transport bearer used in the multimedia broadcast / multicast service can be shared between user equipment units in multiple cells within the service area of a radio base station. The probability that it will be used as a shared common transport bearer in the message of the common transport channel setting procedure sent from the radio base station to the wireless network controller if the judgment is positive and the judgment is affirmative. It relates to a radio base station of a radio access network configured to indicate the ID of a completed channel.</p><p> Another aspect of the technology relates to radio access networks used in connection with multimedia broadcast / multicast services. A radio access network (RAN) comprises a radio base station and a radio network controller node. The wireless network controller node is the common transport bearer involved in the multimedia broadcast / multicast service session in the first message of the common transport channel setup procedure from the wireless network controller node to the wireless base station. It is configured to indicate that sharing is allowed. The radio base station determines whether to share a common transport bearer among user equipment units in multiple cells within the service area of the radio base station, and if the determination is affirmative, the radio base station. In the second message of the common transport channel setup procedure sent from to the wireless network controller, it is configured to indicate the ID of the established channel that will be used as the shared common transport bearer. There is.</p><p> Therefore, the present technology provides means and methods (eg, control plane methods) that use the same Iub user plane and transport resources for the same MBMS session in different cells controlled by a radio base station, such as node B. I will provide a. In this case, node B transmits the received Iub frame on the MBMS transport channel (MTCH) in a plurality of cells.</p><p> The above and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description of preferred embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings, but in the accompanying drawings, various figures. Throughout, the reference characters refer to the same part. The drawings are not necessarily at a constant scale and are emphasized to show the principles of the invention.</p>

<figref num="1">It is a schematic diagram of a communication system facilitating a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS).</figref><figref num="2">FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of the communication system of FIG. 1, showing the use of multiple Iub bearers, in particular for multimedia broadcast / multicast services (MBMS).</figref><figref num="3">It is a schematic diagram of an illustrated communication system, showing the use of one Iub bearer for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) shared between multiple cells within the service area of node B. ..</figref><figref num="4">FIG. 5 is a simplified functional block diagram of a portion of a radio access network (RAN) that includes a user equipment unit (UE) station, a radio network controller, and a base station.</figref><figref num="5">It is a schematic diagram which depicts the example operation performed in the common transport channel setting procedure by the example operation mode.</figref><figref num="6">It is a schematic of the example message included in the common transport channel setting procedure by the example operation mode.</figref>

In the following description, specific details such as individual architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. will be described for the purpose of providing a sufficient understanding of the present invention, not for limitation but for illustration purposes. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that deviate from these specific details. That is, those skilled in the art will practice the principles of the invention, whether expressly described or not shown in this document, and are included within the spirit and scope of the invention. Various devices could be devised. In some cases, detailed descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods have been omitted to avoid obscuring the description of the invention with unnecessary details. All descriptions in this document that describe the principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention and examples thereof are intended to include their structural and functional equivalents. In addition, such equivalents include not only currently known equivalents, but also future developed equivalents, that is, any elements developed that perform the same function. Intended to be included.

Thus, for example, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the block diagrams in this document represent conceptual diagrams of circuit configurations that are examples of implementing the principles of the present technology. Similarly, any flow chart, state transition diagram, pseudo-code, etc. is effectively represented in a computer-readable medium, and various processes that can be executed by the computer or processor, such computer or It will be understood that the processor is represented whether or not it is explicitly indicated.

The functionality of various elements, including the functional blocks described as processors or controllers, may be provided using dedicated hardware or hardware that can run the software in association with the appropriate software. Good. When provided by a processor, those features may be provided by one dedicated processor, by one shared processor, or by multiple separate processors, one of them. The parts may be shared or distributed. Also, the explicit use of the term processor or controller should not be construed as an exclusive reference to the hardware that runs the software, but to store the hardware, software of a digital signal processor (DSP). ROM, RAM, and non-volatile storage device may be included without limitation.

The present invention will be described in the non-limiting, exemplary context of communication system 10 shown in FIG. Communication system 10 has a radio access network (RAN) 11, which may be a UMTS terrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) in an exemplary, but not limited to embodiment. The radio access network (RAN) 11 has a node capable of receiving transmissions from the MBMS service context (BM-SC) 12.

Communication system 10 further has one or more core network service nodes 14 (eg, SGSN and / or GGSN nodes, but both GGSN and SGSN nodes are shown in FIG. 3). Core network nodes, such as GGSN node 14, are arranged and configured to receive transmissions from the MBMS service context (BM-SC) 12. In this regard, the MBMS Service Context (BM-SC) 12 may be itself located within the core network 14 (eg, as a core network node), or as shown in FIG. It may be located outside the.

The radio access network (RAN) 11 has one or more radio network controllers (RNCs) 26. Each radio network controller node 26 connects to the appropriate core network node on an interface (eg, the Iu interface if the radio access network (RAN) 11 is UTRAN). Also, each radio network controller node 26 connects to one or more base stations (BS) 28 (on the Iub interface in the case of UTRAN) and one or more other RNCs in the radio access network (RAN) 11. Likely to connect to. Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that all such terms radio base station, base station, node B or B node are used interchangeably herein.

For simplicity, the radio access network (RAN) 11 in FIG. 3 is shown to have only one RNC node 26 and one base station node 28. The base station 28 communicates with the mobile station or the user equipment unit 30 by the wireless interface 32. In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the radio base station 28 services a plurality of cells, such cell C.₁, C₂, C₃Is shown as an example. Serving a single radio base station 28 to multiple cells is facilitated by having the same radio base station having different, eg, different transceivers, for each of the different cells.

Each radio interface 32, namely Iu interface, Iur interface and Iub interface, is shown by a dashed line in FIG.

As an example, FIG. 3 shows a representative user equipment unit 30 located in each cell. That is, the user equipment unit 30₁Is currently in cell C₁Within the service area of, user equipment unit 30₂Is currently in cell C₂Within service area of, and user equipment unit 30₃Is currently in cell C₃It is within the service area of. As will be understood, typically there are many user equipment units within each cell, and the transmission of data for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session is essentially , Can be provided simultaneously for each of multiple user equipment units that have requested participation in a specific multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session. That is, all user equipment units in a cell simultaneously listen to the MTCH in the cell carrying the MBMS session.

FIG. 4 shows selected general aspects of user equipment unit (UE) 30 and exemplary nodes such as wireless network controller 26 and base station 28. The user equipment unit (UE) 30 shown in FIG. 4 has a data processing and control unit 34 for controlling various operations required by the user equipment unit (UE). The UE data processing and control unit 34 provides control signals and data to the wireless transceiver 36 connected to the antenna 38.

The wireless network control device 26 and the base station 28 illustrated in FIG. 4 are wireless network nodes, and each of them communicates between the RNC 26 and the user device unit (UE) 30 via the wireless base station 28. Includes corresponding data processing and control units 40 and 42, respectively, to perform the numerous radio and data processing operations required to perform. Some of the devices controlled by the base station data processing and control unit 40 include multiple radio transceivers 46 that connect to one or more antennas 48.

To facilitate the use of multimedia broadcast / multicast services (MBMS), the wireless network controller node 26 has a cell and a common channel handler 50. Similarly, the radio base station 28 has a cell and a common channel handler 52.

The cell of the wireless network controller node 26 and the common channel handler 50 can be realized by the above-mentioned common transport channel management function included in the above-mentioned NBAP protocol. Therefore, in the illustrated implementation of FIG. 4, the cell and common channel handler 50 are shown as being contained within the NBAP protocol handler 54 for the wireless network controller node 26. Similarly, the common channel handler 52 is shown as being contained within the NBAP protocol handler 56 for the radio base station 28. In the illustrated implementation, one or both of the NBAP protocol handler 54 (and thus the cells and common channel handlers 50 contained therein) and the NBAP protocol handler 56 are the data processing and control units 40 and 42, respectively. They may (eg) be controllers or processors in the broader sense of the term defined above.

In various embodiments of the technique described herein, the existing common transport channel configuration procedure has been modified to use the same Iub user plane resources for multiple cells of node B, eg, radio base station 28. Will be done. In this regard, FIG. 3 is an Iub user plane that transports user data for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session to user equipment units located in multiple cells within the service area of radio base station 28. One resource, for example the common transport bearer 60, is shown. As an example, Figure 3 shows user data for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session in cell C.₁User equipment unit in 30₁, Cell C₂User equipment unit in 30₂, And cell C₃User equipment unit in 30₃The common transport bearer 60 to be transported to is shown. Using one common transport bearer 60 to transport user data for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session to user equipment units in multiple cells as shown in Figure 3 , In contrast to the traditional practice of using multiple Iub bearers 136 (one for each cell), as shown in Figure 2.

As will be understood, the common transport bearer 60 is used to transport user data for multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) sessions to user equipment units within multiple cells. Can, and in this context, multiple means more than one. Although three cells are shown in Figure 3, the common transport bearer 60 instead has two cells in service area of radio base station 28, or four in service area of radio base station 28 as well. It may be utilized for user equipment units in one or more cells. Furthermore, as those skilled in the art will understand, reception of multimedia broadcast / multicast services (MBMS) sessions is not limited to one user equipment unit per cell, but to multiple users. A device unit can receive a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session in each of multiple cells.

The name MTCH (MBMS Transport Channel) is used for the MBMS function, but in reality one MTCH channel is carried by one FACH channel on the wireless interface. On the Iub interface, the data stream for each FACH channel is carried by the Iub transport bearer, the common transport bearer 60. In this technology, one Iub transport bearer can be used for multiple FACH / MTCH in different cells.

Figure 3 also shows each cell with user data for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service (MBMS) session provided to radio base station 28 via one common transport bearer 60 for all cells. Indicates that it will be delivered within each cell on a unique MTCH for. Therefore, Figure 3 shows cell C.₁MTCH62 for₁, Cell C₂MTCH62 for₂, And cell C₃MTCH62 for₃Is shown.

FIG. 5 shows a radio access network (eg, a radio access network (eg, a radio access network) to facilitate the transmission of multimedia broadcast / multicast services to multiple user equipment units within the service area of a radio base station, such as base station 28. Here are some typical and exemplary actions performed in connection with the method of running RAN) 11). The operation of the method in Figure 5 occurs after the MBMS session start request and involves performing a common transport channel configuration procedure as described in this document. The operation of FIG. 5 performed by the wireless network controller node 26 may be performed by, for example, the cell and the common channel handler 50, and similarly, the operation of FIG. 5 performed by the radio base station 28 may be performed, for example, by the cell and common. It may be done by channel handler 52.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary behavior of an exemplary method, while FIG. 6 illustrates the transmission of an exemplary message included in that method. It should be noted that establishing MTCH within different cells (as explained earlier) requires a separate common transport channel configuration procedure. In other words, three cells C within the service area of the same node B₁To C₃If MTCH is to be established within, three separate common transport channel configuration request messages are initiated by the wireless network controller node, one such message for each cell. Therefore, the exemplary operation of FIG. 5 is discussed in the context of the operation of one common transport channel setup procedure, and that one common transport channel setup procedure was performed for radio base station 28. It does not specify whether it is the first such common transport channel configuration procedure, or whether one or more such procedures, including radio base station 28, have already been performed.

In Figure 5, as operation 5-1 the wireless network controller node 26 is involved in a multimedia broadcast / multicast service session in the first message 70 of the common transport channel setup procedure. It depicts including an indication that sharing of bearers is allowed. Operation 5-2 and FIG. 6 of FIG. 5 show the transmission of the first message 70 from the wireless network controller node 26 to the wireless base station 28. In the illustrated implementation, the first message 70 may be, for example, a common transport channel configuration request.

Operation 5-3 of the illustrated method of FIG. 5 is whether the radio base station 28 shares a common transport bearer 60 among user equipment units located in a plurality of cells within the service area of the radio base station 28. Indicates that a judgment is to be made. If the determination of operation 5-3 is affirmative, as operation 5-4, the radio base station 28 is used as a shared common transport bearer in the second message 80 of the common transport channel setting procedure. Include the ID of the established channel that will be. Operation 5-5 indicates that the radio base station 28 transmits the second message 80 of the common transport channel setting procedure to the radio network controller node 26. In the illustrated implementation, the second message 80 may be, for example, a common transport channel configuration response.

As operation 5-6 of the method illustrated in FIG. 5, the wireless network control device 26 transmits the user data of the multimedia broadcast / multicast service to the user device units located in a plurality of cells within the service range of the radio base station. Use established channels as a shared common transport bearer to do so.

In one exemplary embodiment, the radio base station determines operation 5-3 by performing a partial operation. As an exemplary partial operation 5-3 (a), radio base station 28 determines if an established Iub transport bearer already exists for a multimedia broadcast / multicast service session. That is, as partial operation 5-3 (a), radio base station 28 has already performed a common transport channel setup procedure for another cell within the service area of radio base station 28 (as a result established). Determine if it became a channel). As an exemplary partial operation 5-3 (b), the radio base station 28 is subjected to various functional and structural studies, eg (for example) the internal hardware and / or software structure of the radio base station. Based on this, determine whether to share the established Iub transport bearer.

The technology supports both ATM transport options and IP transport options. For both (ATM and IP) transports, the base station includes the established channel's cell ID and common transport channel ID, as well as the established channel's transport layer address and join ID. You may.

In one example implementation, the wireless network controller (RNC) indicates that sharing of the common transport bearer is permitted, so the first message of the common transport channel setup procedure is shown in Figure 6. Include information element 72 in. The information element 72 may be a new information element for the first message of the common transport channel setup procedure. In addition, the radio base station includes in the information element 82 of the second message of the common transport channel setup procedure the ID of the established channel that will be used as the shared common transport bearer.

By including the broadcast common transport bearer IE72 (or similar IE), CRNC 26 indicates that splitting is allowed in RBS28. The broadcast common transport bearer IE72 includes a reference IE that uniquely identifies the MBMS session among all ongoing MBMS sessions at radio base station 28 (node B) or radio network subsystem (RNS).

The technology also relates to whether the radio network controller node 26 and the radio base station 28 support this common transport bearer feature based on factors such as their internal hardware and / or software features. Give flexibility and freedom. For example, in operation 5-3 (b) of FIG. 5, the radio base station 28 is subjected to various functional and structural studies, such as (for example) the internal hardware or software structure of the radio base station or its structure. Based on both, it is possible to optionally determine whether to share an established channel. Such considerations relating to the determination of sharing or non-sharing may include the fact, degree, or degree of fragmentation of either or both hardware or software resources at radio base station 28. For example, a radio base station 28 having a hardware structure and / or a software structure that uses pooled hardware resources and / or software resources for a common transport channel in a plurality of cells may have a common transport. · Are likely to agree to share the bearer 60 (eg, split the use of the common transport bearer 60 among multiple cells). On the other hand, a radio base station 28 having a hardware structure, a software structure, or both that uses dedicated hardware resources and / or software resources for a common transport channel per cell is used to share a common transport bearer. It is unlikely that you will agree.

In the above case, it is possible that the radio base station 28 actually has a mixture of joint resources and dedicated resources. Each hardware and software resource is generally limited in capacity (for example, each hardware or software resource uses up to N cells in each cell using M common transport channels. Can be processed). If the radio base station 28 supports one or more cells, the radio base station 28 has one or more resource units. Therefore, in such a situation, additional comparable resource units may be introduced for the new cell / common transport channel when the capacity limit of a particular resource unit is reached. In some cases, there may not be a common distribution point or any coordination between resource units that should allow splitting (eg sharing) for a new common transport channel. Therefore, upon receiving a common transport channel configuration request message, radio base station 28 (node B) receives for two or more cells in node B, depending on the internal hardware structure and / or software structure. You may decide to share (eg, split) the transport bearer 60.

As described in connection with operation 5-3 (b), the radio base station 28 checks the broadcast referenced information element (eg, the information element 72 of message 70). If there is already an established FACH channel with the same reference and it is possible or desirable to use the same transport bearer, the radio base station 28 will be the MBMS common transformer. The port bearer information response IE 82 shows the C-ID and the common transport channel ID of one of the established FACH channels in the common transport channel configuration response. Alternatively, node B may indicate the identity of the transport resource, namely the transport layer address (TLA) and the combined ID of the established FACH channel, in the common transport channel configuration response.

Upon receiving the common transport channel configuration response, the RNC transfers the indicated FACH channel transport bearer if radio base station 28 (node B) supports splitting (eg, sharing) the common transport bearer 60. Use.

For IP transport, the same procedure as described above is used. However, because the CRNC (eg, wireless network controller node 26) is unaware of the possibility of splitting on node B in advance, wireless network controller node 26 has a TLA / join ID (for FACH transport bearer). Always assign an IP address / UDP port number) and include these parameters in the first message 70 (eg common transport channel configuration request message). However, it can be split and the radio base station 28 has a C-ID (in the second message 80, eg, the common transport channel configuration response) broadcast common transport bearer information response IE82). When indicating the common transport channel ID of an established FACH channel, radio base station 28 publishes and indicates the assigned TLA / combined ID (IP address / UDP port number) in the RNC. Use the IP address / UDP port number of the transport bearer of the FACH channel.

In the case of IP transport, the transport bearer is defined by the source and destination UDP ports, as well as the source and destination IP addresses. Therefore, for the purpose of supporting another method of indicating the identity of an existing transport resource, the wireless network controller node 26 carries the local transport bearer termination point ID to the existing MTCH. Must be assigned to one of the FACHs in the same way. Therefore, that option would limit the freedom of radio base station 28 to choose a common transport bearer. Therefore, the explicit ability to show a common transport bearer over the wireless network layer is superior.

With the solutions and techniques provided in this document, the wireless network controller node shares the transport bearer for this MTCH with other MTCHs carrying the same MBMS session in every request message. Indicates whether is allowed. This allows the wireless network controller node (RNC) and the radio base station (RBS, eg node B) to use the same Iub bearer, depending on the node's hardware and / or software capabilities. You are given the freedom to decide (for each MTCH). With this freedom, the solution provides good backward compatibility with RNC / RBS nodes that do not support this functionality.

Although various embodiments have been shown and described in detail, the claims are not limited to any particular embodiment or example. None of the above statements should be construed as implying that a particular element, step, action, scope or function is essential and therefore must be included in the claims. The degree of legal protection is defined by the words spoken within the recognized claims and their equivalents. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but conversely is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent configurations.