MBMS PtP and PtM channel change

1. A channel type switching method for a Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS) Point to Point (P-t-P) and Point to Multi point (P-t-M) channel, when a UE having MBMS service moves to a cell in a Destination Radio Network Controller (DRNC) that has an Iur interface with a Serving Radio Network Controller (SRNC), comprising the steps of:

determining in the DRNC, to perform switching channel type between the P-t-M channel and the P-t-P channel based on a number of users having the MBMS service in the cell;

notifying the SRNC of the determined MBMS channel type from the DRNC;

notifying in the SRNC, the UE to reconfigure an MBMS channel via a Radio Resource Control (RCC) message in order to perform channel type switching to the determined MBMS channel type; and

transmitting MBMS data with the determined channel type to UEs requiring MBMS service.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said channel switching is at least determined based on comparing a number of UEs requiring MBMS service to a threshold.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said channel switching further comprises:

the SRNC transmitting a radio link setup request message to the DRNC including at least one MBMS service identifier.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein said message transferred from the SRNC to the DRNC comprises an MBMS service identifier, which enables the DRNC to count a number of MBMS users.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3 , wherein, if the UE is first in requesting MBMS service in the DRNC, the DRNC sets up a radio access bearer (RAB) connection with a core network.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said channel switching further comprises:

sending, by the SRNC, a radio link setup request message to the DRNC to request a radio link setup; and

determining, by the DRNC, a channel type at least based on a number of UEs that require MBMS service and informing the SRNC of the channel type.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein said channel switching further comprises:

the SRNC sending a message to inquire about MBMS service type from the DRNC;

the DRNC determining a channel type to be set up and informing the SRNC of the parameters of MBMS channel set up; and

the SRNC completing setting up the P-t-P channel or obtaining a P-t-M channel information from the DRNC.

8. A channel type switching method for a Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS) Point to Point (P-t-P) and Point to Multi point (P-t-M) channel in a radio network controller, comprising:

checking a number of User Equipments (LIEs) in a cell to determine an MBMS channel type;

determining the MBMS channel type by comparing the number of UEs that require MBMS service to a threshold;

reporting change of the MBMS channel type to a serving radio network controller (SRNC); and

receiving in the SRNC, the MBMS channel type from a Destination Radio Network Controller (DRNC), and notifying in the SRNC, the UE to reconfigure an MBMS channel via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message in order to perform channel type switching to the MBMS channel type.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 , further comprising:

receiving, at the SRNC, the MBMS channel type from a destination radio network controller (DRNC); and

transmitting a channel reconfiguration request message to the UE.

10. A channel type switching method for a Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Service (MBMS) Point to Point (P-t-P) and Point to Multi point (P-t-M) channel, comprising the steps of:

transmitting, from a Serving Radio Network Controller (SRNC), a radio link setup message to a Destination Radio Network Controller (DRNC);

transmitting from the DRNC, an MBMS channel type to the SRNC upon receiving the radio link setup message in the DRNC;

notifying, at the SRNC, a User Equipment (UE) that requires MBMS service to reconfigure the MBMS channel type via a Radio Resource Control (RRC) message;

receiving, at the UE, the MBMS channel type; and

receiving MBMS data on an MBMS channel using the MBMS channel type, wherein the MBMS channel type is one of the P-t-P channel or the Pt-M channel.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the radio link setup message comprises an MBMS service identifier.