Service-activation based state switching
View Patent ↗A method and system for providing a broadcast or multicast service to a terminal device in a data network, wherein a connection state of the terminal device is switched to a dedicated channel state in which a dedicated physical channel is allocated to the terminal device, in response to a broadcast service notification. Thereby, point-to-point connections can be used for data transmission of said broadcast or multicast service, without requiring any additional responses from the concerned terminal devices.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a broadcast service notification from a network in response to a network-initiated creation of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service context where the context is used by a number of terminals, said broadcast service notification indicating the provision of a broadcast or multicast service;
initializing receipt of configuration parameters for a terminal device which is requesting the MBMS service from a related control channel, wherein the configuration parameters are associating with said broadcast or multicast service, in response to said receiving of said broadcast service notification from the network; and
switching a connection state of said terminal device to a dedicated channel state in which a dedicated physical channel is allocated to said terminal device, after reception of said configuration parameters.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said broadcast or multicast service is an Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said notification triggers said terminal device to listen to said related control channel.
4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said notification allows said terminal device not to respond to the received service indication.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said switching is performed after reception of said configuration parameters from said related control channel.
6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein said state switching is ordered by a network element based on said configuration parameters.
7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein said state switching order is issued to said terminal device and said network element derives the current state of said terminal device based on said state switching order.
8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said connection state is switched to said dedicated channel state from a paging channel state.
9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein said connection state is switched from a CELL-PCH state to a CELL-DCH of a UMIS radio access network.
10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said service notification caused by a network-initiated activation of a service data transmission.
11. An apparatus comprising:
a receiver to receive a broadcast service notification from a network as a result of a network-initiated creation of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service context where the context is used by a number of terminals, said broadcast service notification indicating the provision of a broadcast or multicast service;
a processor to initialize receipt of configuration parameters for a terminal device which is requesting the MBMS service from a related control channel, wherein the configuration parameters are associating with said broadcast or multicast service, after receiving of said broadcast service notification from the network; and
the processor to switch a connection state of said terminal device to a dedicated channel state in which a dedicated physical channel is allocated to said terminal device, after reception of said configuration parameters.
12. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said broadcast service notification is received from a Gateway General Packet Radio Services Support Node.
13. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said apparatus is comprised in a radio network controller.
14. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said apparatus is configured to switch said connection state to said dedicated channel state from a paging channel state in which a connection to said terminal device is only possible via a paging channel and after reception of said notification via said related control channel.
15. An apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein said apparatus is configured to switch said connection state from a CELL-PCH state to a CELL-DCH of a UMTS radio access network.
16. An apparatus comprising:
a transmitter to broadcast a service notification as a result of a network-initiated creation of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service context where the context is used by a number of terminals, said broadcast service notification indicating the provision of a broadcast or multicast service;
the transmitter to transmit configuration parameters for a terminal device which is requesting the MBMS service on a related control channel, wherein the configuration parameters are associating with said broadcast or multicast service; and
a processor to cause switching of a connection state of said terminal device to a dedicated channel state in which a dedicated physical channel is allocated to said terminal device.
17. An apparatus comprising:
means for receiving a broadcast service notification from a network as a result of a network-initiated creation of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service context where the context is used by a number of terminals, said broadcast service notification indicating the provision of a broadcast or multicast service;
means for initializing receipt of configuration parameters for a terminal device which is requesting the MBMS service from a related control channel, wherein the configuration parameters are associating with said broadcast or multicast service, after receiving of said broadcast service notification from the network; and
means for switching a connection state of said terminal device to a dedicated channel state in which a dedicated physical channel is allocated to said terminal device, after reception of said configuration parameters.
18. A method comprising:
broadcasting a service notification from a network as a result of a network-initiated creation of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service context where the context is used by a number of terminals, said broadcast service notification indicating the provision of a broadcast or multicast service;
initializing receipt of configuration parameters for a terminal device which is requesting the MBMS service from a related control channel, wherein the configuration parameters are associating with said broadcast or multicast service, in response to said receiving of said broadcast service notification from the network; and
causing switching of a connection state of said terminal device to a dedicated channel state in which a dedicated physical channel is allocated to said terminal device.
19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising transmitting said broadcast service notification by a Gateway General Packet Radio Services Support Node.
20. The method according to claim 18 , wherein said connection state is switched to said dedicated channel state from a paging channel state.
21. An apparatus comprising:
means for broadcasting a service notification from a network as a result of a network-initiated creation of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) service context where the context is used by a number of terminals, said broadcast service notification indicating the provision of a broadcast or multicast service;
initializing receipt of configuration parameters for a terminal device which is requesting the MBMS service from a related control channel, wherein the configuration parameters are associating with said broadcast or multicast service, in response to said receiving of said broadcast service notification from the network; and
means for causing switching of a connection state of said terminal device to a dedicated channel state in which a dedicated physical channel is allocated to said terminal device.
22. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said apparatus is comprised in a Gateway General Packet Radio Services Support Node.
23. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein means for causing switching are configured to switch said connection state to said dedicated channel state from a paging channel state.