Point-to-multipoint mobile radio transmission

1. A method comprising:

identifying, in mobile communication system supporting radio data transmission in a number of different packet data protocols, said different packet data protocols by a protocol identifier, the method further comprising:

permanently allocating a specific unique value of said protocol identifier to point-to-multipoint-multicast packet data protocol; and

dynamically allocating other protocol identifier values to other packet data protocols.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method forms part of a general packet radio service.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein data is formatted for transmission according to a subnetwork dependent convergence protocol which formats data in one of a plurality of different packet data protocols for transmission via the system and vice versa for received data, the subnetwork dependent convergence protocol processing data in subnetwork dependent convergence protocol units, each of which contains a network service access point identifier which identifies the packet data protocol in use to the subnetwork dependent convergence protocol and the network service access point identifiers providing said protocol identifiers.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein data for transmission and reception is formatted by a logical link control layer below a subnetwork dependent convergence protocol layer, the logical link control formatting including the use of a service access point identifier to identify the service access point on the network side and on the user side of the logical link control layer and the service access point identifiers providing said protocol identifiers.

5. Method according to claim 1 , wherein said identifying and allocating is performed by a mobile station or a network.

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein a network service access point identifier provides said protocol identifier.

7. Apparatus for use in a mobile communication system supporting radio data transmission in a number of different packet data protocols including a point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol, where the protocol is identified by a protocol identifier transmitted between network and said apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for permanently allocating a specific unique value of a protocol identifier to point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol,

said memory for storing the permanently allocated point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol identifier, and

a signal processor for determining whether a transmission from network contains said point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol identifier and for consequently receiving and processing said transmission.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus forms part of a general packet radio service.

9. Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile station.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the apparatus is arranged to determine if a received protocol identifier corresponds to a prestored permanently allocated protocol identifier value.

11. A method comprising:

identifying, in a mobile communication system supporting radio data transmission in a number of different packet data protocols including a point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol, the packet data protocols by a protocol identifier;

permanently allocating a specific unique value of said protocol identifier to point-to-multipoint-multicast packet data protocol; and

determining if a received protocol identifier corresponds to a prestored permanently allocated protocol identifier value.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver, in a mobile communication system supporting radio data transmission in a number of different packet data protocols including a point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol, configured for receiving a data unit comprising a protocol identifier,

a signal processor configured for processing the received protocol identifier, wherein said protocol identifier has a value permanently allocated to point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol, and wherein the apparatus is configured to identify said point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol based on said protocol identifier value received by the apparatus, and

a memory configured for storing a unique value of a protocol identifier permanently allocated to point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the apparatus forms part of a general packet radio service.

14. Apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile station.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a network service access point identifier provides said protocol identifier.

16. Apparatus according to claim 12 , comprising:

said signal processing means configured for determining whether a received transmission contains said permanently allocated PTM-M protocol identifier value and for processing said transmission.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a receiver, for a mobile communication system supporting radio data transmission in a number of different packet data protocols including a point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol, configured to receive a data unit comprising a protocol identifier, and

a signal processor configured for processing the received protocol identifier, wherein said protocol identifier has a value permanently allocated to point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol, and

wherein the apparatus is configured to identify said point-to-multipoint-multicast protocol based on said protocol identifier value received by the apparatus, and

the apparatus is arranged to determine if a received protocol identifier corresponds to a prestored permanently allocated protocol identifier value.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising that the apparatus forms part of a general packet radio service.