Method, apparatus and computer program for terminating mobile station receipt of multimedia broadcast/multimedia service (MBMS) service bearer

1. A method, comprising:

originating a request at one mobile station of a plurality of mobile stations to terminate reception of at least one session of a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer received by said plurality of mobile stations;

transmitting the request to a base station subsystem that is the source of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer; and

receiving from the base station subsystem, via a packet associated control channel, a release message that comprises identification of the one mobile station of the plurality of mobile stations and a value defined to indicate to the one mobile station to stop receiving the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer without release of the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer from the plurality of mobile stations receiving the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the one of the plurality of mobile stations is operating in a non-feedback mode of operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the one of the plurality of mobile stations is operating in a feedback mode of operation.

4. The method of claim 2 , where originating and transmitting comprise sending the base station subsystem a packet associated control channel request message with an access cause “Single Block MBMS Access”, and the method further comprising, between transmitting the request and receiving from the base station subsystem the release message,

receiving from the base station subsystem an allocation of an uplink radio block;

sending in the allocated uplink radio block a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request message to the base station subsystem, the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request comprising the identification of the one of the plurality of mobile stations and a stop receiving the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter,

the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer comprises a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value.

5. The method of claim 3 , where originating and transmitting comprise sending the base station subsystem the identification of the mobile station and a stop receiving the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter in a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service downlink ACK/NACK message.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a program; and

a processor configured to execute the program retrieved from the memory and, in response to execution of the program, configured to originate a request to terminate reception of at least one session of a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer and to transmit the request to a base station subsystem that is the source of the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer;

wherein the apparatus is configured to receive from the base station subsystem, via a packet associated control channel, a release message that comprises an identification of the apparatus and a value defined as stop receiving the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer by the apparatus, without release of the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , where the apparatus is configured to operate in a non-feedback multimedia broadcast/multimedia service mode of operation.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , where the apparatus is configured to operate in a feedback multimedia broadcast/multimedia service mode of operation.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , where the data processor, when operating to originate and transmit the request, is configured to send the base station subsystem a request message with an access cause “Single Block MBMS Access”, and is further configured to receive from the base station subsystem an allocation of an uplink radio block; to send in the allocated uplink radio block a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request message to the base station subsystem, the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request comprising the_dentification of the apparatus and a stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter; and to receive from the base station subsystem the release message comprising the identification of the apparatus and the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer, the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer comprises a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , where the data processor, when operating to originate and transmit the request, is configured to send the base station subsystem the identification of the apparatus and a stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter in a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service downlink ACK/NACK message, and is further configured to receive from the base station subsystem the release message comprising the identification of the apparatus and the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer, the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer comprises a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile station to terminate reception of a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer; and

in response, determining at a base station subsystem to send, via a packet associated control channel, the mobile station a release message comprising an identification of the mobile station and a value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer without release of the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer by other mobile stations in a group of mobile stations including said requesting mobile station receiving said multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

12. The method of claim 11 , where for a case where the mobile station is operating in a non-feedback mode of operation the request is received as a associated control channel request message with an access cause “Single Block MBMS Access”, and further comprising:

allocating an uplink radio block to the mobile station; and

receiving in the allocated uplink radio block a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request message that comprises the identification of the mobile station and a stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter;

where the sending of the release message occurs in response to the receipt of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request message, wherein the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer comprises a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value.

13. The method of claim 11 , where for a case where the mobile station is operating in a feedback mode of operation the request is received in a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service downlink ACK/NACK message that comprises a stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter, and where the sending of the release message occurs in response to the receipt of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service downlink ACK/NAK message, wherein the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer comprises a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value.

14. A base station subsystem, comprising:

a memory configured to store for storing a program; and

a data processor configured to execute the program retrieved from the memory and, in response to execution of the program, to receive a request from a mobile station to terminate reception of a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer; and in response, to determine to send the mobile station, via a packet associated control channel, a release message that comprises an identification of the mobile station and a value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer without release of the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer by other mobile stations in a group of mobile stations including said requesting mobile station receiving said multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

15. The base station subsystem of claim 14 , where for a case where the mobile station is operating in a non-feedback mode of operation the request is received as a packet associated control channel request message with an access cause “Single Block MBMS Access”, and the data processor is further configured to allocate an uplink radio block to the mobile station and to receive in the allocated uplink radio block a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request message that comprises the identification of the mobile station and a stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter; where the sending of the release message occurs in response to the receipt of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service request message, wherein the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer comprises a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value.

16. The base station subsystem of claim 14 , where for a case where the mobile station is operating in a feedback mode of operation the request is received in a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service downlink ACK/NACK message that comprises a stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer parameter, and where the data processor is configured to send the release message in response to the receipt of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service downlink ACK/NAK message, wherein the value defined as stop receiving multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer comprises a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the release message releases a temporary block flow of the one of the plurality of mobile stations and not the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

18. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the release message releases a temporary block flow of the apparatus and not the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the release message is adapted to cause release of a temporary block flow of the apparatus and not the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

20. The base station subsystem of claim 14 , wherein the release message is adapted to cause release of a temporary block flow of the apparatus and not the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

21. A method, comprising:

originating a request at a mobile station to terminate reception of at least one session of a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service bearer;

transmitting the request to a network that is the source of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer; and

receiving from the network, via a packet associated control channel, a release message that comprises identification of the mobile station and a value defined as stop receiving the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer without release of the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

22. The method according to claim 21 , wherein the at least one session is one of a plurality of sessions received by the mobile station of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service bearer.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store a program;

a processor configured to execute the program retrieved from the memory and, in response to execution of the program, configured to originate a request to terminate reception of at least one session of a multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the request to a network that is the source of the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer, and

a receiver configured to receive from the network, via a packet associated control channel, a release message that comprises identification of the mobile station and a value defined as stop receiving the at least one session of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer without release of the entire multimedia broadcast/multimedia service radio bearer.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the at least one session is one of a plurality of sessions received by the mobile station of the multimedia broadcast/multimedia service bearer.