Method for transmitting messages related to a broadcast or multicast service in a cellular communications system

1. A method of transmitting notification messages related to a broadcast or multicast service from a network element to a plurality of mobile terminals in a cellular communications system, the method comprising:

sending first and second notification messages to a plurality of said terminals,

wherein said first and second notification messages are timed using a first and second cycle, respectively,

wherein a length of said second cycle is shorter than a length of said first cycle, said first cycle being a discontinuous reception cycle,

wherein said first notification messages are used to notify mobile terminals to listen to a multicast control channel, and

wherein the second notification messages are used for a counting procedure.

2. A method according to claim 1 , whereby said first notification messages are used to notify mobile terminals in certain states that they are to receive information relating to a multicast service.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein said certain states include at least one of a Radio Resource control (RRC)_Idle mode, CELL_Paging Channel (PCH), CELL-Forward Access Channel (FACH), and a Utran Registration Area (URA)_PCH mode.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first notification messages trigger the mobile terminals to receive the second notification messages.

5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the second notification messages are transmitted on a Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Control Channel (MCCH).

6. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the network element signals a schedule for said second notification messages to the plurality of mobile terminals.

7. A method according to claim 6 , wherein the network element transmits said second notification messages according to said schedule.

8. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said first notification messages are Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) notification indicators.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of terminals listen to scheduled notification occasions after detecting said first notification messages relating to a particular multicast service.

10. A method according to claim 1 , wherein more than one of said second notification messages are transmitted within the cycle of said first messages.

11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said broadcast or multicast service is a multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS).

12. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said broadcast or multicast service is according to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) standard.

13. A method of transmitting notification messages relating to a multicast service, whereby the multicast service provides for the transmission of data from a network element to a plurality of terminals in a cellular communications system, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting first notification messages according to a first cycle; and

transmitting second notification messages on a multicast channel according to a second cycle,

wherein said second cycle is shorter than said first cycle, said first cycle being a discontinuous reception cycle,

wherein said transmitted first notification messages trigger terminals interested in a particular multicast service to listen to the multicast channel, and

wherein the second notification messages are used for a counting procedure.