System and method for providing service continuity of multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system

1. A method of handing over a provided service from a serving base station to a target base station, the service including streaming content sent to a mobile station, the method comprising:

receiving, at the target base station, a handover request from the serving base station, the handover request identifying

the streaming content being provided to the mobile station by the serving base station, and

an interrupt data packet, of the streaming content, last transmitted to the mobile station;

sending a handover response to the serving base station;

receiving a notification from the serving base station indicating that the target base station is selected for handover;

receiving, from the serving base station, subsequent data packets of the streaming content that are later in time than the interrupt data packet;

sending the received subsequent data packets to the mobile station.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the streaming content is a first streaming content, and wherein sending the handover response includes identifying a second streaming content provided by the target base station that is available for handover to the mobile station.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

broadcasting, by the target base station, the second streaming content over a coverage area, wherein the first streaming content and the second streaming content are a same content;

buffering sent packets of the second streaming content in a sent buffer of the target base station;

deleting sent packets in the sent buffer that are older than a predetermined age;

stopping the deleting after receiving the handover request from the serving base station;

identifying an oldest sent packet of the second streaming content in the sent buffer; and

referencing the oldest sent packet in the handover response sent to the serving base station, wherein

the subsequent data packets of the first streaming content received from the serving base station are earlier in time than the oldest sent packet referenced in the handover response.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first streaming content is different from the second streaming content, the method further comprising:

requesting, by the target base station, the first streaming content from a content provider;

receiving the first streaming content from the content provider; and

sending streaming packets of the first streaming content, later in time than the subsequent data packets, to the mobile station.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

sending the received subsequent data packets by unicast; and

sending streaming packets of the streaming content to the mobile station by multicast and broadcast services (MBS) after sending the subsequent data packets, wherein the streaming packets are later in time than the subsequent data packets.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

broadcasting the second streaming content according to a single base station transmission mode;

receiving, from a gateway, a first content identifier of the streaming content provided to the mobile station by the serving base station; and

broadcasting mapping information that maps the first content identifier with a second content identifier, wherein the second content identifier identifies the second streaming content.

7. A target base station for receiving a handover of a service provided by a serving base station, the service including streaming content sent to a mobile station, the target base station comprising:

a memory configured to store a handover request received from the serving base station, the handover request identifying

the streaming content being provided to the mobile station by the serving base station, and

an interrupt data packet, of the streaming content, last transmitted to the mobile station;

a processor configured to generate a handover response to send to the serving base station;

an input port configured to

receive a notification from the serving base station indicating that the target base station is selected for handover, and

receive, from the serving base station, subsequent data packets of the streaming content that are later in time than the interrupt data packet; and

an output port configured to send the received subsequent data packets to the mobile station.

8. The target base station of claim 7 , wherein:

the streaming content is a first streaming content; and

the processor is further configured to identify, in the handover response, a second streaming content provided by the target base station that is available for handover to the mobile station.

9. The target base station of claim 8 , wherein:

the output port is further configured to broadcast the second streaming content over a coverage area, wherein the first streaming content and the second streaming content are a same content;

the processor is further configured to:

buffer sent packets of the second streaming content in a sent buffer of the target base station;

delete sent packets in the sent buffer that are older than a predetermined age;

stop the deleting after receiving the handover request from the serving base station;

identify an oldest sent packet of the second streaming content in the sent buffer; and

reference the oldest sent packet in the handover response sent to the serving base station;

wherein the subsequent data packets of the first streaming content received from the serving base station are earlier in time than the oldest sent packet referenced in the handover response.

10. The target base station of claim 8 , wherein:

the first streaming content is different from the second streaming content;

the processor is further configured to request the first streaming content from a content provider;

the input port is further configured to receive the first streaming content from the content provider; and

the output port is further configured to send streaming packets of the first streaming content, later in time than the subsequent data packets, to the mobile station.

11. The target base station of claim 7 , wherein the output port is further configured to:

send the received subsequent data packets by unicast; and

send streaming packets of the streaming content to the mobile station by multicast and broadcast services (MBS) after sending the subsequent data packets, wherein the streaming packets are later in time than the subsequent data packets.

12. The target base station of claim 9 , wherein:

the second streaming content is broadcasted according to a single base station transmission mode;

the input port is further configured to receive, from a gateway, a first content identifier of the streaming content provided to the mobile station by the serving base station;

the processor is configured to generate mapping information that maps the first content identifier with a second content identifier, wherein the second content identifier identifies the second streaming content; and

the output port is further configured to broadcast the mapping information.

13. A method of receiving a service during a handover of the service, the method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile station, streaming content from a serving base station in a first format until an interrupt data packet of the streaming content;

receiving a handover command from the serving base station, the handover command identifying a target base station and streaming services provided by the target base station;

receiving subsequent data packets of the streaming content from the target base station in a second format, wherein the subsequent data packets of the streaming content are later in time than the interrupt data packet of the streaming content; and

receiving streaming packets of the streaming content from the target base station in the first format after receiving the subsequent data packets, wherein the streaming packets of the streaming content are later in time than the subsequent data packets of the streaming content.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

reading a signal strength of the target base station; and

sending a handover initiation to the serving base station, reporting the target base station.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

identifying a plurality of target base stations from the received handover command;

choosing the target base station from the plurality of target base stations for handover; and

sending a handover indication to the serving base station, indicating the chosen target base station for handover.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the received streaming content is first streaming content of a first service, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile station, second streaming content of a second service from a first base station according to a multiple base station transmission mode, when the mobile station is located within a first coverage area of the first base station;

receiving broadcasted mapping information from a second base station mapping a first content identifier with a second content identifier, after the mobile station moves to a second coverage area of the second base station while in an idle state, to receive the service from the second base station,

wherein the first content identifier identifies the second service that is sent by the first base station, and

wherein the second content identifier identifies the second service that is sent by the second base station;

updating a mobile station content identifier according to the mapping information; and

receiving the second service from the second base station according to a single base station transmission mode.

17. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving the streaming content from the serving base station according to a single base station transmission mode, when the mobile station is located within a serving coverage area of the serving base station;

transitioning from the idle state into a connected state, after the mobile station moves to a target coverage area of the target base station while in an idle state; and

receiving streaming packets of the streaming content from the target base station according to a multiple base station transmission mode.

18. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

receiving the streaming content from the serving base station with the first format as multicast and broadcast services (MBS); and

receiving the subsequent data packets of the streaming content from the target base station with the second format as unicast.

19. A mobile station for receiving a service during a handover of the service, the mobile station comprising:

an input port configured to

receive streaming content from a serving base station in a first format until an interrupt data packet of the streaming content, and

receive a handover command from the serving base station, the handover command identifying a target base station and streaming services provided by the target base station; and

a memory configured to

store subsequent data packets of the streaming content received from the target base station in a second format, wherein the subsequent data packets of the streaming content are later in time than the interrupt data packet of the streaming content, and

store streaming packets of the streaming content received from the target base station in the first format, after receiving the subsequent data packets, wherein the streaming packets of the streaming content are later in time than the subsequent data packets of the streaming content.

20. The mobile station of claim 19 , further comprising:

a processor configured to analyze a signal strength of the target base station; and

an output port configured to send a handover initiation to the serving base station, reporting the target base station.

21. The mobile station of claim 19 , further comprising:

a processor configured to:

identify a plurality of target base stations from the received handover command; and

choose the target base station from the plurality of target base stations for handover; and

an output port configured to send a handover indication to the serving base station, indicating the chosen target base station for handover.

22. The mobile station of claim 19 , further comprising a processor, wherein the received streaming content is first streaming content of a first service, further wherein:

the input port is further configured to:

receive, at the mobile station, second streaming content of a second service from a first base station according to a multiple base station transmission mode, while the mobile station is located in a first coverage area of the first base station;

receive broadcasted mapping information from a second base station mapping a first content identifier with a second content identifier, after the mobile station moves to a second coverage area of the second base station, while in an idle state, to receive the service from the second base station, the first content identifier identifying the second service that is sent by the first base station, and the second content identifier identifying the second service that is sent by the second base station; and

the processor is further configured to:

update a mobile station content identifier according to the mapping information; and

process the second service received from the second base station according to a single base station transmission mode.

23. The mobile station of claim 19 further comprising a processor, wherein:

the input port is further configured to receive the streaming content from the serving base station according to a single base station transmission mode, when the mobile station is located in a serving coverage area of the serving base station;

the processor is configured to transition from the idle state into a connected state, after the mobile station moves to a target coverage area of the target base station while in the idle state; and

the memory device is further configured to store streaming packets of the streaming content received from the target base station according to a multiple base station transmission mode.

24. The mobile station of claim 19 , wherein:

the input port is further configured to receive the streaming content from the serving base station with the first format as multicast and broadcast services (MBS); and

the memory device is further configured to store the subsequent data packets of the streaming content received from the target base station with the second format as unicast.