Apparatus and method for providing multicast and broadcast service in mobile communication environment

1. A method of providing a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) in a mobile communication environment, comprising:

setting an MBS zone to be provided with content and include at least one member base station;

configuring the MBS zone by classifying the at least one member base station belonging to the MBS zone into active members that simultaneously transmit MBS traffic and an MBS control parameter and inactive members that transmit only the MBS control parameter according to a predefined;

retrieving radio resources of the member base station classified as the inactive member; and

connecting a data delivery path through the active member, and transmitting the MBS traffic to a terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setting of the MBS zone is performed during MBS initialization.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein channel quality information (CQI) is used in the configuring of the MBS zone.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the CQI is measured by the terminal or a serving base station connected with the terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuring of the MBS zone includes determining the active member among the at least one member base station belonging to the MBS zone on the basis of whether or not there are radio resources usable for the MBS.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the transmitting of the MBS traffic to the terminal, transmitting the MBS control parameter to the terminal through the at least one member base station belonging to the MBS zone.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, when a specific event occurs, reconfiguring the MBS zone by classifying the at least one member base station again into active members and inactive members.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the specific event occurs due to at least one of a zone change request and an MBS cancellation request from the terminal or a serving base station connected with the terminal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the zone change request is made in at least one manner among when the terminal starts the MBS, periodically in the middle of the MBS, and after handover of the terminal.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising allocating radio resources to a member base station newly classified as an active member through the reconfiguring of the MBS zone.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved radio resources are left as they are without being allocated to another type of service.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieved radio resources are allocable for another service.

13. An apparatus for providing a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) in a mobile communication environment, comprising:

a proxy unit configured to set an MBS zone to be provided with content and include at least one member base station, and configure the MBS zone by classifying the at least one member base station belonging to the MBS zone into active members that simultaneously transmit MBS traffic and an MBS control parameter and inactive members that transmit only the MBS control parameter according to a predefined rule; and

a data delivery path manager configured to establish a data delivery path through the active member determined by the proxy unit, and control the MBS traffic to be transmitted to a terminal; and

a radio resource manager configured to control allocation and retrieval of radio resources to and from the at least one member base station, wherein the radio resource manager retrieves the radio resources from the member base station classified as the inactive member.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a service flow manager configured to deliver the MBS control parameter necessary to deliver the MBS traffic to the at least one member base station belonging to the MBS zone, and create a service flow between the terminal and the member base station.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the proxy unit sets the MBS zone during MBS initialization.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the proxy unit configures the MBS zone using at least channel quality information (CQI).

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the proxy unit determines the active member among the at least one member base station belonging to the MBS zone on the basis of whether or not there are radio resources usable for the MBS.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein, when a specific event occurs, the proxy unit reconfigures the MBS zone by classifying the at least one member base station again into active members and inactive members.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 ,

wherein the radio resource manager allocates the radio resources to a member base station classified as an active member.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the radio resource manager leaves the retrieved radio resources as they are without allocating them to another type of service.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the radio resource manager allocates the retrieved radio resources for another type of service.