IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,513,765
Granted Patent B2
US 12,513,765 · App. 18/107,740 · Granted Dec 30, 2025

Restoration of multicast/broadcast service upon multicast/broadcast user plane function failure without restart

Inventors: Bruno Landais (Pleumeur-Bodou, FR); Horst Thomas Belling (Erding, DE); Philippe Godin (Versailles, FR); David Navrátil (Helsinki, FI)
Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
H04W76/19H04L12/4633H04W76/40
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,513,765
App. No.
18/107,740
Granted
Dec 30, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for restoration of multicast/broadcast service upon multicast/broadcast user plane function failure without restart are provided. For example, a method may include detecting non-functionality of a first multicast/broadcast user plane function that was supporting a packet forwarding control protocol session context for a multicast/broadcast session. The method may also include reselecting a second multicast/broadcast user plane function. The method may further include recreating a packet forwarding control protocol session context in the second multicast/broadcast user plane function for said multicast/broadcast session. The method may additionally include receiving new addressing information for the delivery of said multicast/broadcast session data from said second multicast/broadcast user plane function. The method may also include updating a network element with the new addressing information.

Claims (39)

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program instructions,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

detecting non-functionality of a first multicast/broadcast user plane function that was supporting a packet forwarding control protocol session context for a multicast/broadcast session;

reselecting a second multicast/broadcast user plane function;

recreating a packet forwarding control protocol session context in the second multicast/broadcast user plane function for said multicast/broadcast session;

receiving new addressing information for the delivery of said multicast/broadcast session data from said second multicast/broadcast user plane function; and

updating a network element with the new addressing information, wherein updating a network element comprises at least one of updating an application function, or a network exposure function, or a multicast/broadcast service function with an ingress tunnel internet protocol address received from the second multicast/broadcast user plane function.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detecting the non-functionality comprises detecting that the first multicast/broadcast user plane function failed without restarting or detecting that the first multicast/broadcast user plane function shut down.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the recreating a packet forwarding control protocol session context comprises at least one of:

requesting the second multicast/broadcast user plane function to allocate the ingress tunnel internet protocol address, if internet protocol unicast transport shall be used by the multicast/broadcast user plane function to receive the multicast/broadcast session data;

requesting the second multicast/broadcast user plane function to join reception of multicast data at a multicast address provided by the apparatus, if internet protocol multicast transport shall be used by the multicast/broadcast user plane function to receive the multicast/broadcast session data;

requesting the second multicast/broadcast user plane function to allocate a low-layer source-specific multicast address and a common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier, if internet protocol multicast transport shall be used by the second multicast/broadcast user plane function to send the multicast/broadcast session data; or

for each endpoint to receive multicast/broadcast session data, requesting the second multicast/broadcast user plane function to send data toward the unicast destination address and general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier address provided by the apparatus, if internet protocol unicast transport shall be used towards the endpoint.

4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

receiving a response from the second multicast/broadcast user plane function, the response comprising at least one of: the low-layer source-specific multicast address and the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier, or the ingress tunnel internet protocol address.

5 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein updating a network element further comprises at least one of:

updating an access management function, or a radio access node with the low-layer source-specific multicast address and the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier received from the second multicast/broadcast user plane function; or

updating a service management function with the low-layer source-specific multicast address and the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier received from the second multicast/broadcast user plane function.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein updating an application function, a network exposure function, or a multicast/broadcast service function comprises:

sending a multicast/broadcast session status notification request reporting an ingress tunnel address change event and the updated ingress tunnel internet protocol address.

7 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein updating an access management function, or a radio access node, comprises at least one of:

sending a multicast session update request for a multicast session including the low-layer source-specific multicast address and the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier; or

sending a broadcast session modification request for a broadcast session including the low-layer source-specific multicast address and the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein updating a session management function comprises at least one of:

sending a multicast/broadcast session context status notification for a multicast session reporting a low-layer source-specific multicast address change and including the updated low-layer source-specific multicast address an=d the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier.

9 . An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program instructions,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

receiving a multicast/broadcast session context status notification for a multicast session reporting a low-layer source-specific multicast address change and including the updated low-layer source-specific multicast address and the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier; and

sending a request to a user plane function for the multicast session configured to terminate an N19mb tunnel to join data delivery of the low-layer source-specific multicast address and the common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier and leave the data delivery from the low-layer source-specific multicast address that was previously in use for the multicast session.

10 . An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory comprising computer program instructions,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program instructions are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to perform:

receiving a multicast session update request for a multicast session configured to terminate an N19mb tunnel including an updated low-layer source-specific multicast address and common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier; and

joining the delivery of the multicast session data from the updated low-layer source-specific multicast address and common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier, and leaving data delivery from the previous low-layer source-specific multicast address and common general packet radio service tunneling endpoint identifier that was in use for the multicast session.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: NAVRÁTIL, DAVID
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
Reel/Frame 062988/0878 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: LANDAIS, BRUNO; GODIN, PHILIPPE
To: ALCATEL-LUCENT INTERNATIONAL, S.A.
Reel/Frame 062988/0984 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: BELLING, HORST THOMAS
To: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS GMBH & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 062989/0116 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS GMBH & CO. KG
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062989/0348 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: ALCATEL-LUCENT INTERNATIONAL, S.A.
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062990/0120 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 15, 2023
From: NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY
To: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
Reel/Frame 062990/0311 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63308400 · Feb 9, 2022
Related Publication 20230254929A1 · Aug 10, 2023
References Cited (29)
US 8279752B1 · Busch et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 10263832B1 · Ghosh · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20080225770A1 · Cho et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20130028099A1 · Birajdar et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20150263847A1 · Baillargeon et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20190158408A1 · Li · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200351984A1 · Talebi Fard · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200404733A1 · Hu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210153080A1 · Zhu · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20230156091A1 · Poscic · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230262840A1 · Byun · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230292219A1 · Byun · 2023 [cited by examiner]
EP 1835663A2 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
EP 2840736A2 · 2015 [cited by applicant]
EP 3301997A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
EP 4369788A1 · 2024 [cited by examiner]
WO 2008044971A1 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
Partial European Search Report date Jun. 23, 2023, corresponding to European Patent Application No. 23155574.9. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report dated Nov. 6, 2023, corresponding to European Patent Application No. 23155574.9. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 29.532 V1.0.0 (Dec. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; 5G System; 5G Multicast-Broadcast Session Management Services Sta… [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 29.522 V17.4.0 (Dec. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; 5G System; Network Exposure Function Northbound APIs; Stage 3 (R… [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 23.527 V17.2.0 (Dec. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; 5G System; Restoration Procedures (Release 17), Dec. 2021. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.413 V16.8.0 (Dec. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Radio Access Network; NG-RAN; NG Application Protocol (NGAP) (Release 16), Dec. 2021. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 23.247 V17.1.0 (Dec. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Architectural enhancements for 5G multicast-broadcast services;… [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 29.244 V17.3.0 (Dec. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; Interface between the Control Plane and the User Plane Nodes; St… [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 29.281 V17.1.0 (Sep. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Core Network and Terminals; General Packet Radio System (GPRS) Tunnelling Protocol User Plan… [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 23.501 V17.3.0 (Dec. 2021), Technical Specification, 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; System architecture for the 5G System (5GS); Stage 2 (Release 1… [cited by applicant]
Ericsson, “Discussion on Restoration of an MBS session in 5GS,” C4-220165, 3GPP TSG-CT WG4 Meeting #107-bis-e, E-Meeting, Jan. 17-21, 2022. [cited by applicant]
European Communication pursuant to Article 94(3) EPC, corresponding to EP Application No. 23 155 574.9, dated May 19, 2025. [cited by applicant]