Transmitting and receiving control information for multimedia broadcast/multicast service in mobile communication system

1. A method for receiving a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a control information indication message for a point-to-multipoint service, the control information indication message having attribute information for receiving at least one control information message from a point-to-multipoint control channel, wherein the control information indication message and the at least one control information message are point-to-multipoint messages created from the same protocol layer;

determining to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information; and

receiving the at least one control information message through the point-to-multipoint control channel if a mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control information message,

wherein determining to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information comprises:

checking an update of the at least one control information message for the point-to-multipoint service subscribed by the mobile terminal based on the control information indication message; and

determining to receive the at least one control information message if the at least one control information message is updated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein if the mobile terminal determines not to receive the at least one control information message, the mobile terminal does not receive the at least one control information message.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising switching from a previously received traffic channel to the point-to-multipoint control channel to receive the control information message.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising switching from a previously received traffic channel to the point-to-multipoint control channel upon determining to receive the at least one control information message.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

processing the at least one control information message; and

switching from the point-to-multipoint control channel to a traffic channel to receive the point-to-multipoint service.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the traffic channel is an MTCH.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attribute information comprises a point-to-multipoint service ID associated with the point-to-multipoint service.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attribute information comprises at least one of:

a control information identifier associated with the at least one control information message;

update information associated with the at least one control information message; and

timing information associated with the point-to-multipoint service.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the update information indicates the update information of the at least one control information message for the point-to-multipoint service.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the timing information indicates which part of the point-to-multipoint control channel is to be received.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the timing information indicates a start time of the point-to-multipoint control channel reception.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mobile terminal receives the point-to-multipoint control channel during a duration according to the timing information.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mobile terminal stops receiving the point-to-multipoint control channel at an end time according to the timing information.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

checking the control information identifier if the control information identifier is included in the attribute information; and

receiving the at least one control information message if the control information identifier is related to the mobile terminal.

15. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

checking the update information if the update information is included in the attribute information;

comparing the update information to previously stored update information; and

receiving the at least one control information message if no update information has been previously stored or if the update information is different from the previously stored update information.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

checking the timing information if the timing information is included in the attribute information; and

receiving the at least one control information message according to a time interval indicated by the timing information.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control information indication message is received through an MTCH.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control information indication message is received through an S-MCCH.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the point-to-multipoint control channel is an MCCH.

20. A method for receiving a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

receiving a control information indication message for a point-to-multipoint service, the control information indication message having attribute information for receiving at least one control information message from a point-to-multipoint control channel, wherein the control information indication message and the at least one control information message are point-to-multipoint messages created from the same protocol layer and the attribute information comprises a point-to-multipoint service ID associated with the point-to-multipoint service;

determining to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information; and

receiving the at least one control information message through the point-to-multipoint control channel if a mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control information message,

wherein determining to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information comprises:

checking the point-to-multipoint service ID if the point-to-multipoint service ID is included in the attribute information; and

determining which control information message is to be received from the point-to-multipoint control channel if the point-to-multipoint service ID is related to a point-to-multipoint service subscribed by the mobile terminal.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein if the point-to-multipoint service ID is not related to the point-to-multipoint service subscribed by the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal continues to receive a traffic channel previously received prior to receiving the control information indication message.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the traffic channel is one of a point-to-multipoint traffic channel and a point-to-point traffic channel.

23. A method for transmitting a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting a control information indication message for a point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal, the control information indication message having attribute information for transmitting at least one control information message through a point-to-multipoint control channel, wherein the control information indication message and the at least one control information message are point-to-multipoint messages created from the same protocol layer; and

transmitting the at least one control information message through the point-to-multipoint control channel,

wherein when the mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control information message, determining by the mobile terminal comprises:

checking an update of the at least one control information message for the point-to-multipoint service subscribed by the mobile terminal based on the control information indication message; and

determining to receive the at least one control information message if the at least one control information message is updated.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control in formation message according to the attribute information.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the attribute information comprises a point-to-multipoint service ID associated with the point-to-multipoint service.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the attribute information comprises at least one of:

a control information identifier associated with the at least one control information message;

update information associated with the at least one control information message; and

timing information associated with the point-to-multipoint service.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the update information indicates the update information of the at least one control information message for the point-to-multipoint service.

28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the timing information indicates which part of the point-to-multipoint control channel is to be received by the mobile terminal.

29. The method of claim 26 , wherein the timing information indicates a start time of the point-to-multipoint control channel transmission.

30. The method of claim 26 , wherein the network transmits the point-to-multipoint control channel during a duration according to the timing information.

31. The method of claim 26 , wherein the network stops transmitting the point-to-multipoint control channel at an end time according to the timing information.

32. The method of claim 23 , wherein the control information indication message is transmitted through an MTCH.

33. The method of claim 23 , wherein the control information indication message is transmitted through an S-MCCH.

34. The method of claim 23 , wherein the point-to-multipoint control channel is an MCCH.

35. A method for transmitting a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting a control information indication message for a point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal, the control information indication message having attribute information for transmitting at least one control information message through a point-to-multipoint control channel, wherein the control information indication message and the at least one control information message are point-to-multipoint messages created from the same protocol layer and the attribute information comprises a point-to-multipoint service ID associated with the point-to-multipoint service; and

transmitting the at least one control information message through the point-to-multipoint control channel,

wherein the mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information and determining to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information comprises:

checking the point-to-multipoint service ID if the point-to-multipoint service ID is included in the attribute information; and

determining which control information message is to be received from the point-to-multipoint control channel if the point-to-multipoint service ID is related to a point-to-multipoint service subscribed by the mobile terminal.

36. The method of claim 35 , wherein if the point-to-multipoint service ID is not related to the point-to-multipoint service subscribed by the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal continues to receive a traffic channel previously received prior to receiving the control information indication message.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the traffic channel is one of a point-to-multipoint traffic channel and a point-to-point traffic channel.

38. The method of claim 36 , wherein the traffic channel is an MTCH.

39. A method for transmitting a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting a control information indication message for a point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal, the control information indication message having attribute information for transmitting at least one control information message through a point-to-multipoint control channel, wherein the control information indication message and the at least one control information message are point-to-multipoint messages created from the same protocol layer and the attribute information comprises at least one of a control information identifier associated with the at least one control information message, update information associated with the at least one control information message, or timing information associated with the point-to-multipoint service; and

transmitting the at least one control information message through the point-to-multipoint control channel,

wherein when the mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information, the determining by the mobile terminal comprises:

checking the control information identifier if the control information identifier is included in the attribute information; and

receiving the at least one control information message if the control information identifier is related to the mobile terminal.

40. A method for transmitting a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting a control information indication message for a point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal, the control information indication message having attribute information for transmitting at least one control information message through a point-to-multipoint control channel, wherein the control information indication message and the at least one control information message are point-to-multipoint messages created from the same protocol layer and the attribute information comprises at least one of a control information identifier associated with the at least one control information message, update information associated with the at least one control information message, or timing information associated with the point-to-multipoint service; and

transmitting the at least one control information message through the point-to-multipoint control channel,

wherein when the mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information, the determining by the mobile terminal comprises:

checking the update information if the update information is included in the attribute information;

comparing the update information to previously stored update information; and

receiving the at least one control information message if no update information has been previously stored or if the update information is different from the previously stored update information.

41. A method for transmitting a point-to-multipoint service in a wireless communication system, the method comprising:

transmitting a control information indication message for a point-to-multipoint service to a mobile terminal, the control information indication message having attribute information for transmitting at least one control information message through a point-to-multipoint control channel, wherein the control information indication message and the at least one control information message are point-to-multipoint messages created from the same protocol layer and the attribute information comprises at least one of a control information identifier associated with the at least one control information message, update information associated with the at least one control information message, or timing information associated with the point-to-multipoint service; and

transmitting the at least one control information message through the point-to-multipoint control channel,

wherein when the mobile terminal determines to receive the at least one control information message according to the attribute information, the determining by the mobile terminal comprises:

checking the timing information if the timing information is included in the attribute information; and

receiving the at least one control information message according to a time interval indicated by the timing information.