Method and Radio Communication System for Transmitting User Information as a Service to Several User Stations

Abstract

A method and a radio communication system transmit user information as a service to several user stations in a radio communication system comprising at least one base station and user stations which are connected to each other via a radio communication interface. The base station signals to the user stations using the at least one service via a group control channel, radio resource information on at least one traffic channel via which the user information of the at least one service is transmitted to the user stations.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1: shows a schematic representation of the transmission in the group control channel and on multiple traffic channels according to one embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2: shows a schematic representation of the transmission between a radio network controller, base stations and user stations according to one embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

In FIG. 1 the upper part of the diagram shows an example of a transmission within the group control channel (MBMS group control channel) on a radio resource A of an arbitrary non-time-based multiple access method (e.g. frequency division, code division) over time. Resource allocation schemes RAS1 and RAS2 are each transmitted in a radio frame of length FR at the instants in time t1 and t4 respectively.

In the first resource allocation scheme RAS1 it is specified that the traffic channel 1 (MBMS Traffic Channel 1) on a second radio resource B carries an MBMS service 1 which starts at time t2 and has a duration of two radio frames (1a, 1b; 1c, 1d; 1e, 1f; 1g, 1h) of length FR and a periodicity of one radio frame. Traffic channel 2 (MBMS Traffic Channel 2) on the second radio resource B additionally carries, in accordance with the signaling in the resource allocation scheme RAS1, an MBMS service 2 which starts at time t3 and has a duration of one radio frame (2a; 2b; 2c) of length FR and a periodicity of two radio frames.

In the second resource allocation scheme RAS2 it is signaled that the traffic channel n (MBMS Traffic Channel n) on a second radio resource Z carries an MBMS service n which starts at time t5. MBMS service n has a duration of one radio frame (na; nb; nc; nd; ne; nf) of length FR and a periodicity of one radio frame.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the transmission between a radio network controller RNC, two base stations NodeB1 and NodeB2 and mobile user stations UE1, UE2, UE3, UE4, UE5 and UE6.

The radio network controller RNC is connected to the two base stations NodeB1 and NodeB2. Base station NodeB1 serves the radio cells A and B, and base station NodeB2, the radio cells C and D. The user stations UE1 and UE2 are located in the radio cell B. The user stations UE3, UE4, UE5 and UE6 belong to the radio cell C.

In the radio cell B, an MBMS service which is signaled via the group control channel GCCH1 by the radio network controller RNC via the radio cell B of the base station NodeB1 via the radio communication interface and is transmitted via the traffic channel TCH1, is received by the mobile user station UE1. User station UE2 receives no MBMS service.

In the radio cell C, three MBMS services which are signaled via the group control channel GCCH2 by the radio network controller RNC via the radio cell C of the base station NodeB2 via the radio communication interface and are transmitted via the traffic channels TCH2a, TCH2b and TCH2c, are received by the mobile user stations UE3, UE4 and UE6. The user station UE3 receives the services transmitted via the traffic channels TCH2a and TCH2c. The user station UE4 receives the service transmitted via the traffic channel TCH2b. The user station UE6 receives the service transmitted via the traffic channel TCH2c. User station UE5 receives no MBMS service.

The invention has been described in detail with particular reference to preferred embodiments thereof and examples, but it will be understood that variations and modifications can be effected within the spirit and scope of the invention covered by the claims which may include the phrase “at least one of A, B and C” or a similar phrase as an alternative expression that means one or more of A, B and C may be used, contrary to the holding in Superguide v. DIRECTV, 69 USPQ2d 1865 (Fed. Cir. 2004).

Claims

1-13. (canceled)

14. A method for transmitting user information as a service to multiple user stations in a radio communication system having a base station connected to the user stations via a radio communication interface, comprising: sending signals from the base station via a group control channel to the user stations, the signals containing radio resource information relating to a traffic channel via which the user information is transmitted to the user stations; andtransmitting duration information from the base station, via the group control channel, the duration information relating to a transmission duration of the user information on the traffic channel.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the base station transmits, via the group control channel, information which identifies the service to which the user information relates.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the base station transmits, via the group control channel, information which identifies a start time for transmission of the user information on the traffic channel.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the base station transmits information continuously over the group control channel.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the base station transmits information intermittently over the group control channel.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein the information transmitted via the group control channel is transmitted in a resource allocation scheme within a radio frame.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein different services are mapped to separate traffic channels.

21. The method according to claim 14, wherein different services are time-multiplexed on one or more traffic channels.

22. A method for transmitting user information as a service to multiple user stations in a radio communication system having a base station connected to the user stations via a radio communication interface, comprising: sending signals from the base station via a group control channel to the user stations, the signals containing radio resource information relating to a traffic channel via which the user information is transmitted to the user stations ; andtransmitting periodicity information from the base station, via the group control channel, the periodicity information relating to the periodicity at which the user information is transmitted on the traffic channel.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the base station transmits, via the group control channel, information which identifies the service to which the user information relates.

24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the base station transmits, via the group control channel, information which identifies a start time for transmission of the user information on the traffic channel.

25. The method according to claim 22, wherein the base station transmits information continuously over the group control channel.

26. The method according to claim 22, wherein the base station transmits information intermittently over the group control channel.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein the information transmitted via the group control channel is transmitted in a resource allocation scheme within a radio frame.

28. The method according to claim 22, wherein different services are mapped to separate traffic channels.

29. The method according to claim 22, wherein different services are time-multiplexed on one or more traffic channels.

30. A method for transmitting user information as a service to multiple user stations in a radio communication system having a base station connected to the user stations via a radio communication interface, comprising: sending signals from the base station via a group control channel to the user stations, the signals containing radio resource information relating to a traffic channel via which the user information is transmitted to the user stations ; andtransmitting time information from the base station, via the group control channel, the time information relating to time of next transmission of the radio resource information on the group control channel.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the base station transmits, via the group control channel, information which identifies the service to which the user information relates.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein the base station transmits, via the group control channel, information which identifies a start time for transmission of the user information on the traffic channel.

33. The method according to claim 30, wherein the base station transmits information continuously over the group control channel.

34. The method according to claim 30, wherein the base station transmits information intermittently over the group control channel.

35. The method according to claim 30, wherein the information transmitted via the group control channel is transmitted in a resource allocation scheme within a radio frame.

36. The method according to claim 30, wherein different services are mapped to separate traffic channels.

37. The method according to claim 30, wherein different services are time-multiplexed on one or more traffic channels.

38. A radio communication system for transmitting user information as a service to multiple user stations, comprising: a base station connected to the user interfaces via a radio communication interface;a signaling unit provided in the base station to signal radio resource information to the user stations via a group control channel, the radio resource information relating to a traffic channel via which the user information is transmitted to the user stations ; anda transmission unit to transmit from the base station, via the group control channel, information which relates to a transmission duration of the user information on the traffic channel.

39. A radio communication system for transmitting user information as a service to multiple user stations, comprising: a base station connected to the user interfaces via a radio communication interface;a signaling unit provided in the base station to signal radio resource information to the user stations via a group control channel, the radio resource information relating to a traffic channel via which the user information is transmitted to the user stations ; anda transmission unit to transmit from the base station, via the group control channel, information which relates to a periodicity of transmission of the user information on the traffic channel.

40. A radio communication system for transmitting user information as a service to multiple user stations, comprising: a base station connected to the user interfaces via a radio communication interface;a signaling unit provided in the base station to signal radio resource information to the user stations via a group control channel, the radio resource information relating to a traffic channel via which the user information is transmitted to the user stations ; anda transmission unit to transmit from the base station, via the group control channel, information which relates to a time of next transmission of the radio resource information on the group control channel.