The invention relates to a method for establishing a connection in a radio communications system, especially in a mobile radio communications system.
In radio communications systems, signals are exchanged between radio terminals and radio stations to base stations via a so called radio interface or air interface. These radio terminals are mobile or stationary user terminals (UE—user equipments); base stations (NB—Node B) are access stations that are associated with a land based communication network. Examples of known radio communication systems are second generation digital mobile radio communication systems like GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), based on TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) and providing data rates up to 100 kbit/s, or third generation digital mobile radio communication systems like UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), based on CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) with data rates up to 2 Mbit/s.
A new feature in current radio communication systems such as GSM/GERAN (GSM Edge Radio Access Network) and UMTS/UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) is the so called MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service) service provision. Radio bearers for multicast MBMS services are set up within a cell if there are user equipments present in the cell with the particular MBMS service activated. If the number present is below a predetermined threshold value then radio bearers re established individually to each of the user equipments (point-to-point bearers) whilst if the number exceeds the threshold value a single multicast radio bearer is established to serve all user equipments that are present in the cell. Consequently, the network needs to know whether the number of user equipments present in the cell exceeds the threshold and, if less than the threshold number are present, the identities of the user equipments for the establishment of individual connections. For user equipments that are in the so called UMTS connected mode the network is able to determine the number of user equipments present in the cell with the particular MBMS service activated without communicating directly with the user equipments. For user equipments that are in an unconnected state, e.g. in a so called idle mode or URA_PCH (UTRAN Registration Area Paging Channel) state, the network will need to signal a request to the user equipments, e.g. by paging or signalling on a control channel, and the user equipments will need to respond on the common uplink signalling channel RACH (Random Access Channel). Counting of user equipment responses should be completed within a determinate time interval and a decision for the establishment or not of a single multicast radio bearer be taken based on the result of the counting procedure.
One of the main differences of MBMS to known services is that it could be offered and used when the user equipment is in idle mode, i.e. without an established radio connection to the network. The service uses a point-to-multipoint connection, either in a multicast or broadcast mode. General principles of MBMS are described in the standard documents 3GPP TR 25.992, V1.2.0 (2003-01) “Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS); UTRAN/GERAN Requirements”, TR 23.846, V6.1.0 (2002-12) “MBMS; Architecture and functional description (Release 6)”, TS 22.146, V6.1.0 (2002-09) “MBMS; Stage 1 (Release 6)”, TS 45.002, V5.7.0 (2002-11) “Multiplexing and multiple access on the radio path (Release 5)”; TS 44.018, V4.12.0 (2002-12), “Radio Resource Control (RRC) protocol (Release 4”; and TS 44.060, V6.0.0 (2002-12) “General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Mobile Station (MS)—Base Station System (BSS) interface; Radio Link Control/ Medium Access Control (RLC/MAC) protocol”.
Because user equipments are kept in an idle mode in order to save radio resources, the radio network is not aware about neither the number nor the position of user equipments in a given cell which are currently using the point-to-multipoint connection. If a user equipment in such a state wishes to establish a new point-to-point radio connection with the network for transmitting e.g. user data or Non-Access Stratum (NAS) data, it has to access the network on a random channel such as the RACH (Random Access Channel) or PRACH (Physical RACH). In order to access the RACH or PRACH, the user equipment may have to switch to the (P)BCCH ((Physical) Broadcast Control Channel) frequency and read continuously the (P)AGCH (Access Grant Channel) in order to receive its channel allocation. This may lead to a long interruption in the reception of the MBMS service, which may be delivered on another frequency or, in case the MBMS bearer is allocated on the same (P)BCCH frequency, be incompatible with the user equipments' capabilities.
In order to alleviate this problem it was proposed to use a specific MBMS RACH channel (MRACH), which uses the uplink channel(s) corresponding to the downlink MBMS channel(s). It was furthermore assumed that the resource allocation for the connection in progress would be made on the available (P)AGCH, bearing the same risk of MBMS service interruptions as described above.
An object of the invention is therefore to provide a method for efficiently establishing new connections in situations described above. This object is addressed by the features disclosed in the independent claims.
The present invention proposes a new downlink MBMS Associated Control Channel (MACCH), combining the functionalities of a broadcast channel and of an associated point-to-multipoint control channel, thereby avoiding any interruption of the reception of an MBMS service for the user equipment when in progress to establish an additional connection. Nevertheless, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above stated example.
The invention may be understood more readily, and various other aspects and features of the invention may become apparent from consideration of the following description and the figures as shown in the accompanying drawing sheets, wherein:
According to the invention, the so called MACCH fulfils both functions of a (P)AGCH and the downlink aspect of a PACCH (Packet Associated Control Channel, see TS 45.002). This might be realised in that on one hand the MACCH offers a number or all messages available on the PACCH and (P)AGCH, i.e. messages for the grant of channels and messages for controlling purposes. Additional messages may be defined for the specific purpose of the MACCH. On the other hand the MACCH is identified by means of the PACCH (i.e. timeslot, frequency and/or transport format indicator (TFI)). In case the MACCH is used as a point-to-point channel, the messages may include identifier means in order to address a particular user equipment, whereby the identification of the user equipment may be realised as known from the MRACH random reference or TLLI (Temporary Logical Link Identifier). The TLLI provides a signalling address for communications between the UE and a network node that keeps track of the location of individual UEs. In case the MACCH is used as point-to-multipoint channel, a global user equipment identifier, e.g. a default empty identifier, may be used to address the user equipments. In both cases the user equipment (UE) receiving means (30) are adapted to recognise that an identifier has been received, furthermore the receiving means (30) are adapted to recognise between received broadcast and/or control information.
In case the MACCH is used as a point to multipoint channel, another feature is that the messages may include information about the frequencies allocated to the MBMS traffic channel and notification channel in the neighbouring cells. This will speed up the cell reselection process in the event of a UE changing cell, as the UE can start receiving MBMS data while still reading the system information in the new cell. Thus reducing the time of service interruption, which is caused by UEs moving from one cell to another cell. The message is transmitted on the MACCH and is named “MBMS Neighbour Cell Channel Information”. A possible format of the message is shown in
The parameter “Cell ID” indicates which cell the Frequency Parameters Information Element IE refers to. The parameter is an index into one of the neighbour cell lists. The length of the field depends upon which list is used to identify the cell. For example, if it is the GSM neighbour cell list, then 6 bits are required as this is the length of the Frequency_N parameter in the packet measurement report message or of the removed_freq_index in the packet measurement order message, defined in TS 44.060. If the 3G neighbour cell list is used, then 7 bits are required.
When setting up an MBMS communication, a hopping channel is used between the UE and the base station. As is known in the art, three different methods to encode the frequency parameters defining a hopping radio frequency channel, transmitted to the UE in an assignment message are used: Indirect encoding, Direct encoding 1 and Direct encoding 2.
In indirect encoding the assigned set of radio frequency channels is defined by referencing information stored within the UE; such information may be received on the PBCCH or on the BCCH, or is received in a previous assignment message. In direct encoding, the assigned set of radio frequency channels is defined by using information contained within the assignment message itself. Direct encoding 1, references the cell allocation or reference frequency lists (RFLs) received on PBCCH for the decoding of this information. Direct encoding 2, is self-contained. The frequency list is the representation of a set of radio frequency channels defining a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) mobile allocation. The encoding of the octet string is defined in TS 44.018 and the allowed formats of this information are defined in TS 44.060. Additionally, the UE can store up to 12 to 16 sets of frequency parameters for each neighbouring cell. The provided cell frequency parameters are those which have a high likelihood to be selected by an UE listening to an MBMS service. In
The resource allocation for the MACCH is realised as in the PACCH case by stealing frames of the MBMS channel, therefore the usage of the MACCH should be minimised. As a consequence, a user equipment having established a point-to-point as well as a point-to-multipoint connection should rather use the PACCH than the MACCH.
Advantages of such a method according to the invention are: Establishment of a parallel point-to-point connection without interrupting the reception of point-to-multipoint MBMS services.
Any operations on the point-to-point bearer can be performed like on the point-to-point bearer with the PACCH.
These advantages are optimised in conjunction with the MRACH, however the functionality of the MRACH is not a pre-condition for the MACCH.
The invention resides in the combination of a broadcast common channel and a point-to-point associated control channel, and the fact that the user equipment informs the network about established point-to-multipoint bearers during the early access phase in order to allow an optimal usage of the scarce radio resources. In the nomenclature of the UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) the MACCH may be defined as a transport channel on which (P)AGCH, point-to-multipoint PACCH and point-to-point PACCH are mapped.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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032531634 | May 2003 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP04/50887 | 5/21/2004 | WO | 11/21/2005 |