TMGI GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION METHOD IN ROAMING
STATUS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIELD OF INVENTION
The invention relates to Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (hereinafter referred to as MBMS), and more particularly to Temporary Mobile Group Identity (TMGI) generating and assigning method when UE is roaming.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
MBMS service is a new service under standardization by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (hereinafter referred to as 3 GPP). MBMS service is a unidirectional point-to-multipoint (p-t-m) service, whose most remarkable characteristic is that it can make use of radio resources and network resources efficiently. In this service, multimedia data sent from data source are transferred to a plurality of users via transmission network. The p-t-m service can save network resources. MBMS service is mainly used in wireless communication network system, such as Wideband Code-Division Multiple Access (hereinafter referred to as WCDMA), Global System of Mobile (hereinafter referred to as
GSM). MBMS service data transfer basically includes following several steps, i.e. data source transfer, intermediate network transmission, destination cell transmission in the air and user receiving. Figure 5 is a logic network equipment diagram that can provide MBMS service, which actually makes use of General Packet Radio Service (hereinafter referred to as GPRS) network as core transmission network. As shown in Figure 5, Broadcast/Multicast Service Centre (hereinafter referred to as BM-SC) is the data source to send MBMS service data; Gateway GPRS Supporting Node (hereinafter referred to as GGSN) is used to connect GRPS network with external network, e.g. INTERNET, which is used to connect BM-SC in MBMS service and to transfer MBMS service data to specific
Serving GPRS Supporting Node (hereinafter referred to as SGSN); Cell Broadcast Centre (hereinafter referred to as CBC) is the data source of cell broadcast, and in MBMS service, CBC is enabled to provide MBMS service announcement function by way of connecting CBC with BM-SC; SGSN is used to perform access control and mobility management of a user equipment, at the same time, to transfer MBMS service data from GGSN to specific Radio Network
Controller ( hereinafter referred to as RNC); RNC is used to control a group of base stations ( hereinafter referred to as NODE B) and to transfer multimedia data to specific Node B; the base stations set up physical channel in the air for MBMS service of a certain cell under the control of RNC; User Equipment ( hereinafter referred to as UE) is a terminal device that receives MBMS service data.
Figure 6 shows the whole process from service announcement, user joining, service notification, radio bearer set up till user's final leaving in MBMS service.
000 Subscription ~ establishes the relationship between the user and the service provider, which allows the user to receive the related MBMS multicast service data.
001 Service announcement -informs UEs about forthcoming services. For example, the system will rebroadcast a football game in Beijing at 7:00 p.m.
002 Joining -is the process by which a subscriber joins a multicast group, i.e. the user indicates to the network that he/she is willing to receive Multicast mode data of a specific service.
003 MBMS service multicast bearer set up -establishes the network resources for MBMS data transfer.
004 MBMS service notification -informs the UEs about forthcoming multicast data transfer.
005 Data transfer -is the phase when MBMS data are transferred to the UEs.
006 MBMS service multicast bearer release -releases the network resources for MBMS data transfer, when no more MBMS data have to be transferred.
007 leaving corresponds with 002 joining > which is the process by which a subscriber leaves a multicast group, i.e. the user no longer wants to receive Multicast mode data of a specific service.
As MBMS service is provided for a plurality of users at the same time, paging block occurs easily during the process of MBMS service notification. A Temporary Mobile Group Identity (hereinafter referred to as TMGI) is assigned to users of the same group, which can solve the deficiency of paging a plurality of users one-by-one at the same time. Then the TMGI represents a service identifier
of a multicast service in a radio mobile network. TMGI is transferred to UE by SGSN before MBMS service data transfer, by way of route area update or Packet- -Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity (hereinafter referred to as P-TMSI) reassignment process. The first assignment shall be performed when a user joins the MBMS service. Different multicast services have different TMGIs in the same
SGSN. TMGI can prevent from signaling block at the radio interface during paging.
TMGI can be assigned by GGSN or BM-SC to ensure its uniqueness in the Public Land Mobile network. However, when an UE roams to another Public
Land Mobile network, there is no way to ensure that TMGI in accessing Public Land Mobile network is not to be the same as that in home Public Land Mobile network. If TMGI repeats, confusion will occur when SGSN sends paging to UE, which will result in a plurality of failures of paging.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method for assigning TMGI when UE is in roaming state to avoid or try to reduce the probability that the same TMGI indicates different MBMS service. It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of establishing a multicast or broadcast service in a mobile network system by using an identifier.
To achieve the above objects, the method of assigning a TMGI(Temporary Mobile Group Identity) representing a service identifier of a multicast service for UE(User Equipment) in a mobile network system, comprising the steps of: a) sending, in a UE, a message to SGSN(Serving GPRS Supporting Node) when joining a multicast or broadcast service; b) requesting, in the SGSN, a service context for the service to a GGSN(Gateway GPRS Supporting Node) and receiving response message including the TMGI from the GGSN; c) setting a roaming indication bit of the TMGI according to the roaming state of the UE; d) sending a message including the TMGI which is set with the roaming indication bit to the UE.
To achieve another aspect of the above objects, the method of establishing a multicast or broadcast service in a mobile network system, the method comprising the steps of: a) SGSN(Serving GPRS Supporting Node) obtains the service data from GGSN(Gateway GPRS Supporting Node); b) the SGSN sends a paging message including TMGI, IP multicast addresses of the service or Public Land Mobile Network Identity to the UE; c) when the UE receives the paging message, it checks whether the TMGI, IP multicast addresses or the Public Land Mobile Network Identity is consistent with its own TMGI, IP multicast addresses or the Public Land Mobile Network
Identity data; d) discarding the paging message when the TMGI, IP multicast addresses or the Public Land Mobile Network Identity is different with its own TMGI, IP multicast addresses or the Public Land Mobile Network Identity; e) requesting the service by using the received TMGI to SGSN when the
TMGI, IP multicast addresses or the Public Land Mobile Network Identity is identical with its own TMGI or the Public Land Mobile Network Identity.
In the case where the UE is roaming, it reduces the probability of repeated TMGI assignment, so as to maintain the uniqueness of TMGI well. And it enhances the contents of paging message, so as to allow UE to be able to judge whether it is the paging target when SGSN sends a paging message.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is the process of route area update for UE in roaming;
Figure 2 is the solution for paging problem when TMGI is repeatedly assigned;
Figure 3 is the process of TMGI assignment when a UE joins an MBMS service multicast group;
Figure 4 is the generation process of the TMGI roaming indication bit; Figure 5 is the logic network device diagram for MBMS service; and
Figure 6 is the flowchart of MBMS service multicast service.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
1) The generating method of the TMGI roaming indication bit
SGSN makes use of TMGI for paging when SGSN pages MBMS service multicast group. The TMGI for a certain MBMS service is generated by GGSN or BM-SC and is assigned to SGSN when a SGSN joins a multicast group. SGSN judges whether the service is for a local UE or for a roaming UE. SGSN sets the roaming indication bit of TMGI according to different cases, e.g. '0' indicates a local UE and ' 1 ' indicates a roaming UE.
2) The TMGI assignment process for a roaming UE Conventionally, TMGI is obtained by assignment during a UE joins an
MBMS service multicast group. But for a roaming UE, when the UE updates its route area, SGSN knows the TMGI of MBMS service that the UE joins, and it modifies the TMGI in a response message, a new TMGI is contained in the response message and is transferred to the UE.
3) The process of signaling processing for TMGI repetition
If the same TMGI is assigned to different services from two different
Public Land Mobile Networks, then different roaming users will receive paging messages with the TMGI at the time when SGSN sends a paging. The paging message will also carry APN and IP multicast addresses or Public Land Mobile
Network Identity, which assists the UE to ensure that the service belongs to it.
4) New paging message
When SGSN knows that the paging target is a roaming UE, SGSN will carry APN and IP multicast addresses or Public Land Mobile Network Identity in the paging message in order that the UE can distinguish them. Parameters in the paging include: APN and IP multicast addresses or Public Land Mobile Network
Identity.
Embodiments
Figure 4 is the generating process for the TMGI roaming indication bit. After SGSN joins an MBMS service multicast group for the first time, it can obtain the TMGI for this service from GGSN, which is assigned by GGSN or BM-SC. SGSN holds the mapping relationship between TMGI and corresponding
MBMS service APN and IP multicast addresses, and maintains the mapping relationship between a TMGI and a UE Identity. SGSN checks whether the UE is roaming or not, and sets the TMGI roaming indication bit according to the roaming state of the UE, and then informs the UE of the TMGI via relevant messages.
Figure 1 is the process of route area update for UE in roaming. When UE reaches a new route area, it will send a message of route area update request to a new SGSN. The new SGSN and the old SGSN exchanges the MBMS service context of the UE, which makes the new SGSN know the MBMS service multicast group that UE has joined, as well as APN and IP multicast addresses and TMGI of the multicast group. If SGSN knows that the UE is roaming, it modifies the roaming indication bit of TMGI and informs UE of the new TMGI during route area update acceptance.
Figure 3 is the process of TMGI assignment when a UE joins an MBMS service multicast group. When the UE joins an MBMS service multicast group, UE sends a message of "Activate MBMS service context request" to SGSN, which contains APN and IP multicast addresses of the MBMS service. After SGSN receives the request, it request a MBMS context request message to the
GGSN and receives a response message including TMGI assigned by GGSN or BM-SC from GGSN. If SGSN knows that the UE is a local user, it will set the
TMGI roaming indication bit according to the roaming state of the UE and inform the UE of the TMGI which is set with the roaming indication bit via a massage of "Activate MBMS service context accept".
Figure 2 is the solution for paging problem when TMGI is repeatedly assigned. When the same TMGI is assigned to different services and SGSN is paging for this kind of TMGI, a paging message shall carry APN and IP multicast addresses of MBMS service or Public Land Mobile Network Identity. When UE 1 and UE 2 receive this paging message, they will check whether the APN and IP multicast addresses are the same as that of MBMS service multicast group that they join or whether the Public Land Mobile Network Identity is consistent with the network Identity of UE itself. If the parameters received by UE 1 are consistent with that saved by UE 1, UE 1 will send a service request to SGSN; while the parameters of UE 2 are not consistent, then UE 2 needn't send a response.