Multicast Service Configuration

Abstract

A method for a network node of a wireless communication network is provided, the method comprising: receiving information from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a list of user equipment UEs, the at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data stream of a multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, wherein the information indicates, for the UEs on the UE list, a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data stream is to be forwarded; determining a multicast service change involving at least one UE in the group of UEs based on the received information; and sending a notification about the multicast service change to at least one UE to trigger multicast service acquisition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The following illustrative examples relate to communications. Background Art

[0002] Modern wireless communication networks support multicast services. In multicast, one sender can send data to multiple receivers. It may be beneficial to provide a solution that enhances the configuration of multicast services in order to enhance the efficiency of wireless communication networks. Summary of the invention

[0003] According to one aspect, the subject matter of the independent claims is provided.

[0004] According to one aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to execute the following: receiving information by a network node of a wireless communication network from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a list of user equipment UEs, the at least one identifier corresponding to a data stream of at least one multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, wherein the information also indicates, for the UEs on the UE list, a port association between the UE and a port to which data of at least one data stream is to be forwarded; determining, based on the received information, a multicast service change involving at least one UE in the group of UEs; and sending a notification about the multicast service change to at least one UE to trigger multicast service acquisition.

[0005] According to one aspect, a computer program is provided, comprising instructions for causing an apparatus to execute the following: receiving, by a user equipment UE of a wireless communication network from a network node of the wireless communication network, a notification about a multicast service change involving the UE, and the multicast service change is determined by the network node based on information received from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a UE list, the at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data stream of the multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, the UE being included in the UE group, wherein the information also indicates a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data stream is to be forwarded; and triggering multicast service acquisition after receiving the notification.

[0006] Some embodiments are defined in independent claims.

[0007] Embodiments that do not fall within the scope of the claims are not to be construed as useful examples for understanding the present disclosure.

[0008] One or more examples of implementations are set forth in more detail in the drawings and the description that follows. Other features will be apparent from the description and images, and from the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Some embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

[0010] Figure 1A illustrates an example of a wireless communication system in which embodiments may be applied;

[0011] Figure 1B illustrates an example of a wireless communication system in which embodiments may be applied;

[0012] Figure 2 and Figure 3 illustrates a flow chart according to some embodiments;

[0013] Figure 4A and Figure 4B Some embodiments are illustrated;

[0014] Figure 5 illustrates a signal diagram according to some embodiments;

[0015] Figure 6 , Fig. 7A , Figure 7B , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Some embodiments are illustrated; and

[0016] Fig.10 and Fig.11 An apparatus according to some embodiments is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following embodiments are examples. Although the specification may refer to "one", "a kind of" or "some" (one or more) embodiments in several places, this does not necessarily mean that such reference is to the same (multiple) embodiments, or that the feature only applies to a single embodiment. Individual features of different embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments. In addition, the words "consisting of" and "comprising" should be understood as not limiting the described embodiments to consist only of those features that have been mentioned, and such embodiments may also include features / structures that are not specifically mentioned.

[0018] In the following, different exemplary embodiments will be described using, as examples of access architectures to which the embodiments may be applied, a radio access architecture based on Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE Advanced, LTE-A) or New Radio (NR, 5G), without, however, limiting the embodiments to such architectures. Those skilled in the art will recognize that, by appropriately adjusting parameters and procedures, the embodiments may also be applied to other types of communication networks with suitable components. Some examples of other options for suitable systems are Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Radio Access Network (UTRAN or E-UTRAN), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN or WiFi), World Wide Web for Microwave Access (WiMAX), Personal Communications Service (PCS), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), systems using Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, sensor networks, Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), and Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), or any combination thereof.

[0019] Figure 1A An example of a simplified system architecture is depicted showing some units and functional entities, whose implementation may differ from what is shown. Figure 1A The connections shown are logical connections; the actual physical connections may be different. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a system will typically also include Figure 1A Other functions and structures shown in .

[0020] However, the embodiments are not limited to the systems given as examples, but a person skilled in the art may apply the solutions to other communication systems providing the necessary properties.

[0021] Figure 1A The example of shows a portion of an exemplary radio access network. Figure 1 shows that terminal devices or user equipment 100 and 102 are configured to be wirelessly connected to an access node (such as (e / g)NodeB) 104 providing the cell on one or more communication channels in the cell. As defined in the 3GPP specification, (e / g)NodeB refers to eNodeB or gNodeB. The physical link from the user equipment to the (e / g)NodeB is called the uplink or reverse link, and the physical link from the (e / g)NodeB to the user equipment is called the downlink or forward link. It should be understood that the (e / g)NodeB or their functions can be implemented by using any node, server or access point entity suitable for such usage.

[0022] A communication network typically includes more than one (e / g)NodeB, in which case the (e / g)NodeBs may also be configured to communicate with each other via wired or wireless links designed for this purpose. These links may be used for signaling purposes, but are also used to route data from one (e / g)NodeB to another. A (e / g)NodeB is a computing device configured to control the radio resources of the communication system to which it is coupled. A NodeB may also be referred to as a base station, an access point, or any other type of interface device, including a relay station capable of operating in a wireless environment. The (e / g)NodeB includes or is coupled to a transceiver. A connection is provided from the transceiver of the (e / g)NodeB to an antenna unit, which establishes a bidirectional radio link to a user equipment. The antenna unit may include multiple antennas or antenna elements. The (e / g)NodeB is also connected to a core network 110 (CN or next generation core NGC). Depending on the system, the corresponding part on the CN side can be a serving gateway (S-GW, routing and forwarding user data packets), a packet data network gateway (P-GW), used to provide connectivity between user equipment (UE) and external packet data networks, or a mobility management entity (MME), etc.

[0023] User equipment (also referred to as UE, user device, user terminal, terminal device, etc.) shows a type of device for resource allocation and designation on the air interface, and thus any features described herein and user equipment can be implemented using corresponding devices, such as relay nodes. An example of such a relay node is a layer 3 relay (self-backhauling relay) toward a base station.

[0024] A user device generally refers to a portable computing device, which includes a wireless mobile communication device with or without a subscriber identity module (SIM) operation, including but not limited to the following device types: mobile stations (mobile phones), smart phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld devices, devices using wireless modems (alarms or measuring devices, etc.), laptop computers and / or touch screen computers, tablet computers, game consoles, notebook computers, and multimedia devices. It should be understood that a user device may also be an almost exclusive uplink device, an example of which is a camera or video camera that loads images or video clips to the network. A user device may also be a device that has the ability to operate in an Internet of Things network (IoT) such as an Industrial IoT (IIoT) network, which is a scenario in which objects are provided with the ability to transmit data on a network without the need for human-to-human or high-quality interaction. User devices may also utilize the cloud. In some applications, a user device may include a small portable device with a radio component (such as a watch, headphones, or glasses), and the calculation is implemented in the cloud. A user device (or a third-layer relay node in some embodiments) is configured to perform one or more user device functions. User equipment may also be referred to as a subscriber unit, mobile station, remote terminal, access terminal, user terminal, or user equipment (UE), just to mention a few names or devices. User equipment herein may also refer to a vehicle implementation, such as a vehicle UE. Such terminals may be included and / or communicatively coupled to a vehicle so that they may be understood as part of a vehicle or multiple vehicles.

[0025] Various techniques described herein can also be applied to cyber-physical systems (CPS) (systems of cooperating computing elements that control physical entities). CPS can implement and utilize a large number of interconnected ICT devices (sensors, actuators, processors microcontrollers, etc.) embedded in physical objects in different locations. Mobile cyber-physical systems are a subcategory of cyber-physical systems, where the physical systems in question have inherent mobility. Examples of mobile physical systems include mobile robots and electronic devices transported by humans or animals.

[0026] Additionally, although the apparatus is depicted as a single entity, different units, processors and / or memory units may be implemented (not necessarily in Figure 1A ).

[0027] 5G supports the use of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antennas, more base stations or nodes than LTE (the so-called small cell concept), including macro sites operating in cooperation with smaller base stations, and the use of various radio technologies depending on service requirements, use cases and / or available spectrum. 5G mobile communications support a wide range of use cases and related applications, including video streaming, augmented reality, different ways of sharing data and various forms of machine-type applications (such as (massive) machine-type communications (mMTC), including vehicle safety, different sensors and real-time control). 5G is expected to have multiple radio interfaces, namely below 6GHz, centimeter wave and millimeter wave, and also be able to integrate with existing traditional radio access technologies (such as LTE). At least in the early stages, integration with LTE can be achieved as a system, where LTE provides macro coverage and 5G radio interface access through small cells that converge to LTE. In other words, 5G is planned to support inter-RAT operability (such as LTE-5G) and inter-RI operability (radio interface operability, such as below 6GHz-centimeter wave, below 6GHz-centimeter wave-millimeter wave). One of the concepts being considered for use in 5G networks is network slicing, in which multiple independent and dedicated virtual subnets (network instances) can be created within substantially the same infrastructure to run services with different requirements for latency, reliability, throughput, and mobility.

[0028] The architecture in current LTE networks is fully distributed in the radio and often fully centralized in the core network. Low latency applications and services in 5G may require content to be close to the radio, leading to local bursting and multi-access edge computing (MEC). 5G enables analytics and knowledge generation to occur at the data source. This approach may require the use of resources that may not be continuously connected to the network, such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and sensors. MEC provides a distributed computing environment for application and service hosting. It also enables the storage and processing of content close to cellular users for faster response times. Edge computing covers a wide range of technologies such as wireless sensor networks, mobile data collection, mobile signature analysis, collaborative distributed peer-to-peer ad hoc networks and processing, and can also be categorized as local cloud / fog computing and grid / grid computing, dew computing, mobile edge computing, cloudlet, distributed data storage and retrieval, autonomous self-healing networks, remote cloud services, augmented reality and virtual reality, data caching, Internet of Things (massive connectivity and / or latency critical), critical communications (autonomous vehicles, traffic safety, real-time analytics, time-critical control, healthcare applications).

[0029] The communication system may also be able to communicate with other networks, such as the public switched telephone network or the Internet 112, or utilize services provided by them. The communication network may also be able to support the use of cloud services, for example, at least part of the core network operations may be implemented as a cloud service ( Figure 1A The communication system may also include a central control entity or similar entity that provides facilities for the networks of different operators to cooperate, such as spectrum sharing.

[0030] Edge cloud can be introduced to the radio access network (RAN) by leveraging network function virtualization (NVF) and software defined networking (SDN). Using edge cloud may mean performing access node operations at least partially in a server, host or node that is operatively coupled to a remote radio head or base station including radio components. Node operations may also be distributed among multiple servers, nodes or hosts. The application of cloud RAN architecture enables RAN real-time functions to be performed on the RAN side (in distributed units, DU104) and non-real-time functions to be performed in a centralized manner (in centralized units, CU 108).

[0031] It should be understood that the distribution of functions between core network operations and base station operations may be different from LTE or even non-existent. Some other technological advances that may be used are big data and all-IP, which may change the way networks are built and managed. 5G (or New Radio, NR) networks are designed to support multiple hierarchical structures, where MEC servers can be placed between the core and the base station or Node B (gNB). It should be understood that MEC can also be applied to 4G networks.

[0032] 5G may also make use of satellite communications to enhance or supplement the coverage of 5G services, for example by providing backhaul. Possible use cases are to provide service continuity for machine-to-machine (M2M) or Internet of Things (IoT) devices or for passengers on vehicles, or to ensure service availability for critical communications and future railway, maritime and / or aviation communications. Satellite communications may make use of geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite systems, as well as low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite systems, in particular mega-constellations (systems with hundreds of (nano) satellites deployed). Satellites 106 in a mega-constellation may cover multiple satellite-enabled network entities, which create ground cells. Ground cells may be created by ground relay nodes 104 or by gNBs located on the ground or in satellites.

[0033] It will be apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art that the described system is an example of a part of a radio access system and that in practice the system may include a plurality of (e / g)NodeBs, a user equipment may have access to several radio cells and the system may also include other devices such as physical layer relay nodes or other network elements. At least one of the (e / g)NodeBs may be a Home (e / g)NodeB. In addition, within a geographical area of ​​the radio communication system, a plurality of different kinds of radio cells and a plurality of radio cells may be provided. The radio cells may be macro cells (or umbrella cells), which are large cells, typically having a diameter of up to ten kilometers, or smaller cells such as micro cells, femto cells or pico cells. Figure 1A Any type of these cells can be provided by an (e / g)NodeB. A cellular radio system can be implemented as a multi-layer network including several types of cells. Typically, in a multi-layer network, one access node provides one or more cells. And thus, multiple (e / g)NodeBs may be required to provide such a network structure.

[0034] In order to meet the needs of improving the deployment and performance of communication systems, the concept of "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB is introduced. Generally, the network that can use "plug and play" (e / g) NodeB includes a home (e / g) NodeB (H (e / g) NodeB) and a home plus point B gateway, or HNB-GW ( Figure 1A (not shown). The HNB gateway (HNB-GW) usually installed in the operator network can aggregate the services from a large number of HNBs back to the core network. For example, the network discussed in this article can refer to a cellular network such as 5G.

[0035] like Figure 1A As indicated by the arrows in , UE 100, 102 (and / or any other UE of the described system) can support device-to-device (D2D) communication. D2D communication may sometimes be referred to as sidelink communication.

[0036] One of the development goals of NR is multicast broadcast service (MBS) or multiple MBSs. MBS may include one or both of multicast transmission and broadcast transmission. MBS service may be provided to UE (e.g., by network node 104 as point-to-point (PtP) or point-to-multi (PtM) transmission). The former may sometimes be referred to as unicast transmission and the latter may be referred to as multicast transmission. In addition, MBS may be provided to UE in a dual connection (DC) scenario, where one UE may be connected to two or more network nodes that provide one or more services to the UE. For example, in DC there may be a primary network node, referred to as the primary node (MN) for short, and a secondary network node, referred to as the secondary node (SN) for short, controlled by the primary network node (or some other entity), where the MN and the SN jointly provide MBS to the UE. The MN and the SN may be similar to the description about Figure 1A As described above (see, for example, node 104). For example, both the MN and the SN may be connected to the UE and provide substantially the same or different services to the UE. The MBS may sometimes be referred to as a 5MBS. In particular, for example, such a term may be used for an MBS provided in a 5G or NR system.

[0037] As mentioned above, a multicast service may be a service that is provided to many UEs. For example, in an industrial control use case, a talker may distribute the same service data to more than one listener. If more than one listener is located / located in the same 5G system (5GS) time-sensitive network (TSN) bridge, a multicast data forwarding solution may reduce resource consumption. A UE configured for one or more multicast services may participate in a service identified by a specific service identifier, such as a temporary mobile group identity (TMGI). However, currently the UE may be aware of the existence of a time-sensitive communication (TSC) multicast group through configuration information from the gNB. Therefore, there may be room for developing solutions aimed at enhancing the configuration of multicast services.

[0038] Figure 1B An example system in which embodiments may be applied is illustrated. For example, Figure 1B The system can be included in Figure 1A In the system. Figure 1B , the listeners may be depicted by end stations 172, 174, and the talkers by end station 170. Thus, these entities 170, 172, 174 may be included in a wireless communication system, such as 5GS. However, in some examples, the talkers may be outside of the example system, for example in a different system outside of 5GS such as LTE or as part of an Ethernet local area network (LAN), while the receivers are within the system. Further reference is made to Figure 1B, the TSN bridge 150 may also include entities such as: an admission management function (AMF) 162, a session management function (SMF) 164, a unified data repository (UDR) 170, a policy control function (PCF) 166, and a time sensitive network (TSN) application function (AF) 168. In some examples, the TSN bridge 150 may also be connected to the TSN bridge / end station 176 via an NW-TT port associated with a user plane function (UPF) 176.

[0039] An end station 170 acting as a talker (i.e., a data source) may transmit data to a plurality of end stations 172, 174 acting as listeners (i.e., data destinations). The transmission may be performed from the end station 170 via the UE 182 to the gNB 194 and further via the user plane function (UPF) 176 to the gNB 192. The gNB 192 may forward the data to the UE 184, which provides the data to the listeners 172, 174. However, the UE 184 has some difficulty in determining which ports it should forward the received data to so that it can reach the correct listener (see also FIG. 1 ). Figure 1B There may be difficulties on the device-side time-sensitive network converter (DS-TT) port associated with the UE 182, 184 in the multicast. Therefore, the present solution may aim to provide a solution that aims to provide information to the UE about where the received multicast data should be forwarded. This may enhance the effectiveness of multicasting because the correct receiver can receive the forwarded data.

[0040] At this point, it may be helpful to point out that an end station as used herein may refer to a terminal device that may be equipped with, for example, an Ethernet protocol. For example, an end station may be a sensor, an individual machine in a factory environment, or a mobile robot. In addition, UEs 182, 184 may be similar to those described in reference to Figure 1A Those explained (e.g., UE 100, 102). UE may not necessarily require human interaction and thus may include, for example, devices that work autonomously or semi-autonomously. For example, UE may include and / or refer to IoT UE. The term network node (e.g., network node 104) may include gNB 192, 194. In the following, for simplicity, reference is made to network node 104 and UE 100, 102.

[0041] Figure 2 FIG. 1 illustrates a flow chart according to an embodiment. Figure 2, a method for a network node of a wireless communication network is provided, the method comprising: receiving information from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a user equipment (UE) list, the at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data stream of a multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, wherein the information further indicates, for the UEs on the UE list, a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data stream is to be forwarded; based on the received information, determining a multicast service change involving at least one UE in a group of UE groups (block 204); and sending a notification about the multicast service change to at least one UE to trigger multicast service acquisition (block 206).

[0042] Figure 3 FIG. 1 illustrates a flow chart according to an embodiment. Figure 3 , a method for a UE of a wireless communication network is provided, the method comprising: receiving a notification from a network node of the wireless communication network, the notification being about a multicast service change involving the UE, and the multicast service change being determined by the network node based on information received from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a UE list, the at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data stream of the multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, the UE being included in the group of UEs, wherein the information further indicates a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data stream is to be forwarded (block 302); and upon receiving the notification, triggering multicast service acquisition (block 304).

[0043] For example, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The described method can be applied to Figure 1A and Figure 1B systems (such as wireless communication networks). Figure 2 and Figure 3 The UE(s) in question may be, for example, UE 100 or UE 102 or some other similar network device. Figure 2 and 3 The network nodes discussed may refer to the network node 104, or some other network nodes configured to perform the described method steps. For example, a network node may refer to one or more network entities (e.g., physically separate network entities). In addition, a core network element of a wireless communication network may refer to the CN 110 or some other control function or control element of the described system. In some embodiments, the core network element may be an element of the CN 110. For example, referring to Figure 1B , SMF 164 and / or AMF 162 can perform the operations of CN 110.

[0044] The proposed method may enable (multiple) UEs to determine that a change has occurred or will occur. This may enable (multiple) UEs to trigger multicast service acquisition. This may mean that (multiple) UEs obtain information about the change so that (multiple) UEs can act accordingly. For example, a UE may obtain information that it should receive a new multicast service, and further obtain information that enables it to receive the indicated new multicast service. The notification may enable (multiple) UEs to obtain information about the change when necessary. Thus, for example, periodic polling by the UE to determine the change and the changed parameters and / or services (e.g. periodic polling of downlink control information (DCI)) may not be required. This may provide higher reliability and lower control overhead compared to dynamic scheduling.

[0045] The change may be related to a control channel, such as a multicast control channel (MCCH), or a data channel, such as a multicast traffic channel (MTCH). Sometimes, the MCCH may be referred to as a time-sensitive communication (TSC)-MCCH, and the MTCH may be referred to as a TSC-MTCH. This may mean that a control channel and / or a data channel is used in a TSC system. For example, Figure 1A and / or Figure 1B The system may support TSC. MCCH may be used to transmit multicast TSC control information for all multicast TSC services, and one or more MTCH channels may be used to transmit multicast TSC service data per multicast TSC service. That is, for example, there may be a MTCH channel specific to a multicast service, which means that a corresponding MTCH channel is used for the multicast service.

[0046] In an embodiment, in response to receiving a notification about a multicast service change (may be simply referred to as a change), the UE triggers multicast service acquisition.

[0047] The multicast service change may include adding a new multicast service, terminating an existing multicast service, and / or a change in one or more parameters of an existing multicast service, to name just a few examples. Note that the information received by the network node 104 in block 202 may include information about one or more multicast services, and thus it may indicate a change in one or more multicast services. It should also be noted that not all multicast services may change, and thus some multicast services may remain unchanged, while other multicast services may change or new (multiple) services may be added. Thus, the change may be, for example, a new multicast service for a new group of UEs (i.e., a multicast group), an updated multicast group for an existing multicast TSC service (UE list and / or related port changes), or a new multicast service for an existing multicast group. As explained above, the change may also include a change in one or more parameters of an existing multicast service (e.g., other parameters other than parameters related to the multicast group). Such parameters may include, for example, quality of service (QoS) parameters.

[0048] Adding a multicast service may mean that a new multicast service will be provided to the indicated UEs. The new service may be provided to an existing group of UEs or a new group of UEs. For example, an existing group may refer to a group that is already served by a network node with another multicast service. A new group may refer to a group of UEs that have not yet been served by some other multicast service. That is, some but not all members of the new group may be served by the other multicast service. Thus, for example, a new group may be formed if one or more UEs are added to an existing group. Terminating a multicast service may in turn refer to a situation where an existing service is terminated, i.e., is no longer provided to a group of UEs.

[0049] The change of one or more parameters of an existing multicast service can include different things. In one example, a group of UEs that utilize a multicast service can be updated (e.g., UEs can be added to or removed from the group). In some examples, the port association can be changed so that for one or more UEs, the associated port can be changed. As a simple example, if the port of UE#1 for some multicast services is port#A, it can be changed to port#B. As indicated above, there can be more than one mapping for each UE. For example, for UE#1 port#C can be associated with multicast service or data stream#1, and portD# can be associated with multicast service or data stream#2. It should also be noted that a multicast service may include one or more data streams. For simplicity, the example used herein is a multicast service that includes a data stream. Therefore, a specific data stream can be mapped to a specific port. In fact, in some examples, this can mean that the radio bearer used to provide a multicast service is mapped to a specific port on the UE side. Therefore, when the UE receives data on a specific data bearer, it can determine the port to which it needs to forward data based on the port association discussed above. These example embodiments are discussed in more detail below. The port used herein may refer to a DS-TT port, for example. Thus, a multicast service may be used for TSN, and the port includes a DS-TT port.

[0050] Then let's see Figure 4A and 4B An embodiment of Figure 4A and 4B Some different ways of providing notifications about multicast service changes to UEs are shown. Figure 4A, in the case where the network node 104 does not provide another multicast service for at least one UE in the UE group, a notification about the determined change may be sent via radio resource control (RRC) signaling. An example of this is given by block 402, which shows that the notification is transmitted as dedicated RRC signaling 400. In an embodiment, the signaling is dedicated RRC, which may refer to signaling sent to one or more UEs, i.e. it is different from shared signaling targeted to all UEs (e.g., typically via a system information block (SIB). The (multiple) target UEs may receive the dedicated signaling.

[0051] The information received by the network node 104 from the CN 110 may include multicast service information and multicast group information, and the change may be determined based on this information. For example, the multicast service information may include a multicast QoS flow identifier (QFI). For example, the multicast group information may include a UE list and a port number list. The data streams discussed herein may sometimes refer to QoS flows. The list of UEs may indicate a group of UEs to which the identified data stream should be provided. In addition, for the UEs on the list, associated port numbers may be provided. For example, QFI#1 may be associated with UE#1 port #A, QFI#2 may be associated with UE#1 port #B; QFI#1 may be associated with UE#2 port #B, and QFI#2 may be associated with UE#2 port #C. The information received from the CN 110 may indicate these kinds of associations. Thus, a port association may refer to an association between a UE and a port number. In the event that the network node 104 does not provide another multicast service for at least one UE in the UE group to which a new multicast service is to be provided, the multicast group information may be provided as follows. Figure 4A The notification is sent as indicated in block 402, i.e., as dedicated RRC signaling. The notification of block 402 may be understood as an announcement of a new service for at least one UE in the group of UEs. It should be noted that, for example, at least one UE in the group of UEs may refer to one or more UEs in the group or the entire group.

[0052] The network node may also determine, for at least one UE in the group of UEs, a radio bearer for providing at least one data flow of the multicast service; and indicate a port association to the at least one UE so as to enable the UE to forward data received on the determined radio bearer to the associated port. Figure 4A In an example embodiment of , the port association may be indicated as, for example, separate RRC signaling. For example, the port association may be provided as dedicated RRC signaling. That is, the port association involving a UE may be sent to the UE as dedicated signaling. In another example, the port association may be provided to a UE in a group of UEs as shared RRC signaling on the MCCH. Thus, for example, UE#1 may receive a port association involving itself and other UEs in the group.

[0053] The notification of block 402 may enable the UE to initiate acquisition of the multicast service. This may include acquiring information about the service via shared RRC signaling (blocks 404 and 406). As shown, the signaling may be received via a control channel. Thus, based on the notification (e.g., upon receipt of the notification), the UE may decode control channel information sent as shared signaling. The control channel information may be sent one or more times. In the example of FIG. 4 , the information is sent twice (see blocks 404, 406) to increase the reliability of reception.

[0054] The benefit provided by sending a notification and initiating decoding of the control channel information based on the notification is that the UE does not need to decode the shared control channel information all the time (e.g., periodically), but only when the notification is received. The shared signaling may indicate to at least one UE in a group of UEs a multicast service change that affects the UE. For example, the information may indicate the periodicity 420 of the data window 412, the data window 414, the data window 416, and the data window 418. In addition, based on the information received in block 404 and / or block 406, the UE may collect DCI in the subframe indicated by block 412 and / or block 414. The collected DCI may enable the UE to receive multicast service data 410 in one or more of blocks 412, 414, 416, and 418 transmitted on the service channel. If a specific period is used, the transmission and / or reception may be based on the indicated period 420. Indicating the period 420 in the control channel shared signaling may enable the UE to receive multicast service data without periodically monitoring the DCI.

[0055] Reference now Figure 4B , in the case where the network node 104 provides another multicast service to the group of UEs, a notification about the change of the multicast service can be sent on the radio bearer associated with the other multicast service. This is indicated by blocks 422, 424, which show a notification (NF) sent on the data channel. In this particular example, the notification is indicated as being transmitted on two subframes. However, the notification may be transmitted once or multiple times according to the configuration. The UE may need to successfully receive the transmitted notification once in order to perform corresponding actions as explained in more detail later. Therefore, if the radio bearer is configured to provide the other multicast service to the group of UEs, the radio bearer can be used to transmit a notification about the change of the multicast service to the group of UEs. For example, multicast service #1 may have been configured for UE group #1. Therefore, multicast service #1 can be used to provide notifications. For example, the change may be that multicast service #2 should be received by the same UE group #1. However, the notification does not necessarily indicate how the service changes; it can indicate that a change has occurred or will occur and the UEs in the group may therefore need to obtain further information about the change.

[0056] According to an embodiment, for example, Figure 4B As shown, the network node 104 sends notifications multiple times (see blocks 422, 424), wherein the sent notifications include a countdown number or an absolute time reference indicating the time when the multicast service change takes effect. Figure 6 Shown in.

[0057] After (eg, in response to) receiving the notifications transmitted in blocks 422, 424, the UE may determine to decode control channel information (eg, decode MCCH 434 and / or MCCH 436), which may be related to Figure 4A 426, 428, 430, 432. Similarly, as common RRC signaling is sent (e.g., once or multiple times). After correctly decoding the control channel, the UE can determine the decoded DCI and thus determine the time-frequency resources to receive (multiple) data transmissions 426, 428, 430, 432. Figure 4A In the example, the periodicity 440 may be indicated on the control channel (e.g., MCCH 434, 436). It should be noted that although the DCI is shown as being sent twice, it may only need to be received once to obtain the relevant resources. That is, similar to the notification, the DCI may be sent once or multiple times to enhance the reliability of the resource indication.

[0058] In some embodiments, Figure 4B The notification sent on the data channel in the communication may be sent in a medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). For example, the notification may be included in a header of a MAC CE.

[0059] Notification of changes to multicast services (e.g. Figure 4B ) may simply include an indicator that a change has occurred or will occur. For example, such an indicator may be a 1-bit indicator: change / no change (e.g., zero or one). For example, an indicator may indicate whether a data channel or a control channel has changed or will change: control channel / data channel (e.g., zero or one). Therefore, if such a notification is sent, it may mean that a change has been determined, and the indicator in the notification may indicate whether the change involves a control channel or a data channel. In some examples, changes regarding two channels may be indicated by the notification. In some examples, the notification includes two indicators: one for indicating change / no change, and one for indicating which channel will change: control channel / data channel.

[0060] Thus, based on the notification, the UEs can determine what kind of action(s) they should perform: obtain information about changes to control channels and / or data channels. That is, if a change to a data channel is indicated by the notification, the UE can obtain information about the change to the data channel. Similarly, if a control channel is indicated, the UE can obtain information about the change to the control channel. Furthermore, higher efficiency can be achieved by these further solutions, since the UE may not need to separately determine whether the change involves a data channel or a control channel, and can therefore proceed directly to obtaining information about the change itself.

[0061] In an embodiment, a notification (e.g. Figure 4B 422, 424) includes a countdown number indicating a time reference when the determined change takes effect. Figure 6 , 7A and 8 discuss this example embodiment in more detail.

[0062] In an embodiment, the notification of the change in the multicast service includes one or more updated physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) parameters. For example, the notification may include a complete list of PDSCH parameters or a subset of parameters. For example, the subset may include the parameters that are changing, to name a few. The changed parameters may include a modulation and coding scheme (MCS) index, a time domain (TD) allocation, and / or a frequency domain (FD) allocation. Examples of these may be found in Figure 7B As can be seen in FIG. 1 , an embodiment is described. That is, the change may be related to the data channel. Therefore, using Figure 4B As an illustrative example, the UE may not need to monitor blocks 434 and 436, in which control channel information is transmitted.

[0063] Then let us focus Figure 5 , Figure 5 Blocks 502 to 514 relate to embodiments in which the notification is transmitted as RRC signaling (see, e.g. Figure 4A ) and blocks 522 to 532 relate to utilizing for another multicast service (see e.g. Figure 4B ) of a radio bearer (e.g., a multicast radio bearer). In the latter case, the notification may be transmitted on a MAC CE, for example.

[0064] refer to Figure 5In block 502, the CN 110 may send a multicast registration request to the network node 104. The multicast registration request may include information including at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data stream of the multicast service, a UE list, and a port list, the at least one identifier corresponding to a group of UEs, the UE list indicating a group of UEs, and the port list indicating a port for the UEs on the UE list. For example, for each multicast service, a port may be indicated for each UE on the UE list. Thus, for example, port A may be indicated for UE#1, port C may be indicated for UE#2, and port D may be indicated for UE#3. According to an embodiment, the information includes a multicast QFI (i.e., the QFI indicates multicast QoS), a UE list, and a DS-TT port number list. For example, each multicast service may be identified by a multicast QFI. Note again that there may be multiple multicast services, and thus the request of block 502 may indicate one or more services. The multicast registration request may also further or alternatively include a deregistration request for one or more multicast services. Therefore, the message of block 502 should be understood broadly. For example, the message of block 502 may be received from the SMF via the AMF.

[0065] In an embodiment, the network node 104 also receives transmission parameter information from the CN 110 (block 504). The transmission parameter information may include, for example, auxiliary information and / or QoS information. The auxiliary information may indicate information related to the traffic characteristics of the multicast QFI, such as periodicity and / or burst arrival time, to name a few examples. The auxiliary information may include, for example, TSC auxiliary information (TSCAI). The QoS information may include, for example, a maximum data amount burst size. The periodicity may indicate, for example, the periodicity 420, 440, which may be further indicated by the network node 104 to the UE 100, 102.

[0066] In block 506, the network node 104 may configure a new radio bearer per new multicast service. That is, the MTCH may be configured for the new multicast service. This assumes that the multicast registration request of block 502 requests the establishment of a new service for the set of UEs. According to an embodiment, if the number of UEs on the UE list exceeds a threshold, the new radio bearer is established. Otherwise, the existing unicast radio bearer for each UE may be used. The threshold may depend on the use case, but may be, for example, 3 UEs. The network node may perform the configuration of the radio bearer transparent to the UE.

[0067] exist Figure 5In the embodiment, block 506 is described as RRC Configuration. This may sometimes be understood as RRC Reconfiguration. It may also include determining, by the network node 104, a unique radio network temporary identifier (RNTI), such as a group RNTI (G-RNTI), for scheduling of multicast services in the air interface. Alternatively, the same RNTI may be utilized to schedule multicast services, and an explicit ID (e.g., MTCH identifier) ​​may be used to distinguish among multiple multicast services.

[0068] Furthermore, in block 506, the network node 104 may provide a notification of the multicast service change to the UE(s) 100, 102. It should be noted that, at least in this example, the UE 100, 102 is included in the group of UEs indicated in the message of block 502. In some embodiments, it may be seen that the UE 100, 102 consists of the group of UEs.

[0069] The network node may also notify each UE in the UE group (i.e., the multicast group) of the relevant port number to instruct the UE 100, 102 to establish the binding information of the indicated multicast radio bearer and the indicated port number. As described above, such an association between the UE and the port may be referred to as a port association, and based on the port association, the UE may determine where it should forward the data received on the radio bearer associated with a certain multicast service. For example, the network node 104 may indicate the port number for a given UE using dedicated RRC signaling for radio bearer configuration. That is, the port number may be sent together with the radio bearer configuration, and thus the UE may determine the association between the multicast service (the multicast service may be associated with a certain radio bearer) and the port number.

[0070] In an embodiment, the network node 104 stores the information received in the multicast registration request (e.g., multicast QFI, UE list, port number list). The stored information may be associated with the corresponding multicast service, for example using the MTCH identifier or the corresponding RNTI. This may enable the network node 104 to maintain (multiple) UE groups and map the data received from the CN to the correct radio bearer.

[0071] In block 508, the control channel may be used to transmit one or more resource allocation parameters from the network node 104 to the UE 100, 102. These one or more parameters may be part of the resource allocation parameters for the data channel and may be sent as RRC signaling (see, e.g. Figure 4ABlocks 404, 406). The transmitted parameters may periodically indicate an MTCH identifier and / or RNTI for a specific multicast service (or simply for a data channel for a multicast service). Based on the configuration of block 508, the UE 100, 102 may monitor one or more data channels according to the multicast radio bearers configured by the network node in block 506. Thus, essentially the network node 104 may notify via common RRC signaling that a specific one or more data channels should be listened to by the UE 100, 102. The UE may determine that it should listen to the common RRC signaling on the control channel based on the received notification regarding the multicast service change. For example, if the UE receives a notification on the RRC signaling, the UE may determine that the change is related to the control channel. Thus, the UE may determine to listen to the control channel to obtain information about the change. However, if a notification is received on the MTCH (see, e.g. Figure 4B ), in some examples, the notification may include an indicator indicating whether the change is related to a control channel or a data channel.

[0072] In block 510, the network node 104 may send a resource allocation to the UE 100, 102. The resource allocation may include a DCI indicating resource allocation information for a data channel. The transmission may be similar to that indicated in blocks 412, 414. Thus, the DCI may be sent one or more times. If the RNTI is assigned per multicast service, the DCI indicating the resource allocation on the data channel may be scrambled using the corresponding RNTI. The UE 100, 102 may therefore obtain the correct DCI information because it may have received the RNTI in block 508. If a common RNTI is used (i.e., the same for multiple multicast services), the DCI may include an explicit indication of the scheduled data channel. That is, for example, the DCI may include an MTCH identifier, which may be used as an alternative to a multicast service-specific RNTI. For example, 4 bits may be included in the DCI, which allows up to 16 different multicast services to be indicated.

[0073] In block 512, after the UE receives the DCI in block 510, it may continue to receive data of at least one data stream on a data channel (or radio bearer) associated with the multicast service. The data may be sent on a physical layer on the PDSCH. According to an embodiment, the network node 104 may send data periodically or semi-persistently according to a period. For example, the periodicity may be indicated in the transmission parameter information of block 504. In addition, the network node 104 may indicate the period of the periodic or semi-persistent data transmission to the UE 100, 102 so as to enable the UE 100, 102 to initiate reception of at least one data stream on the radio bearer according to the transmission that occurs periodically or semi-persistently. The UE 100, 102 may receive the indicated periodicity and perform reception of data on the data channel according to the periodicity. It should be noted that the periodicity may be specific to the multicast service (i.e., specific to a certain data channel).

[0074] In block 514, the UE 100, 102 may forward the received data to the correct port. That is, the UE 100, 102 may determine on which data channel or radio bearer the data is received, and based on the determined data channel or radio bearer and the obtained port information, determine the correct port and forward the data to the correct port. It should be noted that the network node 104 may receive at least one data stream on the radio bearer and transmit at least one data stream to the UE 100, 102. For example, referring to Figure 1B , end station 170 may send data to end stations 172, 174. In this case, gNB 192 may receive the sent data and send it to UE 184 on a radio bearer associated with the multicast service in question. UE 184 may forward the received data to the correct end station 172, 174 by forwarding the data to the correct port. For example, one port may be associated with end station 172 and another port may be associated with end station 174.

[0075] Still reference Figure 5 , let us now look more closely at embodiments related to sending a notification on another radio bearer. The notification may indicate a change on a control channel. In block 522, the network node 104 may receive another multicast registration request. This may be similar to what was explained above with reference to block 502. In addition, in some embodiments, the network node 104 may receive transmission parameter information from the CN 110. Thus, for example, the request of block 522 may include a multicast QFI, a list of UEs, and a list of port numbers. For example, the request may indicate a new multicast service for an existing set of UEs.

[0076] The network node 104 may determine based on the request of block 522 and the stored information (e.g., information about the multicast service provided or to be provided) that it has already served the indicated UE group with another multicast service (e.g., MTCH 1). Therefore, the radio bearer may have been configured. Therefore, in block 524, the network node 104 may transmit a notification about the multicast service change (i.e., a new service for an existing UE group) to the UE 100, 102 (i.e., to the UE group). For example, the notification may be transmitted in a MAC CE. The MAC CE may be sent on the PDSCH together with the ongoing MTCH 1 service. In an example embodiment, the MAC CE includes an indicator instructing the UE to receive updated control channel information.

[0077] Based on the notification sent on MTCH 1, the UE 100, 102 may determine that there is a change and it may need to obtain information about the change. The notification may include an indication that the change is related to a control channel and thus the UE 100, 102 may determine to obtain information about the change by listening to common signaling on the control channel.

[0078] In block 526, resource allocation parameters may be obtained by the UE 100, 102. The parameters may be obtained in response to detecting a need to obtain information about a change. Block 526 may be similar to block 508.

[0079] Similarly, in block 528, the UE 100, 102 may obtain resource allocation for a data channel associated with the new multicast service (i.e., the new service indicated by the request of block 522). The channel may be represented by MTCH 2. Block 528 may be similar to block 510, i.e., one or more DCIs may be sent for MTCH 2.

[0080] In block 530, data for MTCH 2 may be transmitted by the network node 104 to the UE 100, 102. The UE 100, 102 may forward the data according to the port association as shown in block 532. The port association for the new service (i.e., MTCH 2) may be received from the network node 110 as dedicated RRC signaling or as shared RRC signaling. If both MTCH 1 and 2 are configured for the UE 100, 102 as shown in block 532, the UE 100, 102 may forward the data according to the port association as shown in block 532. Figure 5 As indicated, the UE 100, 102 may forward data for different multicast services according to the multicast service specific port association or mapping. The port association for MTCH 1 may have been received previously. However, dedicated or shared RRC signaling is used to update the port mapping for the existing multicast service.

[0081] Figure 6 An embodiment is illustrated where the change is related to a control channel and may be directed to utilize a radio bearer for an existing multicast service. Figure 6 , blocks 601, 602, 603, 604, 612, and 622 may describe data windows, such as subframes. In an example, data windows 601 to 604 may be used to provide MTCH 1. Data windows 601-604 may include notifications about multicast service changes (e.g., the addition of MTCH 2). Notifications (e.g., MAC CEs) may be sent four times in an example, and countdown numbers 606 (i.e., 4, 3, 2, 1) may be used to indicate when the indicated changes take effect. That is, in an example, the changes take effect during data window 612. Therefore, the countdown number may indicate, for example, how many data windows there are before the change takes effect. Therefore, the countdown number for each notification transmission may be reduced. An explicit time reference may be used instead of the countdown number. This is feasible because the UE and the network node may be time synchronized with each other. In an embodiment, timing information (e.g., countdown number and / or time reference) is sent on a control channel instead of a data channel.

[0082] Based on the notifications sent in windows 601 to 604, the UE can obtain updated control channel information, as shown by reference numeral 608. For example, the information can be sent on the control channel shown by reference numeral 692 during data windows 601 to 604. It should be noted that the control channel information sent in windows 601 to 604 can be the same. Remember that in this example, the notification can be sent on the data channel indicated by reference numeral 694. Therefore, after successfully decoding any notification sent on windows 601-604, the UE can obtain updated control channel information 608. Once the UE reads the control channel information, for example, DCI 614 can be decoded and MTCH 2 data can be received by the UE during windows 612, 622. In addition, MTCH 1 data can also be received during windows 612, 622. Data for different multicast services (i.e., MTCH 1 and 2) can be forwarded to the correct port accordingly.

[0083] Fig. 7A , Figure 7B , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Some embodiments are shown in which the multicast service changes are related to the data channel. For example, the data channel parameters may change, and this may need to be indicated to the served UE. For example, the resource allocation of the ongoing multicast service may change. This may mean that the MCS, transport block size, time domain allocation and / or frequency domain allocation may change. Fig. 7A In the example embodiment of , the updated one or more parameters may be included in the MAC CE transmitted over the data windows 701 to 704. Similarly, Figure 6As shown in FIG. 7 , a countdown number 706 is depicted, which may indicate when a change occurs (ie, in data window 712). It is feasible to use a time reference instead, to transmit the time information on the MAC CE or separately on the control channel.

[0084] Therefore, in Fig. 7A In the example of , the notification about the multicast service change may include one or more parameters of the data channel. For example, all PDSCH parameters or a subset of parameters (e.g., a parameter that is changing) may be indicated. For example, the notification may be sent on a MAC CE. As with the change indicator, for example, the change information (i.e., one or more parameters) may be included in the header of the MAC CE. By providing (multiple) parameters on one or more data windows 701-704 for transmitting existing multicast service data, the UE may directly obtain the updated (multiple) parameters without obtaining DCI to obtain the updated (multiple) parameters. Data windows 712, 722 describe data windows in which changes to the data channel (i.e., (multiple) parameters) have taken effect, and the UE and network node 104 may act accordingly.

[0085] exist Figure 7B In the Fig. 7A An example structure of a notification used in . The notification may include an identifier (e.g., an MTCH identifier) ​​that identifies the multicast service (or data channel) associated with the change. The MAC CE may include a time domain resource allocation (TDRA), a frequency domain resource allocation (FDRA), and / or an MCS index. In the example, the size of the FDRA field has been selected (19 bits) to cover the maximum allowed bandwidth of 275 physical resource blocks (PRBs); however, a variable-sized MAC CE may also be used, where the FDRA field size is selected based on the size of the bandwidth portion of the scheduled PDSCH. As discussed, for example, Figure 7B The notification may be included in the MAC CE.

[0086] Figure 8 Embodiments are directed to wherein the notification regarding a multicast service change indicates a change related to a data channel used to provide an existing multicast service. In addition, the notification may include an indicator instructing the UE to decode a DCI on a PDCCH, the DCI including one or more updated parameters of the data channel. That is, in relation to Fig. 7A and Figure 7B In the discussed embodiment, one or more updated parameters may be included in the notification, and Figure 8 In an embodiment of the present invention, the notification may simply include, for example, an indicator of the change, and the updated parameters may be obtained separately (e.g., similar to Figure 6 In some examples, control channel parameters are obtained).

[0087] Therefore, data window 801, data window 802, data window 803, data window 804 can be used to transmit data of existing multicast services from network node 104 to UE group. Notification can be sent in one or more data windows, for example in MAC CE. Similarly, as described above, timing information (e.g., countdown number 806 or time reference) can be provided separately on the notification (e.g., on MAC CE) or on the control channel. Based on the notification, the UE can determine when the change takes effect (i.e., during the data window 812) and start monitoring of resource allocation information (e.g., DCI 814) accordingly. Therefore, the UE can monitor the DCI in response to receiving the notification, and thereby obtain the DCI when it is transmitted. Therefore, the UE can obtain the updated parameters and the service provision can continue in the data windows 812, 822 with the updated parameters. In addition, the UE may not need to continuously monitor the DCI because the monitoring can be initiated based on the receipt of the notification.

[0088] Fig. 9 shows that by utilizing Fig. 7A , Figure 7B and Figure 8 The notification discussed in indicates to the UE 100, 102 (ie, illustrating a group of UEs or a subset of the group) a signaling diagram related to a data channel change. Fig. 9 Prior to the steps shown, the multicast service may have been configured and further utilized for the UE 100, 102. For example, this may be related to Figure 5 The steps 502-514 are performed similarly as shown in FIG.

[0089] In step 932, network node 104 may receive transmission parameter information from CN 110. For example, the information may be similar to Figure 5 504 of the block 504. Thus, for example, the transport block size and / or the burst arrival time may be updated (i.e., changed) according to the provided multicast service. The change in the transmission parameter information may enable the network node 104 to detect the change in the multicast service and thereby trigger the transmission of a notification to the UE 100, 102.

[0090] It is feasible to trigger the transmission of the notification based on channel quality information, such as a channel quality indicator (CQI), received from one or more of the UEs 100, 102 (i.e., from a UE group). For example, the network node 104 may determine to change (e.g., reduce or increase) the MCS of the multicast data transmission based on the received channel quality information. This may also be understood as a multicast service change, and thus trigger the notification. Therefore, it may not be necessary to receive the information of block 932 to trigger the transmission of the notification about the multicast service change.

[0091] In step 934, the network node 104 sends a notification about the change to the UE 100, UE 102. The notification may include, for example, Fig. 7A and 7B or Figure 8 In both cases, the UE 100, 102 may obtain updated parameters such as MCS, transport block size, FD allocation, TD allocation and / or burst rate.

[0092] In step 936, the network node 104 sends the multicast service data according to the updated data channel parameter(s).

[0093] In step 938, UE 100, UE 102 receives the multicast service data according to the updated parameters and forwards the data to the correct port (i.e., Fig. 9 Get the port mapping as shown in the previous steps).

[0094] According to an embodiment, the multicast service change includes updated transmission parameter information for an existing multicast service. The network node 110 may determine to update the radio bearer for the existing multicast service based on the updated transmission parameter information. The transmission parameter information may include TSCAI and / or QoS information (e.g., (multiple) QoS parameters). For example, if the burst arrival time or the maximum data burst amount changes, the radio bearer may be advantageously updated to meet the requirements of the changed parameters.

[0095] Fig.10 and Fig.11 Provided are apparatuses 1000, 1100, comprising a control circuit system (CTRL) 1010, 1110, such as at least one processor, and at least one memory 1030, 1130 comprising computer program code (software) 1032, 1132, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code (software) 1032, 1132 are configured with the at least one processor to cause the respective apparatuses 1000, 1100 to execute Figures 1A to 9 Any of the embodiments, or operations thereof.

[0096] refer to Fig.10 and Fig.11 , the memory 1030, 1130 may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor-based storage devices, flash memory, magnetic storage devices and systems, optical storage devices and systems, fixed memory, and removable memory. The memory 1030, 1130 may include a database 1034, 1134 for storing data. For example, an identifier (e.g., QFI) identifying at least one data flow, UE group, and port list may be stored thereon.

[0097] The apparatus 1000, 110 may further include a radio interface (TRX) 1020, 1120, which includes hardware and / or software for implementing communication connectivity according to one or more communication protocols. For example, the TRX may provide the apparatus with communication capabilities to access a radio access network. The TRX may include standard well-known components such as amplifiers, filters, frequency converters, (de)modulators and encoder / decoder circuit systems and one or more antennas.

[0098] The devices 1000, 1100 may include a user interface 1040, 1140 including, for example, at least one keyboard, microphone, touch display, display, speaker, etc. The user interface 1040, 1140 may be used by a user of the devices 1000, 1100 to control the respective devices.

[0099] In an embodiment, the apparatus 1000 may be or be included in the process of performing the above-mentioned (eg, referring to Figure 2 For example, the apparatus 1000 may be or be included in the network node 104.

[0100] In an embodiment, the apparatus 1100 may be or be included in the process of performing the above-mentioned (eg, referring to Figure 3 For example, the apparatus 1100 may be or be included in the UE 100 or the UE 102.

[0101] According to the embodiment, reference Fig.10 , the control circuit system 1010 includes a receiving circuit system 1012 configured to perform at least Figure 2 Determine the circuit system 1014 is configured to perform at least about Figure 2 The operations described in block 204; and the transmitting circuit system 1016 is configured to perform at least Figure 2 The operations described by block 206 are as follows.

[0102] According to the embodiment, reference Fig.11 , the control circuit 1110 includes a receiving circuit system 1112 configured to perform at least Figure 3 The operation described in block 302; and the trigger circuit 1114 is configured to perform at least Figure 3 The operations described by block 304 are as follows.

[0103] In an embodiment, at least some of the functionality of the apparatus 1000 may be shared between two physically separate devices, forming an operational entity. Thus, it can be seen that the apparatus 1000 describes an operational entity comprising one or more physically separate devices for performing at least some of the described processes. Thus, the apparatus 1000 utilizing such a shared architecture may include a remote control unit (RCU), such as a host or server computer, which is operably coupled (e.g., via a wireless or wired network) to a remote radio head (RRH) located in a base station or network node 104, for example. In an embodiment, at least some of the described processes may be performed by the RCU. In an embodiment, the execution of at least some of the described processes may be shared between the RRH and the RCU. For example, a CU / DU split may utilize such a shared architecture.

[0104] In an embodiment, the RCU may generate a virtual network through which the RCU communicates with the RRH. In general, virtual networking may involve the process of combining hardware and software network resources and network functions into a single software-based management entity, a virtual network. Network virtualization may involve platform virtualization, often in combination with resource virtualization. Network virtualization can be classified as an external virtual network, which combines many networks or parts of a network into a server computer or host computer (i.e., the RCU). External network virtualization is intended to optimize network sharing. Another type is an internal virtual network, which provides network-like functionality for software containers on a single system.

[0105] In an embodiment, the virtual network can provide a flexible distribution of operations between the RRH and the RCU. In fact, any digital signal processing task can be performed in the RRH or the RCU, and the boundary of the responsibility transfer between the RRH and the RCU can be selected according to the implementation.

[0106] According to one aspect, a system is provided, comprising one or more devices 1000 and a plurality of devices 1100. In an embodiment, the system further comprises a CN 110 or a CN element.

[0107] The term "circuitry" as used in this application may refer to the following: (a) hardware circuit implementations, such as implementations in analog and / or digital circuitry, and (b) combinations of circuitry and software (and / or firmware), such as, as applicable: (i) a combination of a processor or (ii) a portion of a processor / software, including a digital signal processor, software, and memory, working together to enable the device to perform various functions, and (c) circuitry, such as a microprocessor or a portion of a microprocessor that utilizes software or firmware for operation even if the software or firmware is not physically present. This definition of "circuitry" applies to the use of the term in this application. As another example, as used in this application, the term "circuitry" would also cover an implementation of only a processor (or multiple processors) or a portion of a processor and its (or their) accompanying software and / or firmware. The term "circuitry" would also cover, for example, a baseband integrated circuit or an application processor integrated circuit for a mobile phone or a similar integrated circuit in a server, cellular network device, or other network device, if applicable to the specific element.

[0108] In an embodiment, in combination Figures 1A to 9 At least some of the described processes may be performed by an apparatus including corresponding components for performing at least some of the described processes. Some example components for performing the processes may include at least one of the following: a detector, a processor (including dual-core and multi-core processors), a digital signal processor, a controller, a receiver, a transmitter, an encoder, a decoder, a memory, RAM, ROM, software, firmware, a display, a user interface, a display circuit, a user interface circuit system, a user interface software, a display software, a circuit, an antenna, an antenna circuit system, and a circuit system. In an embodiment, at least one processor, a memory, and a computer program code form a processing component or include one or more computer program code portions for performing the processes according to Figures 1A to 9 One or more operations of any embodiment, or operations thereof.

[0109] According to yet another embodiment, an apparatus for performing an embodiment includes a circuit system including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. When activated, the circuit system causes the apparatus to perform according to Figures 1A to 9 Any of the embodiments or at least some functionality of its operation.

[0110] The techniques and methods described herein can be implemented by various components. For example, these techniques can be implemented in hardware (one or more devices), firmware (one or more devices), software (one or more modules), or a combination thereof. For hardware implementation, the device of the embodiment can be in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), digital signal processors (DSPs), digital signal processing devices (DSPDs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), processors, controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, other electronic units designed to perform the functions described herein, or a combination thereof. For firmware or software, the functions described herein can be performed by a module of at least one chipset (e.g., a program, a function, etc.). The software code can be stored in a memory unit and executed by a processor. The memory unit can be implemented within a processor or outside a processor. In the latter case, it can be coupled to the processor in communication with various means known in the art. In addition, the components of the system described herein can be rearranged and / or supplemented by additional components to facilitate the implementation of various aspects of its description, etc., and they are not limited to the precise configuration stated in a given figure, as will be understood by those skilled in the art.

[0111] The described embodiments may also be implemented in the form of a computer process defined by a computer program or part thereof. Figures 1A to 9 Embodiments of the described methods can be performed by executing at least a portion of a computer program including corresponding instructions. The computer program can be in source code form, object code form, or some intermediate form, and it can be stored in some carrier, which can be any entity or device capable of carrying the program. For example, the computer program can be stored on a computer program distribution medium readable by a computer or processor. The computer program medium can be, for example, but not limited to, a recording medium, a computer memory, a read-only memory, an electrical carrier signal, a telecommunication signal, and a software distribution package. For example, the computer program medium can be a non-transient medium. Software coding for implementing the embodiments shown and described is fully within the scope of ordinary technicians in the field. In an embodiment, the computer readable medium includes the computer program.

[0112] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the examples according to the accompanying drawings, it is obvious that the present invention is not limited thereto, but can be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the words and expressions herein should be interpreted broadly and they are intended to illustrate rather than limit the embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that, with the advancement of technology, the inventive concept can be implemented in various ways. In addition, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that the described embodiments can, but not necessarily, be combined with other embodiments in various ways.

Claims

1. A method for a network node of a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving information from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a list of user equipments UEs, the at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data flow of a multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, wherein the information further indicates, for a UE on the UE list, a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data flow is to be forwarded; determining, based on the received information, a multicast service change involving at least one UE in the group of UEs; sending a notification about the multicast service change to the at least one UE to trigger multicast service acquisition; as well as In case the network node provides another multicast service to the group of UEs, the notification about the multicast service change is sent on a radio bearer associated with the another multicast service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast service change comprises adding a new multicast service, terminating an existing multicast service, and / or changing one or more parameters of an existing multicast service.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, for the at least one UE in the group of UEs, a radio bearer for providing the at least one data flow of the multicast service; as well as The port association is indicated to the at least one UE to enable the UE to forward data received on the determined radio bearer to the associated port. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the notification indication regarding the multicast service change relates to a change of a data channel or a control channel.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The notification is sent multiple times, wherein the sent notification includes a countdown number or an absolute time reference, the countdown number or the absolute time reference indicating a time when the multicast service change takes effect.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: In case the network node does not provide another multicast service for the at least one UE in the group of UEs, the notification about the determined change is sent via dedicated Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the multicast service change comprises updated transmission parameter information for an existing multicast service, the method further comprising: Based on the updated transmission parameter information, it is determined to update a radio bearer for the existing multicast service.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: If the number of UEs on the UE list exceeds a threshold, a new radio bearer is established for providing the at least one data flow of the multicast service.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The at least one data flow is transmitted to the group of UEs on the radio bearer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a data window for sending data on the radio bearer is scheduled such that the data window occurs periodically, the method further comprising: The periodicity of the scheduled data windows is indicated to the group of UEs so as to enable the group of UEs to initiate reception of the at least one data flow on the radio bearer according to the periodically occurring data windows.

11. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the multicast service is for a Time Sensitive Network (TSN) and the port comprises a device-side TSN converter DS-TT port.

12. A method for a user equipment UE in a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving a notification from a network node of the wireless communication network, the notification regarding a multicast service change involving the UE, and the multicast service change is determined by the network node based on information received from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a list of UEs, the at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data flow of a multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, the UE being included in the group of UEs, wherein the information further indicates a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data flow is to be forwarded; and After receiving the notification, trigger the multicast service acquisition, Wherein, in a case where the network node provides another multicast service for the group of UEs, the notification about the multicast service change is received on a radio bearer associated with the another multicast service.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the multicast service change comprises adding a new multicast service, terminating an existing multicast service, and / or changing one or more parameters of an existing multicast service.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the notification indication about the multicast service change relates to a change of a data channel or a control channel, the method further comprising: Based on the notification, information about the data channel change or the control channel change is obtained.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: obtaining, from the network node, the port association for a radio bearer for providing the at least one data flow of the multicast service; as well as According to the port association, data received on the radio bearer is forwarded to the corresponding port.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the notification includes a countdown number or an absolute time reference indicating a time at which the multicast service change takes effect.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the notification about the multicast service change is received via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling if the network node does not provide another multicast service for the group of UEs.

18. The method according to any one of the preceding claims 12 to 17, wherein a data window for sending data on the radio bearer is scheduled such that the data window occurs periodically, the method further comprising: An indication of a periodicity of the scheduled data windows is received from the network node to enable the UE to initiate reception of the at least one data flow on the radio bearer in accordance with the periodically occurring data windows.

19. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising: Receiving, by a network node of a wireless communication network from a core network element of the wireless communication network, information comprising at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data flow of a multicast service and a list of user equipments UEs, the list of user equipments indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, wherein the information further indicates, for a UE on the list of UEs, a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data flow is to be forwarded; determining, based on the received information, a multicast service change involving at least one UE in the group of UEs; sending a notification about the multicast service change to the at least one UE to trigger multicast service acquisition; as well as In case the network node provides another multicast service to the group of UEs, the notification about the multicast service change is sent on a radio bearer associated with the another multicast service.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the multicast service change comprises adding a new multicast service, terminating an existing multicast service, and / or changing one or more parameters of an existing multicast service.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: determining, for the at least one UE in the group of UEs, a radio bearer for providing the at least one data flow of the multicast service; and The port association is indicated to the at least one UE to enable the UE to forward data received on the determined radio bearer to the associated port.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the notification indication regarding the multicast service change relates to a change of a data channel or a control channel.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: The notification is sent multiple times, wherein the sent notification includes a countdown number or an absolute time reference, the countdown number or the absolute time reference indicating a time when the multicast service change takes effect.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: In case the network node does not provide another multicast service for at least one UE of the group of UEs, the notification about the determined change is sent via dedicated Radio Resource Control, RRC, signaling.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the multicast service change comprises updated transmission parameter information for an existing multicast service, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: Based on the updated transmission parameter information, it is determined to update a radio bearer for the existing multicast service.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: If the number of UEs on the UE list exceeds a threshold, a new radio bearer is established for providing the at least one data flow of the multicast service.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: The at least one data flow is transmitted to the group of UEs on the radio bearer.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a data window for sending data on the radio bearer is scheduled such that the data window occurs periodically, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: The periodicity of the scheduled data windows is indicated to the group of UEs so as to enable the group of UEs to initiate reception of the at least one data flow on the radio bearer according to the periodically occurring data windows.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the multicast service is for a time sensitive network (TSN), and the port comprises a device-side TSN converter DS-TT port.

30. An apparatus for communication, comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer code are configured to, together with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform operations comprising: Receiving, by a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication network, a notification from a network node of the wireless communication network, the notification regarding a multicast service change involving the UE, and the multicast service change being determined by the network node based on information received from a core network element of the wireless communication network, the information comprising at least one identifier and a UE list, the at least one identifier corresponding to at least one data flow of a multicast service, the UE list indicating a group of UEs to which the multicast service is targeted, the UE being included in the group of UEs, wherein the information further indicates a port association between the UE and a port to which data of the at least one data flow is to be forwarded; and After receiving the notification, trigger the multicast service acquisition, Wherein, in a case where the network node provides another multicast service for the group of UEs, the notification about the multicast service change is received on a radio bearer associated with the another multicast service.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the multicast service change comprises adding a new multicast service, terminating an existing multicast service, and / or changing one or more parameters of an existing multicast service.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the notification indication regarding the multicast service change relates to a change of a data channel or a control channel, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: Based on the notification, information on the data channel change or the control channel change is acquired.

33. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: obtaining, from the network node, the port association for a radio bearer for providing the at least one data flow of the multicast service; and According to the port association, data received on the radio bearer is forwarded to the corresponding port.

34. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the notification includes a countdown number or an absolute time reference indicating a time at which the multicast service change takes effect.

35. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the notification about the multicast service change is received via Radio Resource Control (RRC) signaling if the network node does not provide another multicast service for the group of UEs.

36. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein a data window for sending data on the radio bearer is scheduled such that the data window occurs periodically, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to further perform operations comprising: An indication of a periodicity of the scheduled data windows is received from the network node to enable the UE to initiate reception of the at least one data flow on the radio bearer according to the periodically occurring data windows.

37. A computer program product comprising a computer program which, when executed by a processor of an apparatus, causes the apparatus to perform a method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

38. An apparatus for communication comprising means for performing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

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