Multicast and Broadcast Services in Wireless Access Network Sharing Deployment

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to techniques for providing multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system with wireless access network sharing. A cellular base station associated with a plurality of public land mobile networks may receive multicast and broadcast service session setup information for a multicast and broadcast service session. The cellular base station may determine that the session is associated with a plurality of public land mobile networks. The cellular base station may configure a multicast and broadcast service session associated with the plurality of public land mobile networks.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to wireless communication, and more particularly, to systems, apparatuses, and methods for providing multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system with wireless access network sharing.

Background Art

[0002] The use of wireless communication systems has been increasing rapidly. In recent years, wireless devices such as smartphones and tablet computers have become increasingly high-performance. Currently, many mobile devices (i.e., user equipment devices, or UEs) not only support telephone calls, but also provide access to the Internet, email, text messaging, and navigation using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and can operate high-performance applications that utilize these functions. In addition, there are numerous different wireless communication technologies and standards. Some examples of wireless communication standards include GSM, UMTS (associated with, for example, the WCDMA or TD-SCDMA air interface), LTE, LTE Advanced (LTE-A), NR, HSPA, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), IEEE802.11 (WLAN or Wi-Fi), BLUETOOTH (trademark), and the like.

[0003] The ever-increasing features and functionality being introduced into wireless communication devices are also creating a continuing need to improve both wireless communication and wireless communication devices. In particular, it is important to ensure the accuracy of transmitted and received signals via wireless devices such as cellular phones, base stations, and relays used in, for example, wireless cellular communication via user equipment (UE) devices. Additionally, increasing the functionality of UE devices can impose a significant load on the battery life of UE devices. Therefore, it is also very important to reduce the required power for UE device design while enabling UE devices to maintain good transmission and reception capabilities for improved communication. Thus, improvements in this area are desired.

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Embodiments of an apparatus, system, and method for providing multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system with wireless access network sharing are presented herein.

[0005] The techniques described herein may support the provision of multicast and broadcast service sessions associated with multiple cellular networks by a cellular base station in a wireless access network sharing deployment. Such provision may be more efficient than separately providing multicast and broadcast service sessions for the same service to different cellular networks associated with a cellular base station, as at least some duplication of content and signaling, for example, may thus be avoided.

[0006] The provision of multicast and broadcast service sessions associated with multiple cellular networks can be achieved at least in part by providing a mechanism for identifying that multiple cellular networks desire to perform session setup for the same multicast or broadcast service, whereby a cellular base station can then perform a multicast or broadcast service. Instead of separately configuring sessions for each cellular network that desires to perform session setup for a multicast or broadcast service, it may be possible to configure one session for the multicast or broadcast service.

[0007] Some such possible mechanisms are described herein, including techniques for establishing a shared / unified temporary mobile group identifier framework across multiple network operators, and various techniques for enabling multiple temporary mobile group identifiers to be associated with one multicast and broadcast service session.

[0008] Note that the techniques described herein may be implemented in and / or used with a number of different types of devices, including but not limited to base stations, access points, cellular phones, portable media players, tablet computers, wearable devices, drones, drone controllers, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, cellular core network infrastructure devices, and various other computing devices.

[0009] The summary of the invention is intended to provide some brief overviews of the subject matter described in this document. Therefore, it should be understood that the above features are merely examples and should not be construed as narrowing the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following detailed description, drawings, and claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010] A better understanding of the subject matter can be obtained when the following detailed description of various embodiments is considered in conjunction with the following drawings.

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[0029] The features described herein are capable of various modifications and alternative forms, but specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. However, it should be understood that the drawings and their detailed description are not intended to limit to the particular forms disclosed, but rather are intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter defined by the appended claims.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0030] Acronyms Various acronyms are used throughout this disclosure. The definitions of the most prominently used acronyms that may appear throughout this disclosure are as follows. · UE: User Equipment · RF: Radio Frequency · BS: Base Station · GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications · UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System · LTE: Long Term Evolution · NR: New Radio · TX: Transmit / Transmitting · RX: Receive / Receiving · RAT: Radio Access Technology · RAN: Radio Access Network · TRP: Transmission and Reception Point · PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network · MBS: Multicast and Broadcast Service · TMGI: Temporary Mobile Group Identifier Terms The following is an explanation of terms that may appear in this disclosure.

[0031] Memory medium - Any of various types of non - temporary memory devices or storage devices. The term "memory medium" is intended to include, for example, installation media such as CD - ROMs, floppy disks, or tape devices; computer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM, SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM; magnetic media such as flash, hard drives, or non - volatile memory such as optical storage; registers, or other similar types of memory elements. The memory medium may also include other types of non - temporary memory, or may include combinations thereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a first computer system on which the program is executed, or may be located in a second different computer system connected to the first computer system via a network such as the Internet. In the latter case, the second computer system can provide the first computer system with program instructions for execution. The term "memory medium" may include two or more memory media that can exist in different locations, for example, in different computer systems connected via a network. The memory medium may store program instructions executable by one or more processors (e.g., embodied as a computer program).

[0032] Carrier medium - the memory medium as described above, as well as physical transmission media such as buses, networks, etc., and / or other physical transmission media that transmit signals such as electrical signals, electromagnetic signals, or digital signals.

[0033] Computer system (or computer) - any of various types of computing systems or processing systems, including a personal computer system (PC), mainframe computer system, workstation, network device, Internet appliance, personal digital assistant (PDA), television system, grid computing system, or other device or combination of devices. In general, the term "computer system" may be broadly defined to include any device (or combination of devices) having at least one processor that executes instructions from a memory medium.

[0034] User Equipment (UE) (or, "UE Device") - Any of various types of computer systems or devices that are mobile or portable and perform wireless communication. Examples of UE devices include mobile phones or smartphones (e.g., iPhone (trademark), Android (trademark)-based phones), tablet computers (e.g., iPad (trademark), Samsung Galaxy (trademark)), portable game devices (e.g., Nintendo DS (trademark), PlayStation Portable (trademark), Gameboy Advance (trademark), iPhone (trademark)), wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches, smart glasses), laptops, PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, other handheld devices, automobiles and / or motor vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (e.g., drones), UAV controllers (unmanned aerial controllers, UAC), etc. In general, the terms "UE" or "UE device" can be broadly defined to include any electronic device, computing device, and / or telecommunication device (or combination of devices) that can be easily carried by a user and is capable of wireless communication.

[0035] Wireless Device - Any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform wireless communication. The wireless device can be portable (or mobile), or may be stationary or fixed at a certain location. A UE is an example of a wireless device.

[0036] Communication Device - Any of various types of computer systems or devices that perform communication, where the communication can be wired or wireless. The communication device may be portable (or mobile), or may be stationary or fixed at a specific location. A wireless device is an example of a communication device. A UE is another example of a communication device.

[0037] Base Station (BS) - The term "base station" has all of its ordinary meanings and includes, at a minimum, a radio communication station that is installed in a fixed location and is used to communicate as part of a radiotelephone system or radio system.

[0038] Processing Element (or Processor) - Refers to various elements or combinations of elements that are capable of performing functions within a device, e.g., within a user equipment device or within a cellular network device. A processing element can include, for example, a processor and associated memory, a portion or circuit of an individual processor core, an entire processor core, a processor array, a circuit such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a programmable hardware element such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), and any of various combinations of the foregoing.

[0039] Wi-Fi - The term "Wi-Fi" has the full range of its ordinary meanings and includes, at a minimum, a wireless communication network or RAT that is served by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and provides connectivity to the Internet through these access points. The latest Wi-Fi networks (or, WLAN networks) are based on the IEEE 802.11 standards and are marketed under the name "Wi-Fi". Wi-Fi (WLAN) networks are different from cellular networks.

[0040] Automatically - where user input causes a computer system (e.g., software executed by a computer system) or device (e.g., circuitry, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.) to perform those actions or operations without directly specifying or performing the action or operation. Thus, the term "automatically" is contrasted with actions that are manually performed or specified by a user where the user provides input to directly perform the action. An automatic procedure may be initiated by input provided by a user, but subsequent actions that are "automatically" performed are not specified by the user. That is, each action performed is not "manually" specified by the user. For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting each field and providing input that specifies information (e.g., by typing information, selecting a checkbox, making radio selections, etc.) is considered a manual entry of the form even though the computer system must update the form in response to the user action. The form may be filled out automatically by a computer system, where the computer system (e.g., software executed on the computer system) analyzes the fields of the form and fills in the form without user input specifying responses to the fields. As noted above, the user may initiate the automatic filling of the form but is not involved in the actual filling of the form (e.g., the user does not manually specify responses to the fields; rather, the responses are automatically completed). This specification provides various examples of actions that are automatically performed in response to actions taken by a user.

[0041] configured to - Various components can be described as being "configured to" perform a task. In such a context, "configured to" is a broad description generally meaning "having a structure" that performs a task or tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently performing the task (e.g., a set of conductors may be configured to electrically connect a module to another module even when the two modules are not connected). In some contexts, "configured to" may be a broad description of structure generally meaning "having a circuit" that performs a task or tasks during operation. Thus, a component may be configured to perform a task even when the component is not currently on. Generally, a circuit forming the structure corresponding to "configured to" may include a hardware circuit.

[0042] In the description herein, for convenience, various components can be described as performing a task or tasks. Such descriptions should be construed to include the phrase "configured to". It is clearly intended that the description of a component configured to perform one or more tasks is not subject to the interpretation of that component under paragraph 6 of 35 U.S.C. 112. FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 - Exemplary Communication Systems

[0043] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communication system in which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented, according to some embodiments. Note that the system of FIG. 1 is merely an example of a possible system, and embodiments may be implemented in various systems as desired.

[0044] As shown, an exemplary wireless communication system includes a base station 102 that communicates with one or more (e.g., any number of) user devices 106A, 106B, etc., ~106N via a transmission medium. In this specification, each of the user devices may be referred to as a "user equipment" (UE) or a UE device. Thus, the user device 106 is referred to as a UE or a UE device.

[0045] The base station 102 may be a base transceiver station (BTS) or a cell site and may include hardware and / or software that enables wireless communication with the UEs 106A~106N. When the base station 102 is implemented in the context of LTE, it may alternatively be referred to as an "eNodeB" or "eNB". When the base station 102 is implemented in the context of 5G NR, it may alternatively be referred to as a "gNodeB" or "gNB". Also, the base station 102 may be equipped to communicate with a network 100 (e.g., among various possibilities, a core network of a cellular service provider, a telecommunications network such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN), and / or the Internet). Thus, the base station 102 can facilitate communication between user devices and / or communication between a user device and the network 100. The communication area (or coverage area) of the base station may be referred to as a "cell". Also, as used in this specification, from the perspective of a UE, the base station may be considered to represent the network as far as the uplink and downlink communications of the UE are concerned. Thus, a UE that communicates with one or more base stations in the network may be interpreted as a UE that communicates with the network.

[0046] The base station 102 and the user device may be configured to communicate over a transmission medium using any of various radio access technologies (RATs), also referred to as wireless communication technologies, or remote communication standards such as GSM, UMTS (WCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), LAA / LTE-U, 5G NR, 3GPP2 CDMA2000 (e.g., 1xRTT, 1xEV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-Fi, etc.

[0047] Accordingly, similar other base stations operating according to the same or different cellular communication standards as the base station 102 may be provided as one or more networks of cells that provide continuous or substantially continuous overlapping services across a geographic area to the UE106 and similar devices via one or more cellular communication standards.

[0048] Note that the UE106 may be capable of communicating using multiple wireless communication standards. For example, the UE106 may be configured to communicate using either or both of the 3GPP cellular communication standard or the 3GPP2 cellular communication standard. In some embodiments, the UE106 may be configured to perform techniques for receiving multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system with wireless access network sharing according to various methods described herein. The UE106 may further or alternatively be configured to communicate using, for example, WLAN, BLUETOOTH (trademark), one or more global navigation satellite systems (GNSS, e.g., GPS or GLONASS), one and / or more mobile television broadcast standards (e.g., ATSC-M / H), etc. Other combinations of wireless communication standards (including three or more wireless communication standards) are also possible.

[0049] FIG. 2 shows an exemplary user equipment 106 (e.g., one of devices 106A - 106N) in a communication state with base station 102 according to some embodiments. UE 106 may be a device having wireless network connectivity, such as a cellular phone, a handheld device, a wearable device, a computer or tablet, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), an unmanned aircraft controller (UAC), or substantially any type of wireless device. UE 106 may include a processor (processing element) configured to execute program instructions stored in a memory. By executing such stored instructions, UE 106 can execute any of the method embodiments described herein. Alternatively or in addition, UE 106 may include a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an integrated circuit, and / or any of various other possible hardware components configured to execute any of the method embodiments described herein, or any part of any of the method embodiments described herein (e.g., individually or in combination), such as programmable hardware elements. UE 106 may be configured to communicate using any of a plurality of wireless communication protocols. For example, UE 106 may be configured to communicate using two or more of CDMA2000, LTE, LTE - A, 5G NR, WLAN, or GNSS. Other combinations of wireless communication standards are possible.

[0050] UE 106 may include one or more antennas for communicating using one or more of the wireless communication protocols compliant with one or more RAT standards. In some embodiments, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive chain and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication standards. A shared radio may include a single antenna or multiple antennas (e.g., in the case of multiple-input multiple-power, i.e., "MIMO") for performing wireless communication. Generally, a radio may include any combination of a baseband processor, analog RF signal processing circuitry (including, e.g., filters, mixers, oscillators, amplifiers, etc.), or digital processing circuitry (for, e.g., digital modulation and other digital processing). Similarly, a radio may execute one or more receive and transmit chains using the above hardware. For example, UE 106 may share one or more portions of the receive and / or transmit chain among multiple wireless communication technologies such as the above technologies.

[0051] In some embodiments, UE 106 may include any number of antennas and may be configured to transmit and / or receive a directive radio signal (e.g., a beam) using the antennas. Similarly, BS 102 may include any number of antennas and may be configured to transmit and / or receive a directive radio signal (e.g., a beam) using the antennas. To receive and / or transmit such directive signals, the antennas of UE 106 and / or BS 102 may be configured to apply different "weights" to different antennas. The process of applying these different weights may be referred to as "precoding".

[0052] In some embodiments, UE 106 may include separate transmit and / or receive chains (e.g., including separate antennas and other radio components) for each of the radio communication protocols that UE 106 is configured to communicate with. As a further possibility, UE 106 may include one or more radios that are shared among multiple radio communication protocols and one or more radios that are exclusively used by a single radio communication protocol. For example, UE 106 may include a shared radio for communicating using either LTE or CDMA2000 1xRTT (or LTE or NR or LTE or GSM) and individual radios for communicating using each of Wi-Fi and BLUETOOTH (trademark). Other configurations are possible. Figure 3 - Block diagram of an exemplary UE device

[0053] Figure 3 shows a block diagram of an exemplary UE 106 according to some embodiments. As illustrated, UE 106 may include a system-on-chip (SOC) 300, which may include portions for various purposes. For example, as shown in the figure, SOC 300 may include a processor(s) 302 that can execute program instructions for UE 106, and a display circuit 304 that can perform graphic processing and supply a display signal to a display 360. SOC 300 may also include a sensor circuit 370 that may include components for sensing or measuring any of various possible characteristics or parameters of UE 106. For example, sensor circuit 370 may include a motion sensing circuit configured to detect the motion of UE 106 using, for example, any of a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and / or various other motion sensing components. As another possibility, sensor circuit 370 may include, for example, one or more antenna panels and / or one or more temperature sensing components for measuring the temperature of each of the other components of UE 106. Optionally, any of various other possible types of sensor circuits may be included additionally or alternatively in UE 106. Processor(s) 302 may be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 340, which receives addresses from processor(s) 302 and translates those addresses to locations within memory (e.g., memory 306, read-only memory (ROM) 350, NAND flash memory 310), and / or processor(s) 302 may be configured to couple to other circuits or devices such as display circuit 304, radio 330, connector I / F 320, and / or display 360. MMU 340 may be configured to perform memory protection and page table translation or setup. In some embodiments, MMU 340 may be included as part of processor(s) 302.

[0054] As shown in the figure, the SOC 300 may be coupled to various other circuits of the UE 106. For example, the UE 106 may include various types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 310), a connector interface 320 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system, dock, charging station, etc.), a display 360, and a wireless communication circuit 330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, NR, CDMA2000, BLUETOOTH™, Wi-Fi, GPS, etc.). The UE device 106 may include or be coupled to at least one antenna (e.g., 335a) and optionally a plurality of antennas (e.g., illustrated by antennas 335a and 335b) for performing wireless communication with a base station and / or other devices. Antennas 335a and 335b are shown as an example, and the UE device 106 may include fewer or more antennas. Generally, the one or more antennas are collectively referred to as antenna 335. For example, the UE device 106 may use antenna 335 and the radio circuit 330 to perform wireless communication. The communication circuit may include a plurality of receive chains and / or a plurality of transmit chains for receiving and / or transmitting a plurality of spatial streams, such as in a multiple-input multiple output (MIMO) configuration. As described above, in some embodiments, the UE may be configured to wirelessly communicate using multiple wireless communication standards.

[0055] UE 106 may include hardware and software components for implementing a method for implementing techniques for receiving multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system with wireless access network sharing, as further described hereinafter in this specification. The processor(s) 302 of the UE device 106 may be configured to execute some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). In other embodiments, the processor(s) 302 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Further, the processor(s) 302 may be coupled to and / or interoperate with other components, as shown in FIG. 3, for implementing techniques for receiving multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system with wireless access network sharing, according to various embodiments disclosed herein. The processor(s) 302 may also execute various other applications and / or end-user applications operating on the UE 106.

[0056] In some embodiments, radio 330 may include separate controllers dedicated to communication control for various respective RAT standards. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, radio 330 may include a Wi-Fi controller 352, a cellular controller (e.g., LTE and / or LTE-A controller) 354, and a BLUETOOTH™ controller 356, and in at least some embodiments, one or more or all of these controllers may be implemented as respective integrated circuits (abbreviated as ICs or chips) that communicate with each other and with SOC 300 (more specifically, with processor(s) 302). For example, Wi-Fi controller 352 may communicate with cellular controller 354 via a cell-ISM link or a WCI interface, and / or BLUETOOTH™ controller 356 may communicate with cellular controller 354 via a cell-ISM link or the like. Although three separate controllers are shown within radio 330, other embodiments may have fewer or more similar controllers for various different RATs that may be implemented in UE device 106.

[0057] Furthermore, embodiments are also envisioned in which a controller can perform functions related to multiple radio access technologies. For example, according to some embodiments, cellular controller 354 may include hardware components and / or software components for performing one or more activities related to Wi-Fi, such as Wi-Fi preamble detection and / or generation and transmission of Wi-Fi physical layer preamble signals, in addition to hardware components and / or software components for performing cellular communication. FIG. 4 - Block Diagram of an Exemplary Base Station

[0058] Figure 4 shows a block diagram of an exemplary base station 102 according to some embodiments. Note that the base station of FIG. 4 is merely an example of a possible base station. As shown in the figure, base station 102 may include a processor(s) 404 capable of executing program instructions for base station 102. The processor(s) 404 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 440, which is configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 404 and translate those addresses to locations within a memory (e.g., memory 460 and read-only memory (ROM) 450) or other circuits or devices.

[0059] Base station 102 may include at least one network port 470. Network port 470 may be configured to couple to a telephone network and provide access to the telephone network to a plurality of devices such as UE device 106 as described in FIGS. 1 and 2 above. Network port 470 (or an additional network port) may also or alternatively be configured to couple to a cellular network, e.g., the core network of a cellular service provider. The core network may provide mobility-related services and / or other services to a plurality of devices such as UE device 106. In some cases, network port 470 may be able to couple to the telephone network via the core network, and / or the core network may be able to provide the telephone network (e.g., between other UE devices served by a cellular service provider).

[0060] In some embodiments, base station 102 may be a next-generation base station, e.g., a 5G New Radio (5G NR) base station, or a "gNB". In such embodiments, base station 102 may be connected to a legacy evolved packet core (EPC) network and / or an NR core (NRC) network. Additionally, base station 102 may be regarded as a 5G NR cell and may include one or more transmit and receive points (TRPs). Additionally, a UE capable of operating according to 5G NR may be connected to one or more TRPs within one or more gNBs.

[0061] Base station 102 may include at least one antenna 434, and possibly a plurality of antennas if possible. The antenna(s) 434 may be configured to operate as a radio transceiver and may be further configured to communicate with UE device 106 by radio 430. The antenna(s) 434 communicate with radio 430 via communication chain 432. Communication chain 432 may be a receive chain, a transmit chain, or both. Radio 430 may be designed to communicate via various wireless communication standards including, but not limited to, 5G NR, 5G NR SAT, LTE, LTE-A, GSM, UMTS, CDMA2000, Wi-Fi, etc.

[0062] The base station 102 can be configured to perform wireless communication using multiple wireless communication standards. In some cases, the base station 102 can include multiple radios, which can enable the base station 102 to communicate according to multiple wireless communication technologies. For example, as one possibility, the base station 102 may include an LTE radio for performing communication according to LTE, and a 5G NR radio for performing communication according to 5G NR. In such a case, the base station 102 may be able to operate as both an LTE base station and a 5G NR base station. As another possibility, the base station 102 may include a multi-mode radio, which can perform communication according to any of multiple wireless communication technologies (such as 5G NR and Wi-Fi, 5G NR SAT and Wi-Fi, LTE and Wi-Fi, LTE and UMTS, LTE and CDMA2000, UMTS and GSM, etc.).

[0063] As further described below in this specification, BS102 may include hardware and software components for implementing or supporting the implementation of the features described in this specification. The processor 404 of the base station 102 can be configured to execute some or all of the methods described in this specification and / or support the execution thereof, for example, by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (such as a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 404 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or as a combination thereof. For a given RAT, such as Wi-Fi, the base station 102 may be designed as an access point (AP), in which case the network port 470 may be implemented to provide access to a wide area network and / or a local area network(s), and may include, for example, at least one Ethernet port, and the radio 430 may be designed to communicate according to the Wi-Fi standard.

[0064] In addition, as described herein, the processor(s) 404 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the processor(s) 404 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) 404. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the processor(s) 404.

[0065] Furthermore, as described herein, the wireless device 430 may include one or more processing elements. Thus, the wireless device 430 may include one or more integrated circuits (ICs) configured to perform the functions of the wireless device 430. Additionally, each integrated circuit may include circuits (e.g., a first circuit, a second circuit, etc.) configured to perform the functions of the wireless device 430. Figure 5 - Exemplary Block Diagram of Network Elements

[0066] Figure 5 shows an exemplary block diagram of a network element 500 according to some embodiments. According to some embodiments, the network element 500 can implement one or more logical functions / entities of a cellular core network, such as a mobility management entity (MME), a serving gateway (S-GW), an access and management function (AMF), a session management function (SMF), etc. Note that the network element 500 in FIG. 5 is merely one example of a possible network element 500. As shown, the core network element 500 may include a processor(s) 504, and the processor 504 may execute program instructions for the core network element 500. The processor(s) 504 may also be coupled to a memory management unit (MMU) 540, and the memory management unit 540 may be configured to receive addresses from the processor(s) 504 and translate those addresses into locations within a memory (e.g., memory 560 and read-only memory (ROM) 550) or other circuits or devices.

[0067] The network element 500 may include at least one network port 570. The network port 570 may be configured to couple to one or more base stations and / or other cellular network entities and / or devices. The network element 500 may communicate with a base station (e.g., eNB / gNB) and / or other network entities / devices using any of a variety of communication protocols and / or interfaces.

[0068] As will be further described hereinafter in this specification, the network element 500 may include hardware and software components for performing and / or supporting the functions described in this specification. The processor(s) 504 of the core network element 500 may be configured to perform or support the execution of some or all of the methods described herein, for example, by executing program instructions stored in a memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium). Alternatively, the processor 504 may be configured as a programmable hardware element such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or as a combination thereof. Figure 6 - Multicast and Broadcast Services in Wireless Access Network Sharing Deployment

[0069] Network sharing may involve the practice of sharing network equipment among multiple network operators. Network sharing can be realized at the radio access network (RAN) level, for example, by deploying one or more cellular base stations that can provide services associated with any of a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs) to wireless devices, including as at least one possible aspect of a network sharing deployment. In at least some examples, such a deployment may have the potential to reduce network capital expenditure by network operators, provide services more efficiently to wireless devices, and / or provide other benefits.

[0070] To realize such potential, it may be beneficial to introduce new techniques and / or features to support enhanced network resource utilization efficiency in conjunction with such network sharing deployments. For example, it may be possible to introduce techniques for providing multicast and broadcast services in a wireless communication system with RAN sharing that can provide such improved efficiency. Figure 6 is a flowchart diagram showing aspects of such a method according to at least some embodiments.

[0071] Aspects of the method of FIG. 6 can be performed by a cellular base station, optionally in conjunction with one or more wireless devices, such as UE106, BS102, and / or other cellular network elements, and / or the cellular network element 500 illustrated and described with respect to the various figures herein, or more generally, any of the computer circuits, systems, devices, elements, or components shown in the above figures, in particular. For example, a processor (and / or other hardware) of such a device may be configured to cause the device to execute any combination of the method elements shown in the figure and / or other method elements.

[0072] Although at least some elements of the method of FIG. 6 are described as relating to the use of communication techniques and / or features associated with 3GPP standards and / or NR standard documents, such descriptions are not intended to limit the present disclosure. It should be noted that aspects of the method of FIG. 6 can be used in any suitable wireless communication system, optionally. In various embodiments, some of the elements of the method shown in the figure may be performed simultaneously, may be performed in an order different from the order shown in the figure, may be replaced by other method elements, or may be omitted. Optionally, additional method elements may be performed. As shown, the method of FIG. 6 can operate as follows.

[0073] At 602, the wireless device can establish a wireless link with a cellular base station. According to some embodiments, the wireless link may include a cellular link based on 5G NR. For example, the wireless device can establish a session with an AMF entity of the cellular network via one or more gNBs that provide wireless access to the cellular network. As another possibility, the wireless link may include a cellular link based on LTE. For example, the wireless device can establish a session with a mobility management entity of the cellular network via an eNB that provides wireless access to the cellular network. Other types of cellular links are also possible, and the cellular network can operate additionally or alternatively according to other cellular communication technologies (e.g., UMTS, CDMA2000, GSM, etc.) according to various embodiments.

[0074] In some embodiments, the cellular base station can be part of a radio access network (RAN) shared deployment and can be associated with a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs), for example, including at least a first PLMN and a second PLMN. In such a scenario, it may be possible for the cellular base station to provide home PLMN (HPLMN) services to wireless devices associated with either the first PLMN or the second PLMN. In other words, the cellular base station can provide services to (at least) a first wireless device associated with the first PLMN and (at least) a second wireless device associated with the second PLMN without the need for either the first wireless device or the second wireless device to roam to access the services. It should be noted that in at least some examples, it may also be possible for the cellular base station to be associated with three or more PLMNs.

[0075] Establishing a radio link may include establishing an RRC connection with a serving cellular base station, according to at least some embodiments. Establishing a first RRC connection may include configuring various parameters for communication between the wireless device and the cellular base station, and establishing any of the wireless device's context information and / or various other possible features related to, for example, establishing an air interface for the wireless device, and performing cellular communication with a cellular network associated with the cellular base station. After establishing the RRC connection, the wireless device can operate in the RRC connected state. In some instances, the RRC connection may also be released (e.g., after a specific inactive period with respect to data communication), in which case the wireless device can operate in the RRC idle state or the RRC inactive state. In some instances, the wireless device may perform a handover (e.g., while in the RRC connected mode) or perform cell reselection to a new serving cell (e.g., in the RRC idle or RRC inactive mode) due to any of wireless device mobility and / or various other possible reasons that change the radio medium conditions.

[0076] In at least some instances, establishing a radio link(s) may include the wireless device providing its capability information. Such capability information may include information related to any of various types of wireless device functions.

[0077] In 604, the cellular base station may receive MBS session setup information for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session. The cellular base station may determine that the MBS session is associated with multiple PLMNs. The association of the MBS session with multiple PLMNs may be identified in any of various ways.

[0078] In some embodiments, the association of MBS sessions with multiple PLMNs can be identified based at least in part on the cellular base station receiving MBS session setup information for the MBS session from each of the multiple PLMNs. For example, the cellular base station may receive MBS session setup information for the MBS session from a network entity associated with a first PLMN (e.g., an AMF and / or a multicast broadcast session management function (MB-SMF)), and may receive MBS session setup information for the MBS session from a network entity associated with a second PLMN (e.g., an AMF and / or an MB-SMF). In such a scenario, the MBS session setup information may include information that can be used by the cellular base station (e.g., on its own or in combination with other information available to the cellular base station) to determine that multiple PLMNs are requesting that the same MBS service be provided in the MBS session.

[0079] As one such possibility, some or all of the network with RAN sharing deployment may cooperate to pre-configure the cellular base station using information indicating that a specific Temporary Mobile Group Identifier (TMGI) is associated. For example, the cellular base station may receive an indication that a specific TMGI is associated (e.g., they are used to refer to the same MBS service by different PLMNs), for example, by an Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) configuration. Thus, the cellular base station may receive an indication that a first TMGI and a second TMGI are associated. In such a scenario, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the first PLMN may indicate the first TMGI for the MBS session, and the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the second PLMN may indicate the second TMGI for the MBS session. Based on the TMGI indicated for the MBS session and the pre-configured association between the TMGIs, the cellular base station may be able to identify that both PLMNs are configuring the same MBS service, and thus, associate the MBS session with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN.

[0080] As another such possibility, some or all of the network with RAN shared deployment may cooperate to unify their use of the MBS service identification (ID) fields of those TMGIs across multiple PLMNs. For example, in such a scenario, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a first PLMN may indicate a first TMGI for the MBS session, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a second PLMN may indicate a second TMGI for the MBS session, and the MBS service ID fields for the first TMGI and the second TMGI may be the same. Based on the TMGIs indicated for the MBS sessions that include the same MBS service ID field, the cellular base station can identify that both PLMNs are configuring the same MBS service, and thus can associate the MBS session for that MBS service with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN.

[0081] As a further possibility, even if the MBS service ID fields of those TMGIs are not unified across multiple PLMNs, it may be possible to configure some or all of the network with RAN sharing to use separate unified MBS service identification frameworks. For example, MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a first PLMN includes MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies MBS sessions across multiple PLMNs (e.g., separate from the TMGI), and MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a second PLMN also includes such MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies MBS sessions across multiple PLMNs, and it may be the case that the MBS service identification information within the MBS session setup information received from both network entities is the same. In such a scenario, the cellular base station can identify that both PLMNs are configuring the same MBS service, at least in part based on the MBS service identification information being the same for the MBS session indicated, and thus can associate the MBS session for that MBS service with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN.

[0082] As a further possibility, a special component carrier and / or service area may be configured to provide one MBS session. For example, MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a first PLMN may indicate to use a component carrier configured (e.g., by a cellular base station) to provide one MBS session to set up the MBS session. The MBS session setup information may also be received by a cellular base station for the MBS session from a network entity associated with a second PLMN that indicates to use a component carrier configured to provide one MBS session to set up the MBS session. In such a scenario, the cellular base station may determine that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN based at least in part on the MBS session setup information received from both PLMNs that indicates to use a component carrier configured to provide one MBS session to set up the MBS session. As another example, MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a first PLMN may indicate to use a service area configured (e.g., by a cellular base station) to provide one MBS session to set up the MBS session. The MBS session setup information may also be received by a cellular base station for the MBS session from a network entity associated with a second PLMN that indicates to use a service area configured to provide one MBS session to set up the MBS session. In such a scenario, the cellular base station may determine that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN based at least in part on the MBS session setup information received from both PLMNs that indicates to use a service area configured to provide one MBS session to set up the MBS session.

[0083] As yet another possibility, it may be possible to adjust the shared / unified TMGI design between those PLMNs such that some or all of the network with RAN sharing deployment can identify the MBS services set up at the cellular base stations that are part of the RAN sharing deployment between them. In other words, it may be possible to adjust the TMGI design such that the shared TMGI is designed to uniquely identify MBS services across multiple PLMNs. For example, a shared mobile network code (MNC) for combinations of PLMNs can be defined, and the MBS session setup information for an MBS session can include the shared MNC value within the MNC field of the TMGI for the MBS service. In at least some examples, the MBS service ID field of the TMGI can also be unified across multiple PLMNs for the same MBS service. In such a scenario, the cellular base station can associate the MBS session for the MBS service with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN based on the TMGI for the MBS session associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN.

[0084] Note that in at least some embodiments, in such a scenario, the cellular base station may be able to identify that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN even if the MBS session setup information is received only from one or the other of the first PLMN or the second PLMN. Also, it may be possible for the cellular base station to receive MBS session setup information for the MBS session from both the first PLMN and the second PLMN. In such a scenario, the same shared TMGI may be indicated by both PLMNs for the MBS session, and the cellular base station may be able to determine that both MBS session setup requests refer to the same MBS service based at least in part on the TMGIs in both MBS session setup requests being the same.

[0085] It should be noted that additional or alternative mechanisms for determining to associate an MBS session with multiple PLMNs are also possible for the mechanisms described in this specification.

[0086] In 606, according to various embodiments, a cellular base station can configure an MBS session associated with multiple PLMNs, and can potentially include wireless devices served by the cellular base station, including wireless devices associated with either or both of a first PLMN or a second PLMN, and can provide an associated MBS service including other wireless devices.

[0087] Configuring an MBS session can be performed in a manner that at least partially depends on how the cellular base station identifies that the MBS session is identified using multiple PLMNs. For example, in various scenarios where different TMGIs are configured by different PLMNs when performing an MBS session setup (e.g., associated with different PLMNs), the cellular base station may configure the MBS session using multiple different TMGIs (e.g., at least a first TMGI and a second TMGI). This can enable a wireless device served by the cellular base station to identify that the MBS session is associated with each of the PLMNs associated with the TMGI for which the MBS session was configured. In at least some examples, this can enable the wireless device to receive content for an MBS session that is identified via a TMGI associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device. For example, a first TMGI indicated for an MBS session may be associated with a PLMN associated with the wireless device, and a second TMGI indicated for the MBS session may be associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device. In this exemplary scenario, it may be possible for the wireless device to receive content for an MBS session identified via the second TMGI and for the wireless device to identify that the content is for an MBS session based at least in part on the second TMGI. As another example, if the MBS session is a multicast MBS session, and a first TMGI for the MBS session is associated with a PLMN associated with the wireless device, and a second TMGI for the MBS session is associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device, the wireless device may be able to receive paging for the multicast MBS session for the second TMGI and may be able to trigger a connection to receive the multicast MBS session based at least in part on the second TMGI.

[0088] As another possibility, in a scenario where an integrated / shared TMGI framework is established between cooperating networks and such shared TMGI is provided when performing MBS session setup, the cellular base station may configure the MBS session using the shared TMGI. In such a scenario, the wireless device may be able to identify that the MBS session is associated with at least one PLMN associated with the wireless device, and thus the wireless device may be able to join the MBS session and receive content for the MBS session.

[0089] In some embodiments, it should be noted that if MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies an MBS session across multiple PLMNs is provided to the cellular base station (and potentially used to identify that the MBS session is associated with multiple PLMNs), such MBS service identification information may be provided as part of the MBS session configuration as needed. Such information may be used to identify the MBS services provided by the MBS session. Additionally, or alternatively, in the case of a multicast use case, the network may be able to use such information to indicate MBS multicast activation in the notification paging for the MBS session. Alternatively, even if such MBS service identification information is provided to the cellular base station, the information may be transparent (e.g., not provided) to the wireless device (e.g., during MBS session configuration, etc.). In such a scenario, existing mechanisms for identifying the service(s) of interest, such as the MBS service ID field included in the TMGI(s) for the MBS session, may be used by the wireless device.

[0090] Accordingly, according to at least some embodiments, the method of FIG. 6 can be used, in at least some instances, to provide a framework in which a shared RAN can provide broadcast and multicast services in a resource-efficient manner. For example, using the techniques described herein, the same broadcast or multicast service can be provided from an application function (e.g., via one or more cellular core networks) to a shared cellular base station and to wireless devices (e.g., including devices associated with multiple networks sharing the cellular base station) served by the cellular base station. When provided, it may be possible to utilize a network sharing configuration to avoid duplicate provision of services to wireless devices associated with different networks from the cellular base station. Thereby, according to at least some embodiments, more efficient use of network resources can be achieved than if broadcast or multicast services were provided separately for each of the networks sharing the cellular base station. FIGS. 7-18 and Additional Information

[0091] FIGS. 7-18 illustrate further aspects that can be used in conjunction with the method of FIG. 6, if desired. However, it should be noted that the exemplary details shown in and described with respect to FIGS. 7-18 are not intended to limit the present disclosure as a whole, and many variations and alternatives to the details provided herein are possible and should be considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0092] In the 3GPP Release 17 NR multicast and broadcast service (MBS) design, an MBS service / session can be identified by a Temporary Mobile Group Identifier (TMGI) that can be assigned by the 5G Core (5GC) network. The TMGI can be different (e.g., even for the same service) for different Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs) and network operators. In the 5GC-Radio Access Network (RAN) interface, an MBS broadcast / multicast shared session can be set up per MBS session. With respect to the RAN, a gNB can provide configuration and transmission for MBS multicast / broadcast services using MBS radio bearers. In some examples, one MRB can be permitted to be associated with at most one MBS session and TMGI. According to at least some embodiments, further aspects and details of the 3GPP Release 17 NR MBS design can be found in 3GPP TS 23.003 v.17.5.0, 3GPP TS 38.331 v.17.0.0, and 3GPP TS 38.413 v.17.0.0.

[0093] Network sharing can be a practice that includes sharing cellular network infrastructure equipment among multiple network operators, for example, to reduce network capital expenditure. In a RAN sharing deployment, when the same multicast / broadcast service is provided separately by two (or more) operators, potentially, this service may be recognized as separate TMGIs, which may result in duplicate point-to-multipoint (PTM) radio resource consumption in the same cell for the transmission of the same content. FIG. 7 shows an aspect of such a possible scenario according to some embodiments. As shown, for an MBS service (“MBS Service #x”), an application function (AF) 702 may provide the MBS service to one 5GC 704 operated by one operator (“Operator 1”) using TMGI#1, and may provide the MBS service to another 5GC 706 operated by another operator (“Operator 2”) using TMGI#2. The service may be provided redundantly to a shared RAN / gNB 708, and then the shared RAN / gNB 708 may redundantly provide the MBS Service #x to a UE 710 served by that cell from the same serving cell (shared by Operator 1 and Operator 2). This separate / duplicate PTM resource allocation for different operators can be a relatively inefficient use of resources.

[0094] Therefore, in at least some examples, it may be beneficial to provide techniques that can more efficiently manage MBS resources in a RAN sharing scenario. Among various possibilities, there may be various possible techniques for improving the resource usage efficiency for MBS sessions in a RAN sharing scenario, including, inter alia, a way in which a shared / unified TMGI design can be supported across different PLMNs, and a way in which multiple TMGIs can be associated with one MBS service / session.

[0095] Figure 8 shows an exemplary aspect of a possible TMGI structure according to some embodiments. As shown, the structure may include a six-digit MBMS service ID field 802, a three-digit MCC field 804, and a two- or three-digit MNC field 806. In an approach where a shared TMGI design is supported, an operator may be able to adjust the TMGI allocation such that, for example, the same TMGI can be used by multiple PLMNs to identify the same MBS service. Operators adopting such an approach may cooperate to ensure that the same MBMS service ID is used by each of the operators involved in a RAN sharing deployment for the same MBMS service. Further, according to at least some embodiments, a shared PLMN ID may be defined for each combination of network operators involved in a RAN sharing deployment, which may be used to ensure that the MNC field of the TMGI is uniform across each set of network operators involved in the RAN sharing deployment.

[0096] Figure 9 shows an aspect of a possible scenario in which a shared / unified TMGI is used across different PLMNs according to some embodiments. As shown, in the illustrated scenario, for an MBS service (“MBS service #x”), an AF 902 may provide the MBS service to one 5GC 904 operated by one operator (“Operator 1”) using TMGI #x and to another 5GC 906 operated by another operator (“Operator 2”) using TMGI #x. The service may be provided redundantly to a shared RAN / gNB 908 that may recognize that the same MBS service #x is being received from both 5GCs, and a single MBS session for MBS service #x may be set up for a UE 910 served by that cell from the serving cell.

[0097] Figure 10 is a signal flow diagram showing an exemplary network communication mode of the scenario of FIG. 9 according to some embodiments. The illustrated scenario may include communication between UE1002, gNB1004, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1006, and AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1008. As shown, at 1010, gNB1004 may establish a broadcast configuration with UE1002 in which PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 1012, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1006 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1004 for TMGI#x. At 1014, gNB1004 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using TMGI#x. At 1016, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1008 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1004 for TMGI#x. At 1018, gNB1004 may recognize that the MBS session setup request is for the same MBS service (from different 5GCs). According to at least some embodiments, for duplicate requests from different 5GC / operators, the gNB may not need to set up another MBS session or declare a failure.

[0098] Figure 11 shows aspects of another possible scenario in which a shared / unified TMGI is used across different PLMNs according to some embodiments. As shown, in the illustrated scenario, for an MBS service ("MBS service #x"), AF1102 may provide the MBS service to one 5GC1106 operated by operator 2 using TMGI#x. In the illustrated scenario, the AF may recognize the RAN sharing configuration between operators and may not provide the MBS service to 5GC1104 operated by operator 1. The service may be provided to the shared RAN / gNB1108, and the shared RAN / gNB1108 may set up a single MBS session for MBS service #x for the UE1110 served by that cell from the serving cell.

[0099] Figure 12 is a signal flow diagram showing an exemplary network communication mode of the scenario of FIG. 11 according to some embodiments. The illustrated scenario may include communication between UE1202, gNB1204, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1206, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1208, and AF1210. As shown, at 1212, gNB1204 may establish a broadcast configuration with UE1202 where PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 1214, AF may recognize that two MB-SMFs have a RAN sharing deployment. According to at least some embodiments, AF may be pre-configured with which operator shares the RAN deployment at the Uu interface. At 1216, AF1210 may provide a TMGI allocation (TMGI#x) to AMF-2 / MF-SMF-2 1208. At 1218, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1208 may execute an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1204 for TMGI#x. At 1220, gNB1204 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using TMGI#x.

[0100] At 1222, AF1210 may determine to switch the service to AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1206. It should be noted that while it may generally not be necessary to trigger an MBS session setup in this way via another operator after a previous setup of the MBS session has already been executed, it may be executed as needed based on a failure of the previous setup and / or other events (e.g., as one possibility, network congestion). At 1224, AF may provide a TMGI allocation (TMGI#x) to AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1206. At 1226, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1206 may execute an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1204 for TMGI#x.

[0101] As described previously in this specification, the technique by which multiple TMGIs can be associated with one MBS service / session can be another possibility for efficiently providing multicast and broadcast services in a RAN shared deployment. FIG. 13 is a signal flow diagram showing the network communication aspects of one such exemplary scenario according to some embodiments. The illustrated scenario can include communication between UE1302, gNB1304, AMF-1 1306, and AMF-2 1308. As shown, at 1310, gNB1304 can establish a broadcast configuration with UE1302 where PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 1312, AMF-1 1306 can perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1304 for TMGI#x. At 1314, gNB1304 can provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using TMGI#x. At 1316, AMF-2 1308 can perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1304 for TMGI#y. At 1318, the gNB can recognize that the MBS service for TMGI#y is the same as that for TMGI#x. The gNB can provide an MRB and MBS traffic channel (MTCH) configuration for each MBS service, for example, such that an MRB can be associated with multiple TMGIs. Thus, at 1320, gNB1304 can provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using both TMGI#x and TMGI#y. It should be noted that the AMF can configure the gNB as needed, for example, via the MBS service area information IE in the 5GC-RAN interface, such that the RAN sharing operation or a particular MBS service is applicable only on a particular carrier.

[0102] In the case of UE operation, it may also be possible for the UE to be configured using one MRB / MTCH associated with multiple TMGIs. The UE may be able to identify the MBS service not only via its own TMGI, but also via other TMGIs associated with the same MRB / MTCH. In the case of an MBS multicast activation notification, it may be possible for the UE to activate the MBS multicast session when any associated TMGI is indicated in paging.

[0103] In the central unit (CU)-distributed unit (DU) interface, the MBS service / MRB setup may also be mapped onto multiple TMGIs configured for the same MBS service.

[0104] For such an approach, there may further exist various possible techniques for making the gNB recognize the association between TMGIs. As one possibility, the MBS service ID field within the TMGI may be unified across a shared operator / PLMN, which may be used to identify that the multicast / broadcast service is the same for different TMGIs. As another possibility, the association between multiple TMGIs may be configured for the gNB via operation, administration, and maintenance (OAM) means, or other means. As a further possibility, a new global MBS service ID may be introduced to associate with the MBS service that may be linked to multiple TMGIs. As yet another possibility, it may be possible to associate the MBS service with a special carrier, and the special carrier may be specified or defined such that all TMGIs delivered on the special carrier refer to the same MBS session.

[0105] Figure 14 is a signaling flow diagram showing further details of an exemplary scenario in which the MBS service ID field within the TMGI can be unified across operators / PLMNs that share it. The illustrated scenario can include communication between UE1402, gNB1404, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1406, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1408, and AF1410. As shown, at 1412, the AF may recognize that MB-SMF-1 / PLMN#1 and MB-SMF-2 / PLMN#2 are shared and may allocate a unified MBS service ID#A for the MBS service. At 1414, the gNB1404 may be configured to allocate MBS resources per MB service ID (e.g., not per TMGI). At 1416, the gNB1404 can establish a broadcast configuration with the UE1402 where PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 1418, the AF1410 may generate an MBS broadcast context with AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1406 using TMGI#x having MBS service ID = A. At 1420, the AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1406 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with the gNB1404 for TMGI#x. At 1422, the gNB1404 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session#1 using TMGI#x. At 1424, the AF1410 may generate an MBS broadcast context with AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1408 using TMGI#y having MBS service ID = A. At 1426, the AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1408 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with the gNB1404 for TMGI#y. At 1428, the gNB may recognize that the MBS service for TMGI#y is the same as that for TMGI#x based on the fact that the MBS service ID in both TMGIs is set to A.Thus, at 1430, gNB 1404 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using both TMGI#x and TMGI#y.

[0106] Figure 15 is a signaling flow diagram showing further details of an exemplary scenario in which an association between multiple TMGIs can be configured for a gNB that is part of a RAN sharing deployment via OAM or other means. The illustrated scenario may include communication between UE 1502, gNB 1504, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1506, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1508, and AF 1510. As shown, at 1512, the gNB may recognize that there is an association between TMGI#x and TMGI#y. At 1514, gNB 1504 may establish a broadcast configuration with UE 1502 in which PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 1516, AF 1510 may generate an MBS broadcast context with AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1506 using TMGI#x. At 1518, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1506 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB 1504 for TMGI#x. At 1520, gNB 1504 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using TMGI#x. At 1522, AF 1510 may generate an MBS broadcast context with AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1508 using TMGI#y. At 1524, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1508 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB 1504 for TMGI#y. Since gNB 1504 may recognize that the MBS service for TMGI#y is the same as that for TMGI#x based on a pre-configured association between TMGI#x and TMGI#y, at 1526, gNB 1504 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using both TMGI#x and TMGI#y.

[0107] Figure 16 is a signaling flow diagram showing further details of an exemplary scenario in which a new global MBS service ID may be introduced to associate multiple TMGIs with the same MBS service. The illustrated scenario may include communication between UE1602, gNB1604, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1606, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1608, and AF1610. At 1612, gNB1604 may be configured to allocate MBS resources per global MBS service ID (e.g., not per TMGI). At 1614, gNB1604 may establish a broadcast configuration with UE1602 where PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 616, AF1610 may generate an MBS broadcast context with AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1606 using TMGI#x having global MBS ID = A. At 1618, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1606 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1604 for TMGI#x, including indicating that the MBS service has global MBS ID = A. At 1620, gNB1604 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using TMGI#x. At 1622, AF1610 may generate an MBS broadcast context with AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1608 using TMGI#y having global MBS ID = A. At 1624, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1608 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1604 for TMGI#y, including indicating that the MBS service has global MBS ID = A. The gNB may recognize that the MBS service for TMGI#y is the same as that for TMGI#x based on the global MBS ID associated with both TMGIs being set to A. Thus, at 1626, gNB1604 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using both TMGI#x and TMGI#y.

[0108] As shown, FIG. 16 also shows possible MBS session ID and global MBS ID information element descriptions that may be included in 3GPP technical specifications as part of defining how such global MBS ID parameters can be used in a 3GPP-based communication system, according to at least some embodiments. Note that the illustrated description section is merely exemplary and variations or alternatives are possible.

[0109] Note that according to various embodiments, such a new global MBS service ID may be transparent to the UE (e.g., as shown in the scenario of FIG. 16) or may be configured with the TMGI for the UE. The UE may be able to use the global MBS ID information to identify MBS services of interest to the UE at the Uu interface. The network may be able to use the global MBS ID to indicate MBS multicast activation in notification paging (e.g., in the case of multicast).

[0110] Figure 17 is a signaling flow diagram showing further details of an exemplary scenario where a special carrier may be configured to provide one MBS service according to some embodiments. The illustrated scenario may include communication between UE1702, gNB1704, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1706, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1708, and AF1710. As shown, at 1712, the gNB may configure a carrier (Component Carrier 1 or CC#1) and / or a specific service area to provide only one MBS service. Thus, all TMGIs distributed on CC#1 and / or within the configured service area may be known to refer to the same MBS session. At 1714, gNB1704 may establish a broadcast configuration with UE1702 where PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 1716, AF1710 may provide a TMGI allocation to AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1706 using TMGI#x and the service area configured as "A". At 1718, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1706 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1704 for TMGI#x, and the MBS session is configured for CC#1 based on the service area configured as A. At 1720, gNB1704 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using TMGI#x on CC#1. At 1722, AF1710 may provide a TMGI allocation to AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1708 using TMGI#y and the service area configured as "A". At 1724, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1708 may perform an MBS broadcast setup with gNB1704 for TMGI#y, and the MBS session is configured for CC#1 based on the service area configured as A.Based on the association with the special carrier CC#1, gNB1704 may recognize that the MBS service for TMGI#y is the same as that for TMGI#x. Therefore, at 1726, gNB1704 may provide a broadcast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using both TMGI#x and TMGI#y on CC#1.

[0111] Figure 18 is a signaling flow diagram showing further details of possible UE operations in a scenario where multiple TMGIs can be associated with one MBS multicast service / session according to some embodiments. The illustrated scenario may include communication between UE1802, gNB1804, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1806, and AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1808. As shown, at 1810, gNB1804 may establish a broadcast configuration with UE1802 where PLMN#1 and PLMN#2 have RAN sharing. At 1812, AMF-1 / MB-SMF-1 1806 may perform an MBS multicast setup with gNB1804 for TMGI#x. At 1814, gNB1804 may provide a multicast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using TMGI#x. At 1816, AMF-2 / MB-SMF-2 1808 may perform an MBS multicast setup with gNB1804 for TMGI#y. At 1818, gNB1804 may recognize that the MBS service for TMGI#y is the same as that for TMGI#x. Therefore, at 1820, gNB1804 may provide a multicast MBS session configuration for MBS session #1 using both TMGI#x and TMGI#y.

[0112] In 1822, UE 1802 may participate in a multicast session TMGI#x. UE 1802 may recognize, for example, from at least the multicast MBS session configuration that TMGI#x and TMG#y are associated with the same MBS service. In 1824, the UE may receive paging including a notification for TMGI#y. In 1826, UE 1802 may trigger a connection to receive the MBS service based on the paging notification for TMGI#y and the knowledge that TMGI#x and TMG#y are associated. Thus, in such a scenario, according to at least some embodiments, the UE may be able to activate the MBS multicast session when any TMGI associated with the MBS service of interest is indicated in paging.

[0113] Further exemplary embodiments are provided below.

[0114] One set of embodiments includes receiving MBS session setup information for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session from a network entity associated with a first public land mobile network (PLMN) by a cellular base station associated with at least the first PLMN and a second PLMN, determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN, and configuring the MBS session associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN.

[0115] According to some embodiments, the method further includes receiving MBS session setup information for an MBS session from a network entity associated with a second PLMN, and determining that the MBS session is associated with both a first PLMN and a second PLMN is at least partially based on receiving MBS session setup information for the MBS session from both a network entity associated with the first PLMN and a network entity associated with the second PLMN.

[0116] According to some embodiments, the method further includes receiving an indication that a first temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) and a second TMGI are associated with each other, and the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the first PLMN indicates a first TMGI for the MBS session, and the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates a second TMGI for the MBS session.

[0117] According to some embodiments, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the first PLMN indicates a first temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) for the MBS session, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates a second TMGI for the MBS session, and the MBS service identification fields for the first TMGI and the second TMGI are the same.

[0118] According to some embodiments, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a first PLMN includes MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies an MBS session across multiple PLMNs, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a second PLMN includes MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies an MBS session across multiple PLMNs, and the MBS service identification information in the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the first PLMN is the same as the MBS service identification information in the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with the second PLMN.

[0119] According to some embodiments, determining that an MBS session is associated with both a first PLMN and a second PLMN is at least partially based on a Temporary Mobile Group Identifier (TMGI) for the MBS session.

[0120] According to some embodiments, the TMGI for an MBS session is a shared TMGI associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN.

[0121] According to some embodiments, the method further includes configuring a component carrier to provide one MBS session, and the MBS session associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is configured on the component carrier.

[0122] According to some embodiments, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a first PLMN indicates to set up an MBS session using a component carrier configured to provide one MBS session, the method further comprising receiving MBS session setup information for the MBS session from a network entity associated with a second PLMN, the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates to set up an MBS session using a component carrier configured to provide one MBS session, determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is based at least in part on the MBS session setup information received from both the network entity associated with the first PLMN and the network entity associated with the second PLMN, which indicates to set up an MBS session using a component carrier configured to provide one MBS session.

[0123] According to some embodiments, the method further comprises configuring a service area to provide one MBS session, and the MBS session associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is configured for the service area.

[0124] According to some embodiments, the MBS session setup information received from a network entity associated with a first PLMN indicates setting up an MBS session using a service area configured to provide one MBS session, the method further comprising receiving MBS session setup information for an MBS session from a network entity associated with a second PLMN, the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates setting up an MBS session using a service area configured to provide one MBS session, and determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is based at least in part on the MBS session setup information received from both the network entity associated with the first PLMN and the network entity associated with the second PLMN, which indicates setting up an MBS session using a service area configured to provide one MBS session.

[0125] Another set of embodiments may include a cellular base station comprising one or more processors and a memory having stored instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the steps of any of the methods of the preceding examples.

[0126] Yet another set of embodiments includes a method by a wireless device of establishing a wireless link with a cellular base station and receiving multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session configuration information from the cellular base station, the method may include the MBS session configuration information configuring an MBS session associated with a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs).

[0127] According to some embodiments, the MBS session configuration information indicates that at least a first Temporary Mobile Group Identifier (TMGI) and a second TMGI are associated with the MBS session.

[0128] According to some embodiments, the first TMGI is associated with a PLMN associated with the wireless device, the second TMGI is associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device, and the method further includes receiving content for an MBS session identified via the second TMGI and identifying that the content is for the MBS session based at least in part on the second TMGI.

[0129] According to some embodiments, the MBS session is a multicast MBS session, the first TMGI is associated with a PLMN associated with the wireless device, the second TMGI is associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device, and the method further includes receiving paging for the multicast MBS session for the second TMGI and triggering a connection to receive the multicast MBS session based at least in part on the second TMGI.

[0130] According to some embodiments, the MBS session configuration information includes MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies the MBS session across a plurality of PLMNs.

[0131] According to some embodiments, a Temporary Mobile Group Identifier (TMGI) for an MBS session is a shared TMGI associated with a plurality of PLMNs.

[0132] Yet another set of embodiments may include a wireless device comprising one or more processors and a memory having stored instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the steps of any of the methods of the foregoing examples.

[0133] A further set of embodiments may include a computer program product including computer instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform the steps of any of the methods of the foregoing examples.

[0134] A further exemplary embodiment may include a method that includes a device performing any or all of the portions of the foregoing examples.

[0135] Another exemplary embodiment may include a device including an antenna, a radio coupled to the antenna, and a processor operably coupled to the radio, the device being configured to implement any or all of the portions of the foregoing examples.

[0136] A further exemplary set of embodiments may include a non-transitory computer-accessible memory medium including program instructions that, when executed in a device, cause the device to perform any or all of the portions of any of the foregoing examples.

[0137] A still further exemplary set of embodiments may include a computer program including instructions to perform any or all of the portions of any of the foregoing examples.

[0138] Another exemplary set of embodiments may include an apparatus including means for performing any or all of any of the elements of the foregoing examples.

[0139] A further exemplary set of embodiments may include an apparatus including a processor configured to cause a wireless device to perform any or all of the elements of any of the foregoing examples.

[0140] The use of personal information should be well understood to comply with privacy policies and practices that generally are recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or government requirements to maintain user privacy. In particular, personal information data should be managed and handled to minimize the risk of unintended or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly disclosed to the user.

[0141] Any of the methods described herein for operating a user equipment (UE) can be a basis for a corresponding method for operating a base station by interpreting each message / signal X received by the UE on the downlink as a message / signal X transmitted by the base station and interpreting each message / signal Y transmitted by the UE on the uplink as a message / signal Y received by the base station.

[0142] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented in any of a variety of forms. For example, in some embodiments, the subject matter may be implemented as a computer-executable method, a computer-readable storage medium, or a computer system. In other embodiments, the subject matter may be implemented using one or more custom-designed hardware devices, such as an ASIC. In other embodiments, the subject matter may be implemented using one or more programmable hardware elements, such as an FPGA.

[0143] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium (e.g., a non-transitory memory element) stores program instructions and / or data, and the program instructions, when executed by a computer system, are configured to cause the computer system to execute a method, such as any of the method embodiments described herein, or a combination of the method embodiments described herein, or a subset of the method embodiments described herein, or a combination of such subsets.

[0144] In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a UE) may be configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and a memory medium (or memory element), the memory medium stores program instructions, and the processor is configured to read and execute the program instructions from the memory medium, and the program instructions are executable to perform any of the various method embodiments described herein (or any combination of the method embodiments described herein, or any arbitrary subset of the method embodiments described herein, or any combination of such subsets). The device may be implemented in any of various forms.

[0145] Although the above embodiments have been described in considerable detail, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a complete understanding of the above disclosure. The following claims are intended to be construed to embrace all such variations and modifications.

Claims

1. A method comprising: receiving, by at least a cellular base station associated with a first public land mobile network (PLMN) and a second PLMN, MBS session setup information for a multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session from a network entity associated with the first PLMN; determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN; configuring the MBS session associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN. A method as described above.

2. The method further comprising: receiving MBS session setup information for the MBS session from a network entity associated with the second PLMN; wherein determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is at least partially based on receiving MBS session setup information for the MBS session from both a network entity associated with the first PLMN and a network entity associated with the second PLMN. The method according to claim 1.

3. The method further comprising: receiving a notification that a first temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) and a second TMGI are associated with each other; wherein the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the first PLMN indicates the first TMGI for the MBS session; wherein the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates the second TMGI for the MBS session. The method according to claim 2.

4. The MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the first PLMN indicates a first temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) for the MBS session; The MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates a second TMGI for the MBS session. ​ ​ The MBS service identification fields for the first TMGI and the second TMGI are the same. The method according to claim 2.

5. The MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the first PLMN includes MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies the MBS session across multiple PLMNs. The MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN includes MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies the MBS session across multiple PLMNs. The MBS service identification information in the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the first PLMN is the same as the MBS service identification information in the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN. The method according to claim 2.

6. Determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is at least partially based on a temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) for the MBS session. The method according to claim 1.

7. The TMGI for the MBS session is a shared TMGI associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN. The method according to claim 6.

8. The method further includes configuring a component carrier to provide one MBS session, wherein the MBS session associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is configured on the component carrier. The method according to claim 1.

9. The MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the first PLMN indicates setting up the MBS session using the component carrier configured to provide one MBS session, and the method includes further comprising receiving, from the network entity associated with the second PLMN, MBS session setup information for the MBS session, wherein the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates setting up the MBS session using the component carrier configured to provide one MBS session, determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN, based at least in part on the MBS session setup information received from both the network entity associated with the first PLMN and the network entity associated with the second PLMN, the MBS session setup information indicating setting up the MBS session using the component carrier configured to provide one MBS session, The method according to claim 8.

10. The method comprises further comprising configuring a service area to provide one MBS session, wherein the MBS session associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN is configured for the service area. The method according to claim 1.

11. the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the first PLMN indicates setting up the MBS session using the service area configured to provide one MBS session, and the method comprises further comprising receiving, from a network entity associated with the second PLMN, MBS session setup information for the MBS session, wherein the MBS session setup information received from the network entity associated with the second PLMN indicates setting up the MBS session using the service area configured to provide one MBS session, Determining that the MBS session is associated with both the first PLMN and the second PLMN indicates setting up the MBS session using the service area configured to provide one MBS session, based at least in part on the MBS session setup information received from both the network entity associated with the first PLMN and the network entity associated with the second PLMN. The method according to claim 10.

12. A cellular base station comprising: one or more processors; a memory having stored instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. A method comprising: establishing a wireless link with a cellular base station by a wireless device; receiving multicast and broadcast service (MBS) session configuration information from the cellular base station, the MBS session configuration information configuring an MBS session associated with a plurality of public land mobile networks (PLMNs). A method.

14. The MBS session configuration information indicates that at least a first temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) and a second TMGI are associated with the MBS session. The method according to claim 14.

15. The first TMGI is associated with a PLMN associated with the wireless device, the second TMGI is associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device, and the method further comprises: receiving content for the MBS session identified via the second TMGI; identifying that the content is for the MBS session based at least in part on the second TMGI. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

16. The MBS session is a multicast MBS session, the first TMGI is associated with a PLMN associated with the wireless device, the second TMGI is associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device, and the method further comprises: The MBS session is a multicast MBS session. The first TMGI is associated with a PLMN associated with the wireless device, the second TMGI is associated with a PLMN not associated with the wireless device, and the method further comprises: Receiving paging of the multicast MBS session for the second TMGI; Triggering a connection to receive the multicast MBS session based at least in part on the second TMGI; The method according to claim 14, further comprising.

17. The MBS session configuration information includes MBS service identification information that uniquely identifies the MBS session across a plurality of PLMNs. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 16.

18. The temporary mobile group identifier (TMGI) for the MBS session is a shared TMGI associated with the plurality of PLMNs. The method according to claim 13.

19. A wireless device, comprising: One or more processors; A memory having stored instructions, wherein when the instructions are executed by the one or more processors, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 13 to 18 are performed. A wireless device.

20. A computer program product including computer instructions, wherein when the computer instructions are executed by one or more processors, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 11 or 13 to 18 are performed. A computer program product.

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