MBMS Reception Status Handover via Source Base Station

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Solution Overview

Problem

In existing LTE MBMS systems, user equipment does not report its reception status to the base station, leading to potential interruptions and discontinuity of multimedia broadcast multicast services when handed over between cells, as the target base station cannot acquire necessary reception status information.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a method where the source base station notifies the target base station of the user equipment's MBMS reception status information before a handover, including details such as the service status and carrier frequency, ensuring seamless continuity of the MBMS service.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If user equipment does not report MBMS reception status to the base station for ease of realization and convenient deployment, then device complexity is reduced, but the target base station cannot acquire reception status information during handover, resulting in potential MBMS service interruption

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveMBMS reception status reporting complexityVSAvoidMBMS service continuity during handover
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The source base station acts as an intermediary to transfer the MBMS reception status information from the user equipment to the target base station during handover. Instead of requiring direct reporting from user equipment to every base station, the source base station collects the status information and forwards it to the target base station, simplifying the overall system while ensuring service continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The user equipment reports its MBMS reception status information to the source base station in advance of the handover. This preliminary action ensures that the target base station can acquire the necessary reception status information before the handover is completed, preventing service interruption while maintaining system simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of information

If the target base station cannot acquire MBMS reception status information during handover, then information loss is minimized, but the target base station cannot offer corresponding MBMS service, resulting in service interruption

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveMBMS reception status information lossVSAvoidMBMS service continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The source base station serves as a mediator that collects MBMS reception status information from the user equipment and transfers it to the target base station. This ensures that the target base station acquires the necessary information without requiring the user equipment to directly report to multiple base stations, preventing information loss while maintaining service continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the user equipment reports its MBMS reception status to the source base station, which then provides this information to the target base station during handover. This feedback loop ensures that the target base station has the necessary reception status information to maintain service continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If user equipment reports MBMS reception status information in advance of handover, then MBMS service continuity is guaranteed, but communication overhead and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveMBMS service continuity during handoverVSAvoidHandover preparation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The user equipment reports MBMS reception status information to the source base station in advance of the handover, but only when necessary (e.g., when adding or removing MBMS services). This preliminary action allows the target base station to have the information ready before handover, ensuring service continuity while minimizing the time impact by not requiring continuous reporting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the reporting parameter from continuous reporting to event-triggered reporting (when MBMS services are added or removed). This reduces the frequency of status information updates, minimizing communication overhead and processing time while still ensuring that the target base station has the necessary information for service continuity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2701409B1Method and base station for information acquisition
Publication Date: 2018.02.28 FUJITSU LTD
  • EP2701409B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2701409B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2701409B1 patent drawingFigure 7~8

AI summary

An information acquiring method and a base station. The method comprises: receiving by a target base station reception status information of a multimedia broadcast multicast service of user equipment reported by a source base station when the user equipment is handed over between cells; wherein the reception status information comprises information indicating that the user equipment is receiving a multimedia broadcast multicast service, or information indicating that the user equipment finishes receiving a multimedia broadcast multicast service. With the embodiments of the present invention, the source base station of the user equipment notifies the target base station of reception status information of multimedia broadcast multicast service of the user equipment when the user equipment is handed over between cells, thereby guaranteeing the continuity of the MBMS of the user equipment.