TARGET CELL SELECTION FOR MULTIMEDIA BROADCAST MULTICAST SERVICE CONTINUITY

摘要

Transfer of Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Services (MBMS) over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) service and idle mode unicast service for a mobile entity from a source base station to a target base station may be managed by a base station or mobile entity of a cellular wireless communications system (WCS). Operations related to the transfer may include obtaining an MBMS status of the mobile entity, and/or obtaining MBMS support information for the base station. A network entity may facilitate MBMS discovery by a mobile entity, by transmitting a data element to the mobile entity including service identifiers mapped to corresponding cell identifiers to indicate respective MBMS services to be broadcast in an WCS area on adjacent cells identified by respective ones of the cell identifiers. The MBMS services may be broadcast within the WCS area using the adjacent cells previously indicated in the data element.

主权项

1. A method for managing transfer of Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Services (MBMS) over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) service and idle mode unicast service for a mobile entity from a source base station to a target base station of a cellular wireless communications system, the method comprising:
identifying candidate target base stations based on each having paging signal strength and system information signal strength sufficient to support camping on by the mobile entity in idle mode; prioritizing the candidate target base stations in a priority order based in part on an MBMS status of the mobile entity and on MBMS services support by respective ones of the candidate target base stations; in response to determining that none of the candidate target base stations supports the MBSFN service for the mobile entity, selecting a target base station that does not support the MBSFN service for the mobile entity; and transmitting an identifier for the target base station from the source base station, for use in transferring the MBSFN service and unicast service to the target base station.