APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MULTICAST SERVICE IN MOBILE COMMUNICATION TERMINAL

摘要

An apparatus and a method for providing a multicast service in a mobile terminal are provided to provide a good quality multicast service to a mobile terminal user by allowing the user to continuously receive and process multicast data as moving between networks. When a mobile terminal moves to a different network and satisfies a handover reference, a handover controller(10) is allocated a new IP address from the moved network according to the request of handover. An NIC(Network Interface Card)(20) receives IP packet data transferred after being converted into an RF signal format in a mobile communication system. An IP packet data processing unit(30) checks a destination address of the IP packet data, and if the destination address is not set as a multicast IP address, the IP packet data processing unit(30) transfers the IP packet data to an application unit(50) and changes an IP address to an IP address newly allocated from the moved network. A virtual IP packet data processing unit(40) is activated while the IP packet data processing unit(30) changes the IP address, and checks the destination address of the IP packet data transferred from the NIC(20). If the destination address of the IP packet data has been set as a multicast IP address, the virtual IP packet data processing unit(40) transfers the IP packet data to the application unit(50). While the IP packet data processing unit(40) changes the IP address, a controller(60) activates the virtual IP packet data processing unit(40) and controls the NIC(20) so that the IP packet data can be transferred to the virtual IP packet data processing unit(40).