US 12,464,542 B2
Multicast-broadcast service tunnel handling
Philippe Godin, Versailles (FR); and David Navratil, Helsinki (FI)
Assigned to NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS OY, Espoo (FI)
Appl. No. 18/005,872
Filed by Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy, Espoo (FI)
PCT Filed Jul. 30, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/071570
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 18, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/022832, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 3, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0354381 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. H04W 76/12 (2018.01); H04W 72/30 (2023.01); H04W 28/084 (2023.01)
CPC H04W 72/30 (2023.01) [H04W 76/12 (2018.02); H04W 28/084 (2023.05)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising at least one processor, and at least one memory including program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause a second network node of a wireless communication network to perform operations comprising:
receiving a message from a first network node configured to provide a multicast-broadcast service, MBS, for a user equipment, UE, the message comprising an MBS identifier identifying the MBS and at least one data flow identifier corresponding to at least one data flow, for providing the MBS, to be offloaded from the first network node to the second network node, wherein the secondary network node is in point-to-point mode;
determining whether or not a tunnel, between the second network node and a user plane entity, associated with the MBS identifier exists;
on the basis of the determining, transmitting, to the first network node, a response message indicating whether or not a new tunnel for the MBS is requested to be established; and
utilizing the existing tunnel or said new tunnel requested to be established for providing the MBS,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the second network node further to perform operations comprising:
receiving, from the first network node, a request regarding a served UE to release at least one data flow configured to be used for providing the MBS for the served UE; and
releasing the at least one data flow according to the request,
wherein in the case that the tunnel between the second network node and the user plane entity associated with the identifier exists, the response message is generated such that it does not include transport network layer information on the existing tunnel, wherein the response message comprises a secondary node addition or modification request acknowledge message and includes a list of MBS flows that is accepted,
wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the second network node further to perform operations comprising:
determining a need to continue utilizing the tunnel between the second network node and the user plane entity for providing the MBS to at least one other UE after releasing the MBS service;
indicating, to the first network node, the need to continue utilizing the tunnel, the indication comprising transport network layer information so that the correct tunnel is identified and a flag indicating continued need for the tunnel;
wherein in the case that the UE leaves the MBS service in the second network node, the second network node does not release the tunnel and continues to use the tunnel to serve the at least one other UE.