# US 12,192,858 B2 · MBMS support on IOPS > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,192,858 B2 - Document ID: US12192858B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/637,103 - Filed: 2020-08-06 - Published: 2022-09-22 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-26 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: John Camilo Solano Arenas; Joakim Åkesson; Salvador Hinarejos Fernandez - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12192858B2 ## CPC - H04W 4/08: User group management - H04W 76/50: for emergency connections - H04W 4/06: Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services - H04W 4/90: Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] - H04W 48/16: Discovering, processing access restriction or access information - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Disclosed herein is a method performed by an IOPS application function, AF, to provide a group communication service. The method comprises: establishing an IOPS MBMS bearer, the IOPS MBMS bearer being an MBMS bearer within a MBSFN area served by one or more radio access nodes that are operating in an IOPS mode of operation; discovering one or more UEs via an IOPS discovery procedure; sending to the one or more UEs, an MBMS bearer announcement for the IOPS MBMS bearer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method performed by an Isolated Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Operations for Public Safety, IOPS, application function, AF, to provide a group communication service, the method comprising: establishing an IOPS Multicast-Broadcast Multimedia Services, MBMS, bearer, the IOPS MBMS bearer being an MBMS bearer within a Multicast-Broadcast Single-Frequency Network, MBSFN, area served by one or more radio access nodes that are operating in an IOPS mode of operation; discovering one or more User Equipments, UEs, via an IOPS discovery procedure; and sending, to the one or more UEs, an MBMS bearer announcement for the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 further comprising: receiving an Internet Protocol, IP, packet from a UE via one of the one or more radio access nodes that are operating in the IOPS mode of operation; determining that the IP packet is for a group communication service; and upon determining that the IP packet is for the group communication service, sending the IP packet over the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein all IP packets related to group communication sessions are sent over the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3 wherein sending the IP packet over the IOPS MBMS bearer comprises sending the IP packet over the IOPS MBMS bearer using an outer IP header with a Broadcast-Multicast Service Centre, BM-SC, IP address and User Datagram Protocol, UDP, port associated to a corresponding Temporary Mobile Group Identity, TMGI. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2 wherein determining that the IP packet is for the group communication service comprises: determining that an IP address of an actual IP address of the IP packet is a multi-cast IP address. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 wherein the actual IP address of the IP packet is an IP address contained within an inner IP header of the IP packet, wherein the IP packet comprises: the inner IP header comprising the actual IP address of the IP packet; and an outer IP header comprising an IP address associated with the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein establishing the IOPS MBMS bearer comprises pre-establishing the IOPS MBMS bearer upon initiation of the IOPS mode of operation. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 wherein the MBMS bearer announcement indicates that one or more group communication sessions for the group communication service are transmitted over the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising pre-establishing one or more additional IOPS MBMS bearers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the IOPS MBMS bearer and the one or more additional IOPS MBMS bearers are pre-established based on group configuration information obtained from the one or more UEs during the IOPS discovery procedure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 wherein the IOPS MBMS bearer and the one or more additional IOPS MBMS bearers are pre-established based on group configuration information obtained from the one or more UEs during the IOPS discovery procedure and one or more additional criteria. ### Claim 12 A network node that implements an Isolated Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Operations for Public Safety, IOPS, application function, AF, for providing a group communication service, the network node adapted to: establishing an IOPS Multicast-Broadcast Multimedia Services, MBMS, bearer, the IOPS MBMS bearer being an MBMS bearer within a Multicast-Broadcast Single-Frequency Network, MBSFN, area served by one or more radio access nodes that are operating in an IOPS mode of operation; discovering one or more User Equipments, UEs, via an IOPS discovery procedure; and sending, to the one or more UEs, an MBMS bearer announcement for the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 13 A method performed by User Equipment, UE, for group communication in an Isolated Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Operations for Public Safety, IOPS, system, the method comprising: performing an IOPS discovery procedure by which an IOPS application function, AF, discovers the UE; and receiving, from the IOPS AF, an Multicast-Broadcast Multimedia Services, MBMS, bearer announcement for an IOPS MBMS bearer, the IOPS MBMS bearer being an MBMS bearer within a Multicast-Broadcast Single-Frequency Network, MBSFN, area served by one or more radio access nodes that are operating in an IOPS mode of operation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 further comprising receiving an Internet Protocol, IP, packet for a group communication session from the IOPS AF over the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein all Internet Protocol, IP, packets related to group communication sessions are sent over the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising: determining that the IP packet is addressed to a particular multicast address for a particular group communication session being monitored by the UE; and upon determining that the IP packet is addressed to the particular multicast address for the particular group communication session being monitored by the UE, decoding the IP packet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 further comprising: determining that the IP packet is addressed to a particular multicast address for a particular group communication session that is not being monitored by the UE; and upon determining that the IP packet is addressed to the particular multicast address for the particular group communication session that is not being monitored by the UE, discarding the IP packet. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the MBMS bearer announcement indicates that one or more group communication sessions for the group communication service are transmitted over the IOPS MBMS bearer. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13 wherein the UE does publish user group information to the IOPS AF during the IOPS discovery procedure. ### Claim 20 A User Equipment, UE, adapted to: performing an Isolated Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network Operations for Public Safety, IOPS, discovery procedure by which an IOPS application function, AF, discovers the UE; and receiving, from the IOPS AF, an Multicast-Broadcast Multimedia Services, MBMS, bearer announcement for an IOPS MBMS bearer, the IOPS MBMS bearer being an MBMS bearer within a Multicast-Broadcast Single-Frequency Network, MBSFN, area served by one or more radio access nodes that are operating in an IOPS mode of operation.