# US 12,604,365 B2 · Communication method and communication apparatus

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- Number: US 12,604,365 B2
- Document ID: US12604365B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/337,054
- Filed: 2023-06-19
- Published: 2023-10-19
- Granted: 2026-04-14
- Earliest claimed: 2020-12-31
- Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Meng Li; Jiangwei Ying; Yanmei Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12604365B2

## CPC

- H04W 52/0216: {using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame}
- H04W 76/38: triggered by timers
- H04L 12/189: {in combination with wireless systems (selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06)}
- 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 52/0235: {where the received signal is a power saving command}
- H04W 52/028: {switching on or off only a part of the equipment circuit blocks}
- H04W 76/20: Manipulation of established connections
- H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
- H04W 76/40: for selective distribution or broadcast
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

This application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus. In a technical solution of this application, when a preset condition is met, an access network device notifies user equipment that a multicast session is to be released or is to be deactivated. If the multicast session is being used or is to be used, the user equipment may feed back to the access network device that the user equipment is still interested in a multicast service. The access network device may determine, based on whether the feedback from the user equipment is received within a preset time period, whether to continue to release or deactivate the multicast session. In this way, when user equipment in an idle state can receive multicast data, this technical solution can properly manage the multicast session.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A communication method, comprising:
broadcasting, by an access network device, a first message, wherein the first message is used to notify that a first multicast session is to be released or is to be deactivated;
sending, by the access network device, a third message to a core network device, wherein the third message is used to request to release or deactivate the first multicast session;
detecting, by the access network device, whether the access network device receives, within a first preset time period after sending the third message, a second message that corresponds to the first message; and
if the access network device receives, within the first preset time period, no second message that responds to the first message, releasing or deactivating, by the access network device, the first multicast session; and
if the access network device receives, within the first preset time period, the second message that responds to the first message, retaining, by the access network device, the first multicast session, and sending, by the access network device, a fifth message to the core network device, wherein the fifth message is used to request the core network device to retain the first multicast session.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, before broadcasting the first message, the method further comprising:
determining that a present condition is met, wherein the preset condition comprises at least one of the following:
no data is transmitted in the first multicast session within a second preset time period;
there is no associated user equipment in a multicast group; or
a first timer times out, wherein the first timer is used to monitor whether there is user equipment receiving data by using the first multicast session.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second message is from the user equipment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the second message is a radio resource control (RRC) message.

### Claim 5

A communication apparatus, comprising at least one processor and a memory, wherein the at least one processor is coupled to the memory, the memory is configured to store a computer program, and the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer program stored in the memory, to cause the communication apparatus to:
broadcast a first message that is used to notify that a first multicast session is to be released or is to be deactivated;
send a third message to a core network device, wherein the third message is used to request to release or deactivate the first multicast session;
detect whether the communication apparatus receives, within a first preset time period after sending the third message, a second message that corresponds to the first message; and
if the communication apparatus receives, within the first preset time period, no second message that responds to the first message, release or deactivate the first multicast session; and
if the communication apparatus receives, within the first preset time period, the second message that responds to the first message, retain the first multicast session, and send a fifth message to the core network device, wherein the fifth message is used to request the core network device to retain the first multicast session.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the communication apparatus is further caused to:
determine that a present condition is met, wherein the preset condition comprises at least one of the following:
no data is transmitted in the first multicast session within a second preset time period;
there is no associated user equipment in a multicast group; or
a first timer times out, wherein the first timer is used to monitor whether there is user equipment receiving data by using the first multicast session.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The communication apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second message is from the user equipment.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The communication apparatus of claim 7, wherein the second message is a radio resource control (RRC) message.

### Claim 9

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising a computer program code for execution by a processor of an access network device, the computer program code comprising instructions for:
broadcasting a first message, wherein the first message is used to notify that a first multicast session is to be released or is to be deactivated;
sending a third message to a core network device, wherein the third message is used to request to release or deactivate the first multicast session;
detecting whether the access network device receives, within a first preset time period after sending the third message, a second message that corresponds to the first message; and
if the access network device receives, within the first preset time period, no second message that responds to the first message, releasing or deactivating the first multicast session; and
if the access network device receives, within the first preset time period, the second message that responds to the first message, retaining the first multicast session, and sending a fifth message to the core network device, wherein the fifth message is used to request the core network device to retain the first multicast session.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the computer program code further comprises instructions for:
determining that a present condition is met, wherein the preset condition comprises at least one of the following:
no data is transmitted in the first multicast session within a second preset time period;
there is no associated user equipment in a multicast group; or
a first timer times out, wherein the first timer is used to monitor whether there is user equipment receiving data by using the first multicast session.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second message is a radio resource control (RRC) message.