# US 12,764,500 B2 · Apparatus, method, and computer program for updating a service area of a multicast session > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,764,500 B2 - Document ID: US12764500B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/876,367 - Filed: 2022-07-28 - Published: 2023-02-02 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-07-29 - Assignees: Nokia Technologies Oy - Applicants: Nokia Technologies Oy - Inventors: Horst Thomas Belling; Philippe Godin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12764500B2 ## CPC - 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 68/005: {Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication} - H04W 76/30: Connection release - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract An apparatus includes, in some embodiments, at least one processor and at least one memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least on processor, causes the apparatus at least to receive a multicast service area update request comprising information defining a change in multicast service area for a multicast service session. A user equipment affected by the changed multicast service area is determined, as is a location of the user equipment affected by the changed multicast service area. It is determined whether the user equipment affected by the changed multicast service area is within the changed multicast service area. A protocol data unit session of the user equipment affected by the changed multicast service area is modified with information about the changed multicast service area, based on determining whether the user equipment affected by the changed multicast service area is within the changed multicast service area. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A user equipment, comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to: join a multicast service session: receive a notification about a changed multicast service area for the multicast session, wherein the notification comprises information about a multicast session identifier and an updated multicast service area, wherein the notification about the changed multicast service area for the multicast session is received within an N1 SM container of the multicast session; determine whether the user equipment is located within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session; in response to the determination that the user equipment is not within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session, terminate monitoring radio signaling related to the multicast session; in response to the determination that the user equipment is within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session, monitor radio signaling related to the multicast session; and release resources for reception of data relating to the multicast session when it is determined that the user equipment is not within the changed service area in response to receiving a related notification within an N1 message container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the notification is received in a PDU Session Modification Command message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The user equipment of claim 2, wherein the notification is received in a Received MBS container information element of the PDU Session Modification Command message. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The user equipment of claim 3, wherein the Received MBS container information element includes an MBS decision field set to indicate an MBS service area update. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the updated multicast service area comprises at least one of: an MBS Tracking Area Identity (TAI) list, or a New Radio Cell Global Identifier (NR CGI) list. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the user equipment to: obtain service area information via at least one of MBS service announcement or NAS signalling. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein, when the multicast session is inactive and the user equipment is outside the changed multicast service area, the instructions cause the user equipment to refrain from monitoring session activation notifications related to the multicast session. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the related notification indicates that the user equipment has been removed from the multicast session. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The user equipment of claim 8, wherein the related notification includes a cause indicating that the user equipment is outside the MBS service area. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein releasing resources comprises releasing QoS flows associated with individual delivery of the multicast session. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the changed multicast service area results from a multicast session update procedure initiated by an application function. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the notification about the changed multicast service area is received via a PDU Session Modification procedure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the multicast session is a local MBS service session having a defined MBS service area. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The user equipment of claim 1, wherein the multicast session is a location-dependent MBS service session, and wherein the multicast session identifier comprises an MBS Session ID. ### Claim 15 A method performed by a user equipment, comprising: joining a multicast service session; receiving a notification about a changed multicast service area for the multicast session, wherein the notification comprises information about a multicast session identifier and an updated multicast service area, wherein the notification about the changed multicast service area for the multicast session is received within an N1 SM container of the multicast session; determining whether the user equipment is located within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session; in response to the determination that the user equipment is not within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session, terminating monitoring radio signaling related to the multicast session; in response to the determination that the user equipment is within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session, monitoring radio signaling related to the multicast session; and releasing resources for reception of data relating to the multicast session when it is determined that the user equipment is not within the changed service area in response to receiving a related notification within an N1 message container. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the notification is received in a PDU Session Modification Command message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the notification is received in a Received MBS container information element of the PDU Session Modification Command message. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the Received MBS container information element includes an MBS decision field set to indicate an MBS service area update. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the updated multicast service area comprises at least one of: an MBS Tracking Area Identity (TAI) list, or a New Radio Cell Global Identifier (NR CGI) list. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: obtaining service area information via at least one of MBS service announcement or NAS signalling. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein, when the multicast session is inactive and the user equipment is outside the changed multicast service area, the method further comprises refraining from monitoring session activation notifications related to the multicast session. ### Claim 22 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the related notification indicates that the user equipment has been removed from the multicast session. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the related notification includes a cause indicating that the user equipment is outside the MBS service area. ### Claim 24 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein releasing resources comprises releasing QoS flows associated with individual delivery of the multicast session. ### Claim 25 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the changed multicast service area results from a multicast session update procedure initiated by an application function. ### Claim 26 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the notification about the changed multicast service area is received via a PDU Session Modification procedure. ### Claim 27 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the multicast session is a local MBS service session having a defined MBS service area. ### Claim 28 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the multicast session is a location- dependent MBS service session, and wherein the multicast session identifier comprises an MBS Session ID. ### Claim 29 A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a user equipment, cause the user equipment to perform a method comprising: joining a multicast service session; receiving a notification about a changed multicast service area for the multicast session, wherein the notification comprises information about a multicast session identifier and an updated multicast service area, wherein the notification about the changed multicast service area for the multicast session is received within an N1 SM container of the multicast session; determining whether the user equipment is located within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session; in response to the determination that the user equipment is not within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session, terminating monitoring radio signaling related to the multicast session; in response to the determination that the user equipment is within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session, monitoring radio signaling related to the multicast session; and releasing resources for reception of data relating to the multicast session when it is determined that the user equipment is not within the changed service area in response to receiving a related notification within an N1 message container. ### Claim 30 An apparatus comprising: means for joining a multicast service session; means for receiving a notification about a changed multicast service area for the multicast session, wherein the notification comprises information about a multicast session identifier and an updated multicast service area, wherein the notification about the changed multicast service area for the multicast session is received within an N1 SM container of the multicast session; means for determining whether the apparatus is located within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session; means for terminating monitoring radio signaling related to the multicast session in response to a determination that the apparatus is not within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session; means for monitoring radio signaling related to the multicast session in response to a determination that the apparatus is within the changed multicast service area for the multicast session; and means for releasing resources for reception of data relating to the multicast session when it is determined that the apparatus is not within the changed service area in response to receiving a related notification within an N1 message container.