Method, apparatus and computer program for terminating mobile station receipt of Multimedia Broadcast/Multimedia Service (MBMS) service bearer

A mobile station, comprising:

• a wireless transceiver for conducting bidirectional communications with a wireless network;
• a memory for storing a program;
• and
• a data processor coupled to the transceiver and to the memory, the data processor operable to execute the program and, in response to execution of the program, originates a request to terminate reception of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multimedia Service radio bearer and to transmit the request to the wireless network that is the source of the Multimedia Broadcast/Multimedia Service radio bearer.

A wireless network node, comprising:

• a wireless transceiver for conducting bidirectional communications with a mobile station;
• a memory for storing a program;
• and
• a data processor coupled to the transceiver and to the memory, the data processor operable to execute the program and, in response to execution of the program, to receive a request from the mobile station to terminate reception of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multimedia Service radio bearer;
• and
• in response, to send the mobile station a PACKET TBF RELEASE message that comprises an identification of the mobile station and a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value defined as Stop Receiving MBMS Radio Bearer.

A method to operate a mobile station in a Multimedia Broadcast/Multimedia Service MBMS mode of operation, comprising:

• originating a request at the mobile station to terminate reception of a Multimedia Broadcast/Multimedia Service radio bearer;
• and
• transmitting the request to a wireless network that is the source of the Multimedia Broadcast/Multimedia Service radio bearer, where
• for a case that the mobile station is operating in a non-feedback mode of operation, originating and transmitting comprise sending the wireless network request message to request an uplink radio block, and further comprising,
• receiving from the wireless network an allocation of an uplink radio block;
• sending in the allocated uplink radio block a MBMS SERVICE REQUEST message to the wireless network, the MBMS SERVICE REQUEST comprising an identification of the mobile station and a Stop Receiving MBMS Radio Bearer parameter;
• and
• receiving from the wireless network a PACKET TBF RELEASE message that comprises the identification of the mobile station and a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value defined as Stop Receiving MBMS Radio Bearer;
• and where
• for a case that the mobile station is operating in a feedback mode of operation, originating and transmitting comprise sending the wireless network an identification of the mobile station and a Stop Receiving MBMS Radio Bearer parameter in a feedback-related message, and further comprising, receiving from the wireless network the PACKET TBF RELEASE message that comprises the identification of the mobile station and a TBF_RELEASE_CAUSE value defined as Stop Receiving MBMS Radio Bearer.