Method and apparatus for multicast mobility

#This application is related to mobile communications.

#Existing downlink only multicast networks, such as digital video broadcasting (DVB), media forward link only (MediaFLO), and the like, have significant limitations. Network coverage is usually regional and therefore a wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU), or a mobile node, loses access to the multicast service when the WTRU moves beyond a coverage area. While a WTRU may be able to re-subscribe and receive the service over a bi-directional communication network, all of the session continuity is lost.

#In existing bi-directional mobile communication networks (e.g., third generation partnership program (3GPP), multimedia broadcast multicast services (MBMS), and the like), mobility is only addressed within each respective standard. Inter-technology mobility also does not support the multicast services.

#A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 illustrates an architecture of proxy mobile IPv6 domain;

#FIG. 2A is a system diagram of an example communications system in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented;

#When referred to hereafter, the terminology “wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU)” includes but is not limited to a user equipment (UE), a mobile station, a fixed or mobile subscriber unit, a pager, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a computer, a mobile node (MN), or any other type of device capable of operating in a wireless environment. When referred to hereafter, the terminology “base station” includes but is not limited to a Node-B, a site controller, an access point (AP), an evolved Node-B (eNB), a router, a gateway, or any other type of interfacing device capable of operating in a wireless environment.

#Method and apparatus disclosed herewith enhances layer 3 mobility for PMIP and may be applied to different access technologies regardless of link layer or physical layer. Both unicast and multicast can be used for transmissions. However, using multicast at lower layers, together with the L3 mulitcast mobility support may enhance the overall system efficiency. Embodiments presented herewith enable the advantages of multicast transmissions at lower layers. For example, MBMS can be used in long term evolution (LTE) and physical multicast channel (PMCH), multicast control channel (MCCH), and multicast traffic channel (MTCH) can be used to carry the multicast data.

#FIG. 2A is a diagram of an example communications system 200 in which one or more disclosed embodiments may be implemented. The communications system 200 may be a multiple access system that provides content, such as voice, data, video, messaging, broadcast, etc., to multiple wireless users. The communications system 200 may enable multiple wireless users to access such content through the sharing of system resources, including wireless bandwidth. For example, the communications systems 200 may employ one or more channel access methods, such as code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), single-carrier FDMA (SC-FDMA), and the like.