Seamless and resource efficient roaming for group call services on broadcast/multicast networks

A method for seamless and resource efficient roaming for group call services in an evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS) network, comprising:

• determining, at a server located in a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN), that a user equipment (UE) associated with the HPLMN is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• detecting that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• establishing, by the server in the HPLMN, a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE pre-registering for eMBMS services in the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN exceeding a threshold, wherein establishing the multicast bearer in the VPLMN comprises:
• communicating with an application server located in the VPLMN to request the multicast bearer, wherein the application server in the VPLMN communicates with a broadcast/multicast service center (BM-SC) located in the VPLMN to establish the multicast bearer;
• and
• receiving, at the HPLMN, information about the multicast bearer established in the VPLMN via an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) associated with the VPLMN;
• and
• providing the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN.

A Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) for supporting seamless and resource efficient roaming for group call services in an evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS) network, wherein the HPLMN comprises:

• a server configured to:
• determine that a user equipment (UE) associated with the HPLMN is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• detect that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• determine whether to establish a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE having pre-registered for eMBMS services in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN;
• provide the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN;
• and
• determine that the UE is registered in the HPLMN, wherein the information about the one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN is provided to the UE in response to the UE registering interest in one or more groups that are supported or active in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN.

A server for supporting seamless and resource efficient roaming for group call services in an evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS) network, comprising:

• means for determining that a user equipment (UE) associated with a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• means for detecting that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• means for communicating with an application server located in the VPLMN to establish a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE having pre-registered for eMBMS services in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN;
• and
• means for providing the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions recorded thereon, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions on a server located in a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) causes the server to:

• determine that a user equipment (UE) associated with the HPLMN is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• detect that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• communicate with an application server located in the VPLMN to establish a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE having pre-registered for eMBMS services in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN;
• and
• provide the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN.

A method for seamless and resource efficient roaming for group call services in an evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS) network, comprising:

• determining, at a server located in a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN), that a user equipment (UE) associated with the HPLMN is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• detecting that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• communicating with an application server located in the VPLMN to establish a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE having pre-registered for eMBMS services in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN;
• and
• providing the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN.

A Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) for supporting seamless and resource efficient roaming for group call services in an evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS) network, wherein the HPLMN comprises a server configured to:

• determine that a user equipment (UE) associated with the HPLMN is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• detect that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• communicate with an application server located in the VPLMN to establish a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE having pre-registered for eMBMS services in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN;
• and
• provide the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN.

A server for supporting seamless and resource efficient roaming for group call services in an evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS) network, comprising:

• means for determining that a user equipment (UE) associated with a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• means for detecting that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• means for determining whether to establish a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE having pre-registered for eMBMS services in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN;
• means for providing the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN;
• and
• means for determining that the UE is registered in the current PLMN, wherein the information about the one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN is provided to the UE in response to the UE registering interest in one or more groups supported or active in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions recorded thereon, wherein executing the computer-executable instructions on a server located in a Home Public Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) causes the server to:

• determine that a user equipment (UE) associated with the HPLMN is expected to cross a boundary from a current PLMN to a Visited PLMN (VPLMN), wherein the UE has registered to participate in a group call in the current PLMN;
• detect that the UE has roamed to the VPLMN;
• determine whether to establish a multicast bearer in the VPLMN in response to the UE having pre-registered for eMBMS services in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN based at least in part on a number of group call participants in the VPLMN;
• provide the UE with information about one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN;
• and
• determine that the UE is registered in the current PLMN, wherein the information about the one or more bearers that will support the group call in the VPLMN is provided to the UE in response to the UE registering interest in one or more groups supported or active in the VPLMN prior to crossing the boundary to the VPLMN.