초록 ▼

A wireless communication network limits the service areas within the network by transmitting time registration flag information in each of a plurality of network service areas. The flag information indicates whether registration for a given broadcast service currently is required for mobile stations

A wireless communication network limits the service areas within the network by transmitting time registration flag information in each of a plurality of network service areas. The flag information indicates whether registration for a given broadcast service currently is required for mobile stations in the service area that desire access to the broadcast service. Thus, the transmitted flag information may be used to prompt for such registrations and detecting whether any registrations are timely received in response to such prompting permits the network to timely deactivate one or more broadcast services. Each service area controls one or more service zones, each of which may include multiple member service areas and, preferably, the network activates a requested broadcast service per service zone and deactivates that service per service area. The timing of such deactivations may be made compatible with mobile stations that do not recognize transmitted registration flag information.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A method of controlling a broadcast service in a plurality of service areas of a wireless communication network, wherein a service area comprises one or more cells, the method comprising: determining two or more service zones, each comprising one or more of the service areas,

What is claimed is: 1. A method of controlling a broadcast service in a plurality of service areas of a wireless communication network, wherein a service area comprises one or more cells, the method comprising: determining two or more service zones, each comprising one or more of the service areas, wherein at least one of the service areas is a member of two or more of the service zones, and wherein service areas are distinct from service zones for purposes of controlling broadcast service registrations; and transmitting registration flag information in each service area to prompt for broadcast service registrations on a service area basis and detecting broadcast service expirations on a service zone basis. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising activating the broadcast service in all service zones controlled by one of the service areas if a registration request for the broadcast service is received in that service area. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising continuing the broadcast service in a given service zone, if the broadcast service is already active in that service zone and a registration request for the broadcast service is received in a controlling service area associated with that service zone. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein activating the broadcast service in all service zones controlled by one of the service areas if a registration request for the broadcast service is received in that service area comprises transmitting the broadcast service in all service areas included in the service zones controlled by the service area in which the registration request was received. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein activating the broadcast service in all service zones controlled by one of the service areas comprises initiating transmission of the broadcast service on a forward broadcast supplemental channel (F-BSCH) signal in each service area of all service zones controlled by the service area in which the registration request was received. 6. The method of claim 2, further comprising deactivating the broadcast service in one of the service areas if the broadcast service expires in all service zones with which that service area is associated. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein deactivating the broadcast service in one of the service areas if the broadcast service expires in all service zones with which that service area is associated comprises ending transmission of the broadcast service in that service area. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining service zones comprises defining fixed associations between the service areas and the service zones based on one or more network parameters. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining service zones comprises defining dynamic associations between the service areas and the service zones based on feedback information from mobile stations that desire access to the broadcast service while operating within one or more of the service areas of the network. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the feedback information comprises an active set report from each mobile station that identifies the service areas from which the broadcast service may be received by the mobile station. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the network dynamically defines a service zone based on the active set report from the mobile station. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein each service area transmits a registration flag array as the registration flag information that identifies a neighbor list of service areas, and further comprising forming one or more service zones based on the active set and the neighbor list. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: transmitting a neighbor list in each service area that identifies a default service zone for the service area; receiving an active set report from a mobile station in the service area that desires access to the broadcast service; and dynamically configuring the service zone for activation of the broadcast service based on the active set report. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting registration flag information in each service area comprises transmitting at least one registration flag indicator on an overhead channel broadcast by the network within each service area. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting at least one registration flag indicator on an overhead channel broadcast by the network within each service area comprises transmitting such information on either a Forward Paging Channel (F-PCH) or a Forward Broadcast Channel (F-BCCH). 16. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting registration flag information in each service area to prompt for broadcast service registrations on a service area basis and detect broadcast service expirations on a service zone basis comprises: transmitting at least one registration flag indicator in each service area that is set if registration for the broadcast service currently is required and is cleared if such registration currently is not required; clearing the at least one registration flag indicator and starting a first timeout period if a registration request is received; resetting the at least one registration flag indicator and starting a second timeout period if the first timeout period expires; and deeming the broadcast service to have expired for a service zone controlled by the service area if no registrations are received before expiration of the second timeout period. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising setting a duration of the second timeout period longer than a duration of a registration period used by one or more mobile stations for periodic broadcast service registrations. 18. The method of claim 16, further comprising setting durations of the first and second timeout periods for each service area based on a size of the service zone controlled by the service area. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein determining service zones comprises: determining each service zone as a set of one or more member service areas; and designating at least one member service area as a controlling service area and any remaining member service areas as associated service areas. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising defining one or more service zones to be overlapping based on defining one or more service areas to be member service areas of two or more service zones. 21. The method of claim 19, further comprising activating the broadcast service for all member service areas of a service zone when a registration request is received in the controlling service area of that zone. 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising deactivating the broadcast service in a service area only if the broadcast service has expired in all service zones in which the service area is a member. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein determining service zones comprises defining fixed service zones based on fixed associations between service areas and service zones. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein determining service zones comprises defining dynamic service zones based on dynamic associations between service areas and service zones. 25. A base station controller (BSC) for controlling transmission of a broadcast service in a plurality of service areas in a wireless communication network, wherein a service area comprises one or more cells, and wherein said BSC is configured to: determine two or more service zones, each comprising one or more of the service areas, wherein at least one of the service areas is a member of two or more of the service zones, and wherein service areas are distinct from service zones for purposes of controlling broadcast service registrations; and transmit registration flag information in each service area to prompt for broadcast service registrations on a service area basis and to detect broadcast service expirations on a service zone basis. 26. The BSC of claim 25, wherein the BSC activates the broadcast service in all service zones controlled by a service area if a registration request for the broadcast service is received in the service area. 27. The BSC of claim 26, wherein the BSC activates the broadcast service in a service area by initiating transmission of the broadcast service on a forward broadcast supplemental channel (F-BSCH) signal transmitted in the service area. 28. The BSC of claim 26, wherein the BSC continues the broadcast service in a service zone if the broadcast service is already active in the service zone and a registration request for the broadcast service is received in a controlling service area of the service zone. 29. The BSC of claim 26, wherein the BSC activates the broadcast service in a service area by initiating transmission of the broadcast service in the serviced area. 30. The BSC of claim 26, wherein the BSC deactivates the broadcast service in a service area if the broadcast service expires in all service zones with which that service area is associated. 31. The BSC of claim 30, wherein the BSC activates and deactivates the broadcast service in each service area based on controlling one or more radio base stations (RBSs) that provide radio coverage for the service area. 32. The BSC of claim 31, wherein the BSC transmits registration flag information based on transmitting registration flag information from the one or more RBSs that provide radio coverage for the service area. 33. The BSC of claim 30, wherein the BSC deactivates the broadcast service in a service area by ending transmission of the broadcast service in the service area. 34. The BSC of claim 25, wherein the BSC determines service zones based on defining each service zone to include one or more member service areas, with at least one member service area defined as a controlling service area for the service zone. 35. The BSC of claim 34, wherein the BSC activates or continues transmission of the broadcast service in all member service areas of a service zone if a registration request is received in a controlling service area of the service zone. 36. The BSC of claim 25, wherein the BSC comprises at least one broadcast service controller configured to manage transmitting registration flag information and activating and deactivating the broadcast service. 37. The BSC of claim 36, wherein the BSC further comprises interface and control resources that include the at least one broadcast service controller, and further include: a network interface to interface the BSC to one or more network entities carrying call traffic to and from an external network; one or more radio base station interfaces that interface the BSC to one or more radio base stations that provide radio coverage for the plurality of service areas; and wherein the BSC controls transmission of the broadcast service and the registration flag information via the one or more radio base station interfaces. 38. The BSC of claim 36, wherein the broadcast service controller comprises: timing circuits for timing expiration of the broadcast service in each service zone; and control logic for managing the timing circuits and for controlling activation and deactivation of the broadcast service in each service area. 39. The BSC of claim 25, wherein the BSC transmits the registration flag information in each service area by sending a Broadcast Service Parameters Message on an overhead channel signal transmitted from one or more radio base stations (RBSs) that provide radio coverage in each service area. 40. The BSC of claim 25, wherein the BSC determines service zones based on fixed associations between the service areas and the service zones. 41. The BSC of claim 25, wherein the BSC determines service zones based on dynamic associations between the service areas and the service zones determined at least in part from feedback information from mobile stations that desire access to the broadcast service while operating within one or more of the plurality of service areas. 42. The BSC of claim 41, wherein the feedback information comprises an active set report from each mobile station that identifies the service areas from which the broadcast service may be received by the mobile station. 43. The BSC of claim 42, wherein the BSC controls transmission of a registration flag array in each service area by setting the registration flag information to identify a neighbor list of service areas for the service area. 44. The BSC of claim 43, wherein the BSC dynamically forms one or more service zones based on comparing the active set with the neighbor list. 45. The BSC of claim 25, wherein the BSC transmits registration flag information in each service area by: transmitting at least one registration flag indicator in the service area that is set if registration for the broadcast service currently is required and is cleared if such registration currently is not required; clearing the at least one registration flag indicator and starting a first timeout period if a registration request is received; resetting the at least one registration flag indicator and starting a second timeout period if the first timeout period expires; and deeming the broadcast service to have expired for the service zone controlled by the service area if no registrations are received before expiration of the second timeout period. 46. The BSC of claim 45, wherein the BSC sets a duration of the second timeout period longer than a duration of a periodic registration period used by one or more mobile stations for periodic broadcast service registrations. 47. The BSC of claim 45, wherein the BSC sets durations of the first and second timeout periods for the service area based on a size of the service zone controlled by the service area. 48. A mobile station for use in a wireless communication network comprising: a receiver to receive data transmitted from the network, said data including registration flag information that indicates whether registration currently is required for a corresponding broadcast service, wherein the registration flag information comprises a registration flag that is set to indicate that registration currently is required and cleared to indicate that such registration currently is not required; registration control logic to control generation of broadcast service registration requests responsive to the registration flag information, said registration control logic configured to: determine whether the registration flag for the broadcast service is set or clear; wait for a defined delay responsive to determining the registration flag is set; and transmit a registration request for the broadcast service if the registration flag is still set after waiting the defined delay; and a transmitter to transmit the registration requests to the network. 49. The mobile station of claim 48, wherein the network transmits registration flag information for two or more broadcast services, and wherein the registration control logic controls transmission of registration requests for each broadcast service responsive to the registration flag information corresponding to that service. 50. The mobile station of claim 48, wherein the defined delay is determined from a mobile station identifier assigned to the mobile station. 51. The mobile station of claim 48, wherein the defined delay is determined as a randomized function. 52. The mobile station of claim 48, wherein the mobile station is configured to forego the defined delay and register immediately if the mobile station undergoes an idle handoff into a service area where the registration flag is set.