User plane entity selection in mobile communication systems with overlapping pool areas

摘要

The invention relates to the establishment of a user plane between a user plane entity and different access nodes assigned to different pool areas simultaneously for multicast or broadcast service provision. To facilitate efficient resource utilization in the distribution of service data to access nodes (e.g. eNode Bs) that are located in a overlapping region of pool areas the invention suggests proactive and reactive schemes for ensuring the selection of a common user plane entity for overlapping pool areas to which the user plane for a multicast or broadcast service is to be established for the access nodes in the overlapping part of different pool areas. The selection of a single user plane entity does not consider pool area boundaries.