Patent ID: 8200835

Claim:
A method for transmitting multimedia messages of various sizes in a radio communication system via Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service using a multilayer protocol architecture from a sender via multiple transmission channels to a multicast group of receivers in the radio communication system, wherein each transmission channel is one of a logical channel, a transport channel, and a physical channel, wherein the radio communication system allows for discontinuous data reception by the receivers, and wherein transmitting a variable sized multimedia message to the multicast group via Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service comprises: assigning indices to sets of resources in the radio communication system for communicating data; sending at least one first planning message via at least one first transmission channel, wherein the at least one first planning message identifies at which times at least one second transmission channel is reserved or assigned for the transmission of further planning information regarding the sending of the variable-sized multimedia message; and sending at least one second planning message via the at least one second transmission channel at one or more of the identified times in which the at least one second transmission channel is reserved or assigned, wherein the at least one second planning message identifies one or more third transmission channels that are actually used for transmission of the variable-sized multimedia message, and identifies a multicast group address or a multicast group identity corresponding to the multicast group; wherein the previously assigned indices are used as the basis for notifying the receivers as to the time and the particular resources upon which the variable-sized multimedia message will actually be transmitted to the receivers.