Patent ID: 8170556

Claim:
A method for initiating uplink signaling by a UE receiving a multimedia multicast/broadcast service (MBMS), the method comprising steps of: (a) receiving over a MBMS control channel information including an indication indicating one of UE counting and point-to-point channel being used as MBMS channel type in a cell providing mobile communication service to the UE; (b) in case a UE is in IDLE mode upon receiving the information including the received indication, transmitting, by the UE, an uplink signaling message including a request for an RRC (Radio Resource Control) Connection establishment and constructed using the received indication; and (c) receiving, by the UE, a response message in response to the uplink signaling message; wherein when the received indication indicates UE counting, the uplink signaling message includes reason informaton indicating that one reason for including the request in the uplink signaling message is due to consideration of UE counting; wherein when the received indication indicates point-to-point channel being used as MBMS channel type in the cell, the uplink signaling message includes reason informaton indicating that one reason for including the request in the uplink signaling message is due to consideraton of point-to-point channel being used as MBMS channel type in the cell, and the response message received by the UE includes configuration information allowing the UE to configure a point-to-point channel for receiving MBMS services in the cell.