Patent ID: 8320290

Claim:
An Evolved Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (EMBMS) access gateway supporting network multicast, comprising: a service center receiver configured to receive a Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) Session Start message from a Broadcast/Multicast-Service Center (BM-SC) and return a response message to the BM-SC after receiving the MBMS Session Start message; a storage unit configured to store a mapping relationship between respective MBMS service areas (SAs) and respective base stations; a determining unit configured to determine base station(s) associated with the MBMS based on the stored mapping relationship after the service center receiver receives the MBMS Session Start message; and a transmitter configured to transmit the MBMS Session Start message to the determined bases station(s) associated with the MBMS; wherein the determining unit is further configured to determine when a list of tracking area(s) (TA(s)) hosting user equipment(s) (UE(s)) in idle state, that has/have subscribed to the MBMS, is changed, and to determine base station(s) associated with the change, and the transmitter is further configured to transmit an MBMS Session Update message to the determined base station(s) associated with the change.