Patent ID: 8000281

Claim:
A method for an Access Service Network Gateway (ASN-GW) to allocate a multicast connection identifier (MCID) to a new multicast/broadcast service (MBS) provided in a wireless network, the wireless network including a plurality of base stations, the method comprising: calculating, by the ASN-GW, for a new MBS zone and existing MBS zones, coverage area ratios each based on information regarding the new MBS zone and one of the existing MBS zones, the new MBS zone including a first group of base stations to transmit data relating to the new MBS, the one of the existing MBS zones including a second group of base stations to transmit data relating to at least one existing MBS; and allocating, by the ASN-GW, an MCID to the new MBS based on the coverage area ratios; wherein the calculating comprises: determining a magnitude of a first area covered by signals transmitted by the first group of base stations; determining a magnitude of a second area covered by signals transmitted by the second group of base stations; determining a magnitude of a third area covered by both the signals transmitted by the first group of base stations and the signals transmitted by the second group of base stations; and calculating the coverage area ratio for the new MBS zone and the one of the existing MBS zones, the coverage area ratio being equal to a ratio between the magnitude of the third area and a larger one of the magnitude of the first area and the magnitude of the second area.