IP Library Granted Patent US 12672187
Granted Patent B2
US 12672187 · App. 18/262,850 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Fast activation of a secondary cell group

Inventors: Henri Markus Koskinen (Espoo, FI); Samuli Heikki Turtinen (Ii, FI)
Assignee: NOKIA TECHNOLOGIES OY
H04W76/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672187
App. No.
18/262,850
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

There are provided apparatuses, methods and computer program products. In accordance with an embodiment, there is disclosed a method comprising activating a secondary cell group provided by a secondary node co-operating with a master node for providing dual-connectivity communication resources for a user equipment. The activation is initiated either by the secondary node or the master node. Wherein when the activation is initiated by the secondary node a request is formed to activate the secondary cell group and the request is sent on a data radio bearer to the master node to be delivered to the user equipment for activation of the secondary cell group; and an activation indication is received from the user equipment. Wherein when the activation is initiated by the master node at least one message is received from the user equipment or from the master node; and initiation of the activation of the secondary cell group provided by the secondary node is determined based on the received at least one message.

Claims (44)

1 . A user equipment comprising

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform at least the following:

receiving, when connected with a master node and a secondary node, at least one packet over one or more data radio bearers, via a master cell group of the master node, wherein the at least one packet is indictive of activation of a secondary cell group of the secondary node;

determining whether to activate the secondary cell group based on the received at least one packet;

activating the secondary cell group of the secondary node and sending an indication of the activation of the secondary cell group of the secondary node to the secondary node based on the determining; and

comparing the received at least one packet over the one or more data radio bearers with a threshold, wherein the one or more data radio bearers are predefined.

2 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , said at least one memory comprising computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform at least the following:

determining whether the received at least one packet comprises indication of a request to activate the secondary cell group.

3 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the threshold comprises at least one of:

a data rate; and

a number of packets.

4 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , said at least one memory comprising computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to send, based on the determining whether to activate a secondary cell group based on the received at least one packet, at least one of the following to indicate activation of the secondary cell group:

a scheduling request to the secondary node; and

a message related to a random-access procedure with the secondary node.

5 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , said at least one memory comprising computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform at least the following:

receiving an indication to resume suspended configured uplink resources associated with the activated secondary cell group; and

resuming the suspended configured uplink resources associated with the activated secondary cell group.

6 . The user equipment according to claim 5 , wherein the indication to resume the configured uplink resources associated with the activated secondary cell group comprises at least one of:

a successful contention resolution during a random-access procedure with the secondary node; and

a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, transmission addressed to cell radio network temporary identifier, C-RNTI, from the secondary node.

7 . The user equipment according to claim 1 , wherein the received at least one packet comprises at least one of a packet data convergence protocol control message and a packet data convergence protocol data message.

8 . A method comprising

receiving by a user equipment connected with a master node and a secondary node, at least one packet over one or more data radio bearers, via a master cell group of the master node, wherein the at least one packet is indictive of activation of a secondary cell group of the secondary node;

determining by the user equipment whether to activate the secondary cell group based on the received at least one packet;

activating the secondary cell group of the secondary node and sending by the user equipment an indication of the activation of the secondary cell group of the secondary node to the secondary node based on the determining; and

comparing the received at least one packet over the one or more data radio bearers with a threshold, wherein the one or more data radio bearers are predefined.

9 . The method according to claim 8 further comprising:

determining whether the received at least one packet comprises indication of a request to activate the secondary cell group.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the threshold comprises at least one of:

a data rate; and

a number of packets.

11 . The method according to claim 8 further comprising

sending, based on the determining whether to activate a secondary cell group based on the received at least one packet, at least one of the following to indicate activation of the secondary cell group:

a scheduling request to the secondary node; and

a message related to a random-access procedure with the secondary node.

12 . The method according to claim 8 further comprising

receiving an indication to resume suspended configured uplink resources associated with the activated secondary cell group; and

resuming the suspended configured uplink resources associated with the activated secondary cell group.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the indication to resume the configured uplink resources associated with the activated secondary cell group comprises at least one of:

a successful contention resolution during a random-access procedure with the secondary node; and

a physical downlink control channel, PDCCH, transmission addressed to cell radio network temporary identifier, C-RNTI, from the secondary node.

14 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the received at least one packet comprises at least one of a packet data convergence protocol control message and a packet data convergence protocol data message.