Method of performing uplink synchronization in random access procedure

1. A method of performing a contention based random access procedure by a mobile communication terminal in communication with a base station, comprising:

transmitting a random access preamble message to the base station;

receiving a random access response from the base station, the random access response including an uplink resource assignment and a timing advance command;

determining a status of a mobile communication terminal time alignment timer; and

ignoring the timing advance command if the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer is determined to be running in the determining step.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the timing advance command is configured to adjust, start or restart the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

initiating contention resolution with other mobile communication terminal trying the random access procedure by transmitting a scheduled message using the uplink resource assignment to the base station.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying the timing advance command to the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer if the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer is determined to be not running or to be expired.

5. The method of claim 1 , the step of ignoring the timing advance command comprising:

storing the timing advance command received via the random access response.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

applying the stored timing advance command if the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer expires before contention resolution with other mobile communication terminal trying the random access procedure is completed.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

discarding the timing advance command and not stopping the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer if contention resolution with other mobile communication terminal trying the random access procedure fails.

8. The method of claim 7 , the step of not stopping the time alignment timer comprising:

maintaining previously assigned resources.

9. A mobile communication terminal configured to perform a contention based random access procedure with a base station, the mobile communication terminal comprising:

a display;

a radio frequency (RF) unit; and

a processor operatively connected to the display and RF unit, the processor including a time alignment timer, the processor configured to

transmit a random access preamble message to the base station,

receive a random access response from the base station, the random access response including an uplink resource assignment and a timing advance command,

determine a status of the time alignment timer, and

ignore the timing advance command if the time alignment timer is determined to be running.

10. The mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , wherein the timing advance command is configured to adjust, start or restart the time alignment timer.

11. The mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to initiate contention resolution with other mobile communication terminal trying the random access procedure by transmitting a scheduled message using the uplink resource assignment to the base station.

12. The mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to apply the timing advance command to the time alignment timer if the time alignment timer is determined to be not running or to be expired.

13. The mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to store the timing advance command received via the random access response.

14. The mobile communication terminal of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to apply the stored timing advance command if the time alignment timer expires before contention resolution with other mobile communication terminal trying the random access procedure is completed.

15. The mobile communication terminal of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to discard the timing advance command and not stop the time alignment timer if contention resolution with other mobile communication terminal trying the random access procedure fails.

16. The mobile communication terminal of claim 15 , wherein the processor is configured to maintain previously assigned resources if the time alignment timer is not stopped.

17. A method of performing a contention based random access procedure by a mobile communication terminal in communication with a base station, comprising:

transmitting a random access preamble message to the base station;

receiving a random access response from the base station, the random access response including a timing advance command;

determining a status of a mobile communication terminal time alignment timer; and

if the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer is determined to be running in the determining step, ignoring the timing advance command, and transmitting a scheduled message to the base station in correspondence with the running mobile communication terminal time alignment timer.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

if the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer is determined to be not running or to be expired, applying the timing advance command to restart the mobile communication terminal time alignment timer, and transmitting a scheduled message to the base station in correspondence with the restarted mobile communication terminal time alignment timer.