Pushing back packet not acknowledged by base station

1. An apparatus for reducing communication latency in a User Equipment (UE), comprising:

a processor configured to:

push back a packet that is transmitted but not acknowledged by a base station, from a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer; and

trigger a Tracking Area Update (TAU) procedure based on the pushed back packet; and

a radio frequency interface configured to transmit or receive the packet with the base station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

store, in a memory, the pushed back packet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

retransmit the packet from the RLC layer to the base station until the base station acknowledges the packet or a maximum number of retransmissions has been reached.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

upon indication from the RLC layer that the maximum number of retransmissions has been reached, declare a Radio Link Failure (RLF).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the packet is a Protocol Data Unit (PDU).

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

push back a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) packet, which is still being processed after the RLF, from the PDCP layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

store, in a memory, the pushed back PDCP packet.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

transmit from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer to the base station a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reestablishment request.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

push back the packet from the RLC layer after receipt by the RRC layer from the base station a rejection of the RRC connection reestablishment request.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

set a bearer establishment requested flag to active.

11. The apparatus of 10 , wherein the active flag indicates that a bearer establishment procedure is expected to occur after the TAU procedure.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

indicate, from the RRC layer, that the UE is camped on a new cell.

13. The apparatus of 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

resume packet transfer after the UE is camped on the new cell.

14. A method to be performed by an apparatus in a User Equipment (UE) for reducing communication latency, the method comprising:

pushing back, by a processor, a packet that is transmitted to but not acknowledged by a base station, from a Radio Link Control (RLC) layer; and

triggering, by the processor, a Tracking Area Update (TAU) procedure based on the pushed back packet.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

storing, in a memory, the pushed back PDU.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

retransmitting the packet from the RLC layer to the base station until the base station acknowledges the packet or a maximum number of retransmission has been reached.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

declaring a Radio Link Failure (RLF) upon indication from the RLC layer that the maximum number of retransmissions has been reached.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the packet is a Protocol Data Units (PDU).

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

pushing back a Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) packet, which is still being processed after the RLF, from the PDCP layer.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

storing, in a memory, the pushed back PDCP packet.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

transmitting from the Radio Resource Control (RRC) layer to the base station a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection reestablishment request.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:

pushing back the packet from the RLC layer after receipt by the RRC layer from the base station a rejection of the RRC connection reestablishment request.

23. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

setting a bearer establishment requested flag to active.

24. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

indicating, from the RRC layer, that the UE is camped on a new cell.

25. The method of 24 , further comprising:

resuming packet transfer after the UE is camped on the new cell.