IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,659,816
Granted Patent B2
US 12,659,816 · App. 18/500,567 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Method and apparatus for managing synchronization in communication system

Inventors: Hyun Seo Park (Daejeon, KR); Yong Jin Kwon (Daejeon, KR); Yun Joo Kim (Daejeon, KR); Han Jun Park (Daejeon, KR); Jung Bo Son (Daejeon, KR); An Seok Lee (Daejeon, KR); Yu Ro Lee (Daejeon, KR); Sung Cheol Chang (Daejeon, KR); Heesoo Lee (Daejeon, KR)
Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
H04W36/0058H04W56/0005
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,659,816
App. No.
18/500,567
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of a terminal may comprise: receiving, from a CU of a base station, configuration information of one or more candidate cells and configuration information for measurement; performing L1 measurement on the candidate cells based on the configuration information for measurement; acquiring uplink synchronization for the candidate cells by performing an uplink synchronization management procedure for the candidate cells based on the configuration information of the candidate cells; reporting a result of the L1 measurement to a DU of the base station; receiving, from the DU of the base station, information on a target cell, being the target cell to switch among the candidate cells, based on the result of the L1 measurement; and applying the uplink synchronization acquired through the uplink synchronization management procedure to the target cell.

Claims (42)

1 . A method of a terminal, comprising:

receiving, from a centralized unit (CU) of a base station, configuration information of one or more candidate cells and configuration information for measurement;

performing layer 1 (L1) measurement on the one or more candidate cells based on the configuration information for measurement;

acquiring uplink synchronization for the one or more candidate cells by performing an uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells based on the configuration information of the one or more candidate cells;

reporting a result of the L1 measurement to a distributed unit (DU) of the base station;

receiving, from the DU of the base station, information on a target cell, being the target cell to switch among the one or more candidate cells, based on the result of the L1 measurement; and

applying the uplink synchronization acquired through the uplink synchronization management procedure to the target cell.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing the target cell; and

in response to completion of accessing the target cell, transmitting a cell switching complete message to the target cell.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the acquiring of the uplink synchronization for the one or more candidate cells comprises:

determining whether uplink synchronization management is configured for the one or more candidate cells based on the configuration information of the one or more candidate cells;

in response to determining that the uplink synchronization management is configured, determining whether an uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells;

in response to determining that the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells, performing the uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells; and

acquiring the uplink synchronization for the one or more candidate cells through the uplink synchronization management procedure.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the configuration information of the one or more candidate cells includes configuration information of preambles for random access, and the performing of the uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells in response to determining that the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells comprises:

in response to determining that the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells, selecting a preamble from among the preambles for random access;

transmitting the selected preamble to the one or more candidate cells; and

receiving a random access response (RAR) including a timing advance command for the uplink synchronization from the one or more candidate cells.

5 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein the configuration information of the one or more candidate cells includes information on a time division multiplexing (TDM) pattern, and the terminal transmits the preamble to a corresponding candidate cell at an uplink allocation time for the uplink synchronization management procedure according to the TDM pattern, and receives an RAR at a downlink allocation time for the uplink synchronization management procedure according to the TDM pattern.

6 . The method according to claim 3 , further comprising, after the determining of whether the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells, determining whether a condition to perform uplink synchronization management is satisfied for the one or more candidate cells, wherein when the condition to perform uplink synchronization management is satisfied, the uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells is performed.

7 . The method according to claim 6 , wherein the condition of perform uplink synchronization management is at least one of a strength-specific condition, a location-specific condition, a time-specific condition, a strength prediction-specific condition, a location prediction-specific condition, or a time prediction-specific condition.

8 . A terminal comprising a processor, wherein the processor causes the terminal to perform:

receiving, from a centralized unit (CU) of a base station, configuration information of one or more candidate cells and configuration information for measurement;

performing layer 1 (L1) measurement on the one or more candidate cells based on the configuration information for measurement;

acquiring uplink synchronization for the one or more candidate cells by performing an uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells based on the configuration information of the one or more candidate cells;

reporting a result of the L1 measurement to a distributed unit (DU) of the base station;

receiving, from the DU of the base station, information on a target cell, being the target cell to switch among the one or more candidate cells, based on the result of the L1 measurement; and

applying the uplink synchronization acquired through the uplink synchronization management procedure to the target cell.

9 . The terminal according to claim 8 , wherein the processor further causes the terminal to perform:

accessing the target cell; and

in response to completion of accessing the target cell, transmitting a cell switching complete message to the target cell.

10 . The terminal according to claim 8 , wherein in the acquiring of the uplink synchronization for the one or more candidate cells, the processor further causes the terminal to perform:

determining whether uplink synchronization management is configured for the one or more candidate cells based on the configuration information of the one or more candidate cells;

in response to determining that the uplink synchronization management is configured, determining whether an uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells;

in response to determining that the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells, performing the uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells; and

acquiring the uplink synchronization for the one or more candidate cells through the uplink synchronization management procedure.

11 . The terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the configuration information of the one or more candidate cells includes configuration information of preambles for random access, and in the performing of the uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells in response to determining that the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells, the processor further causes the terminal to perform:

in response to determining that the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells, selecting a preamble from among the preambles for random access;

transmitting the selected preamble to the one or more candidate cells; and

receiving a random access response (RAR) including a timing advance command for the uplink synchronization from the one or more candidate cells.

12 . The terminal according to claim 10 , wherein the processor further causes the terminal to perform, after the determining of whether the uplink synchronization validity timer has expired for the one or more candidate cells, determining whether a condition to perform uplink synchronization management is satisfied for the one or more candidate cells, wherein when the condition to perform uplink synchronization management is satisfied, the uplink synchronization management procedure for the one or more candidate cells is performed.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2023
From: PARK, HYUN SEO; KWON, YONG JIN; KIM, YUN JOO; PARK, HAN JUN; SON, JUNG BO; LEE, AN SEOK; LEE, YU RO; CHANG, SUNG CHEOL; LEE, HEESOO
To: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Reel/Frame 065437/0845 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2022-0144294 · Nov 2, 2022 · national
KR 10-2023-0149489 · Nov 1, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240147315A1 · May 2, 2024
References Cited (22)
US 9894627B2 · Choi et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10638442B2 · Kim et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20100232327A1 · Kim et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20140169345A1 · Seo et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20180049079A1 · Ozturk et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190223057A1 · Park et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200351971A1 · Fiorani · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20220039175A1 · Zhou · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220078796A1 · Kim et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220150974A1 · Kim et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220232600A1 · Kim et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220330323A1 · Kim et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230130286A1 · Leng · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230276283A1 · Hakola · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240022924A1 · Zhou · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240244499A1 · Ramachandra · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240356621A1 · Yuan · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20240357528A1 · Karabulut · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20250088932A1 · Lin · 2025 [cited by examiner]
US 20250227570A1 · Chandrashekar · 2025 [cited by examiner]
KR 1020190073557A · 2019 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018083649A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]