IP Library Granted Patent US 12,538,248
Granted Patent B2
US 12,538,248 · App. 18/600,343 · Granted Jan 27, 2026

Expiry of time alignment timer

Inventors: Gautham Prasad (Herndon, VA); Ali Cagatay Cirik (Chantilly, VA); Esmael Hejazi Dinan (McLean, VA); Kai Xu (Great Falls, VA); Hyoungsuk Jeon (Centreville, VA)
Assignee: Koninklijike Philips N.V.
H04W56/0045H04W74/0833H04W76/20H04W74/0836H04W74/0838
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,538,248
App. No.
18/600,343
Granted
Jan 27, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory comprises instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause a wireless device to receive one or more messages indicating a plurality of timing advance groups (TAGs). The plurality of TAGs comprises at least two primary timing advance groups (PTAGs) for a special cell (SpCell), the at least two PTAGs comprising a first TAG associated with a first time alignment timer (TAT) and a second TAG associated with a second TAT. The plurality of TAGs comprises a third TAG associated with a third TAT. Based on expiries of the TATs associated with each PTAG of the at least two PTAGs of the SpCell, the wireless device determines all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired and transmits a random-access preamble after all the TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs are expired.

Claims (69)

1 . A wireless device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the wireless device to:

receive one or more messages indicating a plurality of timing advance groups (TAGs), the plurality of TAGs comprising:

two primary timing advance groups (PTAGs) for a special cell (SpCell), the two PTAGs comprising

a first PTAG associated with a first time alignment timer (TAT) and

a second PTAG associated with a second TAT; and

a third TAG for a secondary cell (SCell), wherein the third TAG comprises a secondary TAG (STAG) associated with a third TAT;

based on expiries of TATs associated with both the first PTAG and the second PTAG of the two PTAGs of the SpCell, determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; and

transmit, to a base station via the SpCell, a random-access preamble after all the TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs are expired.

2 . The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein each TAG of the plurality of TAGs is associated with a respective TAG index of a plurality of different TAG indexes.

3 . The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more messages indicate that the cell is a SpCell.

4 . The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the random-access preamble is based on the determining all the TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

5 . The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein determining all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired comprises:

considering one or more expired TATs as expired; and/or

considering one or more running TATs as expired based on the expiries of the TATs associated with each PTAG of the two PTAGs of the SpCell.

6 . The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the wireless device to:

determine, after the first TAT expires, the second TAT as running;

not determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; or

determine, after the first TAT expires, the second TAT as running and not determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

7 . The wireless device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the wireless device to:

consider, after the second TAT expires, the third TAT as expired;

determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; or

consider, after the second TAT expires, the third TAT as expired and determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

8 . A base station comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the base station to:

transmit one or more messages indicating a plurality of timing advance groups (TAGs) the plurality of TAGs comprising:

two primary timing advance groups (PTAGs) for a special cell (SpCell), the two PTAGs comprising

a first PTAG associated with a first time alignment timer (TAT) and

a second PTAG associated with a second TAT; and

a third TAG for a secondary cell (SCell), wherein the third TAG comprises a secondary TAG (STAG) associated with a third TAT;

based on expiries of TATs associated with both the first PTAG and the second PTAG of the two PTAGs of the SpCell, determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; and

receive, from a wireless device via the SpCell, a random-access preamble after all the TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs are expired.

9 . The base station of claim 8 , wherein each TAG of the plurality of TAGs is associated with a respective TAG index of a plurality of different TAG indexes.

10 . The base station of claim 8 , wherein the one or more messages indicate that the cell is a SpCell.

11 . The base station of claim 8 , wherein the receiving the random-access preamble is based on the determining all the TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

12 . The base station of claim 8 , wherein determining all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired comprises:

considering one or more expired TATs as expired; and/or

considering one or more running TATs as expired based on the expiries of the TATs associated with each PTAG of the two PTAGs of the SpCell.

13 . The base station of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the base station to:

determine, after the first TAT expires, the second TAT as running;

not determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; or

determine, after the first TAT expires, the second TAT as running and not determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

14 . The base station of claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the base station to:

consider, after the second TAT expires, the third TAT as expired;

determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; or

consider, after the second TAT expires, the third TAT as expired and determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a wireless device, cause the wireless device to:

receive one or more messages indicating a plurality of timing advance groups (TAGs) the plurality of TAGs comprising:

two primary timing advance groups (PTAGs) for a special cell (SpCell), the two PTAGs comprising

a first PTAG associated with a first time alignment timer (TAT) and

a second PTAG associated with a second TAT; and

a third TAG for a secondary cell (SCell), wherein the third TAG comprises a secondary TAG (STAG) associated with a third TAT;

based on expiries of TATs associated with both the first PTAG and the second PTAG of the two PTAGs of the SpCell, determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; and

transmit, to a base station via the SpCell, a random-access preamble after all the TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs are expired.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein each TAG of the plurality of TAGs is associated with a respective TAG index of a plurality of different TAG indexes.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the receiving the random-access preamble is based on the determining all the TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein determining all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired comprises:

considering one or more expired TATs as expired; and/or

considering one or more running TATs as expired based on the expiries of the TATs associated with each PTAG of the two PTAGs of the SpCell.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the wireless device to:

determine, after the first TAT expires, the second TAT as running;

not determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; or

determine, after the first TAT expires, the second TAT as running and not determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the wireless device to:

consider, after the second TAT expires, the third TAT as expired;

determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired; or

consider, after the second TAT expires, the third TAT as expired and determine all TATs associated with the plurality of TAGs as expired.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 4, 2025
From: OFINNO, LLC
To: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
Reel/Frame 073454/0107 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2024
From: PRASAD, GAUTHAM; CIRIK, ALI CAGATAY; DINAN, ESMAEL HEJAZI; XU, KAI; JEON, HYOUNGSUK
To: OFINNO, LLC
Reel/Frame 066992/0714 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTUS2023017801 · Apr 6, 2023
Provisional Application 63336102 · Apr 28, 2022
Related Publication 20240214960A1 · Jun 27, 2024
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