MCI transmission for MAC handshake

1. A method in a wireless device of reconfiguring radio resources in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a radio resource control (RRC) message from a network node, the RRC message comprising a time for radio resource reconfiguration;

obtaining a maximum retransmission threshold value and an indication of a backup reconfiguration time, the backup reconfiguration time occurring after the time for radio resource reconfiguration;

sending a first control information message to the network node;

determining the wireless device has not received a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment (ACK) from the network node in response to the first control information message;

determining a number of control information message transmissions is less than the maximum retransmission threshold value;

sending a second control information message to the network node;

determining the wireless device has not received a HARQ ACK from the network node in response to the second control information message and that the time for radio resource reconfiguration has passed; and

performing radio resource reconfiguration at the backup reconfiguration time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining a maximum retransmission threshold value comprises receiving the maximum retransmission threshold value in the received RRC message.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein obtaining a maximum retransmission threshold value comprises the wireless device being preconfigured with the maximum retransmission threshold value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the RRC message comprises a RRC Reconfiguration message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the backup reconfiguration time comprises a connection frame number (CFN).

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: obtaining a time threshold value; and determining a current time is not within the time threshold value of the backup reconfiguration time before sending the first control information message and before sending the second control information message.

7. A method in a network node of reconfiguring radio resources in a wireless communication network, the method comprising:

obtaining a maximum retransmission threshold value and an indication of a backup reconfiguration time, the backup reconfiguration time occurring after a latest time for radio resource reconfiguration;

sending a radio resource control (RRC) message to a wireless device, the RRC message comprising the maximum retransmission threshold and the time for radio resource reconfiguration;

receiving a control information message from the wireless device;

determining a number of received control information messages exceeds the maximum retransmission threshold value; and

performing radio resource reconfiguration at the backup reconfiguration time after the time for radio resource reconfiguration has passed.

8. A wireless device capable of reconfiguring radio resources in a wireless communication network, the wireless device comprising a processor, a memory, and a power source, the processor operable to:

receive a radio resource control (RRC) message from a network node, the RRC message comprising a time for radio resource reconfiguration;

obtain a maximum retransmission threshold value and an indication of a backup reconfiguration time, the backup reconfiguration time occurring after the time for radio resource reconfiguration;

send a first control information message to the network node;

determine the wireless device has not received a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) acknowledgment (ACK) from the network node in response to the first control information message;

determine a number of control information message transmissions is less than the maximum retransmission threshold value;

send a second control information message to the network node;

determine the wireless device has not received a HARQ ACK from the network node in response to the second control information message and that the time for radio resource reconfiguration has passed; and

perform radio resource reconfiguration at the backup reconfiguration time.

9. The wireless device of claim 8 ; wherein the processor is operable to obtain the maximum retransmission threshold from the received RRC message.

10. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the processor is operable to obtain the maximum retransmission threshold from a preconfigured value.

11. The wireless device of claim 8 , wherein the RRC message comprises a RRC Reconfiguration message.

12. The wireless device of claim 8 ; wherein the backup reconfiguration time comprises a connection frame number (CFN).

13. The wireless device of claim 8 , the processor further operable to: obtain a time threshold value; and determine a current time is not within the time threshold value of the backup reconfiguration time before sending the first control information message and before sending the second control information message.

14. A network node capable of reconfiguring radio resources in a wireless communication network, the network node comprising a processor and a memory, the processor operable to:

obtain a maximum retransmission threshold value and an indication of a backup reconfiguration time, the backup reconfiguration time occurring after a time for radio resource reconfiguration;

send a radio resource control (RRC) message to a wireless device, the RRC message comprising the maximum retransmission threshold and the time for radio resource reconfiguration;

receive a control information message from the wireless device;

determine a number of received control information messages exceeds the maximum retransmission threshold value; and

perform radio resource reconfiguration at the backup reconfiguration time after the time for radio resource reconfiguration has passed.