IP Library Granted Patent US 12,464,597
Granted Patent B2
US 12,464,597 · App. 18/361,048 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

User apparatus, base station and communication system

Inventors: Tadahiro Shimoda (Tokyo, JP); Mitsuru Mochizuki (Tokyo, JP); Fumihiro Hasegawa (Tokyo, JP); Noriyuki Fukui (Tokyo, JP); Daichi Uchino (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
H04W76/27H04B7/06964H04W72/27
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 12,464,597
App. No.
18/361,048
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a communication system with low latency and high reliability, etc. Even after transitioning from RRC_CONNECTED to RRC_INACTIVE, a communication terminal device maintains secondary base station configuration information on configuring a secondary base station. Even when at least one of a master base station and a secondary base station is changed during the RRC_INACTIVE, the communication terminal device maintains the secondary base station configuration information. The communication terminal device again transitions to the RRC_CONNECTED using the maintained secondary base station configuration information.

Claims (42)

1 . A user apparatus in a communication system, the user apparatus comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory storing instructions for the processor,

the communication system comprising the user apparatus and a plurality of base stations configured to wirelessly communicate with the user apparatus, wherein

the user apparatus operates in one of a radio resource control RRC_CONNECTED state, an RRC_INACTIVE state, and an RRC_IDLE state transitionable to each other,

the plurality of base stations include a plurality of master nodes including a first master node and a second master node and one or more secondary nodes, the plurality of master nodes each having a cell group including a primary cell and one or more secondary cells, the one or more secondary nodes each having a cell group including a primary cell and one or more secondary cells,

each master node and each secondary node support dual connectivity for the user apparatus,

the user apparatus performs a procedure for switching a destination of the user apparatus for the dual connectivity from the first master node, which is a source master node, to the second master node, which is a target master node, and resuming the user apparatus from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state,

wherein, in the procedure, the user apparatus transmits, to the second master node, a resume request message including a identifier allocated by the first master node in transitioning from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_INACTIVE state, and

in the procedure, the user apparatus receives, from the second master node, a resume message related to resuming to the RRC_CONNECTED state, and executes release of a configuration related to a secondary node of the each secondary node based on the resume message.

2 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the procedure, the user apparatus executes a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) reconfiguration based on the resume message.

3 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the procedure, the second master node executes decision related to the secondary node.

4 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the procedure, the first master node transmits information related to the secondary node to the second master node based on a request received from the second master node to retrieve a context of the user apparatus identified by the identifier.

5 . The user apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the first master node retains the information related to the secondary node to be transmitted to the second master node.

6 . The user apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the information related to the secondary node to be transmitted to the second master node includes an identifier that identifies the secondary node.

7 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the procedure, the secondary node retains a configuration related to the secondary node for the user apparatus.

8 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the procedure, the secondary node transmits a configuration related to the secondary node to the second master node.

9 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the procedure, the second master node transmits, to the user apparatus, an identifier identifying the user apparatus in radio access network (RAN) area update procedure.

10 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user apparatus periodically performs a measurement of neighbouring cells and reports a measurement result to any of the master nodes.

11 . The user apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the one or more secondary nodes include a first secondary node and a second secondary node, and

in respectively switching destinations of the user apparatus from the first master node and the first secondary node to the second master node and the second secondary node and resuming the user apparatus from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state,

the second master node transmits a configuration related to the first secondary node to the second secondary node,

the second secondary node transmits a configuration related to the second secondary node to the second master node,

the first master node does not request the first secondary node to transmit a configuration, and

the user apparatus executes release of a configuration related to the first secondary node based on a resume message related to resuming to the RRC_CONNECTED state received from the second master node.

12 . A base station in a communication system, the base station comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory storing instructions for the processor,

the communication system comprising a user apparatus and a plurality of base stations configured to wirelessly communicate with the user apparatus, wherein

the user apparatus operates in one of a radio resource control RRC_CONNECTED state, an RRC_INACTIVE state, and an RRC_IDLE state transitionable to each other,

the plurality of base stations include a plurality of master nodes including a first master node and a second master node and one or more secondary nodes, the plurality of master nodes each having a cell group including a primary cell and one or more secondary cells, the one or more secondary nodes each having a cell group including a primary cell and one or more secondary cells,

each master node and each secondary node support dual connectivity for the user apparatus,

the user apparatus performs a procedure for switching a destination of the user apparatus for the dual connectivity from the first master node, which is a source master node, to the second master node, which is a target master node, and resuming the user apparatus from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state,

wherein, in the procedure, the second master node receives, from the user apparatus, a resume request message including a identifier allocated by the first master node in transitioning from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_INACTIVE state,

in the procedure, the second master node transmits, to the user apparatus, a resume message related to resuming to the RRC_CONNECTED state, and

the resume message indicates to execute release of a configuration related to a secondary node of the each secondary node.

13 . A communication system comprising a user apparatus; and a plurality of base stations configured to wirelessly communicate with the user apparatus, wherein

the user apparatus operates in one of a radio resource control RRC_CONNECTED state, an RRC_INACTIVE state, and an RRC_IDLE state transitionable to each other,

the plurality of base stations include a plurality of master nodes including a first master node and a second master node and one or more secondary nodes, the plurality of master nodes each having a cell group including a primary cell and one or more secondary cells, the one or more secondary nodes each having a cell group including a primary cell and one or more secondary cells,

each master node and each secondary node support dual connectivity for the user apparatus,

the user apparatus performs a procedure for switching a destination of the user apparatus for the dual connectivity from the first master node, which is a source master node, to the second master node, which is a target master node, and resuming the user apparatus from the RRC_INACTIVE state to the RRC_CONNECTED state,

wherein, in the procedure, the user apparatus transmits, to the second master node, a resume request message including a identifier allocated by the first master node in transitioning from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_INACTIVE state, and

in the procedure, the user apparatus receives, from the second master node, a resume message related to resuming to the RRC_CONNECTED state, and executes release of a configuration related to a secondary node of the each secondary node based on the resume message.

Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-116008 · Jun 19, 2018 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17052255
Related Publication 20240032137A1 · Jan 25, 2024
References Cited (65)
US 20180191483A1 · Yamazaki et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180192426A1 · Ryoo · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20200084825A1 · Yang · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200169912A1 · Chang et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200205042A1 · Ryu · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200205123A1 · Byun · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200221526A1 · Jin · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200245388A1 · Byun · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200351782A1 · Kubota · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200389810A1 · Wang · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210120475A1 · Yang et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210337436A1 · Teyeb et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220141748A1 · Lee · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230199558A1 · Wang · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240236788A1 · Yilmaz · 2024 [cited by examiner]
EP 2800428A1 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017208583A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
WO 2017038337A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #100; R2-1714208; Source: Ericsson; Title: Offline#22 LTE re-establishment and resume while using NR PDCP (Ericsson)Reno, US, Nov. 27-Dec. 1, 2017 (Year: 2017). [cited by examiner]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 NR#2; Tdoc R2-1707201; Source: Ericsson; Title: NR RRCConnectionReconfiguration procedure and signalling baseline; Qingdao, China, Jun. 27-29, 2017 (Year: 2017). [cited by examiner]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 NR AdHoc; R3-172377; Source: CATT ; Title: Periodic RNA update ; Qingdao, China, Jun. 27-29, 2017. See §2.1, §2.2. (Year: 2017). [cited by examiner]
3GPP TSG RAN WG2 Meeting#101; R2-1802929; Source: Intel Corporation; Title: TP on agreed NR Inactive aspects; Athens, Greece, Feb. 26-Mar. 2, 2018 (Year: 2018). [cited by examiner]
International Search Report issued on Sep. 3, 2019 in PCT/JP2019/023251 filed on Jun. 12, 2019, 1 page. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 36.300 V14.3.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
“LS on HNB/HeNB Open Access Mode”, 3GPP TSG-SA1 #42, S1-083461, 2008, 2 total pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TR 36.814 V9.2.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TR 36.912 V14.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
Popovski et al., “Scenarios, requirements and KPIs for 5G mobile and wireless system”, ICT-317669-METIS/D1.1, Mobile and wireless communications Enablers for the Twenty-twenty Information Society (METIS), Deliverable D1… [cited by applicant]
3GPP TR 23.799 V14.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TR 38.801 V14.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TR 38.802 V14.1.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TR 38.804 V14.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TR 38.912 V14.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
“Work Item on New Radio (NR) Access Technology”, 3GPP TSG RAN Meeting #77, RP-172115, 2017, 47 total pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 37.340 V15.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.211 V15.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.213 V15.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.214 V15.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.300 V15.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.321 V15.1.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.212 V15.0.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 36.331 V15.1.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
“Remaining issues on NR-PBCH”, 3GPP TSG RAN WG1 Meeting #92, R1-1802461, 2018, 6 total pages. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 37.324 V1.5.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
“Per-CC gap for MR-DC”, 3GPP TSG-RAN2 NR AH#3, R2-1801427, 2018 pp. 1-3. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TS 38.331 V15.1.0, 3 [cited by applicant]
“5G Architecture Options—Full Set” RP-161266, Joint RAN/SA Meeting Jun. 14, 2016, 11 total pages. [cited by applicant]
Samsung, “MR-DC bearer management in inactive state” [online], 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #102, R2-1808302, 2018, pp. 1-5. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report issued Feb. 8, 2022 in corresponding European Patent Application No. 19822483.4, 12 pages. [cited by applicant]
Qualcomm Incorporated: “MR-DC Mode in Inactive”, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting NR ad-hoc 2; R2-1706892, (3GPP), vol. RAN WG2, no. Qingdao, China; XP051301389, Jun. 27-29, 2017, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Qualcomm Incorporated: “RRC_Inactive with MR_DC”, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting NR ad-hoc 2; R3-172430, (3GPP), vol. RAN WG3, no. Qingdao, China; XP051308067, Jun. 20, 2017. [cited by applicant]
Qualcomm Incorporated: “RRC_Inactive with MR_DC”, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting #97; R3-172739, (3GPP), vol. RAN WG3, no. Berlin, Germany; XP051319585, Aug. 21-25, 2017, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Ericsson: “RRC suspend/resume in LTE-NR tight interworking”, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 NR AH#2; Tdoc R2-1706634 (Revision of R2-1704452), (3GPP), vol. RAN WG2, no. Qingdao; XP051301136, Jun. 27-29, 2017, 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
Qualcomm Incorporated: “RRC_Inactive with MR_DC”, 3GPP TSG-RAN WG3 Meeting NR Ad-Hoc 2; R3-172430, (3GPP), vol. RAN WG3, no. Qingdao, XP051302372, Jun. 27-29, 2017, 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Indian Office Action issued Sep. 19, 2022 in Indian Application No. 202047047902, with English translation, 8 pgs. [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 2018 RAN2 Ad-hoc Meeting, R2-1801417; Source: Samsung; Title: Suspension of UE to RRC_Inactive in MR dual connectivity, Vancouver, Canada, Jan. 21-25, 2018 (Year: 2018). [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 #101; R2-1802643; Source: Ericsson; Title: RRC procedures for inter-RAT mobility from N R to E-UTRA, Athens, Greece, Feb. 26-Mar. 2, 2018 (Year: 2018). [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 #101bis; R2-1804796; Source: Ericsson; Title: TP to 36.331 for inter-RAT mobility between NR and E-UTRA, Sanya, P.R. of China, May 16 -20, 2018. (Year: 2018). [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 #102; R2-1807386; Source: MediaTek Inc.; Title: SOAP state storage for inactive state, Busan, South Korea, May 21-25, 2018 (Year: 2018). [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 Meeting #103; R2-1811461, Gothenburg, Sweden, Aug. 20-24, 2018, Source:InterDigital Inc.; Title: Dual Connectivity Configuration in Inactive for MR-DC (Year: 2018). [cited by applicant]
3GPP TSG-RAN WG2 N R#2; Tdoc R2-1706571; Source: Ericsson ; Title: RRC procedure and signalling for harmonised bearers; Qingdao, China, Jun. 27-29, 2017. (Year: 2017). [cited by applicant]
Chinese Patent Office, Chinese Office Action, Application No. CN201980039996.8, dated Dec. 1, 2023, in 15 pages. [cited by applicant]
European Patent Office, Extended European Search Report, Application No. 23186934.8, dated Nov. 2, 2023, in 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
Huawei, HiSilicon, Discussion on UE capability for LTE-NR switch time [online], 3GPP TSG RAN WG2 #101 R2-1802283, Internet<URL: http: //www.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_ran/WG2_RL2/TSGR2_l01/Docs/R2-1802283.zip>, Mar. 2, 2018, pp. … [cited by applicant]
Japanese Patent Office, Office Action, Application No. 2023-137761, dated Oct. 8, 2024, in 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Cited By (2)
US 12,520,361 US 12,732,265