Parallel transmission of segmented RRC messages

1. A method of a first communication entity, the method comprising:

segmenting a first Packet Data Convergence Protocol (“PDCP”) layer Service Data Unit (“SDU”) message into a plurality of first segments;

transmitting a first set of segmented Radio Resource Control (“RRC”) messages to a second communication entity, each of the first set of segmented RRC messages indicating a procedure number corresponding to the plurality of first segments and also includes a segment of the plurality of first segments;

segmenting a second PDCP layer SDU message into a plurality of second segments; and

transmitting a second set of segmented RRC messages to the second communication entity in parallel with the first set of segmented RRC messages, each of the second set of segmented RRC messages indicating a procedure number corresponding to the plurality of second segments and includes a segment of the plurality of second segments,

wherein a first of the second set of segmented RRC messages is transmitted prior to transmitting a last of the first set of segmented RRC messages.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second segmented RRC messages further includes a message type parameter that indicates which PDCP layer SDU message the procedure number and the included segment are associated with.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the message type parameter indicates one of: an RRC Reconfiguration message and an RRC Resume message.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the message type parameter indicates one of: a UE Capability Information message and a Measurement report message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein segmenting the first PDCP layer SDU message occurs in response to the first PDCP layer SDU message exceeding a maximum RRC Protocol Data Unit (“PDU”) size limit and wherein segmenting the second PDCP layer SDU message occurs in response to the second PDCP layer SDU message exceeding the maximum RRC PDU size limit.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication entity comprises a Radio Access Network (“RAN”) node in a mobile communication network and the second communication entity comprises a User Equipment (“UE”).

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising receiving a capabilities message from the second communication entity, wherein the capabilities message indicates that downlink message segmentation is supported, and wherein segmenting the first and second PDCP layer SDU messages occurs in response to receiving the indication that downlink message segmentation is supported.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first communication entity comprises a User Equipment (“UE”) and the second communication entity comprises a Radio Access Network (“RAN”) node in a mobile communication network.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising transmitting a capabilities message to the second communication entity, wherein the capabilities message indicates that uplink message segmentation is supported, and wherein segmenting the first and second PDCP layer SDU messages occurs in response to transmitting the indication that uplink message segmentation is supported.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a third set of segmented RRC messages from the second communication entity, the third set of segmented RRC messages comprising segments of a third RRC message and segments of a fourth RRC message, each of the third set of segmented RRC messages comprising a procedure number that indicates a procedure to which an included segment corresponds, wherein a first segment of the fourth RRC message is received prior to receiving a last segment of the third RRC message; and

reassembling the received segments into the third and fourth RRC messages based at least on the procedure number of the received segments.

11. A radio access network (“RAN”) node comprising:

a processor that:

segments a first Packet Data Convergence Protocol (“PDCP”) layer Service Data Unit (“SDU”) message into a plurality of first segments; and

segments a second PDCP layer SDU message into a plurality of second segments; and

a transceiver that:

transmits a first set of segmented Radio Resource Control (“RRC”) messages to a User Equipment (“UE”), each of the first set of segmented RRC messages including one of the plurality of first segments and a procedure number that indicates a procedure to which the included segment corresponds; and

transmits a second set of segmented RRC messages to the UE in parallel with the first set of segmented RRC messages, each of the second set of segmented RRC messages including one of the plurality of second segments and a procedure number that indicates a procedure to which the included segment corresponds,

wherein a first of the second set of segmented RRC messages is transmitted prior to transmitting a last of the first set of segmented RRC messages.

12. The RAN node of claim 11 , wherein each of the first and second segmented RRC messages further includes a message type parameter that indicates which PDCP layer SDU message the procedure number and the included segment are associated with, wherein the message type parameter indicates one of: an RRC Reconfiguration message and an RRC Resume message.

13. The RAN node of claim 11 , wherein segmenting the first PDCP layer SDU message occurs in response to the first PDCP layer SDU message exceeding a maximum RRC Protocol Data Unit (“PDU”) size limit and wherein segmenting the second PDCP layer SDU message occurs in response to the second PDCP layer SDU message exceeding the maximum RRC PDU size limit.

14. The RAN node of claim 11 , wherein the transceiver further receives a capabilities message from the UE, wherein the capabilities message indicates that downlink message segmentation is supported, and wherein segmenting the first and second PDCP layer SDU messages occurs in response to receiving the indication that downlink message segmentation is supported.

15. The RAN node of claim 11 ,

wherein the transceiver further receives a third set of segmented RRC messages from the UE, the third set of segmented RRC messages comprising segments of a third RRC message and segments of a fourth RRC message, each of the third set of segmented RRC messages comprising a procedure number that indicates a procedure to which an included segment corresponds, wherein a first segment of the fourth RRC message is received prior to receiving a last segment of the third RRC message; and

wherein the processor reassembles the received segments into the third and fourth RRC messages based at least on the procedure number of the received segments.

16. A User Equipment (“UE”) comprising:

a processor that:

segments a first Packet Data Convergence Protocol (“PDCP”) layer Service Data Unit (“SDU”) message into a plurality of first segments; and

segments a second PDCP layer SDU message into a plurality of second segments; and

a transceiver that:

transmits a first set of segmented Radio Resource Control (“RRC”) message to a Radio Access Network (“RAN”) node, each of the first set of segmented RRC messages including one of the plurality of first segments and a procedure number that indicates a procedure to which the included segment corresponds; and

transmits a second set of segmented RRC messages to the RAN node in parallel with the first set of segmented RRC messages, each of the second set of segmented RRC messages including one of the plurality of second segments and a procedure number that indicates a procedure to which the included segment corresponds,

wherein a first of the second set of segmented RRC messages is transmitted prior to transmitting a last of the first set of segmented RRC messages.

17. The UE of claim 16 , wherein each of the first and second segmented RRC messages further includes a message type parameter that indicates which PDCP layer SDU message the procedure number and the included segment are associated with, wherein the message type parameter indicates one of: a UE Capability Information message and a Measurement report message.

18. The UE of claim 16 , wherein segmenting the first PDCP layer SDU message occurs in response to the first PDCP layer SDU message exceeding a maximum RRC Protocol Data Unit (“PDU”) size limit and wherein segmenting the second PDCP layer SDU message occurs in response to the second PDCP layer SDU message exceeding the maximum RRC PDU size limit.

19. The UE of claim 16 , wherein the transceiver further transmits a capabilities message to the RAN node, wherein the capabilities message indicates that uplink message segmentation is supported, and wherein segmenting the first and second PDCP layer SDU messages occurs in response to transmitting the indication that uplink message segmentation is supported.

20. The UE of claim 16 ,

wherein the transceiver further receives a third set of segmented RRC messages from the RAN node, the third set of segmented RRC messages comprising segments of a third RRC message and segments of a fourth RRC message, each of the third set of segmented RRC messages comprising a procedure number that indicates a procedure to which an included segment corresponds, wherein a first segment of the fourth RRC message is received prior to receiving a last segment of the third RRC message; and

wherein the processor reassembles the received segments into the third and fourth RRC messages based at least on the procedure number of the received segments.