UPLINK RESYNCHRONIZATION FOR USE IN COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

• US 20100080155A1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Burbidge, Richard C., Cai, Zhijun
• Granted Patent: US 8,891,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/310
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/0005 synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/21 in the uplink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/23 in the downlink direction of a wireless link, i.e. towards a terminal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reusing an uplink control channel configuration associated with an uplink control channel, the method comprising the steps of, at a user agent, receiving an uplink control channel resource configuration assigned by an access device, transmitting to the access device using the control channel resources associated with the received uplink control channel resource configuration and, after a time alignment timer expires, retaining the uplink control channel resource configuration.

Claims

1. A method for reusing an uplink control channel configuration associated with an uplink control channel, the method comprising the steps of, at a user agent:

receiving an uplink control channel resource configuration assigned by an access device;

transmitting to the access device using the control channel resources associated with the received uplink control channel resource configuration; and

after a time alignment timer expires, retaining the uplink control channel resource configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of reestablishing time alignment with the access device and reusing the control channel resources associated with the uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit to the access device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of reestablishing time alignment with the access device includes reestablishing alignment with the access device through a random access procedure.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of retaining the uplink control channel resource configuration includes storing the uplink control channel resource configuration.

5. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of, after the time alignment timer expires, determining that the retained uplink control channel resource configuration is still valid.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the steps of, after determining that the retained uplink control channel resource configuration is still valid, reusing the control channel resources associated with the retained uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit to the access device.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of, after the time alignment timer expires, reusing the control channel resources associated with the retained uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit to the access device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the uplink control channel resource configuration is stored prior to the alignment timer expiring.

9. A method for reusing an uplink control channel configuration associated with an uplink control channel, the method comprising the steps of, at a user agent:

maintaining a time alignment timer;

receiving an uplink control channel resource configuration assigned by an access device;

transmitting to the access device using the control channel resources associated with the received uplink control channel resource configuration; and

after the time alignment timer expires;

(i) storing the uplink control channel resource configuration;

(ii) reestablishing alignment with the access device through a random access procedure; and

(iii) reusing the control channel resources associated with the uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit to the access device.

10. A user agent apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a transmitter linked to the processor; and

a receiver linked to the processor;

wherein the processor is programmed to perform the steps of;

receiving an uplink control channel resource configuration assigned by an access device;

transmitting via the transmitter to the access device using the control channel resources associated with the received uplink control channel resource configuration; and

after a time alignment timer expires, retaining the uplink control channel resource configuration.

11. The user agent apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of reestablishing time alignment with the access device and reusing the control channel resources associated with the uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit to the access device.

12. The user agent apparatus of claim 11 wherein the processor performs the step of reestablishing alignment with the access device by reestablishing alignment with the access device through a random access procedure.

13. The user agent apparatus of claim 10 further including a memory linked to the processor wherein the processor performs the step of retaining the uplink control channel resource configuration by storing the uplink control channel resource configuration in the memory.

14. The user agent apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of, after the time alignment timer expires, determining that the retained uplink control channel resource configuration is still valid.

15. The user agent apparatus of claim 14 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of, after determining that the retained uplink control channel resource configuration is still valid, reusing the control channel resources associated with the retained uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit to the access device.

16. The user agent apparatus of claim 10 wherein the processor is further programmed to perform the steps of, after the time alignment timer expires, reusing the control channel resources associated with the retained uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit to the access device.

17. A user agent apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a transmitter linked to the processor; and

a receiver linked to the processor;

wherein the processor is programmed to perform the steps of;

maintaining a time alignment timer;

receiving via the receiver an uplink control channel resource configuration assigned by an access device;

transmitting via the transmitter to the access device using the control channel resources associated with the received uplink control channel resource configuration; and

after the time alignment timer expires;

(i) storing the uplink control channel resource configuration;

(ii) reestablishing alignment with the access device through a random access procedure; and

(iii) reusing the control channel resources associated with the uplink control channel resource configuration to transmit via the transmitter to the access device.