METHOD FOR OUT OF SYNC IDENTIFICATION

• US 20130215834A1
• Filed: 06/13/2012
• Published: 08/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: DEIVASIGAMANI, Giri Prassad, NUKALA, Gaurav, ALAM, Muhammad A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,885,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states

Abstract

A method is disclosed for determining an operational state mismatch condition between a user equipment (UE) and a network (NW) in a 3^rd generation partnership project long term evolution (3GPP LTE) network. In one embodiment, the UE can monitor messages from the NW. If the messages are not consistent with a current UE operational state, then a state mismatch is determined. In another embodiment, the UE can monitor a paging channel. If the UE receives a paging message that is not consistent with a current UE operational state, then a state mismatch is determined.

Claims

1. A method for recovering from an out of sync condition between a user equipment (UE) device operating in a long term evolution network (NW), the method comprising:

determining a first operational state of the UE device;

determining an operational state mismatch when the first operational state of the UE does not match a first operational state of the NW;

sending a radio resource control message from the UE device to the NW to release NW resources assigned to the UE device; and

transitioning from the first operational state to a second operational state within the UE device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the operational state mismatch comprises:

determining a time period to receive grant response messages from the NW in response to schedule request messages sent to the NW; and

determining the operational state mismatch when no grant response messages are received during the time period.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational state of the UE device is a radio resource control connected (RRC.connected) state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second operational state of the UE device is a radio resource control idle (RRC.idle) state.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the time period corresponds to a connection release time period in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the resource radio control message includes a radio resource control connection release (RRC.conn.release) message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the operational state mismatch comprises:

monitoring a paging channel; and

determining the state mismatch when at least one page message from the NW is received.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the number of pages received from the NW can be increased or decreased corresponding to a worsening or an improving of communication channel conditions.

9. A method for recovering from an out of sync condition between a user equipment (UE) device operating in a long term evolution network (NW), the method comprising:

determining a first operational state of the UE device;

determining an operational state mismatch when the first operational state of the UE does not match a first operational state of the NW;

sending a radio control message from the UE device to the NW declaring a radio link failure; and

transitioning from the first operational state to a second operational state within the UE device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the operational state mismatch comprises:

determining a time period to receive grant response messages from the NW in response to schedule request messages sent to the NW; and

determining the operational state mismatch when no grant response messages are received during the time period.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the operational state mismatch comprises:

determining a time period to receive grant response messages from the NW in response to a RACH messages sent to the NW; and

determining the operational state mismatch when no grant response messages are received during the time period.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the operational state mismatch comprises:

monitoring a paging channel; and

determining the state mismatch when at least one page is received wherein the received page is not associated with a system information block (SIB).

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the time period corresponds to a connection release time period in a Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol.

14. Non-transient computer readable medium for storing computer code executable by a processor in a user equipment (UE) device having at least one wireless data transceiver, and a memory, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for detecting a first operating state of the UE device operating in Long Term Evolution (LTE) network (NW);

computer code for determining an operating state mismatch condition between the UE device and the NW; and

computer code for sending a message to the NW in response to the determined mismatch condition.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer code for determining the operating state mismatch condition further comprises:

computer code for determining a first time period;

computer code for determining that the first operating state of the UE device does not match an operating state of the NW when no receive grant messages are received during the determined first period.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer code for determining the operating state mismatch condition further comprises:

computer code for monitoring a paging channel;

computer code for determining that the first operating state of the UE device does not match an operating state of the NW when a paging message is received on the paging channel.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer code for sending a message to the NW comprises sending a radio resource control connection release (RRC.conn.release) message.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer code for sending a message to the NW comprises sending a radio link failure message.

19. A method for reducing out of sync conditions between a user equipment (UE) device and a Long Term Evolution (LTE) network (NW) at the UE, the method comprising:

sending a first number of radio resource commands from the UE to the NW;

monitoring channel conditions; and

increasing or decreasing the number of radio resource commands sent to the NW as channel conditions worsen or improve respectively.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the radio resource command is the radio resource command setup complete (RRC.setup.complete) command.