Method for Processing Medium Access Control Entity, UE and Communication System

• US 20160029361A1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: LU, Yanling, WANG, Weiwei
• Granted Patent: US 10,383,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1812 Hybrid protocols; Hybrid automatic repeat request [HARQ]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/20 Control channels or signalling for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/569 of the traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/11 Allocation or use of connection identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/10 between terminal device and access point, i.e. wireless air interface

Abstract

A method for processing a medium access control entity, UE and a communication system. The method includes: establishing a corresponding medium access control entity by UE for a second connectivity, so that there exists dual connectivity between the UE and network side including a first connectivity and the second connectivity; wherein the medium access control entity of the second connectivity at least includes a multiplexing or de-multiplexing module and a logic channel prioritization module. Resources of the UE may be efficiently managed, and waste of resources is reduced based on control optimization.

Claims

1. A method for processing a medium access control entity (MAC), comprising:

establishing, by UE, a corresponding MAC entity for a second connectivity, so that there exists dual connectivity between the UE and network side comprising a first connectivity and the second connectivity;

wherein a radio resource control (RRC) entity exists in the first connectivity and signaling radio bearer(s) (SRB(s)) is/are always transferred via the first connectivity, while the MAC entity of the second connectivity comprises a multiplexing or de-multiplexing module, a logic channel prioritization module, a control module, a random access control module and a hybrid automatic repeat request module; and

releasing, by the UE, the MAC entity of the second connectivity, releasing all radio resources related to the second connectivity and stopping timers related to the second connectivity when the UE receives an instruction for releasing the second connectivity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

performing, by the UE, an operation leaving a connected state.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

performing, by the UE, an operation leaving a connected state, the operation leaving a connected state comprising at least the following;

resetting the MAC entity of the first connectivity;

stopping timers corresponding to the first connectivity and the second connectivity other than those that should be operated in an idle state; and

releasing all radio resources related to the first connectivity and the second connectivity.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

judging, by the UE, whether there exists dual connectivity comprising the first connectivity and the second connectivity; and

releasing the MAC entity of the second connectivity if it is judged that there exists dual connectivity.

5. UE, comprising:

a connectivity establishing unit configured to establish a corresponding MAC entity for a second connectivity, so that there exists dual connectivity between the UE and network side comprising a first connectivity and the second connectivity;

wherein a RRC entity exists in the first connectivity and SRB(s) is/are always transferred via the first connectivity, while the MAC entity of the second connectivity comprises a multiplexing or de-multiplexing module, a logic channel prioritization module, a control module, a random access control module and a hybrid automatic repeat request module;

an instruction receiving unit configured to receive an instruction for releasing the second connectivity;

a connectivity releasing unit configured to release the MAC entity of the second connectivity; and

a resource releasing unit configured to stop timers related to the second connectivity, and to release all radio resources related to the second connectivity.

6. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the UE further comprises:

a leaving operating unit configured to perform an operation leaving a connected state.

7. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the UE further comprises:

a leaving operating unit configured to perform an operation leaving a connected state, the operation leaving a connected state comprising at least the following;

resetting a MAC entity of the first connectivity;

stopping timers corresponding to the first connectivity and the second connectivity other than those that should be operated in an idle state; and

releasing all radio resources related to the first connectivity and the second connectivity.

8. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the UE further comprises:

a connectivity judging unit configured to judge whether the UE has dual connectivity comprising the first connectivity and the second connectivity;

and the connectivity releasing unit is configured to release the MAC entity of the second connectivity if it is judged that the UE has dual connectivity.

9. A communication system, comprising:

UE, configured to establish a corresponding MAC entity for a second connectivity, so that there exists dual connectivity between the UE and network side comprising a first connectivity and the second connectivity;

wherein a RRC entity exists in the first connectivity and SRB(s) is/are always transferred via the first connectivity, while the MAC entity of the second connectivity comprises a multiplexing or de-multiplexing module, a logic channel prioritization module, a control module, a random access control module and a hybrid automatic repeat request module;

and the UE is further configured to release the MAC entity of the second connectivity, release all radio resources related to the second connectivity and stop timers related to the second connectivity when the UE receives an instruction for releasing the second connectivity.