DUAL CONNECTIVITY MANAGEMENT

• US 20170127473A1
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Published: 05/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: VIRTEJ, Elena, LUNDEN, Jari
• Application Number:
  US15/318,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127473A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0032 Distributed allocation, i.e. involving a plurality of allocating devices, each making partial allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 5/0098 Signalling of the activation or deactivation of component carriers, subcarriers or frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0027 for a plurality of data sessions of end-to-end connections, e.g. multi-call or multi-bearer end-to-end data connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0069 in case of dual connectivity, e.g. decoupled uplink/downlink
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/0079 in case of hand-off failure or rejection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0235 where the received signal is a power saving command
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/27 Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following: receive configuration information including a timer value associated with user data inactivity; start or restart a timer when user data is active in at least one cell of a secondary cell group but not when user data is active in a cell of master cell group; and release dual connectivity if the timer expires.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a user equipment, configuration information including a timer value associated with user data inactivity;

starting or restarting a timer when user data is active in at least one cell of a secondary cell group but not active in a cell of a master cell group; and

releasing dual connectivity if the timer expires.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the master cell group comprises a group of serving cells associated with a master base station.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the secondary cell group comprises a group of serving cells associated with a secondary base station.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein releasing dual connectivity comprises releasing connections to cells of the secondary cell group.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

stopping sending at least one of buffer status report and power headroom report to cells of the secondary cell group.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the configuration information is carried on a radio resource control message.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the radio resource control message comprises RRCConnectionReconfiguration message for adding or configuring a cell of the secondary cell group.

34. The method of claim 27, wherein the timer value is specific for a cell of the secondary cell group or common for cells of the secondary cell group.

35. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

receive configuration information including a timer value associated with user data inactivity;

start or restart a timer when user data is active in at least one cell of a secondary cell group but not active in a cell of a master cell group; and

release dual connectivity if the timer expires.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the master cell group comprises a group of serving cells associated with a master base station.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the secondary cell group comprises a group of serving cells associated with a secondary base station.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein releasing dual connectivity comprises releasing connections to cells of the secondary cell group.

39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein releasing dual connectivity comprises releasing dual connectivity when there is bearer split between a master base station and a secondary base station.

40. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

stop sending at least one of buffer status report and power headroom report to cells of the secondary cell group.

41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the configuration information is carried on a radio resource control message.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the radio resource control message comprises RRCConnectionReconfiguration message for adding or configuring a cell of the secondary cell group.

43. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the timer value is specific for a cell of the secondary cell group or common for cells of the secondary cell group.

44. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

send information on the releasing to a master base station.

45. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to at least;

transmit configuration information including a timer value associated with user data inactivity, wherein the timer value is associated with release of dual connectivity if a timer which counts time of user data inactivity expires.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive information on releasing dual connectivity from a user equipment.