Method and apparatus for handling release of simultaneous communication with multiple base stations and related communication device

• US 9,974,114 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2015
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Wu, Chih-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwar, Mohammad S
• Application Number:
  US14/872,161
• Publication Number:
  US 20160100418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/04 Wireless resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/34 Selective release of ongoing connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/38 triggered by timers

Abstract

A network node includes a communication interfacing unit and a processor. The processor operable to perform operations includes controlling the communication interfacing unit to establish at least one second RB with a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer type between the communication device and an auxiliary network node; and releasing one of the at least one second RB under a condition that, for a first time period, all of downlink data in at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one second RB is successfully transmitted or the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one second RB is empty, and the auxiliary network node does not receive any request for an uplink grant allocation.

Claims

1. A network node comprising:

a communication interfacing unit configured for communicating with a communication device via a radio resource control (RRC) connection and at least one first radio bearer (RB) with a master cell group (MCG) bearer type; and

a processor electrically connected with the communication interfacing unit, the processor operable to perform operations comprising;

controlling the communication interfacing unit to establish at least one second RB with a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer type between the communication device and an auxiliary network node; and

receiving a starting signal from the auxiliary network node that a first condition is met; and

releasing one of the at least one second RB when it is determined that the first condition has been met for a first time period, wherein the first condition is that all of downlink data in all of at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one second RB is successfully transmitted or all of the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one second RB is empty, and the auxiliary network node does not receive any request for an uplink grant allocation from the communication device.

2. The network node as claimed in claim 1, wherein releasing the one of the at least one second RB when it is determined that the first condition has been met comprising:

starting a timer with the first time period when it is determined that the first condition is met; and

releasing one of the at least one second RB when the timer expires.

3. The network node as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is further operable for:

stopping or restarting the timer when new downlink data enters the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one second RB.

4. The network node as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is further operable for:

stopping or restarting the timer when the auxiliary network node receives a request for an uplink grant allocation.

5. The network node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable for:

releasing one of the at least one first RB when the processor determines that a second condition has been met for a second time period, wherein the second condition is that all of downlink data in at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one first RB is successfully transmitted or the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one first RB is empty, and the network node does not receive any request for an uplink grant allocation from the communication device.

6. The network node as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable for:

releasing the RRC connection when no second RB between the communication device and the auxiliary network node is configured, and, for a third time period, all of downlink data in all of at least one downlink buffer corresponding to all of the at least one first RB is successfully transmitted or all of the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to all of the at least one first RB is empty, and the network node does not receive any request for an uplink grant allocation from the communication device.

7. A network node comprising:

a communication interfacing unit configured for communicating with a communication device via an RRC connection and at least one RB with an MCG bearer type; and

a processor electrically connected with the communication interfacing unit, the processor operable to perform operations comprising;

controlling the communication interfacing unit to establish at least one second RB with a secondary cell group (SCG) bearer type between the communication device and an auxiliary network node; and

releasing the RRC connection when the processor determines that a first condition is met and for a first time period, a second condition has been met, wherein the first condition is that no second RB with an the SCG bearer type is configured between the communication device and an auxiliary network node, and the second condition is that all of downlink data in all of at least one downlink buffer corresponding to all of the at least one first RB is successfully transmitted or all of the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to all of the at least one first RB is empty, and the network node does not receive any request for an uplink grant allocation from the communication device.

8. The network node as claimed in claim 7, wherein releasing the RRC connection when the network node determines that the first condition is met and for the first time period, the second condition has been met comprising:

starting a timer with the first time period when the second condition is met; and

releasing the RRC connection when the first condition is met and the timer expires.

9. The network node as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable for:

stopping or restarting the timer when new downlink data enters the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to all of the at least one first RB.

10. The network node as claimed in claim 8, wherein the processor is further operable for:

stopping or restarting the timer when the network node receives a request for an uplink grant allocation.

11. The network node as claimed in claim 7 wherein the processor is further operable for:

releasing one of the at least one first RB when the processor determines that a third condition has been met for a second time period, wherein the third condition is that all of the downlink data in at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one first RB is successfully transmitted or the at least one downlink buffer corresponding to the one of the at least one first RB is empty, and the network node does not receive any request for an uplink grant allocation from the communication device.