Method for processing medium access control entity, UE and communication system

• US 10,383,095 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Lu, Yanling, Wang, Weiwei
• Primary Examiner(s): Nooristany, Sulaiman
• Application Number:
  US14/871,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• 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 (MAC) entity, comprising:

establishing, by a User Equipment (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 PDCP entity and RLC entity both exist in the first and second connectivity or PDCP entity and RLC entity exist in the first connectivity, RLC entity exists in the second connectivity;

wherein a radio resource control (RRC) 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, wherein the releasing the MAC entity of the second connectivity includes;

flushing hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, of the MAC entity of 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. A User Equipment (UE), comprising:

a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions; and

processor circuitry coupled to the memory and configured to;

execute the plurality of instructions 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 PDCP entity and RLC entity both exist in the first and second connectivity or PDCP entity and RLC entity exist in the first connectivity, RLC entity exists in the second connectivity;

wherein a RRC 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;

a receiver configured to receive an instruction for releasing the second connectivity;

the processor circuitry is further configured to release the MAC entity of the second connectivity, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to flush hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, of the MAC entity of the second connectivity; and

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, the processor circuitry is further configured to perform an operation leaving a connected state.

7. The UE according to claim 5, wherein the processor circuitry is further 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 processor circuitry is further configured to:

judge whether the UE has dual connectivity comprising the first connectivity and the second connectivity;

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

9. A communication system, comprising:

a User Equipment, the UE comprising;

a memory configured to store a plurality of instructions; and

processor circuitry coupled to the memory and configured to;

execute the plurality of instructions, 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 PDCP entity and RLC entity both exist in the first and second connectivity or PDCP entity and RLC entity exist in the first connectivity, RLC entity exists in the second connectivity;

wherein a RRC 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;

a receiver configured to receive an instruction for releasing the second connectivity;

the processor circuitry is further configured to release the MAC entity of the second connectivity, wherein the processor circuitry is further configured to flush hybrid automatic repeat request, HARQ, of the MAC entity of the second connectivity; and

stop timers related to the second connectivity, and release all radio resources related to the second connectivity.