Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing ciphering problem recovery for unacknowledged mode radio bearer

• US 8,494,451 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2009
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Charles, Alexander Graham, Martin, Brian, Kubota, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN HOANG
• Application Number:
  US12/363,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20100197230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 455/63.1, 455/67.13, 455/452.1, 455/452.2, 375/130, 375/136, 375/137, 375/138, 375/147
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1848 Time-out mechanisms

Abstract

An apparatus for providing ciphering problem detection may include a processor. The processor may be configured to receive an unacknowledged mode message, initiate operation of a timer based on receipt of the unacknowledged mode message, re-initiate timer operation in response to each subsequent unacknowledged mode message received prior to expiration of the timer, record a timer expiry event in response to the timer expiring prior to receipt of a subsequent unacknowledged mode message, and indicate a data reception error in response to receipt of the subsequent unacknowledged mode message after recordation of the timer expiry event.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least perform the following:

cause a message to be provided indicative of a data reception error has occurred with respect to reception of unacknowledged mode messages, wherein causing the message to be provided comprises causing a particular value to be provided to enable resynchronization of a transmitter of the unacknowledged mode messages with a receiver of the unacknowledged mode messages;

receive a confirmation message including an initialization value based on the particular value; and

reestablish the receiver of the unacknowledged mode messages in accordance with the initialization value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the particular value comprises a START value provided in a cell update message, and wherein the initialization value comprises a COUNT-C value based on the START value.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the COUNT-C value comprises the START value.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to cause a message to be provided by causing a cell update message to be provided that includes at least one bit indicative of the data reception error, and wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to receive the confirmation message by receiving the confirmation message that includes at least one bit to trigger reestablishment of the receiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to receive unacknowledged mode messages following reestablishment of the receiver in accordance with the initialization value.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to monitor the unacknowledged mode messages to identify the data reception error.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the apparatus to monitor the unacknowledged mode messages by:

receive the unacknowledged mode message;

initiate operation of a timer based on receipt of the unacknowledged mode message;

re-initiate timer operation in response to each subsequent unacknowledged mode message received prior to expiration of the timer; and

indicate the data reception error in response to the timer expiring prior to receipt of a subsequent unacknowledged mode message.

8. A method comprising:

causing a message to be provided indicative of a data reception error has occurred with respect to reception of unacknowledged mode messages, wherein causing the message to be provided comprises causing a particular value to be provided to enable resynchronization of a transmitter of the unacknowledged mode messages with a receiver of the unacknowledged mode messages;

receiving a confirmation message including an initialization value based on the particular value; and

reestablishing the receiver of the unacknowledged mode messages in accordance with the initialization value.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the particular value comprises a START value provided in a cell update message, and wherein the initialization value comprises a COUNT-C value based on the START value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the COUNT-C value comprises the START value.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein causing a message to be provided comprises causing a cell update message to be provided that includes at least one bit indicative of the data reception error, and wherein receiving the confirmation message comprises receiving the confirmation message that includes at least one bit to trigger reestablishment of the receiver.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving unacknowledged mode messages following reestablishment of the receiver in accordance with the initialization value.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising monitoring the unacknowledged mode messages to identify the data reception error.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein monitoring the unacknowledged mode messages comprises:

receiving the unacknowledged mode message;

initiating operation of a timer based on receipt of the unacknowledged mode message;

re-initiating timer operation in response to each subsequent unacknowledged mode message received prior to expiration of the timer; and

indicating the data reception error in response to the timer expiring prior to receipt of a subsequent unacknowledged mode message.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising:

program code instructions for causing a message to be provided indicative of a data reception error has occurred with respect to reception of unacknowledged mode messages, wherein the program code instructions for causing the message to be provided comprise program code instructions for causing a particular value to be provided to enable resynchronization of a transmitter of the unacknowledged mode messages with a receiver of the unacknowledged mode messages;

program code instructions for receiving a confirmation message including an initialization value based on the particular value; and

program code instructions for reestablishing the receiver of the unacknowledged mode messages in accordance with the initialization value.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the particular value comprises a START value provided in a cell update message, and wherein the initialization value comprises a COUNT-C value based on the START value.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the COUNT-C value comprises the START value.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code instructions for causing a message to be provided comprise program code instructions for causing a cell update message to be provided that includes at least one bit indicative of the data reception error, and wherein the program code instructions for receiving the confirmation message comprise program code instructions for receiving the confirmation message that includes at least one bit to trigger reestablishment of the receiver.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising program code instructions for initiating a cell update procedure to facilitate recovery from the data reception error in response to the indication of the data reception error.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein program code instructions for initiating the cell update procedure to facilitate recovery from the data reception error include instructions for providing a particular value in a cell update message to a network entity, the particular value enabling re-synchronization of a transmitter of the unacknowledged mode message with the receiver of the unacknowledged mode message.

21. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer-executable program code instructions comprise program code instructions for causing the apparatus to receive unacknowledged mode messages following reestablishment of the receiver in accordance with the initialization value.