Terminal, communication circuit and communication method

• US 9,345,051 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Kodama, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidner, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US14/023,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20140071893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 56/00 Synchronisation arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/085 collision avoidance
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/0858 collision detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/18 Management of setup rejection or failure

Abstract

A terminal including: an antenna configured to transmit a first random access signal, when the terminal loses a synchronization with a base station, to the base station, and to transmit a second random access signal, when a response signal to the first random access signal is not received by the terminal, to the base station after a period, and a processor configured to obtain a detection result by detecting, when the terminal loses the synchronization with the base station, whether a communication is in progress or not, and to set the period based on the detection result.

Claims

1. A terminal comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

transmit a first random access signal to a base station, when the terminal loses a synchronization with the base station;

transmit a second random access signal to the base station after a period of time, when a response signal responsive to the first random access signal is not received from the base station;

obtain a detection result by detecting, when the terminal loses the synchronization with the base station, whether the terminal is in an idle mode;

set the period of time based on the detection result, the period of time being set to a first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is not in the idle mode, and the period of time being set to a second period longer than the first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is in the idle mode; and

set the period of time to the first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is in the idle mode, but data to be transmitted by the terminal to the base station is also detected.

2. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the period of time is the first period when the detection result indicates a communication is in progress, and the period of time is the second period when the detection result indicates the communication is not in progress.

3. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the second period is set based on a rule that a maximum period for the first period is shorter than a minimum period for the second period.

4. The terminal according to claim 2, wherein the period of time is set in accordance with a specified timing of an intermittent reception, when the detection result indicates that a communication is not in progress.

5. The terminal according to claim 4, wherein the period of time is set to the specified timing after a maximum period for the first period.

6. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the period of time is varied based on a number of times when a response signal is transmitted from the base station in response to a random access signal transmitted by another terminal.

7. The terminal according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to obtain the detection result by detecting whether a communication is in progress in the terminal or the terminal is in the idle mode.

8. A communication circuit of a terminal, the communication circuit comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

generate a first random access signal which is transmitted to a base station, when the terminal loses a synchronization with the base station;

generate a second random access signal which is transmitted to the base station after a period of time, when a response signal responsive to the first random access signal is not received by the terminal;

obtain a detection result by detecting, when the terminal loses the synchronization with the base station, whether the terminal is in an idle mode;

set the period of time based on the detection result, the period of time being set to a first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is not in the idle mode, and the period of time being set to a second period longer than the first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is in the idle mode; and

set the period of time to the first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is in the idle mode, but data to be transmitted by the terminal to the base station is also detected.

9. A communication method comprising:

transmitting a first random access signal to a base station by a terminal, when the terminal loses a synchronization with the base station;

transmitting a second random access signal to the base station after a period of time, when a response signal responsive to the first random access signal is not received by the terminal;

obtaining a detection result by detecting, when the terminal loses the synchronization with the base station, whether the terminal is in an idle mode;

setting the period of time based on the detection result, the period of time being set to a first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is not in the idle mode, and the period of time being set to a second period longer than the first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is in the idle mode; and

setting the period of time to the first period when the detection result indicates the terminal is in the idle mode, but data to be transmitted by the terminal to the base station is also detected.

10. The communication method according to claim 9, wherein the period of time is the first period when the detection result indicates a communication is in progress, and the period of time is the second period when the detection result indicates the communication is not in progress.

11. The communication method according to claim 10, wherein the second period is set based on a rule that a maximum period for the first period is shorter than a minimum period for the second period.

12. The communication method according to claim 10, wherein the period of time is set in accordance with a specified timing of an intermittent reception, when the detection result indicates that the communication is not in progress.

13. The communication method according to claim 12, wherein the period of time is set to the specified timing after a maximum period for the first period.

14. The communication method according to claim 9, wherein the period of time is varied based on a number of times when a response signal is transmitted from the base station in response to a random access signal transmitted by another terminal.