5G new radio (NR) out of service optimizations for inactive state

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12563432-B2
Application number	US-202217814412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 22, 2022
Priority date	Aug 31, 2021
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

Aspects are described for a user equipment (UE) comprising a transceiver configured to enable wireless communication with a base station, and a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The processor is configured to enter a radio resource control (RRC) inactive mode and camp on a first cell. The processor is further configured to detect an out of service (OOS) status and set a RAN-based notification area (RNA) parameter, wherein the UE refrains from discarding an access stratum (AS) inactive context based on the RNA parameter. The processor is further configured to camp on a second cell and transmit a message to the base station to report an RNA update responsive to camping on the second cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A user equipment (UE) comprising:
a transceiver configured to enable wireless communications with a base station; and a processor, communicatively coupled to the transceiver, and configured to:
enter a radio resource control (RRC) inactive mode;
start a first timer upon entering the RRC inactive mode;
detect an out of service (OOS) status for a first cell that the UE has camped on;
set a RAN-based notification area (RNA) parameter responsive to an expiration of the first timer, wherein the UE refrains from discarding an access stratum (AS) inactive context in the OOS status based on the RNA parameter;
camp on a second cell;
transmit a message to the base station to report an RNA update responsive to camping on the second cell;
start a delta timer upon the expiration of the first timer, wherein a period of the delta timer is based on a difference between a period of the first timer and a period of a second timer running at the base station;
determine that the delta timer has expired, wherein the delta timer expires at a same time as the second timer;
discard the AS inactive context responsive to the expiration of the delta timer; and
enter an RRC idle mode responsive to discarding the AS inactive context.

2 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in response to camping on the second cell, determine that the delta timer is running, wherein the message is transmitted to the base station responsive to determining that the delta timer is running.

3 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein to transmit the message to the base station, the processor is further configured to:
determine that the first cell is in a first RNA and the second cell is in a second RNA.

4 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
receive an RRC resume message from the base station; resume an RRC connection based on the AS inactive context; and transmit an RRC resume complete message to the base station.

5 . The UE of claim 1 , wherein to detect the OOS status, the processor is further configured to:
measure a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the first cell; and determine that the RSRP is below a threshold.

6 . A method of operating a user equipment (UE) comprising:
entering a radio resource control (RRC) inactive mode; starting a first timer upon entering the RRC inactive mode; detecting an out of service (QOS) status for a first cell that the UE has camped on; setting a RAN-based notification area (RNA) parameter responsive to an expiration of the first timer, wherein the UE refrains from discarding an access stratum (AS) inactive context in the OOS status based on the RNA parameter; camping on a second cell; transmitting a message to a base station to report an RNA update responsive to camping on the second cell; starting a delta timer upon the expiration of the first timer, wherein a period of the delta timer is based on a difference between a period of the first timer and a period of a second timer running at the base station; determining that the delta timer has expired, wherein the delta timer expires at a same time as the second timer; discarding the AS inactive context responsive to the expiration of the delta timer; and entering an RRC idle mode responsive to discarding the AS inactive context.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
in response to camping on the second cell, determining that the delta timer is running, wherein the message is transmitted to the base station responsive to determining that the delta timer is running.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein transmitting the message to the base station further comprises:
determining that the first cell is in a first RNA and the second cell is in a second RNA.

9 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving an RRC resume message from the base station; resuming an RRC connection based on the AS inactive context; and transmitting an RRC resume complete message to the base station.

10 . The method of claim 6 , wherein detecting the OOS status further comprises:
measuring a reference signal received power (RSRP) of the first cell; and determining that the RSRP is below a threshold.

11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium (CRM) comprising instructions to, upon execution of the instructions by one or more processors of a user equipment (UE), cause the UE to perform operations, the operations comprising:
entering a radio resource control (RRC) inactive mode; starting a first timer upon entering the RRC inactive mode; detecting an out of service (OOS) status for a first cell that the UE has camped on; setting a RAN-based notification area (RNA) parameter responsive to an expiration of the first timer, wherein the UE refrains from discarding an access stratum (AS) inactive context in the OOS status based on the RNA parameter; camping on a second cell; transmitting a message to a base station to report an RNA update responsive to camping on the second cell; starting a delta timer upon the expiration of the first timer, wherein a period of the delta timer is based on a difference between a period of the first timer and a period of a second timer running at the base station; determining that the delta timer has expired, wherein the delta timer expires at a same time as the second timer; discarding the AS inactive context responsive to the expiration of the delta timer; and entering an RRC idle mode responsive to discarding the AS inactive context.

12 . The non-transitory CRM of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
in response to camping on the second cell, determining that the delta timer is running, wherein the message is transmitted to the base station responsive to determining that the delta timer is running.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Singh Ashish Kumar
• Venugopal Avinash
• Zhao Xiaolin

Classifications

• H04W60/04

  using triggered events · CPC title

• H04W76/27 Primary

  Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states · CPC title

• H04W48/20

  Selecting an access point · CPC title

• H04B17/327

  Received signal code power [RSCP] · CPC title

• H04W24/10 Primary

  Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports} · CPC title