Suspending a connection in a wireless communication system

摘要

There are disclosed methods, apparatuses and computer programs for use in wireless communications systems for suspending a connection in the wireless communication system. In particular there are disclosed methods, apparatuses and software for use in a wireless communications system to suspend and handle the reactivation of a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection for carrying user-plane and control plane data between a user equipment (UE) and a Radio Access Network (RAN). Also disclosed herein are methods, apparatuses and software for handling mobility control and downlink data for a UE for which an RRC connection is suspended. There is disclosed a method, implemented in a user equipment (UE) for use with a Radio Access Network (RAN), comprising: the UE suspending an established RRC connection with the RAN; the UE monitoring, while the RRC connection is suspended, for at least one of: paging and notifications of downlink data for the UE; and the UE storing RRC connection data related to the suspended RRC connection, said RRC connection data being usable by the UE to reactivate the suspended RRC connection. Also disclosed a is user equipment for use with a Radio Access Network (RAN), the UE being configured to carry out the aforementioned method, and a computer program having instructions which when carried out by a processor of user equipment (UE) for use with a Radio Access Network (RAN) cause the UE to be configured to operate in accordance with the aforementioned method.

主权项

1. A method, implemented in a user equipment (UE) for use with a Radio Access Network (RAN), comprising:
the UE suspending an established RRC connection with the RAN, wherein the suspending causes the established RRC connection to be a suspended RRC connection that disables user plane data communications between the UE and the RAN, the suspended RRC connection maintaining the UE in an RRC connected mode; the UE storing RRC connection data related to the established RRC connection; the UE monitoring, whilst the established RRC connection is suspended, for at least one of: paging and notifications of downlink data for the UE; and the UE determining whether or not the suspended RRC connection is still valid by reference to the RRC connection data stored at the UE, said RRC connection data being usable by the UE to reactivate the suspended RRC connection.