IMPROVED CONTENTION-FREE RANDOM ACCESS PROCEDURE IN WIRELESS NETWORKS

摘要

In order to provide a more robust contention-free random access procedure for use in a cellular wireless network and specifically, a contention-free random access procedure that is able to recover more quickly in case of failure a method for a radio access node (10) that is arranged in a wireless network and communications with user equipment, UE (20) and a radio access node are proposed. The method includes: receiving a first random access message (40) from a UE, the first message containing a pre-assigned contention-free random access preamble and representing a start of a random access procedure; responding to the received first message by sending a second message (50) to the UE, the second message containing time alignment information to enable a scheduled transmission of a third message (60) by the UE; ascertaining that no third message is received from the UE within a predetermined period of time and transmitting a command (80) to the UE ordering a restart of the random access procedure with the same pre-assigned contention-free random access preamble.