UE State Transition Data Handling for Early Packet Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless communication systems face challenges in managing data communication effectively when a user equipment (UE) transitions from an inactive or idle state to a connected state, particularly in scenarios involving small data transmissions, as current protocols do not provide clear guidance on how to proceed after the transition.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves various methods for managing communications during state transitions, including reestablishing or resetting protocol entities like PDCP, RLC, and MAC entities, using HARQ processes, and assigning sequence numbers to packets, all aimed at optimizing data transmission without requiring the UE to fully transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a wireless device transitions from a connected state to an unconnected state without managing ongoing data communication, then the device can quickly release resources and reduce complexity, but data integrity is compromised and communication reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication management complexityVSAvoiddata communication reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a data suspension indication mechanism before the state transition occurs. The network device sends a data suspension indication to the wireless device in advance, allowing the wireless device to suspend ongoing data transmissions before transitioning to the unconnected state, thereby ensuring data integrity while maintaining simple state management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If a wireless device suspends data communication upon state transition, then data integrity is maintained, but communication delay increases and productivity decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata communication reliabilityVSAvoidcommunication delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements dynamic data suspension management where the suspension status can be changed based on network conditions. The network device can send a data resumption indication to the wireless device when appropriate, allowing the wireless device to resume suspended data transmissions. This dynamic approach maintains data integrity during state transitions while minimizing communication delays by resuming data flow when conditions permit.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If a network device implements comprehensive data suspension and resumption management, then data communication reliability is improved, but device complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata communication reliabilityVSAvoidnetwork device processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses standardized signaling messages as intermediaries to manage data suspension and resumption. The network device sends data suspension indications and data resumption indications through established signaling protocols, avoiding the need for complex custom management mechanisms. This intermediary approach maintains high data communication reliability while keeping network device processing complexity manageable by leveraging existing protocol frameworks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP4289217B1Managing data communication before and after a state transition
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP4289217B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4289217B1 patent drawingFigure 1B~2A
  • EP4289217B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

To manage communications from a UE during a state transition, a central unit (CU) of a base station performs, by processing hardware, an early data transmission procedure with the UE while the UE is in an inactive state, including transmitting at least one data packet of a sequence of data packets to the UE (802). The CU determines to transition the UE from the inactive state to a connected state (808). In response to transitioning the UE to the connected state, the CU transmits, by the processing hardware, a next data packet in the sequence of data packets to the UE, or retransmits, by the processing hardware, the at least one data packet to the UE in response to determining the at least one data packet has not been received (812).