# US 10,485,053 B1 · Method and apparatus for pre-empting evolved node B control plane collisions > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,485,053 B1 - Document ID: US10485053B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/015,866 - Filed: 2018-06-22 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-22 - Assignees: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Applicants: Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy - Inventors: John Harris - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10485053B1 ## CPC - H04W 76/45: for Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-to-Talk over cellular [PoC] services - H04W 4/10: Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services - H04W 76/25: Maintenance of established connections - H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states - H04W 76/30: Connection release - H04W 76/36: for reassigning the resources associated with the released connections - H04W 4/90: Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS] - H04W 76/50: for emergency connections - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Various embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for preempting simultaneous control plane (“C-Plane”) load collisions from simultaneous user equipment (“UE”) releases on a group call, the method including the steps of determining, by an Evolved Node B (“eNB”), whether at least one of a plurality of UEs has data activity, determining, by the eNB, whether a simultaneous C-Plane simultaneous UE release condition has been met and setting, by the eNB, an inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using randomized values over a first time interval for the inactivity timer countdown value. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for preempting simultaneous control plane (“C-Plane”) load collisions from simultaneous user equipment (“UE”) releases on a group call, the method comprising: determining, by an Evolved Node B (“eNB”), whether at least one of a plurality of UEs has data activity, wherein each UE in the group call is included in LTE cells that use an identical C-Plane processing pool; determining, by the eNB, whether a simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition has been met for the plurality of UEs; generating randomized values; and setting, by the eNB, an inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using the generated randomized values over a first time interval for the inactivity timer countdown value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 1, the method further comprising: setting, by the eNB, the inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using non-randomized values allowing simultaneous release of the plurality of UEs. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 1, the method further comprising: determining, by the eNB, whether an inactivity timer has expired for each of the plurality of UEs; and initiating, by the eNB, release of each of the plurality of UEs which have inactivity timers which have expired. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 1, the method further comprising: determining, by an eNB, whether at least one of the plurality of UEs have data activity when inactivity timers for each of the plurality of UEs have not expired. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition is when the plurality of UEs which have data activity is greater than a threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 1, wherein the simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition is when the plurality of UEs are utilizing a plurality of LTE cells which are all served by the identical C-Plane processing pool. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases of on the group call claim 1, wherein the simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition is when the plurality of UEs have had data activity within a second time interval. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 7, wherein the second time interval is less than 500 milliseconds. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 1, wherein setting the inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using the generated randomized values for the inactivity timer countdown value is set by an application server to stagger release times for each of the plurality of UEs. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 1, wherein the inactivity timer countdown value uses the generated randomized values over a second time interval which is greater than the first time interval, when detecting a second group call. ### Claim 11 An Evolved Node B (“eNB”) for preempting simultaneous control plane (“C-Plane”) load collisions from simultaneous user equipment (“UE”) releases on a group call, the eNB comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to determine whether at least one of a plurality of UEs has data activity, wherein each UE in the group call is included in LTE cells that use an identical C-Plane processing pool, determine whether a simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition has been met, generate randomized values; and set an inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using the generated randomized values over a first time interval for the inactivity timer countdown value. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to set the inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using non-randomized values allowing simultaneous release of the plurality of UEs. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether an inactivity timer has expired for each of the plurality of UEs; and initiate release of each of the plurality of UEs which have inactivity timers which have expired. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether at least one of the plurality of UEs have data activity when an inactivity timer for each of the plurality of UEs have not expired. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 11, wherein the simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition is when the plurality of UEs which have data activity is greater than a threshold value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 11, wherein the simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition is when the plurality of UEs are utilizing a plurality of LTE cells which are all served by the identical C-Plane processing pool. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases of on the group call claim 11, wherein the simultaneous C-Plane UE release condition is when the plurality of UEs have had data activity within a second time interval. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 17, wherein the second time interval is less than 500 milliseconds. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 11, wherein setting the inactivity timer countdown value for each of the plurality of UEs using the generated randomized values for the inactivity timer countdown value is set by an application server to stagger release times for each of the plurality of UEs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The eNB for preempting simultaneous C-Plane load collisions from simultaneous UE releases on the group call of claim 11, wherein the inactivity timer countdown value uses the generated randomized values over a second time interval which is greater than the first time interval, when detecting a second group call.