# US 11,122,633 B2 · Apparatus and method for controlling uplink transmission timing in internet of things environment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,122,633 B2 - Document ID: US11122633B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/123,246 - Filed: 2018-09-06 - Published: 2019-03-07 - Granted: 2021-09-14 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-06 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yun Gyu Bae; Ki Cheol Nam; Ki Sung Park; Han Sung Leem - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11122633B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/10: Connection setup - H04W 56/0005: {synchronizing of arrival of multiple uplinks} - H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others} - H04W 74/0833: Random access procedures, e.g. with 4-step access - H04W 4/80: Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication - H04W 88/08: Access point devices - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract An electronic device is disclosed. The electronic device supporting a low power wide area network (LPWAN) includes a communication circuit to make communication with a base station, a processor electrically connected with the communication circuit, and a memory electrically connected with the processor. The memory may include instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to establish a radio link with the base station by using the communication circuit, to transmit, to the base station, a first message requesting a random access by using the communication circuit, to receive a second message replying to the first message from the base station by using the communication circuit, when a timer is running for uplink transmission timing, and to update an existing timing advance value for the uplink transmission timing, based on a timing advance value included in the second message. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic device supporting a low power wide area network (LPWAN), the electronic device comprising: a communication circuit configured to communicate with a base station; a processor electrically connected with the communication circuit; and a memory electrically connected with the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: establish a radio link with the base station by using the communication circuit; transmit, to the base station, a first message requesting random access by using the communication circuit; receive a second message replying to the first message from the base station by using the communication circuit, when a timer is running for uplink transmission timing; and selectively update or ignore, based at least in part on a number of subcarriers used for uplink transmission, wherein selectively update comprises selectively updating an existing timing advance value for the uplink transmission timing when the timer is running for uplink transmission timing, according to a timing advance value included in the second message and wherein ignore comprises ignoring the timing advance value included in the second message, wherein selectively updating or ignoring further comprises: when there is one subcarrier, updating the timing advance value; and when there is more than one subcarrier, updating the timing advance value when a difference between the existing timing advance value for the uplink transmission and the timing advance value included in the second message exceeds a predetermined threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the processor to: re-start the timer in response to reception of the second message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein selectively update comprises: when the number of subcarriers used for the uplink transmission is two or more, determine whether a third message including another timing advance value is received; update the existing timing advance value with the timing advance value included in the second message, when the third message is not received within a pre-determined threshold time period; and ignore the timing advance value included in the second message when the third message is received within the pre-determined threshold time period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein selectively update further comprises: when the number of subcarriers used for the uplink transmission is more than one and when the timing advance value is less than the pre-determined threshold, ignore the timing advance value included in the second message. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the instructions cause the processor to: transmit an uplink signal multiple times by using the communication circuit; and transmit the first message requesting random access to the base station by using the communication circuit, when a number of transmission times of the uplink signal is equal to a pre-determined maximum re-transmission value. ### Claim 6 An electronic device supporting a low power wide area network (LPWAN), the electronic device comprising: a communication circuit configured to communicate with a base station; a processor electrically connected with the communication circuit; and a memory electrically connected with the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: establish a radio link with the base station by using the communication circuit; transmit, to the base station, a first message requesting random access by using the communication circuit; receive a second message replying to the first message from the base station by using the communication circuit, when a timer is running for uplink transmission timing; ignore a timing advance value included in the second message when a network connected with the electronic device has bandwidth equal to or greater than 1 MHz; and update an existing timing advance value based on the timing advance value included in the second message when the network connected with the electronic device has bandwidth less than 1 MHz. ### Claim 7 An electronic device comprising: a communication circuit; a processor electrically connected with the communication circuit; and a memory electrically connected with the processor and storing instructions, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: establish a radio link with a base station; receive, from the base station, a message including timing advance information used for timing advance for data transmission to the base station; update an existing timing advance value for the timing advance based on the timing advance information contained in the message, when a timer for the timing advance is not running or the electronic device is using a low power wide area network (LPWAN); and ignoring the timing advance information contained in the message when the timer is running and the electronic device is not using the LPWAN. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the radio link is implemented based at least on Technical Specification (TS) 36.321 regulated by 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the message includes: a timing advance command medium access control (MAC) control element (CE). ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electronic device of claim 9, wherein the timer includes timeAlignmentTimer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the message includes a random access response (RAR) message. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the LPWAN includes a Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB IoT) network based on specifications regulated by the 3GPP. ### Claim 13 A method of an electronic device, the method comprising: establishing a radio link with a base station; transmitting, to the base station, a first message requesting random access; receiving a second message replying to the first message from the base station, when a timer is running for uplink transmission timing; and selectively updating or ignoring, based at least in part on a number of subcarriers used for uplink transmission, wherein selectively updating comprises selectively updating an existing timing advance value for the uplink transmission timing when the timer is running for uplink transmission timing, according to a timing advance value included in the second message and ignoring comprises ignoring the timing advance value included in the second message, wherein selectively updating or ignoring further comprises: when there is one subcarrier, updating the timing advance value; and when there is more than one subcarrier, updating the existing timing advance value based on the timing advance value included in the second message, when a third message is not received within a pre-determined threshold time period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: re-starting a timer in response to reception of the second message. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein selectively updating further comprises: when there is more than one subcarrier, ignoring the timing advance value included in the second message when the third message is received with the pre-determined threshold time period. ### Claim 16 A method of an electronic device, the method comprising: establishing a radio link with a base station; transmitting, to the base station, a first message requesting random access; receiving a second message replying to the first message from the base station, when a timer is running for uplink transmission timing; ignoring the timing advance value included in the second message when a network connected with the electronic device has bandwidth equal to or greater than 1 MHz; and updating an existing timing advance value based on the timing advance value included in the second message when the network connected with the electronic device has bandwidth less than 1 MHz.