# US 11,310,856 B2 · Method and apparatus for performing dual connectivity in heterogeneous network > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,856 B2 - Document ID: US11310856B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/552,961 - Filed: 2019-08-27 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-27 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd - Inventors: Taesung Kim; Janghwan Kim; Seungbo Yoo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310856B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/16: Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer - H04W 92/20: between access points - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a communication method and system for converging a 4th-Generation (4G) communication system or a 5th-Generation (5G) communication system for supporting higher data rates beyond the 4th-Generation (4G) system with a technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the 5G communication technology and the IoT-related technology, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method of a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) included in a secondary node (SN) (or secondary gNB (SgNB)) in a wireless communication system supporting evolved universal terrestrial radio access and new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC) includes receiving, from a master node (MN) (or master eNB (MeNB)), a first message for requesting the SgNB to allocate a radio resource for a bearer, and transmitting a second message, including indication information indicating whether a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) version of the bearer has been changed, to the CU-UP included in the SgNB. The indication information is generated based on the first message. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) included in a secondary node (SN) or secondary gNB (SgNB) in a wireless communication system supporting evolved universal terrestrial radio access and new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC), the method comprising: receiving, from a master node (MN) or master eNB (MeNB), a first message for requesting the SgNB to allocate a radio resource for a bearer; transmitting, to a central unit-user plane (CU-UP) included in the SgNB, a second message, including indication information indicating whether a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) version of the bearer has been changed; and transmitting, to the CU-UP, a third message including count information on a PDCP sequence number (SN) for a packet received through the bearer, wherein the indication information is generated based on the first message, and wherein the packet received through the bearer is aligned at the CU-UP based on at least one of the indication information or the count information. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first message includes a SgNB addition request message, wherein the second message includes a bearer context setup request message, and wherein the third message includes an SN status transfer message. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a size of the indication information is 1 bit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein whether the PDCP version has been changed is identified based on information on at least one bearer for which SgNB addition has been requested, included in the first message, and information on a PDCP version of the at least one bearer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein, in case that the packet is a downlink packet, a PDCP SN for the downlink packet is allocated at the CU-UP based on at least one of the indication information or the count information, and wherein, in case that the packet is an uplink packet, the uplink packet is aligned further based on a first input first output (FIFO) scheme. ### Claim 6 A central unit-control plane (CU-CP) included in a secondary node (SN) or secondary gNB (SgNB) in a wireless communication system supporting evolved universal terrestrial radio access and new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC), the CU-CP comprising: a transceiver; and a processor configured to: receive, from a master node (MN) or master eNB (MeNB), a first message for requesting the SgNB to allocate a radio resource for a bearer, transmit, to a central unit-user plane (CU-UP) included in the SgNB, a second message, including indication information indicating whether a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) version of the bearer has been changed; and transmit, to the CU-UP, a third message including count information on a PDCP sequence number (SN) for a packet received through the bearer, wherein the indication information is generated based on the first message, and wherein the packet received through the bearer is aligned at the CU-UP based on at least one of the indication information or the count information. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The CU-CP of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to identify whether the PDCP version has been changed based on information on at least one bearer for which SgNB addition has been requested, included in the first message, and information on a PDCP version of the at least one bearer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The CU-CP of claim 6, wherein the first message includes a SgNB addition request message, wherein the second message includes a bearer context setup request message, and wherein the third message includes an SN status transfer message. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The CU-CP of claim 6, wherein a size of the indication information is 1 bit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The CU-CP of claim 6, wherein, in case that the packet is a downlink packet, a PDCP SN for the downlink packet is allocated at the CU-UP based on at least one of the indication information or the count information, and wherein, in case that the packet is an uplink packet, the uplink packet is aligned further based on a first input first output (FIFO) scheme. ### Claim 11 A method of a central unit-user plane (CU-UP) included in a secondary node (SN) or secondary gNB (SgNB) in a wireless communication system supporting evolved universal terrestrial radio access and new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC), the method comprising: receiving, from a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) included in the SgNB, a second message including indication information indicating whether a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) version of a bearer has been changed; receiving, from the CU-CP, a third message including count information on a PDCP sequence number (SN) for a packet received through the bearer; and aligning the packet received through the bearer based on at least one of the indication information or the count information, wherein the indication information is generated based on a first message requesting the SgNB to allocate a radio resource for the bearer, the first message being received from a master node (MN) or master eNB (MeNB). ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the first message includes a SgNB addition request message, wherein the second message includes a bearer context setup request message, and wherein the third message includes an SN status transfer message. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein a size of the indication information is 1 bit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein whether the PDCP version has been changed is identified based on information on at least one bearer for which SgNB addition has been requested, included in the first message, and information on a PDCP version of the at least one bearer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: in case that the packet is a downlink packet, allocating a PDCP SN for the downlink packet based on at least one of the indication information or the count information; and in case that the packet is an uplink packet, aligning the uplink packet further based on a first input first output (FIFO) scheme. ### Claim 16 A central unit-user plane (CU-UP) included in a secondary node (SN) or secondary gNB (SgNB) in a wireless communication system supporting evolved universal terrestrial radio access and new radio dual connectivity (EN-DC), the CU-UP comprising: a transceiver; and a processor configured to: receive, from a central unit-control plane (CU-CP) included in the SgNB, a second message including indication information indicating whether a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP) version of a bearer has been changed, receive, from the CU-CP, a third message including count information on a PDCP sequence number (SN) for a packet received through the bearer, and align the packet received through the bearer based on at least one of the indication information or the count information, wherein the indication information is generated based on a first message requesting the SgNB to allocate a radio resource for the bearer, the first message being received from a master node (MN) or master eNB (MeNB). ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The CU-UP of claim 16, wherein the first message includes a SgNB addition request message, wherein the second message includes a bearer context setup request message, and wherein the third message includes an SN status transfer message. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The CU-UP of claim 16, wherein a size of the indication information is 1 bit. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The CU-UP of claim 16, wherein whether the PDCP version has been changed is identified based on information on at least one bearer for which SgNB addition has been requested, included in the first message, and information on a PDCP version of the at least one bearer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The CU-UP of claim 16, wherein the processor is further configured to: in case that the packet is a downlink packet, allocate a PDCP SN for the downlink packet based on at least one of the indication information or the count information, and in case that the packet is an uplink packet, align the uplink packet further based on a first input first output (FIFO) scheme.