# US 12,120,767 B2 · Radio terminal, base station, and methods and non-transitory computer-readable media therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,120,767 B2 - Document ID: US12120767B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/854,698 - Filed: 2022-06-30 - Published: 2022-10-20 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-05 - Assignees: NEC Corporation - Applicants: NEC Corporation - Inventors: Hisashi Futaki; Sadafuku Hayashi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12120767B2 ## CPC - H04W 76/27: Transitions between radio resource control [RRC] states - H04W 36/0016: {Hand-off preparation specially adapted for end-to-end data sessions} - H04W 36/0072: {of resource information of target access point} - H04W 36/36: by user or terminal equipment - H04W 68/02: Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel - H04W 72/51: based on terminal or device properties - H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point - H04W 88/06: adapted for operation in multiple networks {or having at least two operational modes}, e.g. multi-mode terminals - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract A radio terminal (2) controls state transitions of the radio terminal (2) among first to third RRC states. In addition, if the radio terminal (2) is in the second RRC state, if a current cell that the radio terminal (2) has camped on is different from a first cell in which a state transition from the first RRC state to the second RRC state was performed, and if the current cell satisfies a predetermined condition, the radio terminal (2) allows the radio terminal (2) to transmit data to be transmitted in the current cell by a first transmission procedure in which the radio terminal (2) transmits uplink data before entering the first RRC state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radio terminal comprising: a transceiver; and at least one processor configured to control the transceiver, wherein the at least one processor is configured to control state transitions of the radio terminal among RRC_CONNECTED, RRC_INACTIVE, and RRC_IDLE states; the at least one processor is further configured to support data transmission in the RRC_INACTIVE state, and the at least one processor is further configured to, in a case where the radio terminal is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, a current cell that the radio terminal has camped on is different from a first cell in which a state transition from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_INACTIVE state was performed, and the current cell satisfies a first condition, allow the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell before transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radio terminal according to claim 1, wherein a first base station controlling the first cell is different from a second base station controlling the current cell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The radio terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first condition is that the current cell is in a RAN notification area received in the first cell, and the at least one processor is configured to: in a case where the radio terminal is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, the current cell is different from the first cell, and the current cell does not satisfy the first condition, perform an update procedure of the RAN notification area; and in a case where data to be transmitted in the RRC_INACTIVE state occurs after the RAN notification area update procedure is completed, allow the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell before transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The radio terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first condition is that the current cell is in a RAN notification area received in the first cell, and the at least one processor is configured to: in a case where the radio terminal is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, the current cell is different from the first cell, the current cell does not satisfy the first condition, and an update procedure of the RAN notification area has not been performed, allow the radio terminal to perform the update procedure with the RAN; in a case where the radio terminal is instructed by the RAN in the update procedure to remain in the RRC_INACTIVE state, allow the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell before transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state; and in a case where the radio terminal is instructed by the RAN in the update procedure to transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state, allow the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell after transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state. ### Claim 5 A method for a radio terminal, the method comprising: controlling state transitions of the radio terminal among RRC_CONNECTED, RRC_INACTIVE, and RRC_IDLE states; and supporting data transmission in the RRC_INACTIVE state, and in a case where the radio terminal is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, a current cell that the radio terminal has camped on is different from a first cell in which a state transition from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_INACTIVE state was performed, and the current cell satisfies a first condition, allowing the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell before transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein a first base station controlling the first cell is different from a second base station controlling the current cell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the first condition is that the current cell is in a RAN notification area received in the first cell, and the method further comprises: in a case where the radio terminal is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, the current cell is different from the first cell, and the current cell does not satisfy the first condition, performing an update procedure of the RAN notification area; and in a case where data to be transmitted in the RRC_INACTIVE state occurs after the RAN notification area update procedure is completed, allowing the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell before transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the first condition is that the current cell is in a RAN notification area received in the first cell, and the method further comprises: in a case where the radio terminal is in the RRC_INACTIVE state, the current cell is different from the first cell, the current cell does not satisfy the first condition, and an update procedure of the RAN notification area has not been performed, allowing the radio terminal to perform the update procedure with the RAN; in a case where the radio terminal is instructed by the RAN in the update procedure to remain in the RRC_INACTIVE state, allowing the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell before transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state; and in a case where the radio terminal is instructed by the RAN in the update procedure to transition to the RRC_CONNECTED state, allowing the radio terminal to perform data transmission in the current cell after transitioning to the RRC_CONNECTED state. ### Claim 9 A method of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, from a network, system information including configuration information for small data transmission in an RRC_INACTIVE state; and determining, based on a plurality of conditions, whether to perform the small data transmission, wherein the plurality of conditions includes a first condition related to a serving cell, wherein the plurality of conditions includes a second condition related to a data volume threshold included in the system information, and wherein the second condition is that a data volume of pending uplink data for the small data transmission is less than or equal to the data volume threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: supporting an RRC_IDLE state, the RRC_INACTIVE state, and an RRC_CONNECTED state. ### Claim 11 A method of a User Equipment (UE), the method comprising: receiving, from a network, system information including configuration information for small data transmission in an RRC_INACTIVE state; determining, based on a plurality of conditions, whether to perform the small data transmission; triggering an update procedure of a RAN-based Notification Area (RNA); and initiating the small data transmission in a cell of the RNA, wherein the plurality of conditions includes a first condition related to a serving cell, and wherein the plurality of conditions includes a second condition related to a data volume threshold included in the system information.