# US 12,225,489 B2 · Timing control in a radio access network node > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,489 B2 - Document ID: US12225489B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/799,150 - Filed: 2020-02-14 - Published: 2023-03-16 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-14 - Assignees: Nokia Technologies Oy - Applicants: Nokia Technologies Oy - Inventors: Juha Sakari Korhonen; Keeth Saliya Jayasinghe Laddu; Ilkka Antero Keskitalo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225489B2 ## CPC - H04W 56/005: {compensating for timing error by adjustment in the receiver} - H04B 7/15528: {Control of operation parameters of a relay station to exploit the physical medium} - H04W 56/0015: {one node acting as a reference for the others} - H04W 56/002: {Mutual synchronization} - H04W 56/0045: {compensating for timing error by altering transmission time} - H04W 56/0065: {using measurement of signal travel time} - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - H04B: TRANSMISSION ## Abstract According to an aspect, there is disclosed a method that includes aligning, by a radio access network node wirelessly connected to at least two parent nodes and to a child node, an uplink reception timing associated with the child node with a downlink reception timing associated with a parent node of the at least two parent nodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: aligning, with a radio access network node wirelessly connected to at least two parent nodes and to a child node, an uplink reception timing associated with the child node with a downlink reception timing associated with a parent node of the at least two parent nodes; maintaining, with the radio access network node, a single downlink reception timing associated with the at least two parent nodes; indicating, with the radio access network node, to each parent node of the at least two parent nodes whether the parent node is a reference parent node or a secondary parent node; and indicating, with the radio access network node, the secondary parent node about timing transitions compared to the reference parent node and about a downlink reception timing difference to enable the secondary parent node to derive timing gaps at the radio access network node to guarantee the single downlink reception timing at the radio access network node. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining, with the radio access network node, downlink reception timings associated with the at least two parent nodes; and configuring, with the radio access network node, the child node to transmit with a downlink reception timing associated with a parent node of the at least two parent nodes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising: signaling, with the radio access network node, to the child node one or more timing offsets relative to a transmission timing associated with the child node; and scheduling, with the radio access network node, the child node to transmit with a time offset of the one or more timing offsets. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the signaling comprises signaling the one or more timing offsets in a medium access control (MAC) control element. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the scheduling comprises signaling an indication to the child node which timing offset of the one or more timing offset to use. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, further comprising: updating, with the radio access network node, at least one time offset of the one or more timing offsets to the child node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, further comprising: updating, with the radio access network node, the one or more timing offsets to the child node relative to the present values of the one or more timing offsets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the radio access network node comprises an integrated access and backhaul node. ### Claim 9 A radio access network node wirelessly connected to at least two parent nodes and to a child node, the radio access network node comprising: at least one processor; and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code being configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network node to at least perform: aligning an uplink reception timing associated with the child node with a downlink reception timing associated a parent node of with the at least two parent nodes; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network node to at least perform: maintaining a single downlink reception timing associated with the at least two parent nodes; wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network node to at least perform: indicating to each parent node of the at least two parent nodes whether the parent node is a reference parent node or a secondary parent node; and indicating the secondary parent node about timing transitions compared to the reference parent node and about a downlink reception timing difference to enable the secondary parent node to derive timing gaps at the radio access network node to guarantee the single downlink reception timing at the radio access network node. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The radio access network node according to claim 9, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network node to at least perform: determining downlink reception timings associated with the at least two parent nodes; and configuring the child node to transmit with a downlink reception timing associated with a parent node of the at least two parent nodes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The radio access network node according to claim 10, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network node to at least perform: signaling to the child node one or more timing offsets relative to a transmission timing associated with the child node; and scheduling the child node to transmit with a time offset of the one or more timing offsets. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The radio access network node according to claim 11, wherein the signaling comprises signaling the one or more timing offsets in a medium access control (MAC) control element. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The radio access network node according to claim 11, wherein the scheduling comprising signaling an indication to the child node which timing offset of the one or more timing offset to use. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The radio access network node according to claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network node to at least perform: updating at least one time offset of the one or more timing offsets to the child node. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The radio access network node according to claim 11, wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the radio access network node to at least perform: updating the one or more timing offsets to the child node relative to the present values of the one or more timing offsets. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The radio access network node according to claim 9, wherein the radio access network node comprises an integrated access and backhaul node.