# US 12,764,636 B2 · Small data transmission control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,764,636 B2 - Document ID: US12764636B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/279,328 - Filed: 2022-02-10 - Published: 2024-05-02 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-02 - Assignees: Nokia Technologies Oy - Applicants: Nokia Technologies Oy - Inventors: Jorma Johannes Kaikkonen; Jussi-Pekka Koskinen; Samuli Heikki Turtinen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12764636B2 ## CPC - H04W 48/02: Access restriction performed under specific conditions - H04W 76/20: Manipulation of established connections - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract There are provided apparatuses, methods and computer program products. In accordance with an embodiment, there is disclosed a method including obtaining a status of at least one control element regarding allowability of small data transmission by the user equipment; examining the status to determine whether small data transmission by the user equipment is prohibited or allowed in an inactive state of the user equipment; causing, based on the determination, the user equipment to perform either initiation of a small data transmission procedure in the inactive state if the status indicates that initiation of the small data transmission is not prohibited; or prohibiting initiation of the small data transmission procedure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A user equipment comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: obtaining a status of at least one control element regarding allowability of a small data transmission procedure by the user equipment, wherein said at least one control element comprises a small data transmission counter; determining, by examining the status, whether the small data transmission procedure by the user equipment is prohibited or allowed in an inactive state of the user equipment; obtaining a value of the small data transmission counter; obtaining a threshold value; comparing the value of the small data transmission counter with the threshold value to determine whether initiation of the small data transmission procedure is prohibited; and causing, based on the determining and comparing, the user equipment to perform either: initiating the small data transmission procedure in the inactive state of the user equipment when the status indicates that the initiation of the small data transmission procedure is not prohibited; or prohibiting the initiation of the small data transmission procedure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein said at least one control element further comprises: a prohibit timer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The user equipment according to claim 2 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: determining that the initiation of the small data transmission procedure is not prohibited when the prohibit timer is not running. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The user equipment according to claim 2 configured to: determine that the initiation of the small data transmission procedure is not prohibited if the prohibit timer is running and the comparing indicates that the value of the small data transmission counter is less than the threshold value. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The user equipment according to claim 2 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: starting the prohibit timer when the comparing indicates that the value of the small data transmission counter has reached the threshold value; and starting the prohibit timer and initiating the small data transmission counter to an initial value when the user equipment initiates a first small data transmission procedure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The user equipment according to claim 2 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: starting the prohibit timer upon performing the small data transmission procedure or when receiving a radio resource control (RRC) release message terminating the small data transmission procedure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The user equipment according to claim 2 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: stopping the prohibit timer or setting the small data transmission counter to an initial value when at least one of a certain amount of time elapses, cell selection or cell reselection occurs, or when a radio resource control (RRC) connection is established or resumed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The user equipment according to claim 1 configured to: increment the value of the small data transmission counter in connection with one or both of the following: upon initiating the small data transmission procedure; or when performing the small data transmission procedure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The user equipment according to claim 1 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: obtaining a status of a first prohibit timer associated with a first radio bearer; obtaining a status of a second prohibit timer associated with a second radio bearer; examining the status of the first prohibit timer to determine whether the first prohibit timer is running; causing, based on the determination that the first prohibit timer is not running, the user equipment to initiate the small data transmission procedure in the inactive state by the first radio bearer: or causing, based on the determination that the first prohibit timer is running, the user equipment to perform: examining the status of the second prohibit timer to determine whether the second prohibit timer is running; and causing, based on the determination that the second prohibit timer is not running, the user equipment to initiate the small data transmission procedure in the inactive state by the second radio bearer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The user equipment according to claim 9, wherein: the first radio bearer is a signalling radio bearer; and the second radio bearer is a data radio bearer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The user equipment according to claim 1 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: initiating a configured grant based small data transmission or random access based small data transmission when the determining reveals that the status of any of the at least one control element is not indicating that the initiation of the small data transmission procedure by the user equipment is prohibited. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The user equipment according to claim 1 where the instructions, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the user equipment to perform: causing an access stratum layer of a protocol stack of the user equipment to inform a non-access stratum layer of the protocol stack that the initiation of the small data transmission procedure is allowed. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: obtaining a status of at least one control element regarding allowability of a small data transmission procedure by a user equipment; determining, by examining the status, whether the small data transmission procedure by the user equipment is prohibited or allowed in an inactive state of the user equipment, wherein said at least one control element comprises a small data transmission counter; obtaining a value of the small data transmission counter; obtaining a threshold value; comparing the value of the small data transmission counter with the threshold value to determine whether initiation of the small data transmission procedure is prohibited; and causing, based on the determining and comparing, the user equipment to perform either: initiating the small data transmission procedure in the inactive state of the user equipment if the status indicates that the initiation of the small data transmission procedure is not prohibited; or prohibiting the initiation of the small data transmission procedure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein said at least one control element further comprises: a prohibit timer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14 further comprising: determining that the initiation of the small data transmission procedure is not prohibited if the prohibit timer is not running. ### Claim 16 A network element comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed with the at least one processor, cause the network element to perform: determining that a user equipment is to implement at least one control element for determining by the user equipment whether transmission of a message using a small data transmission procedure in an inactive state of the user equipment is prohibited; and providing the user equipment indication of usage of the at least one control element, wherein said at least one control element comprises a small data transmission counter and the providing provides a timer for the small data transmission counter and a corresponding threshold value to enable the user equipment to perform comparing a value of the small data transmission counter with the threshold value to determine whether initiation of the small data transmission procedure is prohibited. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The network element according to claim 16, wherein said at least one control element further comprises: a prohibit timer. ### Claim 18 A method comprising: determining that a user equipment is to implement at least one control element for determining by the user equipment whether transmission of a message using a small data transmission procedure in an inactive state of the user equipment is prohibited; and providing the user equipment indication of usage of the at least one control element, wherein said at least one control element comprises a small data transmission counter and the providing provides a timer for the small data transmission counter and a corresponding threshold value to enable the user equipment to perform comparing a value of the small data transmission counter with the threshold value to determine whether initiation of the small data transmission procedure is prohibited.