# US 2019/0357137 A1 · Methods and apparatuses for selecting a radio link in a mobile communication system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2019/0357137 A1
- Document ID: US20190357137A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/476,179
- Filed: 2017-11-21
- Published: 2019-11-21
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-05
- Assignees: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
- Applicants: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
- Inventors: Rikin SHAH; Joachim LOEHR; Takako HORI; Hidetoshi SUZUKI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190357137A1

## CPC

- H04W 48/20: Selecting an access point
- H04W 76/16: Involving different core network technologies, e.g. a packet-switched [PS] bearer in combination with a circuit-switched [CS] bearer
- H04W 24/10: Scheduling measurement reports {; Arrangements for measurement reports}
- H04W 40/12: based on transmission quality or channel quality
- H04W 80/02: Data link layer protocols
- H04W 80/08: Upper layer protocols {(network arrangements or communication protocols for networked applications H04L67/00)}
- H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic
- 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 auser equipment in a mobile communication system. The UE comprises processing circuitry, which in operation, determines at least one radio link via which a first base station is to forward data packets to the user equipment. The user equipment is connectable to both the first base station via a first radio link and to a second base station via a second radio link. The UE further comprises a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a radio link selection message to the first base station. The radio link selection message comprises information on the determined at least one radio link for instructing the first base station via which at least one radio link to forward the data packets to the user equipment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A user equipment in a mobile communication system, the user equipment comprising:
processing circuitry, which in operation, determines at least one radio link via which a first base station is to forward data packets to the user equipment, the user equipment being connectable to both the first base station via a first radio link and to a second base station via a second radio link; and
a transmitter, which in operation, transmits a radio link selection message to the first base station, the radio link selection message comprising information on the determined at least one radio link for instructing the first base station via which at least one radio link to forward the data packets to the user equipment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the first radio link and the second radio link are based on different radio technologies, wherein the first radio link is based on the Long Term Evolution technology of the 3GPP, 3rd Generation Partnership Project or a new radio technology of the 5th Generation, 5G, of the 3GPP, and wherein the second radio link is based on the new radio technology of the 5th Generation, 5G, of the 3GPP.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry, when in operation, measures parameters of the first radio link and/or the second radio link and compares the measured parameters with a threshold value, and the processing circuitry, when in operation, determines to transmit a radio link selection message based on the result of the comparison; and/or
the processing circuitry, when in operation, measures parameters of the first radio link and/or the second radio link and compares the measured parameters with previously measured parameters, and the processing circuitry, when in operation, determines to transmit a radio link selection message based on the result of the comparison; and
wherein the parameters of the first radio link and of the second radio link comprise at least one of the following parameters:
reference signal received power, RSRP;
reference signal received quality, RSRQ; and
Signal to Noise ratio, SNR.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter, when in operation, transmits the radio link selection message within a Medium Access Control, MAC, Control Element.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry, when in operation, determines that the first base station is to forward data packets either:
via the first radio link only; or
via the second radio link only; or
via both the first radio link and the second radio link;
wherein in case the processing circuitry determined that the first base station is to forward data packets via both the first radio link and the second radio link;
the processing circuitry, when in operation, further determines a ratio between data packets to be forwarded via the first radio link and via the second radio link, the ratio being included in the radio link selection message; or
the processing circuitry, when in operation, further determines that the data packets are to be forwarded in duplicate via the first radio link and the second radio link, the radio link selection message comprising information on the duplication.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein a first radio link identity, assigned to the first radio link, is different from a second radio link identity, assigned to the second radio link, wherein the information comprised in the radio link selection message on the at least one radio link comprises the first radio link identity and/or the second radio link identity; and
wherein a receiver of the user equipment, when in operation, receives the first radio link identity and/or the second radio link identity from the first base station.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the user equipment is connectable to the first base station and the second base station using a split bearer, split between the first base station and the second base station, wherein a Packet Data Convergence Protocol, PDCP, layer of the user equipment is shared for the split bearer, and the data packets are PDCP protocol data units, PDCP PDUs; or
wherein the user equipment is connectable to the first base station and the second base station separately via two bearers.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The user equipment according to claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry, when in operation, operates a report timer to control a transmission of a reception report for a series of data packets received from the first base station and the second base station, wherein the report timer is started when a first data packet in the series of data packets is detected as missing,
wherein upon expiry of the report timer, the processing circuitry, when in operation, determines to transmit a reception report to the first base station and generates the reception report, the reception report indicating the data packets successfully received from the first base station and the second base station, and
wherein the transmitter, when in operation, transmits the generated reception report to the first base station.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The user equipment according to claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry, when in operation, further determines to transmit the reception report:
when the measured parameters of the first radio link and/or second radio link change by at least a specific amount compared to respective previously measured parameters, and
wherein the processing circuitry, when in operation, determines to not transmit the reception report when the data packets to be reported via the reception report are of low relevance or when the number of data packets not successfully received is below a specific number.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The user equipment according to claim 8, wherein the transmitter, when in operation, transmits the reception report together with the radio link selection message to the user equipment.

### Claim 11

A method for operating a user equipment in a mobile communication system, comprising the following steps performed by the user equipment:
determining at least one radio link via which a first base station is to forward data packets to the user equipment, the user equipment being connectable to both the first base station via a first radio link and to a second base station via a second radio link; and
transmitting a radio link selection message to the first base station, the radio link selection message comprising information on the determined at least one radio link for instructing the first base station via which at least one radio link to forward the data packets to the user equipment.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11, further comprising the following steps performed by the user equipment:
operating a report timer to control a transmission of a reception report for a series of data packets received from the first base station and the second base station, wherein the report timer is started when a first data packet in the series of data packets is detected as missing;
upon expiry of the report timer, determining to transmit a reception report to the first base station and generating the reception report, the reception report indicating the data packets successfully received from the first base station and the second base station; and
transmitting the generated reception report to the first base station.

### Claim 13

A first base station in a mobile communication system, the first base station comprising:
a receiver, which in operation, receives a radio link selection message from a user equipment, the user equipment being connectable to both the first base station via a first radio link and to a second base station via a second radio link, the radio link selection message comprising information on an at least one radio link via which the first base station is to forward data packets to the user equipment;
processing circuitry, which in operation, determines at least one radio link via which to forward the data packets to the user equipment, based on the received radio link selection message; and
a transmitter, which in operation, forwards the data packets via the determined at least one radio link to the user equipment.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The first base station according to claim 13, wherein:
the receiver, when in operation, receives from the user equipment a reception report that indicates the data packets successfully received by the user equipment from the first base station and the second base station;
the processing circuitry, when in operation, performs the determination of the at least one radio link via which to forward the data packets based on the received reception report; and
wherein the processing circuitry, when in operation, determines whether and via which radio link to transmit data packets not successfully received by the user equipment, based on the received reception report.

### Claim at position 15

-21. (canceled)