# US 2021/0345440 A1 · Methods, apparatus and systems relating to ue inactivity > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0345440 A1 - Document ID: US20210345440A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/317,626 - Filed: 2018-10-09 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-17 - Assignees: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Applicants: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ) - Inventors: Matteo FIORANI; Angelo CENTONZA; Alexander VESELY - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210345440A1 ## CPC - H04W 52/0222: {in packet switched networks} - H04W 76/25: Maintenance of established connections - H04W 24/08: Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using real traffic - H04W 76/15: Setup of multiple wireless link connections - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Various methods, apparatus and systems are disclosed related to the detection and reporting of UE inactivity. One exemplary method is performed by a distributed unit of a base station. The base station further comprises a centralized unit. The method comprises: monitoring the activity of one or more data radio bearers, established between the distributed unit and a user equipment, for carrying user data; and transmitting, to the centralized unit, a report message comprising an indication of the activity of the one or more data radio bearers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method in a distributed unit of a base station, the base station further comprising a centralized unit, the method comprising: monitoring the activity of one or more data radio bearers, established between the distributed unit and a user equipment, for carrying user data; and transmitting, to the centralized unit, a report message comprising an indication of the activity of the one or more data radio bearers. ### Claim at position 2 2-4. (canceled) ### Claim 5 A method in a centralized unit of a base station, the base station further comprising one or more distributed units, the method comprising: receiving, from a first distributed unit of the one or more distributed units, a report message comprising an indication of the activity of one or more first data radio bearers, established between the first distributed unit and a user equipment, for carrying user data. ### Claim at position 4 6-13. (canceled) ### Claim 14 A method in a centralized unit of a base station, the base station further comprising a distributed unit, wherein one or more radio bearers are established between the base station and a user equipment for carrying user data, and wherein the centralized unit implements a user plane entity and a control plane entity, the method comprising, in the user plane entity: monitoring the activity of the one or more radio bearers. ### Claim at position 6 15-20. (canceled) ### Claim 21 A distributed unit for a base station, the base station further comprising a centralized unit, the distributed unit comprising: processing circuitry and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the distributed unit to: monitor the activity of one or more data radio bearers, established between the distributed unit and a user equipment, for carrying user data; and transmit, to the centralized unit, a report message comprising an indication of the activity of the one or more data radio bearers. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The distributed unit according to claim 21, wherein the indication of the activity of the one or more data radio bearers comprises respective indications for each of the one or more data radio bearers, as to whether the respective data radio bearer is inactive. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The distributed unit according to claim 21, wherein the report message is transmitted over a F1 interface. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The distributed unit according to claim 21, wherein the distributed unit is caused to monitor the activity of a particular data radio bearer by: determining that no user data has been transmitted between the user equipment and the distributed unit over the particular data radio bearer for at least a threshold period of time. ### Claim 25 A centralized unit for a base station, the base station further comprising one or more distributed units, the centralized unit comprising: processing circuitry and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the centralized unit to: receive, from a first distributed unit of the one or more distributed units, a report message comprising an indication of the activity of one or more first data radio bearers, established between the first distributed unit and a user equipment, for carrying user data. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The centralized unit according to claim 25, wherein the indication of the activity of the one or more first data radio bearers comprises respective indications for each of the one or more first data radio bearers, as to whether the respective first data radio bearer is inactive. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The centralized unit according to claim 25, wherein the report message is received over a F1 interface. ### Claim 28 (depends on 25) The centralized unit according to claim 25, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to: responsive to a determination that a particular data radio bearer is inactive, remove the particular radio bearer. ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The centralized unit according to claim 25, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to: responsive to a determination that all data radio bearers associated with the user equipment are inactive, initiate a procedure to alter the state of the user equipment. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The centralized unit according to claim 25, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to: receive respective report messages from one or more second distributed units of the one or more distributed units, the respective report messages comprising respective indications of the activity of one or more second data radio bearers, established between the one or more second distributed units and the user equipment, for carrying user data. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The centralized unit according to claim 30, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to: determine that the user equipment is inactive responsive to a determination that all data radio bearers associated with the user equipment, including the first and second radio bearers, are inactive. ### Claim 32 (depends on 25) The centralized unit according to claim 25, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to: receive a report message from a second base station providing dual connectivity services for the user equipment, the report message comprising an indication of the activity of one or more data radio bearers, established between the second base station and the user equipment, for carrying user data. ### Claim 33 (depends on 25) The centralized unit according to claim 25, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to: transmit a report message to a second base station providing dual connectivity services for the user equipment, the report message comprising an indication of the activity of the one or more data radio bearers. ### Claim 34 A centralized unit for a base station, the base station further comprising a distributed unit, wherein the centralized unit implements a user plane entity and a control plane entity, the centralized unit comprising processing circuitry and a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the centralized unit to, in the user plane entity: when one or more radio bearers are established between the base station and a user equipment for carrying user data, monitor the activity of the one or more radio bearers. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The centralized unit according to claim 34, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to, in the user plane entity, send, to the control plane entity, a report message comprising an indication of the activity of the one or more radio bearers. ### Claim 36 (depends on 34) The centralized unit according to claim 34, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to, in the control plane entity: responsive to a determination that a particular radio bearer is inactive, remove the particular radio bearer. ### Claim 37 (depends on 34) The centralized unit according to claim 34, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to, in the control plane entity: responsive to a determination that all radio bearers associated with the user equipment are inactive, initiate a procedure to alter the state of the user equipment. ### Claim 38 (depends on 34) The centralized unit according to claim 34, wherein the centralized unit is further caused to: transmit a report message to a second base station providing dual connectivity services for the user equipment, the report message comprising an indication of the activity of the one or more radio bearers. ### Claim 39 (depends on 34) The centralized unit according to claim 34, wherein steps performed by the user plane entity are performed in a packet data convergence protocol, PDCP, layer of the user plane entity. ### Claim 40 (depends on 34) The centralized unit according to claim 34, wherein the indication of the activity of the one or more radio bearers comprises respective indications for each of the one or more radio bearers, as to whether the respective radio bearer is inactive. ### Claim at position 27 41-42. (canceled)