Handling of Inactive Parameters Upon Release and Re-Suspend

A network device, wherein the network device is either a User Equipment (UE) or a network node, the network device comprising:

• a radio interface;
• and
• processing circuitry associated with the radio interface, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to cause the network device to:
• exchange Radio Resource Control (RRC) messaging between the UE and the network node, the RRC messaging comprising:
• an RRC resume request message from the UE to the network node;
• and
• an RRC connection release message comprising a suspend indication, wherein the RRC connection release message is from the network node to the UE in response to the RRC resume request message;
• and
• replace information in a stored Access Stratum (AS) context of the UE with new information comprised in the RRC connection release message, wherein to replace the information, the processing circuitry is configured to cause the network device to replace one or more of:
• stored security context information with security context information comprised in the RRC connection release message;
• a stored Inactive Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) with an I-RNTI comprised in the RRC connection release message;
• a stored cell identity with a cell identity of a cell in which the UE sent the RRC resume request message and received the RRC connection release message;
• a stored physical cell identity with a physical cell identity of the cell in which the UE sent the RRC resume request message and received the RRC connection release message;
• or
• a stored Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) with a C-RNTI obtained by the UE for the cell in which the UE sent the RRC resume request message and received the RRC connection release message.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program product for controlling a network device in a wireless communication network, the network device being a User Equipment (UE) or network node and the computer program product comprising software instructions that, when run on the network device, cause the network device to:

• exchange Radio Resource Control (RRC) messaging between the UE and the network node, the RRC messaging comprising:
• an RRC resume request message from the UE to the network node;
• and
• an RRC connection release message comprising a suspend indication, wherein the RRC connection release message is from the network node to the UE in response to the RRC resume request message;
• and
• replace information in a stored Access Stratum (AS) context of the UE with new information comprised in the RRC connection release message, wherein to replace the information the network device is caused to replace one or more of:
• stored security context information with security context information comprised in the RRC connection release message;
• a stored Inactive Radio Network Temporary Identifier (I-RNTI) with an I-RNTI comprised in the RRC connection release message;
• a stored cell identity with a cell identity of a cell in which the UE sent the RRC resume request message and received the RRC connection release message;
• a stored physical cell identity with a physical cell identity of the cell in which the UE sent the RRC resume request message and received the RRC connection release message;
• or
• a stored Cell Radio Network Temporary Identifier (C-RNTI) with a C-RNTI obtained by the UE for the cell in which the UE sent the RRC resume request message and received the RRC connection release message.